Experience Scottsdale
Arizona is home to many of the most beautiful golf courses in the region. Your stay in Scottsdale will undoubtedly provide endless opportunities for fun, memorable golfing experiences due to the superior course layouts and wonderful year-round weather. The following are some of the best, top-rated gold courses in the Scottsdale area, not to mention the multitude of courses that make up the Phoenix metropolis.
Legends Trail Golf Course
This Scottsdale course is highly popular with Arizona locals and has been chosen as one of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses. In addition, this course has been given 4.5 out of 5 stars for “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest Magazine. This course is perfectly manicured, winding through the Sonoran Desert Landscape and featuring well-known Arizona landmarks!
Troon North Golf Club
Troon North Golf Club is a staple in the Scottsdale golf community, with good reason. With two 18-hole courses that stretch through the natural desert foothills of Pinnacle Peak, this course sets an unparalleled standard in the Southwest region.
Talking Stick Golf Club
This beautiful golf destination offers playability for golfers of all levels. Located in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, these courses provide a challenging game that blends nicely with the serenity of the desert surroundings.
Ancala Country Club
Located in the foothills of the McDowell Mountain foothills, the Ancala Country Club is one of Scottsdale’s most prestigious clubs and allows golfers of all skill levels the opportunity to play on its lush fairways and pristine greens, not to mention the beautiful views!
Scottsdale is known for award-winning cuisine, top-rated chefs, and flavors from around the world. There is absolutely no shortage of fine dining in the Scottsdale area, with hundreds of restaurants that provide exceptional personal service, unique and extensive menus, and delectable cocktails. Inside Scottsdale’s Phoenician Resort, Il Terrazzo delivers contemporary Italian cuisine with a luxuriously decked-out atmosphere. Posh, located on The Farm at South Mountain, this dining experience is definitely satisfying. Here are some of our top picks for fine dining in Scottsdale!
Mastro’s City Hall Steakhouse
A highly acclaimed menu featuring seafood and steak draws patrons from all over the Valley, while the live music keeps them entertained all night long. This sophisticated and classic steakhouse blends world-class service, live entertainment, and exquisite cuisine in a tasteful and chic manner.
Cowboy Ciao
Located in downtown Scottsdale, one block South of Camelback Rd., Cowboy Ciao began as a neighborhood eatery but has transformed into a well-known fine dining experience featuring wine-friendly fare. This restaurant has a menu that blends Italian, Mexican, and American Southwestern and also offers an eclectic wine list.
J & G Steakhouse
Recipient of the “Best of Award of Excellence” in 2014, this steakhouse, located within the Phoenician Resort, serves up some of the best cuisines in town! Diners experience some of the best sunsets in the Valley atop the Phoenician while enjoying premium meats and a global selection of fish and seafood.
Cholla Prime Steakhouse and Lounge
A real hidden gem, Cholla Prime Steakhouse and Lounge is the ideal fine-dining destination for almost any occasion. The upscale setting offers an intimate retreat, allowing guests to truly savor the delectable menu and overall experience. This steakhouse and lounge is located just off of the gaming floor within Casino, Arizona.
Experience the thrill of flight from Scottsdale to Sedona. Leopard Aviation offers “hands on” flight experience to Sedona or anywhere you’d like to explore.
Whether you are simply seeking an outdoor excursion to enjoy the Arizona sun and scenery, or you are looking to break a sweat with a challenging walk or hike, Scottsdale’s plethora of trails provide endless opportunities for desert exploration. Here are some of the top-rated and most popular hiking, walking, and sightseeing destinations in the Scottsdale area.
Mcdowell Mountain Preserve (Gateway Trailhead)
Located on the east side of Thompson Peak Rd., the Gateway Trailhead offers all the amenities an outdoor enthusiast would ever want. This is the trailhead for numerous hikes, ranging in difficulty level and providing outdoor family fun for all ages.
Camelback Mountain
Easily one of the most notable and popular hiking destinations in the Phoenix area, Camelback Mountain can be seen from almost anywhere in the Valley. This mountain offers two different hiking trails, one is slightly longer, and one is slightly more difficult. Camelback Mountain provides hikers with 360-degree views from the top, allowing for one of the most beautiful photo opportunities in the whole Phoenix metropolitan area.
Pinnacle Peak Park
Pinnacle Peak Park offers a multi-use trail in Scottsdale, allowing for hikers, joggers, and even those looking for a leisurely walk. The tail is also equipped to handle horseback riding and has rock and mountain climbing access. Breathtaking views of the Valley are definitely a reward once you reach the summit. The park is open from dawn to dusk!
The Scottsdale area definitely has visitors covered when it comes to unique, entertaining, and memorable attractions and activities. World-class museums, a renowned botanical garden, and the nation’s largest wilderness preserve all call Scottsdale home. Not to mention, the innumerable other family-friendly attractions such as the Phoenix Zoo and five different professional sports organizations. Visit Old Town Scottsdale to get a taste of the Old West and take home a real Western souvenir! Here are a few of Scottsdale’s best attractions.
Desert Botanical Garden
The Desert Botanical Garden provides research, exhibits, and displays that are designed to help visitors understand the desert climate and landscape and educate on protection to preserve the Arizona desert’s natural beauty. The garden is over 140 acres with more than 50,000 plant displays and is 1 of only 24 botanical gardens accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Spring Training
Cactus League Spring Training brings professional baseball to the Scottsdale area every February and March. This annual event draws visitors from all over the country for a chance to catch a glimpse of their favorite players and teams! Scottsdale is home to the San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies along with several other professional teams scattered throughout the Valley.
Musical Instrument Museum
This is the largest museum of its type in the world. This museum houses more than 15,000 musical instruments from all over the world and includes examples from around 200 different countries!
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
This museum located in downtown Scottsdale is Arizona’s only museum that is solely dedicated to modern art and design. With five galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden, the museum is home to several permanent displays and plays host to major traveling exhibitions.
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
This park is home to two children’s playgrounds and the Charro Carrousel! The Paradise and Pacific Railroad may be the oldest and first attraction within the park, however, the park also has a railroad museum, the Xeriscape Arboretum, and several other famous railroad cars and engines!
What better place to relax than the soothing serenity of the Arizona desert? Find peace and tranquility while enjoying one or many of the amenities and spa services offered at some of the best spas in the country. Arizona has earned the reputation as the prime destination for top resorts and world-class spas, with several in the neighborhood. Here are some of the top picks for days spas in Scottsdale!
Sanctuary Camelback
The Sanctuary Spa perched on Camelback Mountain is truly an exhilarating experience, blending the serenity of the Sonoran desert and the vitality of the wilderness. This spa is tucked into the side of Camelback Mountain within one of the most distinguished resorts in the state.
Spa Lamar
Spa LaMar is one of the top-rated day spas and salons in the Scottsdale Area. This day spa provides an island ambiance, transporting clients from the desert atmosphere to the beauty and peacefulness of a soothing wave-ridden beach. Combing exotic therapies from around the world with an endless menu of services, the staff at Spa LaMar has created an incomparable environment!
Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont
This beautiful spa located within the even more beautiful Fairmont Princess Resort in Scottsdale has an innovative approach to the day spa experience. Creating a blend of spa services and promoting overall wellness, this spa leaves visitors with a greater sense of vitality.
JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa
This relaxing spa is truly a hidden gem in the Scottsdale community, with the simple goal of helping clients take a break and relax. Clients are able to relish the balance of tranquility and charm of the desert in this quiet and peaceful refuge.
The Scott Resort & Spa (Formerly Firesky Resort)
The Jurlique Spa at Firesky Resort is a holistic spa featuring treatments based on all-natural and organic ingredients designed to restore energy, enhance beauty and heal from within! Utilizing Western and Eastern spa philosophies and plant-based products that are organically grown in Julique’s own herb farms located in South Australia.
Scottsdale not only has the best shopping in the state of Arizona but some of the best in the Southwest Region of the country! Whether you are looking for upscale and expensive designer brands or unique southwestern gift items, you will have plenty of options to choose from. Scottsdale has several outdoor promenades and upscale fashion centers, offering a mix of national retailers and treasures that can only be found in the desert! Here are some of the most popular shopping destinations in Scottsdale.
Scottsdale Fashion Square
This is definitely Scottsdale’s premier shopping destination and is also the largest shopping mall in the state. With a combination of designer and couture shops and everyday popular national retailers, this shopping mall has something for everybody. Located in downtown Scottsdale, Fashion Square offers the very best in shopping.
Scottsdale Quarter & Kierland Commons
These two outdoor shopping destinations, located in North Scottsdale along Scottsdale Rd., offer an eclectic mixture of dining, retail, and entertainment options for you to enjoy. These open-air malls, lined with Palm trees and offering accessible walkways and sidewalks, play host to several popular nationally-known retail stores and are conveniently located across the street from one another.
Desert Ridge Marketplace
This distinctive outdoor shopping mall delivers the ultimate shopping experience due to its widespread of specialty retailers and major brand name stores.
Outlet Shopping
If you are searching for a bargain, the Phoenix area has plenty of outlet shopping options for you to browse! Arizona Mills, The Tanger Outlets, and the Outlets at Anthem all have dozens of factory stores offering name-brand products at major discounts. Phoenix Premium Outlets and Nordstrom Rack also call the Phoenix area home.
When the sun sets in Scottsdale, the opportunities for nightlife entertainment remain endless. Scottsdale’s nightlife scene has emerged as one of the most vibrant and energetic destinations in the southwest. Here are some of the most popular nightlife districts in the Scottsdale area.
Scottsdale Quarter & Kierland Commons
These two open-air malls and entertainment districts not only cater to shoppers and diners but also those looking to unwind once the sun goes down in the desert. Both the Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons offer bars and restaurants that heat up at night—most with great cocktail and wine menus and live music. Mastro’s Ocean Club, Sol Mexican Cocina, and Eddie V’s, to name a few.
Old Town – Scottsdale
Old Town Scottsdale’s nightlife scene seems to be ever-changing and always expanding. Several bars and nightclubs line the streets in the old town, drawing visitors young and old and keeping the party going all night long. Some popular nightlife hotspots in downtown Scottsdale are The W, Bottled Blonde, HiFi Kitchen & Cocktails, and Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row.
Downtown Phoenix
Downtown Phoenix’s nightlife scene blends urban vibes and the big-city ambiances to create the perfect after-hours experience. Several types of nightspots make up downtown Phoenix’s scene, with live music venues, comedy clubs, dance clubs, and relaxing lounges. Try GypsyBar, Copper Blues, and Crescent Ballroom, and you will not be disappointed.