5 Best Places to Visit in Arizona After You Move

While you have been preparing for your move to this southern state, you must have been exposed to endless tips in real life and online on the things you must do when you move to Arizona. Instead of reading another text about the best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix or how grand the views of the Grand Canyon are, here are the 5 best places to visit in Arizona after you move that maybe aren’t the most obvious choices, but are also still very popular with both tourists and locals alike.

Tips on what to expect when moving to Arizona

Before we get to the actual locations, it is important to note several things when considering the best places to visit in Arizona after you move. The weather should definitely enter the equation, especially if you’re planning on spending time outdoors. Here are some of the things to know before moving to Arizona:

• Always have sunscreen on hand (and all other exposed parts of the body).
• Invest in a good hat because the sun’s harmful radiation really can’t be overstated.
• When planning things you must do when you move to Arizona, make sure to visit certain places during seasons that promise a milder climate.
• If going for an outdoor activity, always plan for enough water and other drinks to get you through.
• Also make sure that your phone battery is fully charged.
• Arizonians are famously very friendly so be prepared to make new friends in no time.

Sedona – Large red(dish) rock formations are always among the best places to visit in Arizona

Most guides suggest visiting Sedona is best done in spring and autumn because of the mild climate in those seasons. It’s therefore particularly fun to walk the red trails in springtime because that is when the desert flowers bloom and make the hikes all the more enjoyable. However, prices of rooms in hotels are at an all-year high at these times of year, so lots of people choose to visit Sedona in winter instead, when the temperatures are low and there is even a subtle dusting of snow atop Sedona’s red rocks. Different festivals are organized year-round, so you can stay on lookout for those dates when planning your trip if you wish to add some additional activities to your visit.

The Salt River – Tubing down the Salt River is one of the things you must do when you move to Arizona

Floating down the Salt River in the summer months is a typically Arizonian activity that everyone enjoys. You rent a tube with a group of people, bring coolers with plenty of drinks to hydrate you throughout the day and enjoy the desert view from the river. Lucky groups may even get a chance to spot some wild horses running along. This is one of those special things you must do when you move to Arizona that is not only fun but also allows you to relax and reconnect with nature. Also, if you unexpectedly get hit with a marshmallow while rafting, do not fret, it is a weird but hilarious tradition to throw marshmallows at each other while out on the river.

Camelback Mountain – A hiker’s dream and one of the best places to visit in Arizona after you move

Camelback Mountain is famous for its unique shape and highly advanced hiking trails, so if you are not in the best of physical shapes, or not a particularly experienced hiker, you should definitely opt for one of the guided tours on offer. However, if you enjoy a challenge and are looking for some excitement besides just taking in the beautiful nature, there are steeper and longer trails available as well. An overpowering focus on outdoor activities and hiking are among the things to expect when moving to Arizona, so make sure to be prepared and able to embrace it.

Musical Instrument Museum – A fun day out of the Arizonian sun

If you feel like getting out from under the scorching Arizonian sun for a day or even an afternoon, visiting the museum that houses the second largest collection of musical instruments might just be the perfect activity for you. Not only are almost 7,000 instruments on show, so are different music-adjacent things like costumes and tour memorabilia of different artists. What is especially cool and worth placing this museum on all of the lists of best places to visit in Arizona after you move are all the interactive exhibits up for the entirety of the year, as well as the special events and concerts regularly organized by the museum.

Marquee Theater – A vibrant music scene is exactly what to expect when moving to Arizona

Moving cities, states and even countries can be especially hard on your social life, so coming up with an activity that is fun to do alone but that also allows for meeting people while you do it is essential when moving. Going to concerts is definitely one of those things and the Marquee Theater in Tempe is the perfect place to do it.

This old theater has recently undergone a big renovation and has expanded its offer. Its biggest draw are the high-profile musical acts it manages to book and cover a wide variety of musical genres. If you are moving to Phoenix, Tempe is just a short car ride away (quite a bit away from Tucson, though still manageable) so it’s a perfect place to go to for a day trip and change of scenery, with the additional benefit of seeing a great gig in the evening.

Something for everyone

As most people do, you have probably taken your relocation seriously and must feel like you are familiar with what to expect when moving to Arizona. However, with all of the stress that comes with planning a move one often disregards thinking about what to do once you’re actually there, so hopefully, these tips on the 5 best places to visit in Arizona after you move will get you started and excite you about everything your new home has to offer. Whether you are an outdoorsy type or more of an indoors person, Arizona surely has plenty to offer.