Sedona, Arizona
Gorgeous red rocks, endless hiking trails, national forest land, spiritual renewals, and a vibrant, cute town. That’s Sedona, Arizona! It’s truly a very special place, with lots of blue sky days and opportunities to lose yourself in the spectacular natural surroundings.
It’s beyond inspiring and colorful!
Eating vegan in Sedona is easy and you’ll love this guide. If you’re following a plant-based diet, vegetarian, or trying to eat healthier when on the road, I’ve got you covered here.
You’ll want to get outside to walk on trails and weave through the cypress and cactus. Take in the energy of the mesmerizing views and fresh air. You don’t need to be a big hiker, as there’s an array of trails for every level!
There are so many things to do in Sedona. On our trip to Sedona, we hiked, rested, re-connected, enjoyed the road trip, and ate so much vegan food in Sedona!
Here you’ll find where to eat vegan in Sedona. I’ve also included where to stay, what to do, and some additional tips!
Eating healthy is easy in Sedona! Before we got in the car for our road trip to Sedona, I looked for the best vegan restaurants I wanted to try. I did my research, mapped it out, and am here to share them all with you.
When I started eating a plant-based diet four years ago, I thought for sure I was going to have to make sacrifices when I traveled because it was going to be so hard to find vegan options. Sedona was especially abundant with vegan and vegetarian options!
I know firsthand how difficult it can be sometimes to find vegan or plant-based restaurants when you travel. You have to plan ahead in order to keep yourself on track.
And, if you’re like me and love food, you want to be eating delicious vegan meals! Not just the one single veggie choice on a menu that seems like an afterthought. You want flavor!
top PLACES to eat vegan in Sedona
Picazzo’s
Picazzo’s Organic Italian Kitchen
Picazzo’s is an Italian eatery that focuses on whole foods that are rich in ingredients. They feature dishes that are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly. They source organic produce that’s clean and pesticide-free, and they have a solid commitment to creating healthy food for their customers. They have an entirely vegan menu, which you’ll love!
We had the Vegan Puttanesca pizza, and the Vegan Funghi Florentine pizza. Both were amazing! Each vegan pizza was bursting with flavor and I’d order them both again. These are great options for eating vegan or vegetarian in Sedona.
The vegan mozzarella was creamy and delicious.
A few additional menu items that I’ll give a try next time are the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowls, Risotto With Mushrooms & Peas (skillet-baked dish), and the Plant-Based Vegetable Lasagna Bolognese. You can take a look here, at Picazzo’s entire menu and read more about the restaurant.
This post is all about eating vegan in Sedona.
Secret Garden Cafe
The Secret Garden Cafe is a cozy restaurant in the Tlaquepaque Shopping area. It’s a lovely setting surrounded by trees and a rustic design.
They have an intimate outdoor patio with a super relaxed vibe. This is a great breakfast spot if you’re looking for a charming way to start the day!
They are not a vegan restaurant, but do have vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options! They’re open to your dietary requests and will do their best to accommodate you.
Your best vegan choice is going to be the Garden Love Scramble made with tofu, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and sliced avocado. Sounds amazing, right?
One of the foods I missed the most when switching to a plant-based diet was eggs. Meals like the Garden Love Scramble help me feel satisfied without the eggs! Plus, this entree includes potatoes, gluten-free toast, and seasonal fruit on the side.
For lunch, try one of their salads such as the Southwest Veggie Cobb or the Blissful Spinach Salad which are vegetarian options. Just remove the cheese to make them vegan. Top them with tofu for additional protein.
Other lunch options include a Garden Veggie Burger made with organic bulgar, carrots, peas, onions, and garbanzo beans.
Or, a wonderful Portobello Sandwich topped with arugula, caramelized onions, and roasted red peppers served on a herb focaccia roll. This is one of the best places to eat vegan in Sedona!
My favorite sandwich here is the Southwest Veggie Sandwich grilled sandwich! Griddled eggplant, zucchini, red onions, roasted tomato, and roasted red pepper on an herb focaccia roll.
This is served with cilantro pesto which likely includes a tiny bit of cheese, so order it without the pesto if you prefer.
Tofu is also available to add to this delicious sandwich. In addition, they have a lovely beverage menu of wine and local beer to enjoy with your lunch.
CREEKSIDE COFFEE
I love finding a local coffee shop wherever I go. They always have an interesting vibe that reflects the area. You can really get a sense of the local community at the coffee shop. Creekside Coffee is the perfect spot for your morning coffee before you set out on your adventures for the day!
They source their coffee from all around the world, and roast and sell the Rattle & Hum Coffee in their shop.
There are great views of the surrounding beauty right from their cafe!
Bring your hiking maps and books and plan your day right there, while enjoying your coffee on their deck.
What can you eat there? For vegan and vegetarian options, try the Smashed Avocado Toast, or a slice of almond butter toast with bananas.
Seasonal fruit and muesli are another nice way to begin the day! If you eat eggs, try their egg on Ciabatta options.
You can choose to add honey to your toast if you eat honey. If you fall in love with their coffee and want some when you get home, you can buy it here.
Butterfly Burger
Butterfly Burger Restaurant
Butterfly Burger goes on the not-to-be-missed list in Sedona! You’ll enjoy award-winning burgers in a haute, lounge-y atmosphere.
While most burger joints are casual, Butterfly Burger has the elegance and the style of a low-lit cocktail lounge.
The menu is very impressive with three award-winning signature burgers plus a list of interesting creations from Chef Lisa Dahl.
My favorite part is that there are two amazing burger options for vegans, vegetarians, and pescetarians!
The first one is a grilled portobello mushroom with caramelized balsamic onions and chipotle aioli on a whole grain bun. Skip the manchego if you’re vegan.
The second one (that I had!) is the Hipster Burger, made from lentil-walnut sofrito, oven-roasted Campari tomato jam, and a pimenton aioli on a whole-grain bun.
This burger was so delicious that if I could eat more than one, I definitely would.
CHOCOLA TREE
As a vegan, plant-based, or vegetarian eater, this restaurant offers all the things you want. Avocado toast, Corn Chowder, Three-Bean Chili, and so much more!
A selection of homemade spreads to-go that include Tahini Veggie Hummus, Garlic Herb Pate, Vegan Sour Cream, Vegan Nut Butter, and beyond. They create each dish using 100% organic, vibrant food, gluten-free and everything is fresh.
We picked up a few to-go spreads but didn’t stay long enough to do a thorough review of the restaurant. Because this restaurant had a very casual and loose mask policy during the pandemic, we decided not to stay very long at all. The spreads were enjoyable.
This post is all about eating vegan in Sedona.
Thai Spices Natural Restaurant
If you love Thai food as much as I do, you will love Thai Spices Natural Restaurant! You’ll find traditional cuisine that is delicious and healthy.
Chef Pearl Pardee is committed to creating fresh, high-quality dishes without sugar, flour, genetically modified ingredients, or MSG.
If you’re vegan or vegetarian, just let them know when you sit down and they’ll prepare your meal to your preference! I started off with the Fresh Roll Wrap with Tofu which has mixed greens, fresh herbs, and tofu in rice paper with plum sauce.
Next, I ordered the Pad Thai because I love to taste Pad Thai from different restaurants and enjoy the creative ways they make it!
And, I haven’t met a Pad Thai that I didn’t like.
The Pad Thai at Thai Spices Natural Restaurant was the tastiest I’ve had in a long time! My favorite combination of nutty and sweet.
My husband ordered Panang Curry with tofu and we decided that it reminded us of our time in Thailand – it was that good!
Fresh vegetables, rich coconut, with a very authentic Thai taste. We wanted to have it a second time during our visit but it was Sunday evening when we thought of it and they were closed. We’ll definitely be back!
JAVELINA CANTINA
Javelina Cantina has a lovely patio to sit outside and enjoy fun conversation and views. This is a perfect place to start dinner off with crispy tortilla chips, salsa, guacamole, and a delicious cold margarita. These are some of my favorite things! The Javelina Cantina menu has a great vegan option of Garden Vegetable Fajitas which I loved.
They have the option for vegan protein to be added to nachos or other entrees but I didn’t try the vegan protein on this visit. This is a great place to eat vegan in Sedona.
My vegetable fajitas were delicious and I’d go back and get them again in a heartbeat!
Stick with black beans instead of refried beans if you want to avoid the lard they use in the refried beans.
Some yummy-looking salads are also on the menu; such as the Javelina Taco Salad, Fajita Salad, Cantina Bowl, and the Del Mar Salad. These are great vegan or vegetarian meals in Sedona.
You’ll just need to customize a bit by removing the cheese and adding in some additional beans or their vegan protein. I loved their roasted Pico de Gallo and the guacamole was one of the best I’ve had in a long time!
OAK CREEK BREWING COMPANY
Oak Creek Brewing Company
Local beer is one of my favorite things to explore when I’m visiting a new town. Oak Creek Brewing is a nice restaurant with a cute covered balcony! A great place to hang out and sample some local beers.
They brew their beer on-site in Copper Brite Tanks that you can view from their full-service bar. It’s such a fun experience to taste each beer and then discuss opinions about each one!
Their food menu doesn’t have a lot of options for vegan or vegetarian dining.
There are a couple of yummy fried appetizers without meat, such as a cone of french fries or beer-battered onion rings.
The Strawberry Mango Salad is a great meal choice and you can add avocado. They also have a veggie patty that you can order as a burger and add some yummy toppings like pineapple, mushrooms & onions, and avocado. A side salad or fries would be perfect to add, and then you’re good to go!
Our favorite beers were the Village Nut Brown Ale and the Horseshoe Hefeweizen. Both are gold medal winners at the Great American Beer Festival!
Additional Dining Not Vegan – Top Rated
ELOTE CAFE
The Elote Cafe is an award-winning Mexican and Southwestern restaurant with authentic cuisine created by Chef Jeff Smedstad. His dishes are inspired by southern and deep interior Mexico.
Vegetarian options such as Sweet Corn Salad, Roasted Beet Salad, Guacamole, and Vegetable Mole Verde are some of the wonderful considerations!
The Vegetable Mole Verde is roasted cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, corn, potatoes, butternut squash served with green chile cornbread. This dish is made with pepita crema, but you can likely get the sauce on the side.
Elote Cafe has a wonderful drink menu with cocktails made with 100% agave tequila and all of the drink mixes are made in-house. Check them out here to get your mouth watering!
MARIPOSA LATIN INSPIRED GRILL
Mariposa is known in Sedona as one of the best restaurants in town! The menu is South American inspired and includes handmade empanadas, ceviches, mole and chimichurri sauce plus many others.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive patio provide amazing views of Sedona’s majestic red rocks. They have a couple of vegetarian options. First, is the Jardin; which is grilled & roasted seasonal vegetables, lentil walnut croquette, roasted mushrooms with special vegetarian sauces.
The Veggie Nirvana is a fire-roasted poblano pepper stuffed with quinoa, roasted vegetables, and jack cheese finished with a roasted pepper Romesco sauce, frijoles negros, and spicy pepitas. They will likely accommodate a vegan diet with a special dish but I have tried this first-hand.
As veggie side dishes, give a try of roasted brussels, grilled asparagus, or wood-roasted mushrooms!
How To Get To Sedona
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is 2 hours away from Sedona. Two smaller airports are Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, 2 and ½ hours from Sedona, and Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, 45 minutes away from Sedona. It’s a beautiful drive from PHX to Sedona!
If you live anywhere in the Southwest, it’s a great road trip destination. It’s easy to get to Sedona, especially if you love pretty drives.
Where To Stay In Sedona
Enchantment Resort
Enchantment Resort
Enchantment Resort is a wonderful luxury property surrounded by the dramatic red rocks of Sedona. You’ll feel very connected to nature while staying at Enchantment Resort as the design is soothing and peaceful. All guest accommodations feature private patios or decks to enjoy the views.
You can always be reminded of the gorgeous rocks around you! Casitas, one or two-bedroom suites, or pool suites are among the room categories.
The concierge can assist you with activities in the area. Enchantment Resort is located about 15 minutes away from the downtown area of Sedona, where the restaurants and shops are located.
The Resort is a bit of a drive out of town, but the reward is that you’ll be staying where the rocks surround you!
L’Auberge de Sedona
L’Auberge Sedona is located right in the heart of town. The resort is very convenient to the charming restaurants and shopping of downtown Sedona! They sit next to Oak Creek and among the Sycamore trees, offering a lovely atmosphere that feels a little removed from the bustle of town.
This is a wonderful place to stay in Sedona! The sound of the creek is peaceful and the setting is naturally beautiful on the banks of the creek. Accommodations at L’Auberge Sedona are a selection of lovely cottages with fireplaces, views of the creek, the red rocks, or the lush foliage of the garden.
Mii amo
Mii amo is currently closed and going through a transformation and renewal! Mii amo is a destination spa and wellbeing space to enjoy meditation, lectures, body treatments, and intuitive therapy. This will be updated once Mii Amo reopens after their redesign journey in Spring 2022.
Amara Resort and Spa
Amara Resort and Spa
Located in uptown Sedona, Amara Resort and Spa is convenient to shopping and restaurants of Sedona. This resort is a wonderful full-service property that offers stylish, comfortable guestrooms with a modern design. Courtyard, patio, or Creekside rooms are available to choose from, which include luxurious linens, robes, and refrigerators.
Dine-in their wonderful restaurant called SaltRock Southwest Kitchen, or choose from the many restaurants around town! They also have a spa, and infinity pool on the property to chill and relax by. Amara Resort and Spa is a really nice option, with a relaxed vibe.
Courtyard by Marriott Sedona
When you looking for places to stay in Sedona, this hotel is a great choice, because it’s only located 3 miles south of the uptown area. Courtyard by Marriott offers a very comfortable hotel with views of the mountains and nice amenities to enjoy. Outdoor pool, fitness center, The Bistro restaurant, and easy access to town.
The Courtyard by Marriott is a very clean, suitable value-focused stay in Sedona.
The Element Sedona Hotel
The Element Sedona Hotel is the newest Marriott Sedona hotel where guests can enjoy the pretty scenery, and rest easy in a lovely clean hotel. They have a nice outdoor pool, fitness center, an on-site bar, and the Westin signature Heavenly Beds! Close to biking and hiking trails, the Element is a great option for a value-focused stay.
Airbnb
We stayed in an Airbnb on our visit to Sedona. We loved it! Located a very short drive from downtown, and convenient to hiking trails in a nice, clean neighborhood. The Airbnb property has three bedrooms and very comfortable living, dining and kitchen areas.
The kitchen is supplied with everything you need! Our favorite feature of this Airbnb was the hot tub in the backyard. We were in it every single night, talking about our day, and de-stressing from life. Stargazing and relaxing before bed was the perfect end to every day.
Our host was very responsive and sent us detailed information about our stay prior to our arrival. I highly recommend this property and will be back! We did a lot of research on Airbnb’s in Sedona before selecting this house. It was definitely one of the best options we found.
Things To Do in Sedona
Hiking
The amount of hiking you have available to you in Sedona is truly amazing! There are over 100 trails to explore in the area. And, you don’t even have to go very far to access them.
There are trailheads all over town so you could set out for a quick hike if you don’t have a lot of time. Or, drive to some of the more remote (and less busy) trails and have them to yourself.
A stop that I highly recommend if you’re planning on hiking is The Hike House. The Hike House is an outdoor store located in town. It’s an amazing resource when you’re looking for what to do in Sedona! They provide hiking guides, footwear, hiking gear, information on hiking safety, and more.
They’re happy to answer any questions for you. They’ll let you know firsthand which trails are currently open, whether they’re muddy or dry. They’ll make recommendations based on your ability.
We hiked the Broken Arrow trail, Hog Wash trail, and the Hangover trail. They were all spectacular!
Check the Hike House’s Trail Finder for lots of information about each trail.
Jeep Tours
If you’re looking to experience Sedona in a jeep (and you don’t have your own), the very best company in town is Pink Jeeps Adventure Tours.
They’ll take you off-road into the backcountry and provide you with fascinating details about the local area.
They’re located right in town, so the pick-up and drop-off are super easy! Check the website for the difficulty levels and descriptions of each tour.
Shopping
For a full-on shopping experience in Sedona, visit the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. This is a cute southwestern designed outdoor shopping center where you can find galleries, local unique art stores, and restaurants.
You may experience some live music or dancing as you stroll through the village! You’ll find additional shopping in the Hillside Sedona Shopping Center, and throughout the town. Take a walk and explore the many galleries, crystal shops, jewelry stores, and photography shops!
Find A Vortex
Vortexes are places in the earth that feel as though they come alive. Places known to have swirling spots of energy. Areas of healing and powerful inspiration.
Sedona has vortexes throughout the region and many people like to visit so they can feel these mysterious forces.
There are practitioners and guests who visit them to do meditation or yoga and feel uplifted. The four sites that offer the most intense energy are Cathedral Rock, Boynton Canyon, Bell Rock, and Airport Mesa.
Wine Tasting
You might not expect to find wineries in Sedona! Winemaking in Sedona actually dates back to the late 17th century and currently has a handful of estate vineyards along the hillsides just outside of town.
Local wines can be found in stores and on menus of restaurants, and you can visit the vineyards and tasting rooms!
There are several wine tours, so you can leave the driving to someone else. One of the best wineries and tasting rooms to visit is Javelina Leap Winery, just about 15 minutes from Sedona.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Sedona is from March to May before the Summer brings in the heat!
October through November is also a lovely time as the leaves change and there are harvest activities on the calendar.
Average temperatures are mid-60s to low 70s at this time. Winter (December – February) is also a nice time to be in Sedona because you’ll experience fewer crowds.
Chillier evenings and mid-50s to 60s will be the Winter temperatures. If you go in the Summer, expect temperatures on the higher side, but they’ll still be a bit lower than other parts of Arizona.
Visit Sedona
Visit Sedona is the premier place to find more information about Sedona. They have an office on Forest Road or you can access all of their resources at their amazing VISIT SEDONA website!
Visit Sedona continues to update its travel advisory and healthy travel practices. On their website, you’ll find the perfect Sedona experiences. Whether that’s on a remote trail or in a quaint shop. It’s all there.
Here are a few things we brought on our trip that we highly recommend!
Water Bottle
Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Cooler
Coleman Excursion Portable Cooler
Hiking Backpack
TETON Sports Oasis with hydration pack for day hikes
Here are some guides to eating vegan and healthy if you’re planning trips to Aspen, Colorado, or Key West, Florida!
I’d love to help you plan your trip! Reach out to me at Jill Beth Travel, a Virtuoso travel agency.
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