Sedona Jeep Tours: Guided Off-Road Rides Where You Do Not Drive

Side-by-side comparison

The cheapest way onto a trail is the Cliff Hanger Hummer at $89 per person. The longest ride is the Outlaw Trail at 3 hours. The most reviewed is the Outlaw Trail too, with 1,508 reviews at a 4.9 rating.

If you want the highest comfort-to-price ratio for families, the Outlaw Trail and Cliff Hanger both keep rides near two to three hours.

Match by traveller type

Families and first-timers get the safest all-round choice in the Arizona Safari Jeep Tours Outlaw Trail Off-Road Jeep Tour in Sedona at $134.81 per person. It lasts 3 hours and holds a 4.9 rating from 1,508 reviews, the deepest review base of the four.

Photographers should pick the Arizona Safari Jeep Tours Rim Run Supreme up Schnebly Hill Road at $124 per person. It runs 2.5 hours on Schnebly Hill Road past Merry-Go-Round Rock and holds a perfect 5 rating from 61 reviews.

Thrill-seekers should book the Pink Jeep Tours Scenic Rim Jeep Tour from Sedona at $138 per person. Pink Jeep rates its Scenic Rim combos rugged 5/5, its roughest published category, and the operator has run tours since 1960.

Travellers on a budget or a tight schedule get the Sedona Off Road Adventures Cliff Hanger Trail Tour in a 4x4 Hummer at $89 per person for 2 hours.

Guided tour versus renting your own rig

Renting your own machine puts you in charge but also hands you the rules, the route finding and the risk. A guided jeep seat costs $89 to $138 per person on the tours compared here, so a couple on a 2-hour guided ride pays less than one 2-hour self-guided Talon rental.

A guide also handles the details that trip people up. Soldier Pass, for example, requires an OHV permit booked at least 72 hours ahead on Recreation.gov, and the Forest Service reports flooding closures in the Red Rock Ranger District that change access. A guide tracks that for you.

If you would rather take the wheel, compare a Honda Talon half-day rental or a full-day side-by-side rental.

Morning, afternoon or night

Morning slots suit summer, when Red Rock State Park near Sedona averages a July high of 97°F, and shade-free Jeeps heat up fast. Late afternoon suits photographers, because low sun turns the red rock deepest in colour.

If you want the desert after dark, Red Rock Western Jeeps runs a Full Moon Tour it describes as the only night tour into the desert landscape away from the city, in the Seven Canyons area of West Sedona. Its Jeeps have heated seats for year-round riding.

Winter visitors have it easier. Red Rock State Park averages a January high of 56°F and low of 30°F, so a midday ride is comfortable in a jacket.

Who runs what

Pink Jeep Tours has operated since 1960 and lists 16 Sedona tours in custom-built Jeep Wranglers and a Mercedes Sprinter van. Its Broken Arrow ride is rated bumpy 3/5 and its Scenic Rim combos rugged 5/5. It also runs milder options: Touch the Earth is a vortex tour and Honanki is a mild 2/5 cliff dwelling tour.

Arizona Safari Jeep Tours grades its own rides mild, moderate or wild and runs the Rim Run Supreme and the Archaeology Jeep & Hiking Tour, which has exclusive access to private land with ruins and petroglyphs and welcomes children 5 and up.

Red Rock Western Jeeps has operated in Sedona for over 27 years and sells discounted private 4x4 tours only. Its Red Rock West Jeep Tour visits seven canyons up Dry Creek Basin and the old Van Deren cabin.

Sedona Jeep Tours offers private Jeep and Hummer tours plus custom group and VIP services, with add-ons such as a 2-3 hour Hummer Stargazing trip, a moderate 2.5-3 hour Doe Mountain hike and a 1.5 hour Majestic Airplane & Jeep Combo.

A Day in the West sells private 2-hour tours such as Lil' Rattler Off-Road, Red Rock West Off-Road and Diamondback Gulch.

Permits and access

Sedona Jeep Tours runs a Soldier's Pass Trail trip to the Seven Apache Pools and the Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole and reports hardly any other vehicles on the route. The trail was traveled by General Crook in 1871, so the history runs deep.

The Soldier Pass OHV route itself is 2.5 miles round trip and requires a permit booked at least 72 hours ahead on Recreation.gov, per the Forest Service. That permit hassle is exactly why a guided ride here saves you a booking slot and a wait. Red Rock Western Jeeps also runs a Soldier's Pass tour among its private 4x4 options.

Roughness, length, budget

Step one, roughness. Pink Jeep publishes ride levels from mild 2/5 cliff dwelling tours to bumpy 3/5 Broken Arrow and rugged 5/5 Scenic Rim combos. Arizona Safari Jeep Tours grades rides mild, moderate or wild. Choose your number before you choose a route.

Step two, length. Two hours suits a full itinerary day, three hours suits families with younger children, and pavement-only options such as the Call of the Canyon tour along Route 89A past Slide Rock State Park exist for anyone who wants zero jolts.

Step three, price. Shared tours on this page run $89 to $138 per person. Private-only operators such as Red Rock Western Jeeps quote discounted private rates on enquiry, and no published per-seat price is stated.

For booking, go early. Sedona Off-Road Center advises booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead for weekends and holidays on its own site, and that pressure applies to jeep seats too. Check road conditions before you go, since the Forest Service reports flooding closures in the Red Rock Ranger District.

Book it if, skip it if

Book a guided jeep tour if you want the rough trails handled for you, if your group includes children or grandparents, or if you value the storytelling. Guides share history and folklore, stop for photos and help plan the rest of a visit, per Red Rock Western Jeeps. The Archaeology Jeep & Hiking Tour welcomes children 5 and up with proper preparation, and paved and trolley options exist for smooth rides.

Skip it if you already drive off-road and want the wheel. Note the rules if you go that way: the primary renter must be 21 or older with a credit card in their name and children must be 5 or older, per Sedona Off-Road Center.

Mixing formats also works.