When people think of Arizona, most people imagine the desert, like Phoenix. But drive two hours north, and you’ll reach Flagstaff, Arizona — home to Humphreys Peak (Arizona’s tallest mountain), Arizona Snowbowl Ski Resort, and where they discovered Pluto. As Arizona residents, we try to drive up to Flagstaff once a year for a long weekend (read my previous recap). Here’s my Flagstaff, Arizona, travel guide with details on where to stay, dine, and explore!

Flagstaff Travel Tips

Vibe: Flagstaff truly has something for everyone — laidback, outdoorsy charm for nature lovers, vibrant energy from Northern Arizona University students, and unique historic hotspots for cultural enthusiasts.

How long to visit: Three days will give you time to enjoy downtown Flagstaff while allowing you time for adventures in the surrounding area.

Getting around: You’ll want a car to explore Flagstaff. While the downtown area is walkable, the city is too spread out to navigate without a vehicle.

Where to Stay:

For this trip, we stayed at Village Camp Flagstaff. It’s an outdoor resort with cabin rentals, RV sites, and ownership opportunities that opened in 2022. Please note that some amenities like pickleball courts and a dog park will open in fall 2024, just another excuse to return!

Upon check-in, you enter the expansive, modern architectural clubhouse, complemented by a mountain chic bar & bistro and a general store. The clubhouse is spacious and stunning (I was taking mental notes of design ideas for my house; it’s that aesthetic) and a fantastic gathering space. I wish we had time to dine at the bistro, but we ran out of time. If you want to check it out, here’s the menu.

Next to the clubhouse, you’ll find the mountain view pool and hot tub. While the seasonal pool was closed when we were there, the hot tub is open year-round. Other property highlights include an event lawn, an amphitheater, and a playground for the kids. All the communal property amenities were designed to give guests spaces to connect and foster community in mind.

If you want to book the same kind of cabin, we stayed in a pet-friendly mountain view cabin with a bedroom and a loft with two additional beds. Since our specific cabin was pet-friendly, we could bring the boys, which we sincerely appreciated. Also, I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible views of Mt. Humphreys from the deck. It was a great space to unwind after a day of adventuring.

Village Camp Flagstaff is a 20-minute drive to downtown Flagstaff, a 50-minute drive to Sedona, and an 80-minute drive to the Grand Canyon, making it a great basecamp and launching pad for nearby adventures and explorations.

If interested, book here or use my discount code XOKELLY15 for 15% off.

Best Places to Eat in Flagstaff:

Kokiyo — A great little restaurant on the outskirts of historic downtown Flagstaff that serves fusion Korean food. We stopped for a late lunch and shared the mandu (fried dumplings) and Korean BBQ bulgogi, and both dishes were delicious and flavorful. A tasty dipping sauce accompanied the mandu, and they served three side dishes with the bulgogi — cucumbers, fish cakes, and kimchi.

Atria — If you’re looking for a fine dining experience, look no further than Atria. Flagstaff exudes a casual vibe, and while Atria stands out among the crowd with its stylish interior design, it also brings an approachable, unpretentiousness to fine dining.

There’s a saying that you eat with your eyes first, and Chef Rochelle Daniel certainly delivers in delighting with exquisitely plated dishes and indulging the taste buds. First-timers may prefer the Chef’s 8-course tasting menu, but we opted to order off the dinner menu this time.

Here’s the lowdown of everything we tried:

Drinks — Upon arrival, we happily each started with a glass of bubbly champagne while waiting for our table to be prepared. Once we settled, Brett ordered the Old Ryder (graham cracker bourbon, spiced syrup, lemon, egg white), and I had a glass of Moscato. Then we tried The Ceremony – Milk Punch, a rotating seasonal-inspired milk punch. It looks like it’d be hot when poured, but it’s served cold. Neither of us had tried Milk Punch before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was phenomenal — I highly recommend it, our favorite drink of the evening. To finish, we sampled By Popular Demand (coffee vodka, amaro nonino, vanilla cream), their take on an espresso martini. I’m not a big drinker, but I was so impressed with their drinks that I finished all of them! Ask for bar manager Michael, whose top-notch service and attention to detail enhanced our Atria experience.

Appetizers — I could’ve tried all the appetizers and called that my dinner; however, we settled on the Atria bread with cultured butter, raw oysters, grilled oysters, and Linz beef tartare. The signature bread combines sourdough and ciabatta, making it lighter and not filling us up (one of my concerns was not having room for everything else!). Then, we tried both the raw and grilled oysters. Anyone who knows me knows that raw oysters are my favorite, and Atria’s raw oysters with cherry, fennel, preserved lemon, and Campari granita were devoured in seconds. We also tried the grilled oysters with chorizo butter and blood orange gel. To finish off our apps, we had beef tartare served under a tzatziki cloud with a side of lamb fat crinkle-cut fries.

Entrees — For entrees, Brett selected one of their daily cuts of steak, and I had to try the Sonoma duck. My generous portion of duck was sliced beautifully and plated around a bed of barley risotto. The duck was so deliciously tender that I ran out of stomach space even to try a bite of Brett’s steak, which I’m sure he secretly appreciated. We decided to take the rest home and try some desserts instead (because there’s always room for dessert, right?).

Dessert — We couldn’t leave without having a few desserts. We ended up sharing the seasonal rum cake, daily gelato, and a couple of other fun desserts. Since Atria serves seasonal fare with farm-fresh, local ingredients, their menu does change, which means an excuse to return!

As you can see, it was an actual culinary experience and an unforgettable meal. It’s a spot I’d undoubtedly return to next time we’re in town, and I can’t wait to see what Chef Rochelle Daniel has in the pipeline — supposedly a speakeasy, pub, and even a steakhouse!

Tourist Home Cafe — This is a popular and one of our regular brunch spots in Flagstaff. It’s a cafe and bakery with counter service doling out fresh pastries, breakfast, lunch, cocktails, and coffee. Brett ordered French toast while I tried the steak & egg skillet this time.

Lumberyard Brewing Company — Another Flagstaff hotspot is this microbrewery in a former lumberyard building. They don’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait during peak hours, although the wait wasn’t bad for a table for 2. Once seated, the food does come out quickly, though. We first split the mac ‘n’ cheese balls, and then I got the gyro sandwich. All around, it was a solid casual dining experience.

Beaver Street Brewery — The Lumberyard Brewing Company is the sister brewery of this brewpub. One of my former coworkers recommended this place, and it’s great for a casual lunch or dinner. I loved the cheese curds, and Brett devoured one of their burgers.

What to Do:

Visit Bearizona. It’s a wildlife park with a drive-thru and walk-thru area. Park and stroll the walk-through portion to see the jaguars, grizzly bears, and some smaller animals. Then hop back into your vehicle and drive-thru to catch bears, wolves, bison, and more! You can drive through as much as you’d like before leaving, but there is no re-entry once you exit the park. It got me so excited for our upcoming African safari.

Go to Buffalo Park. It has a spectacular open view of the San Francisco Peaks and offers an easy main 2.2-mile flat trail for all fitness levels. Also, it’s great for an outdoor photoshoot and even nighttime stargazing.

Explore downtown Flagstaff. Downtown Flagstaff is vibrant with modern dining, craft brews, and local businesses. It’s pedestrian-friendly, where locals and tourists alike congregate. Grab a coffee at Firecreek Coffee and browse some shops.

Ski and snowboard at Arizona Snowbowl. Did you know it snows in Arizona? Flagstaff averages an annual snowfall of over 100 inches! While we don’t partake in mountainside snow sports, Arizona Snowbowl offers a wide range of slopes, gondola rides, and hiking trails.

Check out Lowell Observatory, where they discovered Pluto. Plan accordingly to make the most of your visit there. When we went, we lucked out as they offered a telescope viewing of Jupiter right before it dipped below the tree line.

Drive to see the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark. Forty minutes outside Flagstaff is the best-preserved meteor impact crater on Earth — pretty impressive! Admission tickets include a guided tour, which gives you a better view of the crater.

I hope this travel guide helps you and gives you ideas for your trip to Flagstaff, Arizona! Check back as I plan to update this guide after future trips. If you have any questions or additional recommendations, please leave them in the comments. xo

Browse some of my other travel guides to inspire your next trip:
The Ultimate Havasupai Guide: Everything for a Successful Trip
A First Timer’s Travel Guide to Kauai, Hawaii
A Local’s Travel Guide to St. Louis, Missouri
Why You Need to Add Clear Lake, Iowa, to Your Summer Bucket List
One Day in Bisbee, Arizona Itinerary
36 Hours in Boulder, Colorado: Ultimate Travel Guide
Golden, Colorado Travel Guide

Thank you to Village Camp Flagstaff and Atria for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.