Things to do in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley

Chef Charleen Badman's Old Town dining room builds its menu around Arizona produce and an all-Arizona wine list, so order whatever is in season.

A gastropub on Old Town's 5th Avenue known for its Original Chopped Salad and a cocktail list that pairs well with a long dinner.

Chef Matt Carter's modern Latin kitchen on Craftsman Court does tableside guacamole and wood-grilled meats in a candlelit room.

A wood-fired steakhouse in Old Town where the fire-roasted seafood tower and the bone-in ribeye are the reasons to book.

A family-run prix fixe dinner on 1st Avenue with a four-course seasonal menu; reservations are required and fill early.

Wood-fired pizza and a rotating Arizona craft beer list on Main Street, a good casual night between the galleries.

Modern Mexican on Scottsdale Road with Brussels sprout nachos, tacos and a tequila list, plus weekend brunch.

A newer Old Town spot on the Scottsdale Mall serving coastal Mediterranean plates with a patio facing the Civic Center.

A Stetson Drive restaurant and cocktail bar cooking with butter and tallow, with weekend brunch and a late dinner service.

Chef Cory Oppold's tasting-menu restaurant on Shea Boulevard, five courses midweek and eight on Friday and Saturday.

A chophouse on North Scottsdale Road with prime steaks and a whiskey library of several hundred bourbons and scotches.

The pink ice cream parlor on Scottsdale Road has been serving sundaes and sandwiches since 1958 and is a short walk from the galleries.

The mid-century Hotel Valley Ho's restaurant serves brunch daily and a modern American dinner in a restored 1956 room.

Spanish-leaning steakhouse at the Four Seasons at Troon North with paella, dry-aged steaks and a view of Pinnacle Peak at sunset.

A 1937 lodge on Lincoln Drive under Camelback Mountain, still baking its sticky buns and serving dinner on the lawn in season.

Saturday morning market on Brown Avenue with more than 100 Arizona growers and food makers; runs October through June.

Home of the WM Phoenix Open; the Stadium Course is open to the public and the 16th hole is worth playing for its own sake.

Two Tom Weiskopf desert courses, Monument and Pinnacle, routed through boulders and saguaros below Pinnacle Peak.

Talon and Raptor courses off Bell Road, with a large clubhouse and Phil's Grill for lunch after the round.

27 holes at Kierland with GolfBoards and Segway carts available, a few minutes from Kierland Commons shopping.

Cholla and Saguaro courses on Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land with no homes along the fairways, about 25 minutes east.

Two Coore and Crenshaw courses on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa land next to the casino resort and Salt River Fields.

The Ambiente and Padre courses at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn, the closest 36 holes to Paradise Valley.

The Echo Canyon trail climbs about 1,200 feet in 1.2 miles to the summit; start at first light and carry more water than you think you need.

A 1.75-mile out-and-back trail on a city-maintained path with views over Troon and the McDowells, and less crowded than Camelback.

More than 30,000 protected acres with 230 miles of trail; Gateway and Tom's Thumb are the trailheads to start with, and Brown's Ranch is closed for upgrades through fall 2026.

The nonprofit steward of the Preserve runs free guided hikes and posts trail conditions, a good first stop before heading out.

The Summit Trail gains about 1,200 feet in 1.2 miles in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, a short drive west of Paradise Valley.

140 acres of desert plants in Papago Park with seasonal light events, including Las Noches de las Luminarias in December.

An 11-mile chain of parks, lakes and paved paths through central Scottsdale, flat enough for an easy morning run or bike ride.

A museum of more than 8,000 instruments from around the world with headsets that play as you walk, plus a concert theater.

A Smithsonian-affiliated museum in Old Town covering the art and history of 19 western states.

Contemporary art, architecture and design on the Civic Center Mall, small enough to see in an hour, with James Turrell's Knight Rise skyspace.

American Indian art and history in central Phoenix; the Indian Fair and Market takes over the grounds each March.

The largest art museum in the Southwest, with fashion, Latin American and contemporary collections and Yayoi Kusama's infinity room.

Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and studio in the McDowell foothills, a UNESCO World Heritage site open for guided tours.

Paolo Soleri's studio and foundry on Doubletree Ranch Road; admission is free and you can watch bronze bells being poured on weekday mornings.

The Scottsdale Gallery Association's free Thursday evening walk along Main Street and Marshall Way has run since 1975.

A 1930s artists' compound off Cattle Track Road with working studios, a print shop and occasional concerts.

Walking tastings through Old Town restaurants, three hours with five or six stops; the lunch and happy hour tours are the ones to book.

A pedal-powered 15-seat bar crawl through Old Town for groups; bring your own music and drinks.

Sunrise hot air balloon flights over the north Valley desert, about an hour aloft with a champagne toast after landing.

Guided Tomcar UTV drives in the Sonoran Desert outside Scottsdale, run since 2006, with half-day and sunset options.

H1 Hummer and guided ATV tours in the desert 45 minutes from Scottsdale, including night-vision and stargazing trips.

Horseback rides, wagon rides and cattle drives along the Verde River on Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land, 30 minutes east.

Rent a tube and float the lower Salt River through Tonto National Forest; runs May through September and wild horses are common along the banks.

A Forbes Four-Star spa on the north face of Camelback with an Asian-inspired treatment menu, a meditation garden and a lap pool.

An adults-only spa with a rooftop pool, a grotto waterfall pool and a Sisley-Paris spa within the spa.

A 31,000-square-foot Moroccan-inspired spa on Lincoln Drive with a hammam ritual and a rooftop terrace facing Camelback.

The JW Marriott Camelback Inn's spa off Mockingbird Lane offers day passes, massage and facials with mountain views from the pool deck.

A three-story spa at the base of Camelback with a rooftop pool, a drybar and a full treatment menu; day access is available.

The largest aquarium in the Southwest, at the Arizona Boardwalk on the Salt River, with a rotating theater that moves past the tanks.

A glass conservatory next door to OdySea with thousands of butterflies in flight, plus a honey bee exhibit and a 3D theater.

A 30-acre city park with a rideable miniature train, a 1929 carousel and holiday lights in December; entry is free and rides are a few dollars.

A 125-acre zoo in Papago Park with an Arizona Trail section; ZooLights runs in the evenings from late November through January.

Three floors of climate-controlled hitting bays on Talking Stick Way with a full menu, a good fallback for a hot afternoon.

A hands-on science museum in downtown Phoenix with a planetarium and an IMAX-style theater, good for a rainy or very hot day.

The city's 386-acre equestrian and events center on North Pima Road, home to Barrett-Jackson, the Arabian Horse Show and Arizona Bike Week.

The collector car auction fills WestWorld for nine days each January; general admission tickets let you walk the auction floor and vendor tents.

The PGA TOUR stop at TPC Scottsdale draws the largest crowds in golf; the 16th hole stadium and the Birds Nest concerts are the draw.

More than 2,000 Arabian horses compete at WestWorld over 11 days each February, with shopping and free-admission days.

The Scottsdale Charros' horse-drawn parade down Scottsdale Road, followed by a street festival in Old Town; held on a Saturday in late January or February.

The San Francisco Giants' spring training home in Old Town, walkable from the galleries and bars, with games from late February through March.

Spring training home of the Diamondbacks and Rockies, and host of the Arizona Strong Beer Festival each February.

A 10-week tented art show at Hayden and Loop 101 where about 100 artists work in open studios; runs mid-January through late March.

Scottsdale Public Art's free light-art festival along the Waterfront canal each November, with installations and evening programming.

A motorcycle rally at WestWorld each spring with concerts, ride-outs and vendors; expect Old Town to be busy that week.

Red rock country about two hours north; the tourism bureau site covers trailheads, Tlaquepaque and the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

The original Sedona off-road tour company since 1960 and the only operator permitted on the Broken Arrow trail.

A four-hour vintage train ride from Clarkdale through a canyon with no road access, about two hours from Scottsdale.

A six-resident stop on the Apache Trail past Canyon Lake with a saloon, prickly pear ice cream and a general store.

Narrated 90-minute cruises on Saguaro Lake, about 45 minutes east, with sunset and live music sailings in season.

A rebuilt 1890s mining town at the base of the Superstitions with a mine tour, narrow-gauge train and a saloon, on the way to the Apache Trail.

The 1880s silver town about three hours southeast, with the O.K. Corral, Boothill and staged gunfights on Allen Street.