Phoenix Race Weekend Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Eat, Drink & Explore

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Planning to visit Phoenix for a NASCAR or Indy Car race weekend? The Arizona desert is a fun and sunny place to be, whether you’re visiting for a race in the spring or fall.

This Phoenix race weekend guide has everything you need to plan a successful trip to Phoenix for NASCAR or Indy Car race weekends, from suggestions on where to stay and eat to fun activities you can add to your race weekend itinerary.

Let’s dive in!

Where to Stay in Phoenix for Race Weekend

If you’re going to Phoenix in the spring, expect accommodation prices to be on the higher end. The spring NASCAR race lands right in the middle of Spring Training, which is high season in Phoenix.

If you’re traveling for the fall race in October, pricing will definitely be more budget-friendly (but be sure to book early for the best selection).

A comfy house for four people in Scottsdale!

We’ve been to Phoenix numerous times during the spring and generally find vacation rentals on VRBO or Airbnb to be the more affordable options. There are some hotel deals to be had, however, if you’re open to staying outside of Phoenix in smaller cities like Mesa.

Here are places we’ve stayed at and would recommend when in Phoenix for race weekend:

Scottsdale Airbnb for up to four guests – this is a nice retreat especially if you’re interested in exploring both Scottsdale and Phoenix. The Scottsdale Stadium is also walkable within 20 minutes!
Uptown Phoenix casita for two – a small spot perfect for couples, with Uptown restaurants within a walkable distance.
Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Downtown Phoenix – Micah has stayed here for work and this hotel sits near professional sports arenas and plenty of restaurants.

Off Track Exploration in Phoenix

A visit to Phoenix doesn’t just have to be all about race day. Phoenix has some really cool outdoorsy things to do that you can easily pair with a weekend getaway to the Valley of the Sun.

Visit the Desert Botanical Garden

The Desert Botanical Garden is one of our top picks for something outdoorsy to do in Phoenix. It’s such a beautiful place to wander around!

The Butterfly Pavilion is one of the best parts of the garden, which is open in spring from select dates in February through May. If you’re visiting during these months, be sure to get to the garden before the butterfly exhibit closes at 5:00 p.m. to admire all those winged beauties.

Also, the Desert Botanical Garden periodically holds special night events where they have pop up bars and food trucks. It’s a fun experience for adults to stroll around with an ice cold beer or cocktail in hand!

We previously visited the garden for an evening event back when they had the Chihuly Nights exhibit. We got there before 5:00 p.m. to see the butterflies first, wandered the gardens for a bit during daylight, and then were able to see the sculptures start to light up as the sun set.

Garden Pro Tips

Discounted tickets are available online with further discounts for visits on Sundays through Wednesdays, which are considered off-peak days.
Check out the garden’s event calendar here before planning your visit.
To beat the heat (even in the spring and fall), I recommend going earlier in the morning or later in the evening. This is the desert and it will get hot!
Bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. The garden provides plenty of refillable water stations around the property.

Take a Desert UTV or ATV Tour

For those looking for something a little more adventurous, I highly recommend a UTV or ATV tour out in the desert! We did the UTV tour with Arizona Outdoor Fun and it was so fun mobbing around the desert, crossing rivers, and learning about the flora on the trail.

This activity is located about 45 minutes outside of Phoenix and you’ll want to arrive well before your tour start time to get checked in, so plan accordingly.

The 8:00 a.m. tour is a wise choice to avoid being out in the heat – even during spring when the temperatures tend to be cooler. We did the first tour of the day and it was slightly chilly when we first got going. However, once that sun started to rise, it warmed up quite a bit.

The Centipede route with Arizona Outdoor Fun doesn’t require you to be a professional at driving an UTV. There were people of all ages at varying skill levels driving when we went on our tour! For me, personally, I felt more comfortable in the passenger seat while Micah drove us around. That also meant I could be in charge of documenting everything with photos and video without any stress of driving.

On this tour, not only did we get to see the cool desert landscape, we also learned about the history of the region, as well as facts about the local plant life – like the teddy bear cholla cactus and the creosote.

Overall, this is really an educational, scenic, and fun adventure that’s worth it for solo travelers, couples, and families!

Book our favorite UTV tour here!

Catch a Baseball Spring Training Game

The spring NASCAR race at Phoenix Raceway falls smack dab in the middle of spring training! There are games nearly every day in the afternoon or evenings, making it easy to plan to catch a game or two around a NASCAR race.

Spring training games have been the main event drawing us to Phoenix for years. It’s fun hopping around to the different ballparks, eating hot dogs and other local snacks, basking in the sun and warm weather (for the most part), and watching teams get ready for the full season.

Awesome welcome mural at Scottsale Stadium!

We’ve been to most of the spring training ballparks around Phoenix, with some of our favorites being Saltriver Fields at Talking Stick (great complex with awesome hot dog options) and Peoria Sports Complex (which has a cool pirate ship play area if you have young kids).

Many of the ballparks also have specialty foods based on where the teams are from like Skyline chili dogs for the Cincinatti Reds or Chicago dogs for the Cubs. There are also numerous rotating food vendors at each ballpark, ranging from sandwiches and tacos to noodles and other local Phoenix restaurant specialties.

Spring training games are always a fun afternoon or evening out!

Ride in a Hot Air Balloon

Another popular activity that you can do in Phoenix is take a hot air balloon ride over the desert. While we haven’t done this yet, we did get the chance to see them floating in the sky on our way to our morning UTV tour and it did look pretty cool!

Go Mural Hunting

There are a ton of beautiful, colorful murals all around Phoenix and some in neighboring cities like Mesa.

Here are a few to keep an eye out for, as named on Google Maps:

Welcome to Phoenix
You are Amazing Mural
Ayrton Senna Mural (if you’re a Formula 1 Racing fan)
Welcome to Roosevelt Row
David Bowie Mural
Mesa Mural right at the bus stop of Main St & MacDonald (unmarked on Google Maps)

Take a Day Trip to Sedona

Outside of Phoenix, one of our favorite spots in Arizona is Sedona! Surrounded by red rock formations, the scenery is hard to beat. To get up to Sedona, it’s just under a two-hour drive so if you’re going to make the trek, start early in the morning so you can be back in Phoenix for dinner.

We visited Sedona on our honeymoon years ago and we have also taken a day trip there from Phoenix, including a stop in the “ghost town” of Jerome.

Some of our favorite spots in Sedona:

Red Rock Ranger District Visitor Center
Chapel of the Holy Cross scenic lookout
Javelina Cantina or El Rincon for a lunch break
Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout
Side quest to the ghost town of Jerome on the way back to Phoenix (if you’re a Tool fan, stop in at Caduceus Cellars for a wine tasting)

Our Phoenix Restaurant Picks

Like any big city, in Phoenix, you’ll find varying restaurants with both local and international influence. In the greater Phoenix area, restaurants also showcase dishes and ingredients with a Southwestern flare, leaning into Mexican and indigenous influences.

This city also knows how to brunch! Some of our top Phoenix restaurant picks are awesome places to have a hearty brunch, which basically takes care of breakfast and lunch all in one go.

Best Phoenix Brunch Spots

The brunch options in Phoenix are top notch, from lively spots suitable for larger groups to small, boutique restaurants that capture the spirit of Arizona. Here are a few of our favorites:

Valentine: This restaurant puts an Arizonan touch on traditional breakfast and brunch items, and is located in a former filling station. You have to try the churro waffle with mesquite chai spice and dulce de leche. Trust me, it’s worth the visit!
Ocotillo: If a breakfast chimichanga stuffed with chicken and black beans sounds good, Ocotillo is your spot! The restaurant is also designed beautifully with a Southwestern touch and has a great outdoor patio space.
Hash Kitchen: With several locations in the greater Phoenix area, this lively restaurant is a great place for families as their restaurants are spacious and have a large menu filled with items like hash skillets and cannoli donuts. And for the adults, an extensive DIY Bloody Mary Bar awaits where you can build a whole meal on top of your Mary.
Fàme Caffe: This little cafe serves up American-style breakfast favorites, French-inspired dishes (like Croque Madame and pain perdu) and those with Mexican flare (my personal favorite). Get a plate of chilaquiles or a chorizo breakfast burrito and fill up before the race or any outdoor activity!

Best Phoenix Lunch & Dinner Spots

Clever Koi: This is one of our favorites in Phoenix for unique Asian eats. The short rib dumplings (or any of their dumplings for that matter) are a must get, as are their hot chicken buns and umami XO noodles.
Cornish Pasty Company: For a taste of the U.K., get yourself a pasty – a hand pie filled with all kinds of different meats, stews, and even options for vegetarians. Our favorites are the Carne Adovada (a New Mexican style pork red chili stew) and the Veggie Mexican. These are incredibly tasty and very filling!
Chompie’s: A Jewish deli with hearty eats. Worth eating: the New York Sliders with corned beef on challah bread and their homemade potato knish (my personal favorite).
Green Corner: A budget-friendly option with several locations in the greater Phoenix area. Their Mediterranean-style dishes include items like gyro and falafel plates and delicious hummus and dolmas!

Where to Grab a Drink in Phoenix

The Phoenix sun will make you thirsty. When you’re out exploring, here are a few of our favorite places around the greater Phoenix that are drink-worthy:

Cider Corps – Mesa: A veteran-owned cider house out in Mesa worth the trek for unique cider flavors and chill vibes. Our recommendation: get a flight and be sure to include the Mango Foxtrot and P.O.G.
Wren House Brewing: Show me better beer in Phoenix than at Wren House! Come here if you are a lover of all things IPA and fans of thick coffee stouts.
Huss Brewing: For us, it’s all about the Copper State IPA – their flagship beer that celebrates all things Arizona.
12 West Brewing: If you find yourself in Mesa for a spring training game at the Cubs or A’s stadium, pop into 12 West before or after a game for a flight.

We clearly lean more towards beer and cider when we travel, but we do have some plans to incorporate a few cocktail stops in the future!

And that’s everything you need to plan a successful weekend in Phoenix when you’re in town for a NASCAR or Indy Car race!