Best time to visit Phoenix
United States · North America
All twelve months scored on daily temperature, rainfall, humidity and holiday crowding.
The year in Phoenix
Tap a month for its page
- JanJPhoenix in January: good, busy
- FebFPhoenix in February: good
- MarMPhoenix in March: good, busy
- AprAPhoenix in April: sweet spot
- MayMPhoenix in May: avoid
- JunJPhoenix in June: avoid
- JulJPhoenix in July: avoid
- AugAPhoenix in August: avoid
- SepSPhoenix in September: avoid
- OctOPhoenix in October: sweet spot
- NovNPhoenix in November: good
- DecDPhoenix in December: good
- Sweet spot
- Good
- OK
- Avoid
- Busy
Plan this trip
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Flights from
Flights
Your city is a guess from your time zone. Choose your city
Where are you flying from? Choose your city for its flights and fares.
Book with the airline
Where to stay
Book direct
Luxury
Things to do
Car hire
Rent direct
Travel insurance
Check whether your bank card or home insurance already covers this trip.
If the trip needs a visa, the travel agent or visa centre usually sells the cover it asks for.
Mobile data (eSIM)
Your own plan's EU roaming may already cover this.
Renting a pocket Wi-Fi is the other common way to stay connected.
These are sites people in book with. Each opens in a new tab, on the site's own pages.
Things to do in Phoenix
- Camelback Mountain The most recognizable landmark of the area, Camelback Mountain rises to 2704 ft at its summit.
- Piestewa Peak In the middle of Phoenix lies Phoenix Mountains Park.
- Wrigley Mansion Take a tour of the amazing architecture and grounds of this historic mansion built by the famous chewing gum magnate.
- Arizona State Capitol Museum State capitol building of the U.S. state of Arizona
- Tovrea Castle Tovrea Castle is a historic structure and landmark, which is particularly visible to drivers on Arizona State Route 202.
- Musical Instrument Museum Museum in Phoenix, Arizona
- Castles N' Coasters Largest amusement park in town, and the only one with roller coasters and other thrill rides.
Tours and tickets in Phoenix
Each site opens on its own search: choose your dates there. A few open on their home page, where you type the place too. Links marked Ad pay us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you; most pay nothing, and what a site pays never decides whether it is listed or where. How we rank
Sights and their lines from Wikivoyage (Phoenix), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, and Wikidata; in order of how often each one's Wikipedia article was read on phones in the last 12 months.
Month by month
No fare history for this route yet, so this ranking is climate and crowds only — the price column will fill in as the scanner collects.
| Month | Max °C | Rain days | Humidity | Sun h/day | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19° | 3d | 51% | 8.6h | goodbusy | busier than usual |
| Feb | 21° | 3d | 44% | 9.6h | good | 21C max, 3 rainy days |
| Mar | 25° | 2d | 37% | 10.5h | goodbusy | busier than usual |
| Apr | 31° | 0d | 21% | 12.4h | sweet spot | 31C max, 0 rainy days |
| May | 35° | 0d | 18% | 12.8h | avoid | extreme heat: 16 days over 35C |
| Jun | 40° | 0d | 16% | 13.2h | avoid | extreme heat: 28 days over 35C |
| Jul | 41° | 3d | 30% | 12.0h | avoid | extreme heat: 29 days over 35C |
| Aug | 41° | 2d | 33% | 12.2h | avoid | extreme heat: 29 days over 35C |
| Sep | 38° | 2d | 33% | 11.3h | avoid | extreme heat: 24 days over 35C |
| Oct | 32° | 1d | 31% | 10.5h | sweet spot | 32C max, 1 rainy day |
| Nov | 25° | 2d | 36% | 9.3h | good | 25C max, 2 rainy days |
| Dec | 20° | 3d | 49% | 8.2h | good | 20C max, 3 rainy days |
Rain days are the days with at least 1 mm of rain, as a weather station counts them.
Weather read at Heritage Square, downtown, 6 km from the airport (PHX): ten years of ERA5 and ERA5-Land reanalysis, through Open-Meteo's open data.
A busy month is a crowded one, not a bad one — usually it is crowded because the weather is good. It is flagged rather than scored down, and crowds alone never make a month “avoid”: that is reserved for weather worth skipping.
How busy it gets
Then and now
Phoenix's December days now average 19.6°C, 2.6°C warmer than in 1981–1990. 4 of 12 months are clearly warmer.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–90 | 17.8° | 20.5° | 24.2° | 29.7° | 34.5° | 40.0° | 40.1° | 38.3° | 35.6° | 29.5° | 22.4° | 17.0° |
| 2017–26 | 18.6° | 21.2° | 25.1° | 30.6° | 34.6° | 40.5° | 41.2° | 40.6° | 37.6° | 31.6° | 24.9° | 19.6° |
| Change | +0.8° | +0.7° | +0.9° | +0.9° | +0.1° | +0.5° | +1.1° | +2.3° | +2.0° | +2.1° | +2.5° | +2.6° |
The average daily high, month by month, for the nearest ERA5 grid cell. Bold is a clear change; grey is within the ordinary spread between years. Every destination, ranked.
Getting there
How far Phoenix is, and what it costs, depends on where you set off from — the months above do not.
- from Las Vegas
- from San Diego
- from Los Angeles
- from Salt Lake City
- from Denver
- from San Francisco
- from Austin
- from Dallas
Open in Rome2rio for every way from to Phoenix, flying or not.
Before you go
Type A and B plugs at 120 V. Drives on the right. The currency is the United states dollar. No UK Foreign Office advice against travel. Global Affairs Canada: Exercise normal security precautions. Everything for United States: cost of living, languages, emergency numbers and health.
Being there
On arrival
- Paying — Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work almost everywhere, though a few small places take cash only. Keep some $1 and $5 notes for tips; Venmo and PayPal are for locals.
- UPI, for visitors from India — Not accepted for paying here; bring a card that works abroad.
- Tipping — Expected: 15–20% in sit-down restaurants (18–20% is standard in New York) and 10–20% for taxi, Uber and Lyft drivers. Large groups may find it already on the bill.
Getting around Phoenix
- Apps — Rides: Lyft, Uber. Maps: Google Maps, Apple Maps. Messages: Text messages (SMS), WhatsApp. In San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and some other cities you can also book a driverless Waymo in its own app.
Like many metro areas in the Southwest, Phoenix and its surroundings are pretty car centric. If you plan to stay or visit any of the cities on the periphery of the metro area, a car will likely be required. More on Wikivoyage
From the Wikivoyage article on Phoenix, written by travellers and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Help
- Emergency — 911 (any emergency).
TravelCharika is not an emergency service: we cannot call for help or send anyone. Numbers can change; if one fails, ask someone local or your hotel.
Your embassy — : how to reach your embassy or consulate abroad. A guess from your city, : a city is not a passport.
Put together by hand from the sources listed, checked 7 October 2026. Apps, cards and rules change, so check before you rely on one.
Sources (50)
- gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/getting-help
- omny.info
- omny.info/fares
- clippercard.com/contactless-payments
- clippercard.com/pay-with-phone
- mtc.ca.gov/news/starting-wednesday-bart-riders-can-tap-bank-cards
- sfcta.org/blogs/next-generation-clipper-tap-pay-here
- metro.net/fares/how-to-pay
- transitchicago.com/howto/pay-for-your-fare
- info.myorca.com/contactless
- miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1565197498854306
- mbta.com/fares/charlie/tap-ride
- holocard.net/for-visitors
- holocard.net/help
- sdmts.com/fares/pronto-ways-pay
- ridepronto.com
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/fares
- norta.com/ride-with-us/how-to-pay/lepass
- capmetro.org/fares
- wmata.com/fares
- wmata.com/pay/tap-ride-go.html
- muni.org/Departments/transit/PeopleMover/Pages/FaresandPasses.aspx
- uber.com/global/en/cities/new-york
- lyft.com/rider/cities/new-york-ny
- waymo.com/faq
- visittheusa.com/travel-trade/faq
- nyctourism.com/tipping-sales-tax
- en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/United_States
- infobip.com/blog/most-popular-messaging-apps-by-country
- developers.google.com/maps/coverage
- apple.com/ios/feature-availability
- visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/septa
- lvmonorail.com/ticket-information
- lvmonorail.com/frequently-asked-questions
- apps.apple.com/us/app/ridertc/id909691507
- lasvegasnevada.gov/News/Blog/Detail/your-guide-to-exploring-las-vegas-bus-it-bike-it-or-share-it
- visitlasvegas.com/plan/getting-here-and-around/maps
- visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/getting-around-vegas
- visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/vegas-on-budget
- wegotransit.com/buy/fare-information
- wegotransit.com/wego-now-accepts-credit-card-mobile-wallet-contactless-payment
- wegotransit.com/ride/transit-services/airport
- trimet.org/fares
- trimet.org/schedules/maxredline.htm
- rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/fares
- rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/tap-n-ride
- app.rtd-denver.com/en-US/route/A/schedule
- pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286608
- rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/AnnualReport/PDFs/09PAYMENT290526C6588B796E664822A2BD0DEB6452CAD4.PDF
Phoenix in pictures
i
Bigmikebmw, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What Phoenix is like
Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona, the most populous city in the American Southwest. Warm and sunny winter weather have ensured a thriving tourism industry, and the city has become the region's primary political, cultural, economic, and transportation center. More on Wikivoyage
- Worth seeing
- The cultural, governmental, and business center of the city is Copper Square, which is striving to become one of the southwest's most distinctive urban centers. More on Wikivoyage
- Worth doing
- Winter visitors to the area will generally be looking for outdoor events. The area has many resorts with the relevant amenities, such as golf courses and the requisite pools and other activities on site. More on Wikivoyage
- Getting in
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX IATA). It is the main air gateway to Arizona. It is at the southeast end of Downtown. More on Wikivoyage
- Staying safe
- Despite being a nice vacation destination, Phoenix is a major American city and as such does contain a fair amount of violent crime. More on Wikivoyage
From the Wikivoyage article on Phoenix, written by travellers and licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the full article has far more. The numbers above are measured; this is experience.
Around Phoenix
Also in United States
- Anaheim best Apr, May, Oct
- Anchorage best Apr, May, Jun
- Asheville best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Aspen best Mar, Apr, Jun
- Atlanta best Apr, May, Sep
- Atlantic City best Apr, May, Oct
- Austin best Feb, May, Oct
- Bend best May, Aug, Sep
- Big Island best Jan, Mar, Oct
- Big Sur best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Boston best Aug, Sep, Oct
- Boulder best May, Jun, Aug
- Burlington best May, Jun, Sep
- Cape Cod best Jul, Aug, Oct
- Carmel-by-the-Sea best May, Sep, Oct
- Charleston best Mar, Apr, Oct
- Charlotte best Apr, May, Oct
- Charlottesville best Mar, Apr, May
- Chicago best May, Jun, Sep
- Dallas best Apr, May, Oct
- Death Valley best Apr, Oct, Nov
- Denver best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Detroit best May, Jun, Sep
- Fairbanks best May, Jun, Jul
- Flagstaff best May, Jun, Aug
- Fort Lauderdale best Mar, Apr, May
- Galveston best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Houston best Apr, May, Oct
- Jackson Hole best Mar, Aug, Sep
- Joshua Tree best Apr, May, Oct
- Juneau best Jun
- Kauaʻi best Jan, Feb, Oct
- Key West best Mar, Apr, May
- Lake Tahoe best Mar, May, Oct
- Las Vegas best Jan, Feb, Apr
- Los Angeles best Jan, Apr, Oct
- Martha's Vineyard best May, Aug, Oct
- Maui best May, Sep, Oct
- Miami best Jan, Feb, Mar
- Minneapolis best May, Jul, Sep
- Nantucket best Jul, Aug, Oct
- Nashville best May, Sep, Oct
- New Orleans best Mar, Apr, May
- New York best May, Jul, Oct
- Newport best May, Aug, Sep
- Oahu best May, Sep, Oct
- Orlando best Mar, Apr, Oct
- Palm Springs best Apr, Oct, Nov
- Park City best Feb, Mar, Jun
- Philadelphia best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Portland best May, Aug, Sep
- Portland best May, Jul, Aug
- Salt Lake City best May, Sep, Oct
- San Antonio best Mar, Apr, Oct
- San Diego best Apr, May, Sep
- San Francisco best May, Oct, Nov
- Santa Barbara best Apr, May, Sep
- Santa Cruz best Apr, May, Oct
- Santa Fe best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Sarasota best Apr, May, Oct
- Savannah best Feb, Apr, Oct
- Scottsdale best Jan, Mar, Oct
- Seattle best Apr, May, Jul
- Sedona best Apr, May, Aug
- St. Augustine best Apr, May, Oct
- Tampa best Mar, Apr, Oct
- The Grand Canyon best May, Sep, Oct
- The Hamptons best Jun, Sep, Oct
- Virginia Beach best Apr, Sep, Oct
- Washington DC best Apr, May, Oct
- Yellowstone best Jul, Aug, Sep
- Yosemite best Aug, Sep, Oct
- Zion best Apr, May, Sep
Nearby
- Cabo San Lucas Mexico · 1,192 km
- Victoria Canada · 1,912 km
- Kelowna Canada · 1,925 km
- Calgary Canada · 1,963 km
Kind of place
Phoenix is in United States, North America. Distances are great-circle, so a short one can still be a long way round.
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