Sedona: Horseback Ride in Canyon & Vineyard Country Near Town

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.88 (288 reviews) 92% rated it 5 stars

Travelers' pick

1/19

Duration1h 30m

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Red rocks, vineyard views and the sound of horses near sedona

You’ll ride with real wranglers through canyon hills near Sedona, catching glimpses of vineyards and red rock views as your horse picks its way along quiet trails. Feel the rhythm of hooves beneath you, breathe in sage-scented air, and share small laughs with locals guiding you along — all just minutes from town.

1h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Horseback ride through canyon terrain

Meet professional wranglers
Mount horses using mounting dock
Ride through canyon and vineyard views
Explore wildlife habitats and rolling hills
Dismount horses safely

The Experience

You know that sharp clop of hooves on hard ground? That’s what hit me first, even before I could take in the weirdly sweet smell of horse and dry grass. We were only about nine miles outside Sedona but it felt like a different world — more open, quieter. Our guide, Jake (cowboy hat, sunburned nose), gave my horse a friendly pat and said something about her being “a real sweetheart unless she sees a rabbit.” I laughed but also checked the brush for rabbits after that.

The trail wound through these rolling hills — not too steep but enough to make you lean in your saddle sometimes. There was this one spot where the sunlight hit the red rocks just right and suddenly you could see a whole vineyard stretching out below. Didn’t expect that. The air smelled faintly like sage and dust, which somehow made me hungry? Maybe it was just being outside for once without my phone buzzing every five minutes. Jake pointed out some old coyote tracks in the mud (I totally would’ve missed them), then told us how the Verde Valley used to be ranch land long before wine came along. He seemed to know everyone; he waved at a guy fixing a fence who shouted something back about “city folks” — I pretended not to hear.

I’d never been on a horse before this Sedona horseback ride, so yeah, my legs felt wobbly at first. The wranglers didn’t make a big deal out of it though — they just helped me up using this mounting dock thing (which honestly saved me from embarrassing myself). Helmets are required for everyone, which made my mom happy when I sent her a photo later. The ride lasted about an hour and a half but time got weird out there; sometimes it felt slow, sometimes fast. At one point we stopped under some cottonwoods and I swear all you could hear was horses breathing and someone’s laugh drifting back down the line.

Afterwards I kept thinking about that view over the vineyard — how close we were to Sedona but how far away it felt for those couple hours. If you’re looking for something easygoing but still kind of wild (and don’t mind smelling like horse for the rest of the day), this is probably it.

What’s included

Your day includes approximately 1.5 hours on horseback with professional wranglers guiding you through canyon trails and past vineyards near Sedona; helmets are provided for every rider as part of your booking.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Horsin' Around Adventures