Girls' Trip to Scottsdale: The Ultimate Weekend Guide
Plan the perfect girls' trip to Scottsdale: spa days, boozy brunches, dayclubs, desert adventures, and Old Town nights the whole crew will love.
You don’t need a bride to justify a Scottsdale getaway. A girls’ trip here checks every box: spa mornings, rooftop cocktails, boozy brunches, a real desert adventure, and a walkable nightlife district, all under near-constant sunshine. Whether your crew wants to party or unwind (or both), here’s a Friday-to-Sunday plan with the logistics: where to stay, how the buggy math works, when to book, and what to pack.
Bride in the group? See our bachelorette party packages in Scottsdale and our bachelorette party ideas post instead.
Where to Base the Group
- Old Town for walkability. Brunch, dinner, shopping and the Entertainment District sit within a few blocks, so nobody has to be the driver and rideshares are short.
- A Paradise Valley or North Scottsdale resort for pool days. You trade walk-everywhere for a pool, a spa on site and quieter nights. Plan on a 10 to 30 minute rideshare into Old Town, longer on a Saturday night.
- A rental house for bigger groups. One kitchen, one bill, and room to get ready together. Scottsdale enforces short-term rental noise rules, so book a place that officially sleeps your headcount and keep the party in Old Town.
Our where to stay guide goes deeper on each area.
Friday: Land, Drop Bags, Ease Into Old Town
Sky Harbor is about a 20-minute drive from Old Town, so even a 5 pm landing leaves time for dinner.
Keep Friday easy. A dinner reservation around 7:30 pm, then a rooftop or a saloon in the Entertainment District, is plenty; the Scottsdale Waterfront and the Fifth Avenue shops make an easy pre-dinner walk from most Old Town hotels. The tour runs on a start time, so the group that closes the bar on Friday is the group fighting over one shower at 8 am.
Saturday: The Desert Day
On a guided U-Drive sand buggy tour you drive your own 2-seat 800cc side-by-side (roll cage, seatbelts) through the Sonoran Desert in Tonto National Forest while a guide leads the whole route for 2+ hours. The whole group rides together behind one guide, it’s welcoming to all fitness levels, and the safety briefing covers everything before you roll.
The buggy math. Each buggy seats two, so pair up. It’s $299 per buggy, which works out to $150 per person, and $199 if someone rides solo because your headcount is odd. Six of you is three buggies, eight is four. Included: helmet, neck gaiter, bottled water, snacks, the briefing and free adventure photos to flood the group chat. Drivers must be 16 or older with a valid driver’s license, so bring it (the one in the hotel safe doesn’t count).
Getting there. Tours stage at the Butcher Jones OHV Staging Area, past Saguaro Lake, via the Beeline Highway (AZ-87) and Bush Highway: about 45 minutes from Old Town, 50 from downtown Phoenix, 45 from Sky Harbor. Drive yourselves, or book one large rideshare out and arrange the return in advance; it’s a national forest staging area, not a hotel lobby. Block four to five hours door to door (maps and directions are on the site).
What to wear. Closed-toe shoes, clothes that can get dusty (darker colors hide it), sunglasses and sunscreen. Braid your hair or tie it low so it fits under the helmet. Our what to wear on an ATV tour post has the full list by season.
Make it a sunset. A sunset tour runs toward golden hour with views of Four Peaks: softer light for photos and a cooler ride. Time it so you roll straight from the desert to dinner.
Make it private. A VIP private tour starts from $349 per buggy with a 2-buggy minimum, and you choose the start time. Worth it for a late start after Friday night, or if you’d rather not have strangers in your photos.
We’ve run these tours since 1997, every guide is CPR-certified, and we hold a 4.9-star average across 1,700+ reviews.
Saturday Night: Dinner and Going Out
Book dinner for six or more well ahead. Old Town restaurants hold big tables by reservation only, often with a card on file, and Saturday tables on a fall or spring weekend go two to three weeks out. Set it at least two and a half hours after the tour’s end time to cover the 45-minute drive back and a shower.
After dinner, the Entertainment District delivers: more than 100 bars, saloons, rooftops and clubs in a walkable few blocks. Country line dancing, rooftop cocktails or full nightclub glam, it’s all within steps, and some clubs enforce a dress code, so pack one outfit that clears it. Our Old Town nightlife guide has the rundown.
Rideshare tips. From a resort, order one XL car instead of three regular ones, put one person on the app, and set a pickup corner a block off the main drag; drivers cancel when they can’t find you in the late-night crowd. From Old Town, walk.
Sunday: Brunch, Then Spa or Pool
No girls’ weekend is complete without bottomless mimosas, and Old Town’s brunch scene is built for groups: DJ brunches, patios and build-your-own Bloody Mary bars. Reserve for six or more, and aim for the first seating or after 1 pm if you’d rather not wait. Our brunch spots in Old Town post has the list.
Then split the afternoon by mood. A group spa session resets everyone: book treatments back to back so you finish together, and ask whether a treatment includes pool access for the day. If the crew would rather keep the party going, a cabana at a dayclub does that in the warm months. Either way, pool time in the sun is non-negotiable.
Flying out Sunday evening? Ask for a late checkout or a bag hold, and leave 20 minutes for the drive to Sky Harbor.
The Desert-Day Packing List
- Closed-toe shoes (sneakers or trail runners)
- A valid driver’s license for every driver
- Sunglasses, sunscreen and SPF lip balm
- A hair tie or a braid that fits under a helmet
- Dark clothes you don’t mind getting dusty
- A light layer for an early or sunset ride; the desert cools fast after sundown
- A small crossbody or a zipped pocket for your phone
- Cash or a card to tip your guide
- Matching bandanas, if that’s your group’s thing
Splitting Costs and Booking Timelines
Pick a treasurer on day one. Collect a deposit before anything is booked, keep a running note of who paid what, and settle up with a payment app on the drive home. The tour is a flat $299 per buggy, so it splits cleanly in pairs. Lodging, the tour, group dinners and the big rideshares go in the shared pot; spa treatments, drinks and shopping stay personal.
A booking order that works:
- 8 to 12 weeks out: lock dates and lodging. Fall-to-spring weekends fill fast and big event weekends push rates up, so check the Scottsdale events calendar first.
- 4 to 6 weeks out: the desert tour (VIP private first, since you’re choosing the start time), spa treatments, and the Saturday dinner.
- 2 weeks out: brunch reservation, dayclub cabana, and a final headcount so the buggy count matches.
- The week of: share the plan, name the rideshare captain, send the packing list.
A Quick Word on Seasons
October to April is prime: warm, dry days and cool evenings, so pack a layer for the sunset ride. Summer highs regularly top 100°F, which is why summer tours run early morning or at sunset; plan the pool for midday. Tours run year-round.
Match It to Your Crew
| The crew you’ve got | Build the weekend around |
|---|---|
| Up for anything | Sunset tour, dayclub, Old Town night |
| Relaxed & recharging | Spa morning, brunch, easy sunset ride |
| Party-first | Dayclub, brunch, nightclub |
| Big mixed group | Desert tour for all, nightlife optional |
Ready to make it a weekend to remember? Call us at (480) 837-3966 or book a group desert tour, and we’ll help you plan the adventure part.
