Phoenix is the perfect city for a desert weekend escape. It offers delicious food, amazing hikes, and is a haven for baseball lovers. Phoenix is the capital of Arizona with over one million residents. It is a great place to start an Arizona road trip and is a good base to see other cities in Arizona. There are actually a ton of free and cheap things to do in Phoenix to keep you busy for a weekend. I have spent many fun weekends hanging out in Phoenix and spending very little! In this guide, I classify anything under $15 as cheap.
US Ghost Adventures is an awesome company that offers a variety of guided tours and haunted experiences across different cities in the United States. Visitors can learn the compelling history and stories of the paranormal and the city’s darker side. Make sure to check out the variety of tours offered in Phoenix here. They are very affordable too!
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How to Get to Phoenix
Phoenix has one major international airport. It has flights from across the United States. If you live in the Southwest, it is also an easy road trip. From Los Angeles and Albuquerque, it takes about 6 hours or around 5 hours from Las Vegas.
Where to Stay in Phoenix
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Phoenix hotels here!
Phoenix is actually a very large city with many different neighborhoods and suburbs. The most affordable hotels are near Downtown Phoenix and the airport. You could also opt to stay in Tempe or Mesa to save some more money. Some of the best places to stay are as follow.
- Hyatt Regency Phoenix
- Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix
- Courtyard by Marriott Phoenix Downtown
- Hampton Inn and Suites Phoenix Downtown
- Hyatt Place Phoenix Downtown
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Phoenix Downtown
- Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Phoenix Midtown
- Hampton Inn Phoenix Midtown-Downtown Area
Transportation Around Phoenix
To get around Phoenix, I recommend getting a rental car as it is more convenient and will save you time and money in the long run. Things in Phoenix are pretty spread out. I always use Autoslash to find the cheapest available rental car.
Free and Cheap Things to do in Phoenix
There are a ton of free and cheap things to do in the Phoenix area. Arizona is a pretty affordable place to visit and contains many outdoor adventures that cost little to no money.
1. Diamondbacks Game
Cost: $15 and up
The Diamondbacks are Phoenix’s home baseball team. During March-September you attend a game at Chase Field. The stadium is located in Downtown Phoenix, so it is easily accessible by public transportation. If you go to the box office day of, you can get tickets for a cheaper price and can avoid paying the online service fees.
2. Go on a Hike
Cost: Free
Hours: Varies by location
One of the many cheap things to do in Phoneix is to go on a hike. Camelback Mountain, Dobbins Lookout, Double Butte Loop, and the Holbert Trail are a few of the most popular hikes in the area. All Trails is a great website (or app) to visit that shows the various hikes in the Phoenix area and shows what level of difficulty.
3. Go Shopping at Last Chance
Cost: $-$$
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am-9pm, Sun: 10am-7pm
This place is a bargain shopper’s dream! This store is part of the Nordstrom brand. The items here are heavily discounted, even more so than Nordstrom Rack. Some of the items may be slightly used, but the majority are items that did not sell in store, were returned unused, or have a slight defect with them.
The past two times I have visited the store, they have had a 50% of boots and dress sale. I scored Cole Haan boots for $20. Other deals I have received are a cashmere scarf for $6, a Kate Spade Scarf for $6, and a Kate Spade romper for $25. The scarves had nothing wrong with them and had original tags attached. The Kate Spade romper had a seam slightly undone, but it was easy to sew it back up.
4. Murals of Downtown Phoenix
Cost: Free
Hours: anytime
Another one of the many cheap things to do in Phoenix is to walk around and look at the murals. Downtown Phoenix is covered in super awesome murals. It costs nothing to walk around the downtown area and take in the local art. There are also many shops around to take a peek into.
5. Phoenix Art Museum
Cost: Pay-what-you-wish on select days.
Hours: 10am-7pm
The Phoenix Art Museum contains a variety of art including European to Latin American. Although it is normally a bit pricey, there are several days throughout the month where visitors can pay-what-you-wish, which is perfect for the traveling teacher and people on a budget and another one of the cheap things to do in Phoenix.
6. Old Town Scottsdale
Cost: Free
Hours: Varies
Scottsdale has an entire old town to walk around and explore. There are many cute unique boutique shops that are fun to browse in. There are also several wineries that have tasting rooms in Scottsdale. I recommend visiting Merkin Vineyards to grab a glass of wine.
7. Spring Training
Cost: Free to attend practice
Hours: Varies each day
One of my favorite cheap things to do in Phoenix is to attend spring training. From about mid-February to March, Phoenix is the location of Spring Training for the “Cactus League” baseball teams (mostly teams from the Western United States). You even get the chance to meet some of the players and watch them practice. It is completely free to walk around each complex and watch the various teams practice. Tickets to spring training games are much cheaper than a regular game. They are also in smaller stadiums, so they are more intimate.
8. Grab a drink at Undertow
Cost: $15/drink
Hours: Tues-Thurs: 2:30pm-10:15pm, Fri: 2:30pm-11:15pm, Sat-Sun: 1pm-11:15pm, Closed Mondays
Another one of my favorite cheap things to do in Phoenix is to visit Undertow. Undertow is a tiki bar built into an old Jiffy Lube. The top floor is a coffee shop and brewery named Sip Coffee and Beer Garage. This is a great place to relax and get some work done while sipping on your favorite coffee beverage or brew.
Underneath the top floor in what used to be the bay where the mechanics worked, is the tiki bar. Visitors descend a staircase and enter the belly of a ship. The walls are wood-paneled with portholes built-in. Behind the portholes are projected images that continually change throughout your visit. Once seated there is a wide variety of tropical drinks to order. Reservations are needed to visit Undertow as it gets very busy. Guests are only allowed to stay for 90 minutes due to its popularity.
9. Hit up the Breweries in Tempe and Chandler
Cost: $6 and up
Hours: Varies
Tempe and Chandler have a lot of breweries you can visit! Tempe is located near Arizona State University and therefore caters to a college crowd. Four Peaks Brewing Company, Pedal Haus, and Fate Brewing Company are three of the more popular options in Tempe. Four Peaks is pretty well known and also serves food. In Chandler, SanTan Brewing is another popular option that also serves food. Another fun option is the Perch Brewery, which houses tons of tropical rescue birds! Breweries are one of the many cheap things to do in Phoenix.
10. Drive up to Dobbins Lookout
Cost: Free
Dobbins Lookout offers some amazing views of Downtown Phoenix and the surrounding area. Located at 2,330 feet, it is the highest point on the South Mountain. Although it is more challenging to hike up to the top, you can also drive your car to the top. It is also a great place to watch the sunset, but make sure to get there early to grab a spot.
11. Grab a Meal at an Affordable Restaurant
There are a surprising number of affordable and cheap restaurants to eat in Phoenix. The following are some of my favorites.
Huss Brewing Company
Cost: $-$$
Hours:
Huss Brewing Company is a place to grab a light bite to eat and a brew to drink. They had some unique beers and some traditional favorites. The Koffee Kolsch tastes like a clash of cold brew coffee and beer. The staff was very friendly and the service was great despite the busy rush.
Matt’s Big Breakfast
Cost: $$
Hours: 7am-2pm
There are several Matt’s Big Breakfast locations around Phoenix. Despite the small menu, the food is excellent and affordable. The pancakes were light and fluffy and everything was flavorful. I recommend sharing one of the big plates as they give you a lot of food.
Morning Glory Cafe
Cost: $$
Hours: Tues–Fri: 8am to 11am, Sat-Sun 8am to 1pm
This breakfast place is located on a farm. There are a ton of outdoor tables and they have a delicious menu. All of the food is grown on the farm. They also offer a bottomless mimosa station. This is another place where you can share a meal or bring leftovers for the next day home with you.
Whataburger
Cost: $
Hours: Varies by Location
Whataburger is a popular hamburger chain throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Make sure to try their honey chicken biscuit for breakfast and do not forget to add a milkshake to your meal. This fast food place is quick and cheap.
There are many free and cheap things to do in Phoenix. If you have more time, head down to Tucson for more cheap things to do, or perhaps make a day trip up to Sedona and Cottonwood. Page, Arizona is another great budget destination in Arizona. No matter what, Arizona is always an affordable destination to visit as it offers many free outdoor activities and a great place to spend a week for spring break.
3 thoughts on “10+ Free and Cheap Things to Do in Phoenix”
Phoenix is a great city and you’ve shown that there are plenty of affordable things to do.
A hike sounds like the perfect activity to do! Must have been so cool to witness spring training!
Phoenix looks like such a cool city! A lot of people have been venturing there lately and I definitely want to go back to Arizona and visit it. 🙂