Instagrammable places in Phoenix abound, from desert gardens full of exotic plant life to mountain views, public art installations, stunning sunsets, and even spa rock formations. One of the most popular activities on vacation is capturing photos of your travels to get everyone on your social media feed abuzz, and Phoenix offers some of the most stunning photo ops and selfie spots around.
Whether you're capturing an iconic hotel or a rock with a hole in it, or you're looking to catch images of street art murals in a trendy arts district, you'll find it here. Check out some of the most Instagrammable places in Phoenix to take stunning photos that are sure to impress your friends.
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Roosevelt Row
Capture an iconic Phoenix street art district
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Roosevelt Row is an iconic arts district that's loaded with murals, brightly colored street art, and the kinds of backdrops that will make your Instagram feed pop out. It's in the heart of downtown Phoenix and is far more than just a few blocks of public art installations and street murals. You can also find a wide range of tattoo shops, art galleries, artists' workshops, boutique stores, and even restaurants here.
This neighborhood is highly walkable, so you can explore at your own pace. You can also book a guided walking tour of the neighborhood to be sure that you don't miss any of the most significant murals.
Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Mapphoto by Chris English (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
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Boulders Resort and Spa
Snap million-years-old balancing boulders
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Boulders Resort and Spa is an oasis in the Sonoran Desert offering photos of the spa's iconic balancing boulder and pool as well as explorations of the desert landscape. The area encompasses tens of thousands of square feet including stark desert landscapes right next to manicured lawns and the gigantic boulders that date back 12 million years with surfaces that have worn perfectly smooth from ages of erosion.
From the resort, you can book an ATV or horseback tour to explore and photograph the desert, or you can go water rappelling with expert guides. You can even go stargazing guided by an actual astronomer. It's all about 45 minutes to the north of downtown Phoenix.
Location: 34631 N Tom Darlington Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85262, USA
Phone: +1 480-488-9009
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Desert Botanical Garden
Catch a romantic photo in the shadow of towering cactuses
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The Desert Botanical Garden offers the opportunity to fill your feed with dozens of species of colorful cactuses and other desert-thriving plants that are all perfectly cultivated. This is a very popular site for wedding and engagement photos, and is a place for any couple to come for an iconic and romantic photo surrounded by towering prickly cactuses.
One of the things that tends to really be a conversation starter here is the way the desert can be so green and lush with vegetation. The juxtaposition between the many species of desert plants and the otherwise stark landscape, rock, and sand is stunning. The Desert Botanical Garden is just 20 minutes east of downtown Phoenix.
Location: 1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
Open: Daily from 8 am to 8 pm
Phone: +1 480-941-1225
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Camelback Mountain
Take a challenging hike up a red rock peak
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Camelback Mountain offers a challenging hike where you'll be rewarded at the end with stunning photos of an endless valley and the city of Phoenix below. The hike takes you up a red-orange colored peak in the shape of a camel's hump for which the mountain is named. At the top, you'll find opportunities for panoramic photos of colorful desert landscapes, the city skyline, and selfies above it all.
At the base of the mountain, you'll find a wealth of luxury hotels to get pampered, as well as plenty of sit-down restaurants to sate your hunger either before you climb or when you come back down. The mountain is a mere 25-minute drive east of downtown Phoenix.
Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Papago Park
Photograph the city through the Hole in the Rock
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Papago Park is a popular attraction that allows the opportunity to catch a photo of the city through the iconic Hole in the Rock. This rock formation has a natural opening that serves as an ideal frame for your photo of panoramic city views and is sure to be a highlight of your Instagram feed. The park also offers a fishing pond, lakes, and mountain views, all of which are worthy photo additions to your feed.
As a bonus, after a stop at the Hole in the Rock, you can head to the nearby Phoenix Zoo, which is also within the park, to capture photos of all the animals there. The park is only 16 minutes from downtown.
Location: 625 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
Open: Daily from 5 am to 11 pm
Phone: +1 602-495-5458
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Hotel Valley Ho
Let everyone know where it's always sunny
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The Hotel Valley Ho is an iconic location in Old Town Scottsdale offering an opportunity to snap a photo of the postcard mural "It's Always Sunny in Scottsdale." The mural went up in 2018 and is a great way to capture the essence of your trip to the Phoenix area. It's near the hotel pool and is made of pastel colors that work great against light-colored outfits to stand out from the painting.
Scottsdale is also an easy jaunt to the east from downtown Phoenix. It only takes about 25 minutes or so to get here by car. It's worth the trip for such a must-grab photo for your Instagram feed.
Location: 6850 E Main St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA
Phone: +1 480-376-2600
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Wonderspaces Arizona
Wander through a dozen modern art displays
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Wonderspaces Arizona is an arts organization and gallery in Scottsdale offering multiple rooms with ever-evolving displays that are sure to leave their mark on you and your feed. The artistic spaces here offer bright colors and stark black-and-white displays, cultural commentary, and sheer whimsy. The specifics and numbers change, but on average you'll explore at least a dozen rooms full of stunning art from local, up-and-coming, and established artists.
Wonderspaces offers a serene and meditative environment as well as breathtaking social media imagery. It's in the Fashion Square area of Scottsdale just about a half hour's drive to the east of downtown Phoenix.
Location: 7014 E Camelback Rd #584, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA
Open: Wednesday–Thursday from 4 pm to 10 pm, Friday from noon to 10 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 10 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm (closed Monday–Tuesday)
Phone: +1 480-718-2156
Mapphoto by Kyle McDonald (CC BY 2.0) modified
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Saguaro Hotel
Pose in front of bright murals and yellow parasols
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The Saguaro Hotel is a pop-art hotel in Scottsdale that offers an explosion of brilliant colors, plant life, and mural photos that are ideal on their own or for selfies. Inside, you'll find a boutique hotel that offers yellow parasols and loungers, pastel surroundings, and a gorgeous pool area with light-blue water. It's a paradise-like setting to capture a selfie in your favorite sundress or swimsuit. You can also capture photos of elegantly tended gardens with brightly colored flowers and plants.
Because the Saguaro is in Scottsdale, it's easy to access from downtown Phoenix. It's only a 25-minute drive to the east from the downtown area.
Location: 4000 N Drinkwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA
Phone: +1 480-308-1100
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Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
Snap a selfie at the LOVE Sculpture
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The Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza places you at the center of a ton of Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, the most iconic of which is the LOVE Sculpture. This sculpture was created just before the dawn of the millennium and features big, bold letters spelling "LOVE" in red and blue. Not only do they make for a colorful photo, but they also remind us of what is important in life.
The LOVE Sculpture is just one of the attractions here. You can also take a walk across the plaza to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art where hundreds of art photo opportunities await for your social media feed. It's just about 25 minutes east of downtown Phoenix.
Location: 3806 N Drinkwater Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA
Mapphoto by PamMcP (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
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Hayden Butte
Catch a stunning sunrise or sunset image
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Hayden Butte Preserve is a Tempe, Arizona, landmark that offers famously stunning views of sunrises and sunsets over the city skyline, the Rio Salado, and nearby mountain ranges. A shot here either at dawn or dusk (or both) is sure to bring out wonder from those who view your Instagram feed. You can catch the brilliant reds and oranges of the sun streaming behind the city, over the Camelback and Papago Mountains, and glittering off of the river.
Hayden Butte is more than just sunset photos, however. It also offers pictures of hundreds of petroglyphs from prehistoric people, miles of irrigation channels, and ancient ruins to explore. It's just about 20 minutes to the east of downtown Phoenix.
Location: Tempe, AZ, USA
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