Having taken the same or a similar tour many years ago I couldn’t imagine not taking the tour again to visit all of my favorite sites I had enjoyed in the past. To my surprise the tour covering many of the obligatory sites glossed over some of the more stunning attractions and omitted many obligatory locations completely. While now a new major stop on the tour makes Culture Park the only location where patrons can disembark the faux trolley, as it slips the past sites I had appreciated in the past like Airport Mesa and Chapel of the holy cross and with the exception to a short trip down route 179 ignores the southern, more picturesque, part of Sedona completely.
That being said the hour and a half tour is the best $28.31 you can spend in Sedona. Our driver, Stan, made this an enjoyable trip, educational, cultural gem of an experience. His knowledge and talents surpass everything with the exception of the sheer beauty of the surrounding valley. A nice additional touch of offering to take pictures of couples at culture park with the majestic mountains in the background was appreciated. He pointed out historical points of significance, restaurants, galleries, adjacent hiking trails and their mystical vortexes, all with relevant facts laced with a touch of humor.
The trip was relaxing and educational and a must see for first time visitors and maybe even second time visitors. Their designated parking is impossible to find, ask then to describe in detail the location otherwise you’ll end up like we did hunting through uptown trying to locate an applicable parking spot. There is no designated spot to wait the half hour they suggest you arrive early. A small storefront ticket office gives way to the town’s sidewalk where patrons wait milling about like human pylons waiting for their transportation to arrive. All in all, a good experience that could stand a few improvements.