Neighborhood 48H guide
Tempe: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Tempe Town Lake, A Mountain and Mill Avenue by ASU.
Tempe is Arizona State University’s city, with Mill Avenue’s bars and restaurants, Tempe Town Lake and the short climb up Hayden Butte (A Mountain).
Photo gallery
Photo: FSXIV · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Olaf2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: davidpinter · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Walkable Mill Avenue, the lake path and light rail to downtown Phoenix and the airport.
Who it's for: ASU visitors, groups and budget travelers.
Pros
- Walkable Mill Avenue
- Light rail to the airport
- Lake paths
Cons
- College crowds
- Game-day traffic
- Less upscale
48H in Tempe
Butte, lake, Mill Avenue.
07:00 – Hayden Butte (A Mountain)
Short, steep climb over the stadium and lake. From May to September, hike at sunrise; Phoenix closes some trails on Extreme Heat Warning days.
09:30 – Tempe Town Lake
Walk or bike the paths and the pedestrian bridge.
19:30 – Tempe Center for the Arts
Check the calendar for shows on the lake.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Drink
See / do
See / do
Tempe Center for the Arts
700 W Rio Salado Pkwy
Performing-arts center on the lake.
Photo: davidpinter · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Tempe Town Lake
Rio Salado Pkwy
Paths, rentals and the Elmore pedestrian bridge.
Photo: FSXIV · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Sunrise / sunset
Sunrise / sunset
Hayden Butte (A Mountain)
Mill Ave & Rio Salado Pkwy
Short trail to views over ASU and the lake.
Photo: Olaf2 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Tempe Mission Palms, a Destination by Hyatt Hotel
60 E 5th St, Tempe
Courtyard hotel a block off Mill Avenue, with a rooftop pool.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Tempe.
Arizona cities, including Scottsdale and Phoenix, require short-term rentals to hold a local permit or license. Look for the license number on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in Tempe on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Scottsdale/Phoenix
- Old Town Scottsdale — Western Spirit museum, SMoCA and the Rusty Spur Saloon.
- Paradise Valley — Camelback resorts, Elements at Sanctuary and Cosanti’s bronze bells.
- Arcadia & Camelback East — Echo Canyon up Camelback, Papago’s Hole-in-the-Rock and the Desert Botanical Garden.
- Biltmore — The Arizona Biltmore, Wrigley Mansion and the Piestewa Peak summit.
- Downtown Phoenix — Pizzeria Bianco, a Diamondbacks game and the Arizona Science Center.
- Roosevelt Row & Midtown — Murals, First Friday, the Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard.
- Kierland & North Scottsdale — Kierland Commons, Scottsdale Quarter and Taliesin West.
- Troon North & Pinnacle Peak — Pinnacle Peak, Tom’s Thumb and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
- Carefree & Cave Creek — The Carefree Sundial, Harold’s Corral and Cave Creek Regional Park.