Overview
Tempe is a city of 180,587 (2020) in the Greater Phoenix area of Arizona, best known as the home of Arizona State University (ASU). Its younger, student-heavy population allows it to offer a vibrant nightlife that is relatively rare in Arizona.
18 sights · 6 things to do · 9 places to eat · 8 bars & cafés · 9 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Tempe
Arizona State University
In the heart of Tempe, ASU is a key factor in its vibrant, diverse and progressive lifestyle. It was founded as a Normal (Teaching) school in 1885. Arizona State is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with…
Old Main
The original school's building, dating back to its founding.
Gammage Memorial Auditorium
A theater designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that hosts international talent, Broadway shows, and local entertainment. One of his last architectural pieces, it was designed for Baghdad before being built in the equally arid …
ASU Mars Space Flight Facility
Supports the Thermal Emission Spectrometer experiment that was sent aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft when it launched in November 1996. The Mars facility has a visitor area with displays about Mars and a televi…
ASU Center for Meteorite Studies
Houses the world's largest university-based meteorite collection, with specimens from more than 1700 separate meteorite falls. Portions of this collection are on display to the public.
ASU Art Museum
Has a fine permanent collection and an active guest artist program. The attached gift shop is, surprisingly, a great place to get beautiful and unusual gifts.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Nov–Apr. Summer highs reach about 106°F; winter lows dip to about 45°F. Very hot (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Feb. (climate data from nearby Phoenix)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix — 6 mi away (major hub). Directions
- AZA Mesa Gateway Airport, Mesa — 16 mi away. Directions
The Valley Metro Light Rail project is operational and brings light rail service through Tempe from the neighboring cities of Mesa and Phoenix. Tickets may be purchased from automated kiosks at every station. An app or dedicated card is needed, see Valley Metro below. Free Park-and-Ride lots are located along the length of the route. There are plans in the works to extend the rail system through the use of spurs.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $74–$169 a night (typical $107), from 8 listed prices.
- Typical meal: about $10 per person at listed restaurants.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$100, mid-range ~$160, comfortable ~$290.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Arizona State University, ASU Mars Space Flight Facility, Hayden Library
- Lunch Phoenicia Cafe
- Afternoon Life Sciences Tower, Old Main
- Dinner My Big Fat Greek Restaurant
- Evening Fat Tuesday
Day 2
- Morning Tempe History Museum, City of Tempe Cultural Services Public Art, Petersen House Museum
- Lunch Cafe Lalibela
- Afternoon Sea Life Arizona, Angels Major League Baseball Spring Training
- Dinner Little Szechwan
- Evening Casey Moore's Oyster House
Day 3
- Morning AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park, Tempe Town Lake, Tempe Center for the Arts
- Lunch Cornish Pasty Co
- Afternoon Salt River Project History Center, P.F. Chang's Rock'n'Roll Arizona Marathon and Half Marathon
- Dinner Rosita's Fine Mexican Food
- Evening Tavern on Mill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Tempe's Mill Avenue District offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona. Tempe restaurants offer cuisines including Middle Eastern, Asian, Mexican and, of course, American fare. Many have received the Phoenix New Times's "Best of" award.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Tempe is a small but dynamic, steadily growing city. Its shared history with ASU has given it a long-standing reputation as a college town, and it is considered to be the academic and intellectual center of the greater Phoenix area. It is home to numerous research-centric industries in fields ranging from biotechnology to solar energy as well as a high percentage of knowledge workers those industries require. Being surrounded by the neighboring cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, and Chandler, it serves as a major hub in the Valley Metro light rail transit system.
Get in
By rail
The Valley Metro Light Rail project is operational and brings light rail service through Tempe from the neighboring cities of Mesa and Phoenix. Tickets may be purchased from automated kiosks at every station. An app or dedicated card is needed, see Valley Metro below. Free Park-and-Ride lots are located along the length of the route. There are plans in the works to extend the rail system through the use of spurs.
By bus
See By bus under "Get In", in the Phoenix article for a list of additional bus and shuttle van companies serving the Phoenix area.
Go Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach (Operated by Stagecoach Express)
Connects the Phoenix metro area to the Amtrak Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle trains in Maricopa (35 mi south). Additional stops are in Sky Harbor International Airport and Metro Center Transit Center by the Metro Center Mall.
- Valley Metro offers bus service to Tempe from neighboring cities, as well as ORBIT, the free neighborhood shuttle around Tempe (see listing below in 'Get Around'). Routes and fares can be found on their website. Nearby Mesa does not have bus service on Sundays, so some service in Tempe is disrupted.
By plane
Tempe is one of the most accessible cities in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and only 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Taxis and shuttles are available for arrivals and departures. There are also a number of reasonably priced public buses, and the light rail is a short shuttle ride away. Those new to Sky Harbor should be warned, however, that the roads and parking lots serving the airport can be poorly marked and rather confusing to navigate. Allot extra time in case you miss a turn and need to circle around.
Only Terminals 3 and 4 exist at Sky Harbor.
By car
Tempe is accessible via several main arteries, including Interstate 10, Loop 101, Loop 202, US 60, and surface streets including Washington St to the Mill Avenue Bridge. University Dr, Apache Blvd, Baseline Rd, and Elliot Rd are major east–west roads, and Mill Ave/Kyrene Rd, Rural Rd, and Price Rd are major north–south roads. Price Rd is also the frontage road for the Loop 101 freeway, which is known as the Price Freeway through Tempe and Chandler.
By bike
Several bike routes reach into Tempe, especially around the downtown area where you can bike over Tempe Town Lake from Phoenix on the Mill Ave Bridge. A mixed-use bike/pedestrian path also crosses Tempe Town Lake at Tempe Town Lake Dam, near the Tempe Center for the Arts.
Get around
Public transport
Tempe offers two free and convenient neighborhood circulators, called "Orbit" and "Flash". Fixed route service (fee) is available through Valley Metro, connecting commuters with neighboring cities. A system-wide route map for all bus routes, paid and free, can be downloaded from the Valley Metro website here.
Place Orbit
Has six routes, taking passengers through neighborhoods to the downtown area and the Mill Avenue District and connecting to the light rail station at College Avenue. The Orbit routes are each named after planets (complementing the "orbit" moniker), charge no fare, and can pick up passengers at any point along a sidewalk in residential areas where no bus stops are established. A route map is available here
Go Valley Metro
Has an extensive bus service operating on every major road with cheap fares; paper tickets have been abolished, so you load value to an app or a dedicated card ($4) before buying the ticket by tapping or scanning. Single tickets can also be paid with cash. Many bus routes connect to Metro, the light rail system. The buses have bike racks, but because the buses usually only come every half hour, they are often full during high traffic hours. All-day, 7-day, 15-day and 31-day passes can be purchased at numerous locations like grocery stores or the light rail stations; cash and credit card accepted.
Place Tempe Streetcar
A 3.1 mi new streetcar line which originates from Marina Heights behind the Sun Devil Stadium and traverses along Mill & Ash Avenues as well as Apache Blvd. until linking with the light rail at Dorsey/Apache Station. It goes along the Gammage Curve, offering a picturesque view of ASU's Gammage Memorial Auditorium. Be forewarned, southbound trains only serve Ash Ave. whereas northbound trains only run along Mill Ave. The latest schedules and route information can be found here.
By bicycle
Tempe is a comparatively bicycle-friendly city in the Phoenix valley area, and features bike lanes along many roads (which see more traffic the closer you get to downtown Tempe and ASU) and a variety of very enjoyable bike paths in and around parks and scenic locations, which connect conveniently to nearly all urban areas and points of interest. Although Tempe is a small city, the dry and hot summer climate can make it somewhat uncomfortable to self-pedal from one point in the city to another. For this and many other reasons, electric bikes are becoming a very popular option year-round.
A printable map of bike routes in the city can be downloaded here.
See
See Arizona State University
In the heart of Tempe, ASU is a key factor in its vibrant, diverse and progressive lifestyle. It was founded as a Normal (Teaching) school in 1885. Arizona State is now one of the largest universities in the nation, with several campuses spread throughout the metropolitan area. The largest of these campuses is the Tempe ASU Campus, a square-mile center of knowledge and cultural experience. ASU's expansive campus features many shaded lawns and expansive walks; most buildings feature displays and recent projects. The grounds are officially an arboretum – discreet tags mark many of the trees and plantings, which showcase desert and tropical flora from around the world. There are also a number of free museums and exhibits available, some permanent and some on a rotational basis.
See ASU Robert S. Dietz Museum of Geology
Houses minerals, gems, fossils from Arizona and around the world. It also has a six-story Foucault pendulum; local fossils including Colombian mammoth remains excavated in 1985, 1997 and 1999; real dinosaurs, a giant-extinct fossil shark over 7 ft tall (featured on the National Geographic Channel in 2009) a rare T-rex brain cavity and cast and many other rare and extinct fossil mammals including saber-toothed cats. The museum also features several large meteorites from the ASU Center for Meteorite Studies; Ore minerals and crystals from the many Arizona open-pit and underground mines, a gemstone exhibit and a 6 ft tall amethyst geode at the museum entrance. Other exhibits include: Volcanology; Mineralogy, Geology of Arizona; Rocks of the Grand Canyon and Arizona's State Fossil: Fossil wood from the Petrified Forest proposed by 2 former ASU Geology faculty members in 1988.
See Hayden Library
A vast collection housed mostly underground in the center of campus. It has many unique features, including the only Child Drama collection, various exhibits, and rare and valuable works available to the public through the Luhrs reading room. Where else can one walk in and request to see a page from a Gutenberg Bible?
See Life Sciences Tower
Has glass cases set into the hallways that house dozens of reptiles, including a comprehensive sampling of the poisonous snakes of Arizona.
Do
Outdoor activities and sports
Tempe has numerous parks, soccer fields, fenced dog parks, lighted tennis courts, pools, golf courses and its own two-mile urban park complex, Tempe Town Lake. Twin bicycle and walking paths circle the lake leading to Tempe Beach Park, Splash Playground, Town Lake Marina and Giuliano Park, where many triathlons take place. In addition, Tempe has more than 150 miles (250 km) of dedicated bikeways and the League of American Bicyclists has designated Tempe a Silver-Level Bicycle-Friendly Community Award winner.
Tempe's outdoor activities and sporting events add to its dynamic lifestyle. Tempe is the annual home to a number of sporting events, as well as all of the intercollegiate athletics at Arizona State University. ASU's hockey venue, Mullett Arena, was the temporary home of the NHL's Arizona Coyotes from 2022–2024 before the Coyotes' plans for a new arena in the Phoenix area fell into development hell, leading to the league brokering the sale of the team to the owners of the NBA's Utah Jazz. The Coyotes name and brand will remain in Phoenix for a potential revival, while the roster and front office moved to Salt Lake City under the temporary name of Utah Hockey Club. Mullett Arena will still host a professional team; the Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns' NBA G League affiliate that starts play in the 2024–25 season, will play here.
Do Tempe Town Lake
Set adjacent to Tempe's Mill Avenue District, Arizona State University and the 2,000 acres Papago Park, Tempe Town Lake embodies a unique vision for the future of the Valley. It is the center for many activities like boating, biking etc and has a jogger's track as well. The sight of the bridge at sunset is worth a watch.
Other events
Buy
Tempe has a wide range of shopping choices from nationally known department stores to outlets and specialty boutiques. The heart of downtown Tempe and the main shopping district is the Mill Avenue District. This area is filled with specialty shops, bars, restaurants, cafés, pubs and is also the cornerstone of the downtown business district.
Shop Tempe Marketplace
Tempe Marketplace's 1.3 million square feet (0.1207740m²) of retail space is positioned as an open-air, pedestrian-oriented environment, creating an eclectic atmosphere for a memorable experience. Arizona State University maintains the "Night Gallery" at the marketplace. It is free to the public, and open late into the evening. There are also frequent concerts and other activities throughout the year.
Eat
Tempe's Mill Avenue District offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona. Tempe restaurants offer cuisines including Middle Eastern, Asian, Mexican and, of course, American fare. Many have received the Phoenix New Times's "Best of" award.
Eat Cafe Lalibela
Cafe Lalibela is a family restaurant bringing Ethiopian cuisine to the heart of Tempe. Takeout available.
Eat Cornish Pasty Co
A British and Irish themed restaurant and bar offers a wide range of classic, modern, and experimental pasties with a number of European beers available on tap. It is popular with Tempe's younger and bohemian crowd.
Eat Green New American Vegetarian
Vegan restaurant that was named the best vegan restaurant in Phoenix by the Phoenix New Times. PETA named the secret BBQ Chicken sandwich as the best faux chicken sandwich in the USA. Another location in Central Phoenix.
Eat La Fonda Mexican Food
La Fonda is a great restaurant if you're looking for Mexican food. The food is excellent, and the atmosphere is friendly; good pricing is an added benefit, not a factor.
Eat Little Szechwan
Family-run Chinese restaurant. Mouth-watering food and very friendly service.
Eat Munch a Mania
The food is wonderful, portion sizes are great, and the service is the most personal you will get in town. Free delivery ($10 minimum order).
Eat My Big Fat Greek Restaurant
Delivers large portions of Greek food and is a favorite of many ASU college students.
Eat Phoenicia Cafe
Delicious Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Relatively small and often packed, esp. while the university nearby is in session. Try the babaganouj (eggplant dip) and the baklava, made from scratch. There is also an attached small Middle Eastern grocery that has great prices, especially on spices, Middle Eastern/Mediterranean deli items, and bulk olive oil. Very good service and friendly atmosphere. Restricted hours June to September, call ahead to check.
Eat Rosita's Fine Mexican Food
This popular, long-established family restaurant serves up Mexican classic dishes with a focus on Sonoran cooking.
Drink
Tempe is situated amidst the Phoenix Metro area as a "college town," and considering this Tempe's nightlife constitutes a wide variety of people. Most prominent is a college-aged drinking crowd that congregates on Mill Avenue District (which offers the most concentrated area of restaurants and cafés in Arizona) seven nights a week.
Drink Caffe Boa
An original, casual, Euro-style bistro/wine bar. Award-winning wine list with authentic Mediterranean styled food. Over 250 wines with full bar. Voted best Italian restaurant and best chef for 2005.
Drink Casey Moore's Oyster House
Built in 1910, the Historic William Moeur house has been the home of Casey Moore's since 1986. With an Irish pub feel and an expansive front and side patio, Casey Moore's maintains a neighborhood ambiance. Often dozens of bicycles are locked up out front; it is a local favorite. Multiple beers on tap, free food with happy hour, and a full menu featuring fresh seafood. Rumored to be haunted.
Drink Fat Tuesday
A Mardi Gras-themed daiquiri bar.
Drink Four Peaks Brewing Company
Arizona's largest brewery located in a turn of the century brick warehouse with award-winning food and hand-crafted ales.
Drink Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
The second story New Orleans style restaurant has three balconies overlooking the downtown district. Within walking distance from major business, ASU and Sun Devil Stadium and offers complimentary valet parking beginning at 5PM every night.
Drink Mill Cue Club
Features billiards and beer.
Drink Rúla Búla Irish Pub & Restaurant
Lively old-world pub & restaurant built in Ireland. Four-star cuisine, pub fare, and ample pints of Guinness. Live music and courtyard patio bar. Seating for 130. Semi-private dining for 50.
Drink Tavern on Mill
Offers traditional and southwestern cuisine and is known for its well rounded beer selection, excellent service and great eats. The Tavern on Mill has almost as much seating space inside as outside. 30 television monitors and flat screens display the latest music videos, sports games and more.
LGBT
Tempe, Arizona State University, and the state of Arizona as a whole have been pioneers in the acceptance of the LGBT community. However, Tempe does not have any LGBT-oriented bars or clubs. Neighboring Phoenix has all of the LGBT bars in the valley.
Sleep
Stay Quality Inn Airport Tempe
Centrally located near the airport, ASU, the Mill Avenue District, and Tempe Town Lake. Pets accepted.
Go next
- "Old Town" Scottsdale in the northeast Phoenix metropolitan area is the most tourist friendly area in the valley
Nearby
Guadalupe
City / town · 4 mi away
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Scottsdale
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Gilbert
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Chandler
City / town · 16 listings · 8 mi away
Phoenix
City / town · 190 listings · 12 mi away
Fountain Hills
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Glendale
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