Phoenix or Scottsdale?

Neither city has a beach, and the swimming options are the same in both. Saguaro Lake and Canyon Lake on the Salt River have small coves and boat landings among desert cliffs, and tubing down the lower river is a summer outing for both cities. Scottsdale is on the eastern side of the valley, so the lakes are a little closer from there. Either way, most of the swimming you do will be in a resort pool with a lazy river.

Phoenix eats better. The Sonoran cooking of the south and west of the city is the real local food: carne asada, machaca, paper-thin flour tortillas and bacon-wrapped hot dogs from evening carts. Downtown and Roosevelt Row have the independent kitchens, and the city's wood-fired pizza and bread have a reputation of their own.

Scottsdale's dining is comfortable and reliable but rarely distinctive. It is mostly steakhouses, patio grills, sushi, long happy hours and smart brunches, aimed at golfers and groups. It suits a relaxed resort dinner well, but for the most characterful meals, Scottsdale's own visitors drive into Phoenix.

The two are close on culture, and the main sights are split between them. Phoenix has the Heard Museum, whose Native American collections are its strongest card, along with the Phoenix Art Museum, the Hohokam remains at Pueblo Grande, the Victorian houses of Heritage Square and the copper-domed capitol.

Scottsdale has Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's desert studio and the area's architectural highlight, plus a frontier museum, a small contemporary art museum and a few western-era blocks in Old Town. The Musical Instrument Museum sits right on the line between them. Neither city has an old centre to wander, so you will be visiting the sights one drive at a time from either.

For a big night out, Scottsdale is the stronger choice because everything is in one place. Old Town's few blocks of rooftop lounges, dance clubs and patio bars are all within walking distance. The crowd is glossy, with dress codes and bottle service, and it is busiest on weekends and in spring.

Phoenix spreads its evenings across separate districts. There are craft beer and cocktail bars downtown and around Roosevelt Row, and Tempe's Mill Avenue is cheap and full of students. The crowd is more local and less showy, but you need to pick one district and get a ride home afterwards. In both cities the bars close at 2am.

Both cities back straight onto the same rocky Sonoran desert. Camelback Mountain is shared, and the Superstition Mountains and the Salt River wild horses are within reach of both. The difference is which trails are closest. Phoenix has South Mountain, one of the largest city parks in the country, and the steep climb up Piestewa Peak.

Scottsdale has the McDowell Sonoran Preserve with its saguaro forests and granite boulders, and Pinnacle Peak. It is also the easier base for balloon flights, jeep tours and golf.

The day-trip list is almost the same from either city. Sedona, Jerome, Montezuma Castle and Prescott lie around two hours up the interstate, and Tucson with Mission San Xavier del Bac is about the same distance south. Scottsdale is a little closer to the old Apache Trail and the Goldfield ghost town, which make an easy half-day. Phoenix is better placed for cowboy Wickenburg to the north-west. Both need a car, and from both the Grand Canyon needs an overnight stay.

Both work equally well for children, with the same warning about summer heat and long drives. Phoenix has the zoo, the Arizona Science Center and a children's museum within its own limits, so it is better for indoor learning on a hot afternoon.

Scottsdale is built around pools and play. Its resorts have kids' clubs and water slides, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park has miniature trains and a carousel, and the OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland are just outside the city.

Both cities expect you to drive, and most visitors to either one rent a car. Phoenix has the advantage of a light rail line linking the airport, downtown and Tempe, which helps if you stay along that corridor. The light rail does not reach Scottsdale, but Old Town is compact and a free trolley links it to the main shopping areas. In both cities, the trailheads and resorts are a drive or a ride-hail away.

Scottsdale is the shopping destination of the valley. The luxury mall on Scottsdale Road carries the big fashion houses, and the Main Street and Marshall Way gallery district sells southwestern painting, glass and sculpture. Nearby dealers offer high-quality Navajo and Hopi silver, Pueblo pottery and western boots.

Phoenix has the open-air centre near the Biltmore, a few vintage and design shops in the central neighbourhoods and the Heard Museum shop, a reliable place to buy Native American work. For a dedicated shopping day, though, most people head to Scottsdale.

Phoenix is the cheaper of the two. It sits in the middle of the American price range, its chain hotels along the freeways are good value all year, and Sonoran food is cheap and good. Scottsdale is an upmarket resort city, and in winter and spring its rooms, golf, spa treatments and Old Town dinners cost noticeably more. In both cities, summer brings resort rates down sharply, a rental car adds to the bill, and the desert trails are free.

The stage offer is similar in both, and much of it is shared. Phoenix is home to the symphony, Arizona Opera, Ballet Arizona and the Herberger Theater Center, plus mid-sized rock and indie venues downtown. Scottsdale's performing arts centre in Old Town covers chamber music, jazz, comedy and dance on a smaller scale. Both are close to Tempe's Gammage auditorium for touring shows and the Musical Instrument Museum's concert hall, and both are best from autumn to spring.

Scottsdale is the better choice for a rest. Large resort spas with desert treatments, steam rooms and long massage menus are concentrated there, several are open to day guests, and yoga and meditation retreats are easy to find. The whole pace of the city revolves around golf, long lunches and early nights.

Phoenix has its own resorts at the foot of Camelback Mountain, and its dry winter warmth works just as well by a pool. Outside the resorts, though, it feels like a sprawling car city. Neither has public baths or hot springs, so the comfort in both is private and costly.