In “The City Different,” there are a hundred different ways to explore. Santa Fe tours come in every variety and cover nearly as many topics, so we put together a Santa Fe travel guide to help!
The best way to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the city is to find a tour that interests you. There are plenty of tours in Santa Fe, whether you are an art enthusiast, architecture lover (or plain old lover), outdoorsman, history buff, or foodie.
Santa Fe History & Heritage Tours
Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States. As you stroll along the streets of Santa Fe, you walk among more than 400 years’ worth of history. The city is a blend of Spanish, Native American, and Anglo influences. Tours can range from a walkthrough of the city’s most important historic landmarks to more niche tours that focus on specific topics like Native American history, architecture, literature, and even ghosts.
If you are visiting for the first time or have major FOMO, we recommend a trolley tour with
Loretto Line Tours of Santa Fe. This is Santa Fe’s oldest and most well-reputed trolley tour company. Those looking to explore on foot should check out:
- Santa Fe Footprints: Hike with a naturalist or explore the historic gems of the city.
- Santa Fe VIP Walking Tours: Tour the city like a pro on this VIP walking tour.
Santa Fe Walking Tours of the Plaza:
These tours focus on the Spanish settlers, the Pueblo Revolt, and colonial history.
- Historic Walks of Santa Fe: Get out your walking shoes! Follow an expert on a guided walking tour that explores the city’s many historic landmarks, architecture, and fascinating stories from its past.
- History in Santa Fe: Get an in-depth look at Santa Fe’s history with local historian Ana Pacheo.
Ghost Tours
Many tours cater to those interested in Santa Fe’s paranormal history (there’s a lot of it) and folklore:
- Santa Fe Ghost and History Tours: Everyone loves a good ghost story, and we recommend everyone explore Santa Fe ghost tours!
- Santa Fe Walking Tours by Karen Childers: Take a walk on the supernatural side with Karen Childers, with each tour offering local lore.
Santa Fe’s Historic Churches and Chapels
Those with a particular interest in the religious or architectural history of the United States will enjoy a tour of Santa Fe’s historic churches and chapels. Many of the city’s most famous churches, like the San Miguel Chapel (the oldest church in the United States) or the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, also offer building tours.
Visitors looking for guided tours might enjoy a group tour with a Churches of Enchantment Tour, which covers multiple churches in Santa Fe, and a close-up viewing of several santos (Spanish folk art depictions of religious figures and saints). Private architectural church tours are offered through Heritage Inspirations. Those interested can take a Catholic pilgrimage tour with Santa Fe Pilgrimage.
Santa Fe Indigenous Culture & Pueblo Tours
To learn about the indigenous culture of Santa Fe, visitors should head to the source at the Peoh Cultural Center. Tribally operated and owned, the cultural center and museum includes outdoor sculptures, rotating galleries, a permanent pueblo history exhibition, a theater space, and a native arts gift shop.
What better way to experience history than at an archeological site? Visit Tsankawi, located in Bandelier National Monument, to learn about the history of the Pueblo people. Visitors walk 1.5 miles along a mesa to an ancestral Pueblo village, where they can see petroglyphs, cliff dwellings, pottery shards, ladders, and other ancient artifacts.
Santa Fe Art Tours
Santa Fe is a world-renowned destination for art enthusiasts, with nearly a dozen museums and hundreds of art galleries displaying pottery, paintings, and music that reflect the region’s unique heritage. Hundreds of years of Native American and Spanish influence combined with an influx of 20th-century “Anglo” artists have shaped Santa Fe’s art scene into what it is today.
Canyon Road
Canyon Road is the beating heart of Santa Fe’s art scene and is one of the most concentrated art districts in the United States. The half-mile road is home to hundreds of galleries, boutiques, and studios.
The city offers maps for tourists to explore the road at their own pace, but there are plenty of available walking tour groups or galleries offering studio tours. We recommend starting your explorations at the bottom of Canyon Road, at the intersection with Paseo de Peralta. Some galleries cater to nearly every interest, but popular galleries include Zaplin Lampert Gallery (Santa Fe classics), Gerald Peters Gallery (diverse mediums), Wiford Gallery (wind sculptures), and Nedra Matteucci Galleries (Southwestern pieces).
Santa Fe Guided Art Tours
Do you have a niche interest? Take a studio or art tour, or enlist a guide for a guided tour of Santa Fe’s art scene:
- Santa Fe Art Tours: This tour guides you through Santa Fe’s most beautiful neighborhoods, hidden courtyards, and off-the-beaten-path art venues while still including visits to landmark museums and galleries.
- Santa Fe Tours with Stefanie Beninato: Art enthusiasts will enjoy exploring Canyon Road with Stephanie’s “Artists and Acequias: Canyon Road/Eastside” tour.
- Santa Fe Architecture Walking Tour: Walk through four centuries of history to learn how Santa Fe’s unique architectural style came about in Santa Fe’s Historic District.
Santa Fe Art Museums
There are several art museums that we recommend our guests visit. Most of these museums offer their own tours for those interested in learning more about their galleries:
- Georgia O’Keefe Museum: This museum is dedicated to the legacy of the renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
- New Mexico Museum of Art: The building itself is a work of art, a beautiful Pueblo Revival building constructed in 1915. It displays art from hundreds of local artisans.
- Museum of Indian Arts and Culture: Its collection includes pottery pieces over 1,000 years old and a permanent display of Native American artifacts.
- Museum of International Folk Art: Next door to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, this gem houses folk art from around the globe. Locals love this place for their unique and interactive exhibits.
- Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum: Dedicated to the preservation of Santa Fe’s Spanish heritage, it features devotional pieces, decorative art, texture, and furniture, all in Spanish colonial style.
Literary Landmarks: Many renowned writers have found inspiration in Santa Fe’s striking landscapes and culture. Their homes and gathering places remain popular attractions, like the Fray Angelico Chavez History Library and the Inn of the Turquoise Bear.
Tour the Outdoors of Santa Fe
Santa Fe is an outdoorsman’s paradise, with scenic desert landscapes, forests, and mountain trails. There are activities suited to every itinerary and level of fitness. Visitors can explore the outdoors by hiking, biking, driving, kayaking, hunting, camping, taking a jeep tour, or even going on a helicopter ride.
Santa Fe’s elevation is more than 7,000 feet on average, making it the third-highest city in the United States. When you head outside, remember to drink lots of water (then drink more water) and give yourself time to adjust to the altitude. Keep an eye out for wildlife, such as rattlesnakes and bears.
Santa Fe Excursions & Guided Tours
Local tour guides and outfitters can help travelers looking for activities like helicopter rides, four-wheeling, river-rafting, or jeep excursions:
Tour Must-See Spots in New Mexico
We keep saying it, but New Mexico offers views that you won’t see anywhere else in the country. Here are some of the absolute must-see outdoor locations around Santa Fe:
- Artist Road to Ski Basin: Easily accessible, this 18-mile road is scattered with gorgeous views and trails for hiking and biking. It also makes for a great scenic drive.
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument: Known locally as “Tent Rocks,” it offers some of the most spectacular views in the state.
- Bandelier National Monument: About an hour and a half from the inn, this area makes for a great day trip or hiking excursion. Bandelier National Monument protects some of the traditional ancestral lands of at least 23 tribal nations.
- Valles Caldera: The Valles Caldera is a 13.7-mile-wide volcanic caldera and home to some of our favorite locations for fishing, biking, hiking, and wildlife observation.
- Diablo Canyon: Spectacular views and the best location for exploring caves and rock climbing in Santa Fe.
Hiking In Santa Fe
Santa Fe is full of stunning hiking trails. Our favorites include:
- Artist Road: Near the top of the road is a trail called Aspen Vista that leads to open, stunning views. Another local favorite is the Windsor Trail.
- Atalaya Mountain Trail: This 6.4-mile trail offers views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the city.
Biking in Santa Fe
There are hundreds of miles of biking trails surrounding the city, and some of the best mountain biking can be found right here in Santa Fe. Bikers wanting to stay in town will enjoy the Rail Trail, which runs right through Santa Fe. The Dale Balle Trails System and the highly popular Winsor Trail offer scenic views and get you into the mountains.
Santa Fe Food Tours
If you want to immerse yourself in a particular culture, head to the dinner table! Here in Santa Fe, Puebloan, and Anasazi, traditional cuisine is melded with Hispanic foods to create a food culture that is unique to New Mexico. Come taste the history with one of these Santa Fe food tours:
Santa Fe Chocolate Tour & Wineries
Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Chocolate is incredibly popular because of its long history in the area, and visitors can travel the Santa Fe Chocolate Trail. Santa Fe is full of artisan chocolatiers offering chocolates in a variety of flavors that are uniquely “New Mexican.”
It’s four o’clock somewhere, especially on Santa Fe’s Margarita Trail. This tour takes you through some of the best restaurants and bars in the area while you sip signature drinks at each stop. Wine tours in Santa Fe offer visitors a way to enjoy learning about the history of wine in the region and New Mexico’s award-winning wines.
Santa Fe Photo Tours
Whether you’re a novice, amateur, or professional photographer, you will love the photo tours by Schumann Photo Tours. Mark Schumann offers group or private tours that take you through and around Santa Fe so you can experience the history and beauty of its architecture and natural physical beauty up close and personal. Capture it all on your camera.
Santa Fe Historic Bed & Breakfast
After your Santa Fe tours, you will be ready to sit back and put your feet up. The tour will begin as you drive up to our beautiful, clay-colored adobe-style home surrounded by lush and native gardens. Sleep where black-and-white photographer Ansel Adams slept. Walk the halls where Georgia O’Keefe walked. Admire the art hanging throughout the property. Immerse yourself in Santa Fe’s history and book now.
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