4 days in Santa Fe and Taos

Start where the city started. Walk around the plaza, the oldest public building on it, the big stone cathedral and a chapel with a famous staircase, all within a few minutes of each other. It is a gentle first day for the altitude.

1. Breakfast

   Huevos rancheros for breakfast

   Eggs on a corn tortilla with beans and chile sauce, the classic New Mexico breakfast. Fill up before walking in the high sun.

   Local tip When asked "red or green?", the answer "Christmas" gets you both.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Palace of the Governors

   A low adobe building along the plaza that has stood since the early 1600s, one of the oldest public buildings in the country. Today it is a history museum, and Native American artisans sell jewelry and pottery under its long porch.

   Go when Morning, when the plaza is quiet and the porch is shaded.

   Local tip Walk the long porch first and look at the work on the blankets, then go in for the museum. Buy directly from the artists, who have set up under the porch for generations.

   

   About 2 min walk0.1 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth a short visit

   Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

   A Romanesque stone cathedral from the late 1800s, a surprise among the adobe, with a quiet inside and a small older chapel at the side. Check ahead on visiting times, because services come first.

   Go when Midday, when the stone is cool and the light comes through the windows.

   Local tip It is a working church, so keep quiet and check ahead on visiting times. Look for the small older chapel on the side, which is part of a much earlier church.

   

   About 2 min walk0.1 mi
4. 3
   AfternoonWorth a short visit

   Loretto Chapel

   A small Gothic chapel known for a spiral staircase that climbs to the choir loft with no central support. Legends surround it and the real story is a good one too. Check ahead on opening.

   Go when Afternoon, when the light through the windows is soft.

   Local tip The chapel is small, so allow only a short visit. Check ahead on opening and on any events that close it.

   

5. Lunch

   A green chile cheeseburger

   A burger with roasted green chile, a local favorite you will see on menus across the state. Lunch is a good time for it.

   Local tip Ask how hot the chile is before you order, since it can surprise you.

   About 3 min walk0.1 mi
6. 4
   EveningAn evening stop

   Santa Fe Plaza

   The town square, shaded by cottonwoods and surrounded by galleries and shops. Sit on a bench at dusk and watch the old adobe walls turn gold.

   Go when Early evening, with the light low on the adobe (about 7:11 PM).

   Local tip Sit on a bench under the cottonwoods and watch the town go by. Check ahead on any market or festival, because the plaza fills for those.

   

7. Dinner

   A patio dinner by the plaza

   Something slow and grilled, or a plate of New Mexican food, at a table outside as the day cools.

   Local tip Evenings turn chilly quickly, so bring a layer.

A day for art. One painter's Southwest in the morning, a long lane of galleries in old adobe houses, a hillside of museums with the world's folk art, then the old railyard as the day cools.

1. Breakfast

   Coffee and a breakfast burrito

   A burrito stuffed with eggs, potatoes and green chile, with a strong coffee, eaten on the way to the museum.

   Local tip Mind the altitude and drink water as well as coffee.
2. 1
   MorningBook ahead if you can

   Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

   A museum devoted to the painter who made northern New Mexico famous, with her bones, hills and flowers on the walls. Check ahead on timed entry, since it can sell out in busy months.

   Go when Morning, when the rooms are quiet.

   Local tip It is a small museum and can sell out in busy months, so check ahead on entry. Seeing the real landscapes afterwards makes the paintings click.

   

   About 18 min walk0.9 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Canyon Road

   A narrow lane of galleries, studios and sculpture gardens in old adobe houses, a short walk from the plaza. Wander in and out, and look at the courtyards as much as the art.

   Go when Midday, or early evening when the courtyards glow.

   Local tip Walk it from the bottom to the top and go through the gates into the courtyards. The galleries come and go, so choose by what catches your eye. Wear good shoes, because the lane is uneven.

   

4. Lunch

   A courtyard lunch

   A sandwich or a salad under a tree in a gallery courtyard, with a glass of iced tea in the thin sun.

   Local tip Many courtyards close early, so lunch on the early side.

   About 24 min walk1.2 mi
5. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Museum of International Folk Art

   One of the largest folk art collections in the world, gathered in a museum on Museum Hill. The miniature scenes and the whole gallery of toys are the reason to come.

   Go when Afternoon, as a cool break from the sun.

   Local tip Do not miss the miniature scenes on the lower floor. Check ahead on opening, and on which wings are open.

   

   About 11 min by car or transit1.9 mi
6. 4
   EveningAn easy evening

   Santa Fe Railyard

   The old railroad yards, now a district of galleries, shops and a park beside the tracks. A relaxed, open place to end the day after the narrow lanes downtown.

   Go when Early evening, as the heat leaves the day (about 7:11 PM).

   Local tip A relaxed place to walk, with a park, shops and galleries. A farmers market is held here on some days, so check ahead if you want it.

   

7. Dinner

   A relaxed dinner in the Railyard

   Tacos, pizza or a plate of something grilled in the open streets and courtyards of the old rail district.

   Local tip Booking ahead helps at weekends.

The long way north, through mountain villages and old adobe churches instead of the main highway. The drive is the point, so start in the morning and stop often. You end the day in Taos, and sleep there tonight.

1. Drive from Santa Fe RailyardAbout 45 min by car21.2 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   A picnic breakfast for the road

   Fresh pastries, fruit and coffee, picked up before you leave Santa Fe, for eating at a village stop.

   Local tip There are few places to buy food on the High Road, so pack lunch too.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time, go early

   El Santuario de Chimayo

   A small adobe church from 1816 that has drawn pilgrims for generations, with a side room of holy earth, and thousands of people walk to it in Holy Week. Visit quietly, and check ahead on services.

   Go when Morning, when the church is quiet and the road is empty.

   Local tip This is a place of pilgrimage, so be quiet and respectful. Check ahead on services and on any rules about photography, and expect crowds in Holy Week.

   

   About 36 min by car or transit13.6 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth a short stop

   San José de Gracia Church, Las Trampas

   A village church from the late 1700s in a high valley, one of the best-kept adobe churches in the state. It is a working church, so look at it from outside unless it is open, and respect any posted rules.

   Go when Midday, as a stretch on the long drive.

   Local tip The church is often closed to visitors, so look from outside unless it is open. Park respectfully, because this is a living village.

   

5. Lunch

   Lunch in a mountain village

   A bowl of posole, a plate of enchiladas or a sandwich in a small roadside cafe, one of the few between Chimayo and Taos.

   Local tip Many village cafes close mid afternoon, so lunch on the early side.

   About 41 min by car17.8 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   San Francisco de Asís Mission Church

   A massive adobe church at Ranchos de Taos with buttresses that have been painted and photographed by generations of artists. The back of the church is the famous view.

   Go when Late afternoon, when the low sun warms the walls.

   Local tip Walk around to the back, which is the view artists have painted for a century. Check ahead on visiting, because it is a working parish church.

   

   About 17 min by car or transit3.9 mi
7. 4
   EveningAn evening stop

   Taos Plaza

   A shady old plaza at the heart of Taos, ringed by low adobe buildings, galleries and shops. A mellow place to settle in for the night after the drive.

   Go when Late afternoon and evening, once the day cools (about 7:11 PM).

   Local tip A shady spot to rest after the drive. Walk the lanes around the plaza for galleries and shops, and look up at the mountains.

   

8. Dinner

   Dinner in Taos

   A slow dinner of New Mexican food or a wood-fired pizza near the plaza, after a long day on the road.

   Local tip Check ahead, because some kitchens close early on weeknights.

A day of the Taos valley. A living pueblo, a museum of Native and Hispanic arts, some very different houses, then a high bridge over the Rio Grande gorge to watch the sunset from.

1. Travel from Taos PlazaAbout 13 min by car or transit2.7 mi

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Blue corn pancakes

   Pancakes made with blue cornmeal, a regional specialty, with a cup of strong coffee.

   Local tip Ask whether they come with piñon nuts or local honey.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time, with respect

   Taos Pueblo

   A living Tiwa village of multi-story adobe homes that has been inhabited for more than a thousand years and is a World Heritage Site. Visitors are welcome with respect: check ahead, because it closes at times for ceremonies, follow the posted rules and ask before photographing people.

   Go when Morning, before the day heats up.

   Local tip This is a living community, so check ahead because it closes at times for ceremonies. Follow the posted rules, stay out of homes, ask before photographing anyone and respect the cemetery.

   

   About 13 min by car or transit2.7 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Millicent Rogers Museum

   A museum of Native American and Hispanic arts, jewelry and textiles, collected by one woman and displayed in an old adobe house on the hillside above Taos.

   Go when Midday, out of the strong sun.

   Local tip The jewelry and the textiles are the highlights. Check ahead on opening.

   

5. Lunch

   Fry bread or a tamale at lunch

   Fry bread, a tamale or a bowl of stew, simple food that fits the high desert. Eat somewhere quiet in the shade.

   Local tip Ask the people at a Pueblo stall what they recommend.

   About 31 min by car or transit9.5 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth a short stop

   Earthship Biotecture

   A visitor center for the off-grid homes made from earth, tires and recycled bottles that sit on the mesa outside town. Odd, clever and unlike the adobe of the rest of the trip. Check ahead on visiting.

   Go when Afternoon, when the sun fills the glass fronts.

   Local tip The homes are off the grid and use earth, tires and recycled bottles. Check ahead on visiting, and bring a hat and water because the mesa is exposed.

   About 10 min by car or transit1.8 mi
7. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

   A steel bridge that spans a deep canyon cut by the river, with a walkway and a view straight down. Come for the last light, when the sky above the sagebrush mesa turns red.

   Go when Early evening, with the low sun on the canyon walls (about 7:11 PM).

   Local tip Walk out along the bridge and look straight down at the river. The wind can be strong, so hold on to hats and phones.

   

8. Dinner

   A last dinner of New Mexican food

   Red or green chile on everything, with beans and rice, and a cold drink to end the trip.

   Local tip Ask for the chile on the side if you are not sure how hot it will be.