HappeningThe best weather of the year, with warm days and cool nights. Fiesta and the burning of Zozobra come at the start of the month, and the aspens begin to turn in the mountains late in the month.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. Santa Fe is high and dry, so plan to take the first day gently.Details
Getting here
Most visitors fly into Albuquerque and drive north to Santa Fe, about an hour. Santa Fe has a small airport with a few flights, so check ahead. You will want a car for the High Road and Taos.
The altitude
Santa Fe sits about seven thousand feet above the sea, and Taos is higher. Drink plenty of water, go easy on the first day and apply sunscreen, because the sun is strong and the air is thin and dry.
Where to sleep
Stay in Santa Fe for the first two nights, then move to Taos for the last two to save the long drive back. Rooms fill early for the big fiestas and markets, so book ahead.
First evening
Walk the plaza at dusk, when the day cools and the old adobe buildings glow. Eat early and sleep early, so Day 1 starts with a clear head.
Day 1. Santa Fe
6 stops · 4.7 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
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 whenMorning, 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.
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 whenMidday, 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.
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 12 min walk0.6 mi
3
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 whenMidday, 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.
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 whenAfternoon, 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.
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.
If it rains. Palace of the Governors, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and Loretto Chapel are covered, so keep them. Move Canyon Road and Santa Fe Plaza to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. Santa Fe, part 2
5 stops · 9.2 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
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 whenMorning, 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.
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 9 min by car or transit1.5 mi
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 whenAfternoon, 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.
A walk-through art installation in a former bowling alley, with rooms, passages and worlds to explore. A lively rain plan.
Go whenAny afternoon, and a good rain plan.
Local tip A walk-through art installation inside a former bowling alley, full of rooms and secret doors. It is loud and busy, so go if you like surprises. Check ahead on booking.
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 whenEarly 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.
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.
If it rains. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, San Miguel Mission, Museum of International Folk Art and House of Eternal Return are covered, so keep them. Move Santa Fe Railyard to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Taos
3 stops · 69.1 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Santa Fe RailyardAbout 1 h 28 min by car56.9 mi
Where Day 2 ended.
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 whenMorning, 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.
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 whenMidday, out of the strong sun.
Local tip The jewelry and the textiles are the highlights. Check ahead on opening.
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
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 whenAfternoon, 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.
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.
If it rains. Millicent Rogers Museum is covered, so keep it. Move Taos Pueblo and Earthship Biotecture to a dry day if you can.
Day 4. Taos, part 2
3 stops · 31.4 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Earthship BiotectureAbout 33 min by car or transit11.6 mi
Where Day 3 ended.
1
AfternoonWorth the time
Harwood Museum of Art
A small museum in Taos devoted to the painters, sculptors and craftspeople of the region.
Go whenAfternoon, to cool off.
Local tip A small art museum in Taos for the painters and craftspeople of the region. Check ahead on opening.
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 whenEarly 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.
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.
If it rains. Harwood Museum of Art is covered, so keep it. Move Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and Taos Plaza to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. The High Road
3 stops · 66.3 mi
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Taos PlazaAbout 1 h 1 min by car34.9 mi
Where Day 4 ended.
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 whenMorning, 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.
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 whenMidday, 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.
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
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 whenLate 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.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Taos is a long way from the airport, so leave more time than you think.Details
The drive out
Taos to Albuquerque is about three hours by road. Allow extra time for road work and weather, and fill the tank before you leave the mountains.
Your flight
If you fly home from Albuquerque, a final night in Santa Fe cuts the morning rush. Do not plan a big sight on the day you fly.
If you have a few hours
Walk the plaza once more in the morning light, or take a last look at the gorge from the bridge before the long drive south.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Santa Fe?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, April to June and August to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Santa Fe. This plan is built for mid September, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Santa Fe, planned for mid September. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 4.7 to 31.4 miles between its stops, and 77.4 miles in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
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