Top New Mexico Walking Tours

Get oriented to Santa Fe’s unique history, architecture, and culture on this top-rated walking tour. Explore the Santa Fe plaza area on foot, passing landmarks like the Loretto Chapel, Palace of the Governors, and Bario de Analco, plus places off the beaten path that most visitors miss. Hear stories not found in any guidebook, and get tips on how to make the most of your Santa Fe vacation.

There are many Santa Fe tours out there, but this is the only one lead by a homegrown historian and author of eight books on the city. Take advantage of the guide’s deep knowledge of Santa Fe history and culture to gain a new perspective on landmarks like the Loretto Chapel, Canyon Road, Cross of the Martyrs, Route 66, and more. The tour delves into topics not often covered, including the Manhattan Project, spirituality, and Santa Fe’s role in World War II.

The historic Santa Fe Plaza and downtown area has a 400-year old history filled with the lore and legends of conquistadors, scientists, artists, outlaws, and Pueblo peoples. Access this history on your phone through our GPS-enabled walking tour. Start and stop on your own schedule—access to the tour never expires. Learn about the annual Zozobra celebration, what "Christmas-style" means, and where to find the oldest church in the United States.

Rather than wandering around alone, explore Albuquerque's Old Town in the company of someone who knows it best and can provide context. This small-group walking tour introduces you to the legends, lore and colorful characters of this historically rich neighborhood while taking you to all the most important landmarks.

Watch daylight appear above the Rio Grand Valley during a sunrise hot air balloon ride from Albuquerque, and see the first rays illuminate the rugged Sandia Mountains. Take in stunning aerial views and dip low enough to skim the Rio Grande, then rise back up above the desert landscape. Touch town after a 1-hour flight, and begin the day with sparkling wine before returning to your launch site.

Watch sunset ignite the Rio Grande Valley on a hot air balloon ride from Albuquerque, and see the evening light transform the Sandia Mountains and desert landscape. Enjoy commentary from your pilot throughout the flight, and spot the region’s landmarks as you soar above the rugged terrain; dip low to skim the Rio Grande and capture unforgettable, aerial images of New Mexico’s largest city. Touch back down after a 1-hour flight, then linger over sparkling wine and snacks before returning to your launch site.

Albuquerque is world renowned for its hot air balloon festival. Most visitors only watch balloons from the ground but this tour offers the chance to soar into the air yourself. In a small group of no more than five people, watch the sun rise as you fly over the Sandia Mountains and toast the experience with a glass of bubbly.

Explore downtown Santa Fe's best food and wine venues on a half-day walking tour led by an informative guide. Get a taste of new developments in Santa Fe’s food scene and sample classic New Mexican flavors when you stop into several local eateries. You'll also visit landmarks like the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis, Loretto Chapel, and Palace of the Governors. Your guide shares commentary about the city’s history and the mix of cultures that have shaped its food culture throughout the leisurely walking tour.

Taste the highlights of Santa Fe during this food-themed walking tour. Meet your guide in the centrally located Santa Fe Plaza, and come hungry: you’ll visit multiple local food businesses, where you can enjoy enough samples to add up to a generous meal (plus drinks on the side). As you go, you’ll also see landmarks like the San Miguel Chapel and the Palace of the Governors.

With so much to explore, it can be hard to know where to begin in Santa Fe. This private walking tour removes the guesswork for an ideal introduction to the city’s historic plaza, charming adobe buildings, parks, and art galleries. Finish at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, with included admission so you can explore the life of this artist who immortalized northern New Mexico landscapes.

Explore the historical aspects of downtown Taos on this 1-hour walking tour of the town. Stroll through the streets, as you walk about half a mile (0.8 km) and learn about the people of the past. Hear stories of Kit Carson, Padre Martinez, Don Juan de Onate, Long John Dunn, and Doc Martin.

Discover Canyon Road, home to over 80 art galleries, on a guided tour through Santa Fe. Walk through a number of exciting galleries to give you a sense of what Canyon Road has to offer. Engage with many of the art pieces and have a chat with the local artists and gallery curators. Your tour is limited to 10 participants, which allows for a more personal experience.

Santa Fe is a photographer’s dream, so learn how to capture the city’s unique adobe architecture, enchanting desert light, and colorful streets like a pro. A trained photographer and longtime Santa Fe resident takes you to the most photogenic locations around the plaza and helps you get that perfect shot, whether you're working with a high-tech DSLR camera or a smart phone.

Hosted by tour company Vigilante Guides. As a 12th generation New Mexican we take pride in culture and history and want to share a piece of our everyday life on this tour. This is a fun and informational experience that is all inclusive. We talk about our unique culture and heritage, our amazing food and drink, art and outdoors and everything else in between. This is an experience unlike any other where you truly feel like a local. We have fun, interact, and enjoy each others company while we eat and drink some local delicacies. Oh and yes, come hungry, you should be adequately fed by the end of this tour. On this tour you will stop at 3 locations and try a variety of craft cocktails, beer, wine, and margaritas along with some amazing pizza and tacos. We will walk away as friends and show you the true Santa Fe experience.

Whether it's your first time in Santa Fe or you’d like to delve deeper into the city’s history and legends, make the most out of your time on a private walking tour of must-see highlights plus hidden corners. Learn fascinating trivia and stories as you wander cobblestone streets and colorful alleyways that wind through the downtown plaza area and beyond.

Join one of Taos’s famous writer, artist, and storyteller for this walking tour of the city, named Sam Richardson. Along the way you’ll learn about the cultural and historical figures like Padre Martinez and Kit Carson. You’ll explore the wild west Red Light District. See where early artists created their work, and visit several other spots in town with vivid histories and plenty of stories.

Discover the scenic highlights of Santa Fe’s Old Town, and learn about the New Mexico capital’s centuries of history, on this private walking tour. Choose from several convenient daily tour times, and meet your guide in Santa Fe Plaza. You’ll see landmarks like the Palace of Governors and San Miguel Chapel, will learn about the city’s characteristic adobe buildings, and will even enjoy a taste of local delicacies.

Santa Fe has architecture unlike nearly any city in the United States—it’s dominated by adobe buildings but has diverse Victorian and Mission Revival styles. This tours offers a chance to learn about the architecture while taking a guided walk through the city’s back roads, residential areas, and art districts. Finish with a champagne tasting at Gruet Tasting Room at Hotel St. Francis.

Discover Albuquerque’s historical heart when you explore its Old Town—and learn about the city’s history of haunted encounters and other supernatural events—on this private walking tour. Meet your guide in the late afternoon and set off to discover centuries-old landmarks aplenty. As you go, your guide will share ghost stories from the city’s long history, designed to spook and amuse you in equal measure.

See Albuquerque’s historic spots and discover it’s history and legends, at your own pace, anytime, on this smart phone guided (GPS/APP) walking tour. On the tour you will see the old patio market, the San Felipe de Neri Church, a hidden chapel, the old trading post, the candy shop that dishes out Heisenberg blue the prop used on Breaking Bad, the Old Town Square, the outdoor conquistador’s statures, the hidden courtyard, and so much more. And I’ll share with you the history of Albuquerque, the native peoples, the legends and lore of rattle snakes and turquoise, the conquistadores, the settlers who founded the city, history of trade, and so much more. Go at your own pace and schedule. Feel free to pause the tour anytime to explore. The tour never expires.

Booking a tour with us will add just the right amount of spooky to your evening. Whether you are from out of town or the city is your hometown, you'll learn about stories that many keep to themselves. We offer 60-minute walking tours, Haunted Pub Crawls, and even ultimate tours that take you to more locations with even darker pasts.

Hosted by tour company Vigilante Guides. We provide a local experience and help travelers and locals alike see all the main attractions in and around the Plaza and Downtown Santa Fe including the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Laredo Chapel, San Miguel Chapel, Oldest House, Plaza, etc. If you are a history buff or wanting to take a deep dive into the millennial old city, this is the tour for you!

The highest, oldest capital city in the nation—and one of the oldest US cities, bar none—Santa Fe is littered with ghost stories, haunting tales, colorful characters, and inexplicable events. On this tour, follow your guide downtown, diving deep into the city’s spooky side, diving deep into some of the city’s best cocktails, and diving deep into a history only Santa Fe can offer.