Santa Fe – Downtown Tour of the Oldest Capital City

Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is the nation’s oldest capital city. For the past four hundred years, Santa Fe has been a converging point for Spanish, Pueblo, and Anglo people, as well as the Old Santa Fe Trail and Route 66.

Our downtown walking tour will take you beyond the Plaza, introducing you to our beautiful capital’s most historic district, oldest adobe buildings, and religious landmarks. The tour also includes admission into the Loretto Chapel, San Miguel Mission, and State Roundhouse.

Meet us at the Oldest House, 215 E. De Vargas Street, by 9:15AM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Afternoon and Sunday tours are available by appointment.

Pecos National Historical Park – Pueblo Ruins and Spanish Missions

Located between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Glorieta Mesa, Cicuye (or Pecos) once thrived as an important trading center for the nomadic Plains Indians and the Rio Grande Pueblo Indians. In the 1500s, Spanish conquistadores and Franciscan priests arrived in the New World, constructing massive Mission churches at many of the Pueblos, and fervently forcing the Native people to convert to Catholicism. The remains of the Mission Church at Pecos is a testament to that era.

Pecos National Historical Park provides an amazing insight into the history of the Pueblo Indians, the Spanish conquerors and, in later years, the Anglos who traveled along the Santa Fe Trail. Join us for a walk through time and take in the natural beauty of the Pecos Valley.

Bandelier National Monument – Ancient Ruins and Cliff Dwellings

The Ancient Puebloans established many villages along the Pajarito Plateau of the Jemez Mountains that flourished from the early 1100s until the mid 1500s. Tyuonyi Pueblo, the Cliff Dwellings and the Alcove House – all located in Frijoles Canyon – reveal the rich culture of the native people. Visiting Bandelier is an exhilirating adventure for adults and children! Enjoy the petroglyphs, climb into some of the cave dwellings and imagine life as it once was in this lovely canyon.

In addition to the main section of Bandelier National Monument, we also offer guided hikes to Tsankawi. The ruins are located on a mesa with amazing views of the surrounding mountains. Tsankawi also has a number of cave dwellings with remarkable petroglyphs along the cliff walls. The trails here are more rugged than at the main park – you’ll walk along ancient footpaths without railguards – but Tsankawi offers a great experience for those who want to venture slightly off the beaten path.

Puye Cliffs – Ancestral Homes of the Santa Clara Pueblo People

Home to the ancestors of today’s Santa Clara pueblo people, it is thought that Puye supported approximately 1,500 inhabitants between the years 900 AD to 1580 AD. The National Historic Landmark site re-opened in 2009 after being closed for 8 years and is managed by the Santa Clara Development Corporation.

A visit to Puye is enchanting and enlightening. The mesa top dwellings have been excavated and partially rebuilt, offering visitors a glimpse of the past. The views of the surrounding mountains are breathtaking and it is easy to let your imagination go: picture daily life atop the mesa, most likely challenging in many ways but peaceful and spiritual. In addition to the mesa top tour, the visit to Puye includes a guided walk along the cliff dwellings. The guides, all from Santa Clara Pueblo, provide insights into their ancestors’ ways and, through their stories, reveal a little about their present day culture and traditions.

Your Santa Fe Walkabouts tour guide will accompany you as you walk the mesa top and along the cliff dwellings, adding value where needed.

Salinas Pueblo Missions – Ancient Cities in the Heart of New Mexico

Collectively called the Salinas Pueblo Missions, three distinct sites (Abo, Quarai, and Gran Quivira), offer visitors a glimpse into the cultural and historical depth of New Mexico. It is here, near the great salt lakes of what is now known as the Estancia Valley, that people of the Anasazi and the Mogollon cultures evolved into an agriculture based society and started building villages almost two thousand years ago.

The Tompiro villages of Abo and Gran Quivira, and the Tiwa speaking pueblo of Quarai, flourished as trading centers and were said to have numbered 10,000 inhabitants when the Spaniards arrived in the late 1500s. The colonial influence thrust the Pueblo Indians into a new era, with significant advances in many aspects of the lives, and at a great loss in others.

By the late 1670s, affected by a multitude of factors, the people at Abo, Quarai and Gran Quivira left their homes, leaving behind Pueblo ruins and stalwart Mission walls. Take a walk in this special place, peel back the layers of history, and experience the magic of the Salinas Pueblo Missions.

Turquoise Trail – Cerrillos and Madrid

New Mexico’s natural beauty and depth of history come together as you take one of America’s Scenic Byways and travel the Turquoise Trail. Our 4 hour excursion from Santa Fe introduces visitors to the mining towns of Cerrillos and Madrid.

The Cerrillos Hills were mined by the Ancient Pueblo people for turquoise and lead, dating back to about 1000 AD. Turquoise from the area was found at Chaco Canyon and even in what is today Mexico City. Circa 1880, two prospectors from Colorado re-discovered Cerrillos and, during its boom period, the town boasted “21 saloons, 5 brothels, 4 hotels, and several newspapers”.

Madrid, situated in the oldest coal mining region in New Mexico, was founded in 1895 as a “company-owned mining town”. At its peak, Madrid had a population of 3,000 inhabitants and coal production peaked at 180,000 tons in 1928. Madrid became a ghost town in 1954, as demand for coal decreased, and the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company shut down operations. The town was listed for sale that year in the Wall Street Journal for $250,000 but there were no takers.

Today, both Cerrillos and Madrid are charming stops along the Turquoise Trail, offering visitors a glimpse into the colorful history of New Mexico.

In addition to the 4 hour excursion, we also offer an extended 5 hour tour that includes lunch at either the Mine Shaft Tavern in Madrid, or the San Marcos Cafe, north of Cerrillos.

Taste of New Mexico – Chimayo and the Pueblos

Known as the Lourdes of the Americas, Chimayo is a lovely Spanish Land Grant Village nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is a spiritual place – and has been for hundreds of years for both the Native American, who once inhabited the land, and for the descendants of the Spanish settlers who still live there.

Visit the Santuario de Chimayo and the Santo Nino Chapel, spiritual sites steeped in mystical and magical stories of healing. Meet the artists as well as the traditional weavers of Chimayo. During our 4 hour tour, you’ll also have the opportunity to stop at Pojoaque Pueblo and learn about the art and traditional beliefs of the Pueblo people. Visit the gallery of renowned artist, Roxanne Swentzell, or the Poeh Cultural Center and be enchanted by their exhibit, Nah Poeh Meng, which recounts the Native peoples’ traditions and history.

The Chimayo tour can be booked any day of the week and at any time. For those who wish to attend mass which is offered Monday through Saturday at 11AM, and at 10:30AM and 12:00PM on Sunday, contact info@santafewalkabouts.com and make the request. We also offer an extended 6 hour tour of the Chimayo area that includes a boxed lunch and wine tasting!

Taste of O’Keeffe – Experience the landscapes that enchanted O’Keeffe!

For those who love Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, this 5 hour tour is a must! We’ll take you to Abiquiu, a picturesque part of New Mexico that captured O’Keeffe’s heart and imagination. Take a short walk at Plaza Blanca (“The White Place”), with its spectacular rock formations, visit Ghost Ranch where O’Keeffe had a home and marvel at the landscapes, and learn about the unique history of the Genízaro who settled in this area in the mid 1700s.

The drive to and from Abiquiu/Ghost Ranch is stunning as you pass along the Rio Chama and, of course, Georgia O’Keeffe’s mountain, the Cerro Pedernal. Visually, culturally and historically, the Abiquiu, or Taste of O’Keeffe, tour will delight your senses.

Taos and the Rio Grande Valley – Take the Low Road to Taos

Join us on a 6-hour excursion that takes you up along the Rio Grande to Taos. We’ll stop at Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, an important Tewa speaking pueblo near which Don Juan Onate established in 1598 Spain’s first settlement in the New World.

Continuing north, visit one of the most photographed and painted churches in New Mexico, the San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. The subject of four paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, the famed artist called it “one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards.”

In Taos, we’ll tour Taos Pueblo, a World Heritage site, with its multi-storied adobe buildings set against the spectacular backdrop of the Taos Mountains. Visit with the residents of Taos Pueblo, learn about the history of the Pueblo – built and first inhabited over a 1000 years ago – and shop for authentic jewelry, pottery, and other traditional artwork.

The High Road to Taos – Experience New Mexico’s unique heritage, from quaint Spanish Land Grant Villages to the historic Pueblo de Taos

A full day adventure, come ride the High Road to Taos and experience the history and culture of the Native Americans, the Spanish settlers, and the Anglos who came in later years. Visit the famed Santuario de Chimayo, often called the “Lourdes of the Americas” and renowned for its “healing dirt”. Stroll through the historic Pueblo de Taos, nestled against the grandeur of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and talk to many of her talented artists. Time permitting, visit the Mabel Dodge Luhan House where this exceptional woman entertained artists like Georgia O’Keeffe and travel back to Santa Fe by way of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and the River Road.