Santa Fe Holiday - 6 Days

Welcome to New Mexico, the “land of enchantment.” Here you’ll explore Santa Fe, a city with a rich blend of multiculturalism, natural beauty and profound history. Get to know your fellow travelers during a welcome reception at your hotel, located mere steps away from Santa Fe’s iconic Plaza.

This morning starts with a locally guided walking tour of Santa Fe’s Plaza, the historic heart of the city and gathering place for Santa Feans for nearly 400 years. As you amble through the plaza, enjoy stops at some of the city’s landmark sites like the Santa Fe Indian Market, Palace of the Governors and Palace Avenue. Learn about the history, architecture, and art of the oldest capital city in North America. Later visit the Georgia O’Keefe Art Center. Continue on with a visit to the Loretto Chapel, a former Roman Catholic church turned wedding chapel and museum. Here, you’ll find the “miraculous staircase,” a structure with origins as legendary as its spiral shape. Tonight, try your hand at making a tamale at the Santa Fe School of Cooking and savor Santa Fe’s fusion of Native American, Spanish and Mexican flavors. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Today, travel the scenic Turquoise Trail to the village of Madrid, a charming hamlet stitched into the landscape of the Ortiz Mountains. Once a major coal-mining town, the village is now revered for its thriving artistic community. Then, visit the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden to view 80 works by the prolific artist who’s been lauded as one of the most renowned Native American painters and Modernist sculptors of the 20th century. Today breakfast and lunch will be included.

Today’s adventure takes us to Bandelier National Monument, a natural site where the native Pueblo Indians settled in the sculpted canyons and mesa tops west of Santa Fe. The volcanic landscape holds cliff dwellings and ruins of Pueblo villages dating back to the 1500s. On a guided elective walk,** you’ll have the opportunity to discover more of the park’s ancient ruins and thriving wildlife. Savor an authentic New Mexican lunch before visiting El Santuario de Chimayo. Known for the miraculous healing powers of its Tierra Bendita (Holy Dirt), the chapel is regarded as the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the USA. Later you’ll visit a Chimayo weaver and learn the fascinating process behind this intricate traditional art. The remainder of the day is yours to further explore this intriguing Spanish village. Today breakfast and lunch will be included.

Today it’s your choice! Use your interest in confectionery creations or in the history of espionage to help you decide. If you have a sweet tooth, visit some of Santa Fe’s chocolate shops for delicious tastings of chocolate treats infused with local ingredients like chilies, pinon nuts and lavender -OR- channel your inner James Bond and opt for a tour featuring Santa Fe’s major spy hangouts; discover drop-off points where KGB spies exchanged top-secret information during the Manhattan Project. This afternoon, enjoy free time to further uncover Santa Fe on your own. Perhaps you’ll visit some of the colorful art galleries sprinkled throughout the downtown area. Tonight, experience the lively scene on Canyon Road as we walk to our farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.

Your tour comes to an end with wonderful memories of your Southwestern sojourn in Santa Fe. Transfer back to Albuquerque for your return home.