NewMexico
3
Day Itinerary •
USA
Three days in New Mexico gives you the essential Land of Enchantment experience, from the extraordinary Santa Fe Plaza, the oldest state capital in the United States, to the magnificent White Sands National Park, the most extraordinary white gypsum dune field on earth, and the remarkable Carlsbad Caverns. This route covers the heart of New Mexico. The extraordinary Georgia O'Keeffe country of Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, the remarkable Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America, the extraordinary Rio Grande Gorge and the magnificent White Sands at sunset.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into Albuquerque (ABQ)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout New Mexico
Budget Per Day
Approx $110 to $180 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some high desert hiking
DAY 1
SANTA FE AND TAOS
MORNING
SANTA FE PLAZA AND CANYON ROAD, THE ART CAPITAL OF THE SOUTHWEST
Santa Fe is the most extraordinary small city in the American Southwest, its extraordinary adobe architecture, the oldest state capital in the United States and the finest concentration of art galleries in America giving a cultural experience unlike any other in the West. The Santa Fe Plaza with its Palace of the Governors, the oldest continuously occupied public building in America, and Canyon Road's extraordinary mile of 100-plus galleries are unmissable. Palace of the Governors entry approx $12. Drive: 1 hr drive
MIDDAY
TAOS PUEBLO, THE OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY INHABITED COMMUNITY IN NORTH AMERICA
Taos Pueblo is the most extraordinary Native American heritage site in America, its extraordinary multi-storey adobe complex continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years and designated both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. The extraordinary north and south house buildings rising five stories above the Taos Creek plaza give the finest surviving example of Pueblo architecture in existence. Entry approx $25 including photography. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
AFTERNOON
RIO GRANDE GORGE BRIDGE AND TAOS ART SCENE
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos is the most extraordinary free viewpoint in New Mexico, its extraordinary 650-foot-high steel arch bridge spanning the Rio Grande Gorge giving a vertiginous view directly down to the river in the most dramatic gorge landscape in the state. The Taos art scene with its extraordinary Millicent Rogers Museum, the Harwood Museum and the remarkable Taos Society of Artists legacy gives the finest arts town experience in the Southwest. Bridge free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe is the finest immersive art installation in America, its extraordinary narrative art experience inside a Victorian house where every surface conceals a portal to another dimension giving the most extraordinary contemporary art experience in the Southwest. Entry approx $35.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe Pasqual's, Santa Fe The most legendary breakfast in Santa Fe. Extraordinary New Mexico green chile and local eggs. | Lunch: Taos Diner, Taos The finest New Mexican lunch in Taos. Extraordinary green chile stew and local NM ingredients. | Dinner: Joseph's, Santa Fe The finest restaurant in Santa Fe. Extraordinary local New Mexico produce and outstanding wine.
DAY 2
O'KEEFFE COUNTRY AND WHITE SANDS
MORNING
GHOST RANCH AND O'KEEFFE COUNTRY, ABIQUIU
Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu is the most extraordinary landscape in New Mexico, its extraordinary painted cliffs of red, ochre and purple Triassic mudstone above the Rio Chama valley being the landscape that inspired Georgia O'Keeffe's most celebrated paintings during her 40 years living at the ranch. The Piedra Lumbre trail at Ghost Ranch gives the finest access to the O'Keeffe landscape. The Georgia O'Keeffe Home and Studio in Abiquiu gives the most extraordinary artist's home in America. Ranch entry approx $5. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
BISTI BADLANDS, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY HOODOO LANDSCAPE IN NEW MEXICO
The Bisti-De-Na-Zin Wilderness is the most extraordinary badlands landscape in New Mexico, its extraordinary field of hoodoos, petrified wood and alien-shaped sandstone formations rising from the Cretaceous-era fossil beds of the San Juan Basin in a landscape entirely unlike any other in the Southwest. The extraordinary cracked egg formations and mushroom-shaped rock pedestals are the finest geological oddities in New Mexico. Entry free. Drive: 2 hr drive
AFTERNOON
WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK AT SUNSET
White Sands National Park is the most extraordinary landscape in New Mexico, its extraordinary 275-square-mile field of pure white gypsum dunes giving the finest white desert experience on earth. The Interdune Boardwalk and Alkali Flat Trail give the finest access to the dune interior. The extraordinary sunset over White Sands turns the gypsum crystals from white to rose to gold in the most extraordinary natural light show in the Southwest. Entry $25 per vehicle. Drive: 3 hr drive
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Plaza Blanca near Abiquiu is the finest hidden O'Keeffe landscape in New Mexico, its extraordinary white gypsum cliffs and badlands that inspired some of O'Keeffe's most celebrated paintings accessible by a short walk from the parking area entirely free from any tourist crowds. Free. The most extraordinary hidden gem near Ghost Ranch.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Ghost Ranch dining hall Extraordinary high desert breakfast at Georgia O'Keeffe's ranch. Local NM ingredients. | Lunch: Abiquiu Inn Outstanding O'Keeffe country lunch on the Rio Chama. Extraordinary local New Mexico produce. | Dinner: Pepper's Grill, Alamogordo The finest restaurant near White Sands. Extraordinary local New Mexico green chile cuisine.
DAY 3
WHITE SANDS AND CARLSBAD CAVERNS
MORNING
WHITE SANDS SUNRISE AND ALKALI FLAT TRAIL
White Sands at sunrise is the most extraordinary natural spectacle in New Mexico, the rising sun illuminating the pure white gypsum crystals in extraordinary shades of rose and gold before the heat of the day arrives. The Alkali Flat Trail at 4.6 miles round trip gives the finest immersion in the white dune landscape, the trail markers the only guidance across the extraordinary featureless white expanse. Entry $25 per vehicle. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
CARLSBAD CAVERNS, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CAVE IN THE SOUTHWEST
Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains the most extraordinary cave system in the American Southwest, its extraordinary Big Room, the largest cave chamber in North America at 8.2 acres, containing the most extraordinary stalactite, stalagmite and cave formation collection in the United States. The natural entrance trail gives the most extraordinary cave descent in America, spiraling down 750 feet through the cavern entrance. Entry approx $15. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
AFTERNOON
CARLSBAD CAVERNS BAT FLIGHT AT DUSK
The Carlsbad Caverns bat flight from May to October is the most extraordinary free wildlife spectacle in New Mexico, its extraordinary colony of over 400,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats emerging from the cave entrance each evening in a spiraling column that takes up to two hours to fully emerge. The ranger-led bat talk at the cave amphitheater gives the finest introduction to the phenomenon. Bat flight free with park entry.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Sitting Bull Falls in the Lincoln National Forest near Carlsbad is the finest hidden waterfall in southern New Mexico, its extraordinary 150-foot cascade through a limestone canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains giving the most extraordinary oasis landscape in the Chihuahuan Desert. Entry $5. The most extraordinary hidden gem near Carlsbad Caverns.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: White Sands Hotel cafe Extraordinary desert breakfast near the park. Local NM ingredients before the sunrise dune walk. | Lunch: Carlsbad Caverns visitor center cafe Outstanding park cafe before the cave tour. Local New Mexico produce. | Dinner: Trinity Hotel, Carlsbad The finest restaurant in Carlsbad. Extraordinary local New Mexico produce and outstanding wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Santa Fe, Night 1 Inn of the Five Graces or La Fonda on the Plaza. Approx $150 to $350 per night. Taos, Night 2 El Monte Sagrado or Taos Inn. Approx $130 to $280 per night. Alamogordo, Night 3 White Sands Hotel and Suites or Hampton Inn. Approx $80 to $140 per night.
Top Tips
1. White Sands at sunset is the most extraordinary natural spectacle in New Mexico. Book timed entry ahead.
2. Taos Pueblo is the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Entry approx $25 including camera.
3. Santa Fe Canyon Road on a Saturday morning has the finest concentration of galleries in the American Southwest.
4. Rio Grande Gorge Bridge gives a 650-foot view straight down. The most extraordinary free viewpoint in NM.
5. Carlsbad Caverns bat flight at dusk from May to October is the most extraordinary free wildlife show in NM.
6. New Mexico green chile is the finest in America. Ask for it on everything in Santa Fe and Taos.
Total Budget
$110 to $180/day