New Mexico
The Best of New Mexico: Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque
Program No. 11005RJ
Learn the history and culture of northern New Mexico as you explore Native American sites, visit historic monuments and communities and experience the art colonies of Santa Fe and Taos.
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date.
Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
8 days
7 nights
What's Included
16 meals (
7B, 4L, 5D
)
3 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
1 performance
An experienced Group Leader
7 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Program Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Albuquerque, NM
Meals:
D
Stay:
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 3:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Our experienced and knowledgeable Group Leader will provide educational content in addition to local experts from time to time. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
New Mexico History, Old Town, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Location:
Albuquerque, NM
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 10 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time. Walking up to 3 miles, standing up to 2 hours at a time; mostly level, paved terrain. Elevation 5,300 feet.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will begin the morning in the hotel meeting room with an overview by our Group Leader of the area’s history, from its earliest Ancestral Puebloan inhabitants to the Spanish and American soldiers and settlers who followed. We’ll then board our motorcoach and set out on a field trip to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Operated by the nineteen Pueblos of New Mexico, the IPCC is dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Pueblo culture, highlighting the accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo people. Our self-directed exploration will introduce New Mexico’s many different Pueblos as we view the Pueblo-curated exhibits on the lower level.
Lunch:
At the Pueblo Cultural Center.
Afternoon:
We’ll ride to Old Town, where our Group Leader will introduce the oldest part of Albuquerque during a walking exploration of the plaza and surrounding area. Old Town has been the focal point of community life since Albuquerque was founded in 1706. About ten blocks of historical adobe buildings surround the central plaza, including San Felipe de Neri Church that dates back to 1793. The city’s settlers built their homes, shops, and government offices here; many of these historical structures have been converted into the restaurants, art galleries, and shops that we see today. We will have some time for independent exploration. Nearby museums include the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science across from Old Town on Mountain Road and the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History adjacent to Old Town.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Day
3
Turquoise Trail, Pueblo Feast Day meal, San Ildefonso Pueblo
Location:
Taos, NM
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
El Pueblo Lodge
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 175 miles, approximately 4 hours total riding time. Walking up to 3 miles; varied, uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we’ll ride north towards Santa Fe via the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway that will take us through the mining towns of Golden, Madrid, and Cerrillos. We’ll make a stop to explore one of the towns along the way.
Lunch:
We will enjoy a traditional Feast Day meal prepared and served by members of the Hena family from Tesuque Pueblo.
Afternoon:
Next, we will have a discussion with a member of Tesuque Pueblo who will share stories of life within the Pueblo communities. We’ll then ride to San Ildefonso Pueblo. San Ildefonso is the Spanish name for this village. The Tewa name is “Po-woh-ge-oweenge”, which means “Where the Water Cuts Through.” It is a vibrant community of about 1500 residents many of whom are artists. The Pueblo is known for its blackware pottery, an art form revitalized by famed San Ildefonso potter Maria Martinez. Following our visit to San Ildefonso, we will continue up to Taos and check-in at our hotel.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
4
Rio Grande Gorge, Martinez Hacienda, Free Time, Storyteller
Location:
Taos, NM
Meals:
B
Stay:
El Pueblo Lodge
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 45 miles, approximately 1 hour. Walking up to 4 miles; paved, sometimes uneven terrain with inclines. Elevation 7,000 feet.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll board the motorcoach for a short ride to the Rio Grande Gorge and cross via the “High Bridge.” The bridge spans the Rio Grande Gorge 565 feet above the river, affording breathtaking views, and has been used as a location in a number of motion pictures. Our Group Leader will provide commentary. After stopping for photographs, we’ll ride on to the Martinez Hacienda, one of the few northern New Mexico-style, late Spanish Colonial period “great houses” remaining in the American Southwest. Built in 1804, this fortress-like building with massive adobe walls became an important trade center for the northern boundary of the Spanish Empire. The hacienda was the final terminus for the Camino Real. Today, the hacienda’s twenty-one rooms surrounding two courtyards provide a rare glimpse of the rugged frontier life and times of the early 1800s. We’ll explore with expert commentary by a docent. We’ll then ride to downtown Taos with time for independent exploration in the Taos Plaza area. There are a number of museums, colorful galleries, and shops within walking distance of Taos Plaza. Nearby museums include the Harwood Museum of Art that houses the Agnes Martin Gallery; the E.L. Blumenschein Home & Museum, home of artist Ernest Blumenschein, a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists; the Kit Carson Home & Museum; and the Taos Art Museum at the Fechin House.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. Not to be confused with “Tex-Mex,” New Mexico’s unique cuisine has been influenced by ingredients and techniques used in Native American and Spanish cooking. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
On Your Own
Evening:
After regrouping at the hotel, we’ll be entertained by Cisco Guevara, a professional storyteller from Taos. A river runner since his teenage days in Los Alamos, Cisco honed his storytelling craft around campfires deep in the canyons of northern New Mexico. Cisco’s stories range from his rebellious youth, to tales that draw on his Hispanic and Native American heritage, to hair-raising adventures in the wilderness, to haunting tales of love and loss. A headliner at the Taos Storytelling Festival for over a decade, Cisco performs regularly for groups in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and has told his stories to rapt audiences as far afield as London and Paris. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Day
5
Santa Cruz Farm, Chimayó, Museum Hill
Location:
Santa Fe, NM
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 70 miles, approximately 2 hours riding time. Walking up to 3 miles over the course of the day, standing up to 2 hours at a time; unpaved, uneven dirt paths.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and ride to Santa Cruz Farm. Don Bustos, owner of Santa Cruz Farms, has been farming since he was a young child, on the land his family has farmed for 400 years. Don still uses traditional practices, while incorporating new technology and using nothing but solar energy to grow 72 different types of produce from salad greens, asparagus, squash, and cucumbers, to their famous blackberries. Don has amassed many generations of farming knowledge, and has passed it on to more than 225 farmers around the state. In a presentation by Don, we’ll learn how he aims to empower and educate others as he shows them how to work the land. We will then board our coach and travel to nearby Chimayó.
Lunch:
At historic Rancho de Chimayó, a charming restaurant housed in an old hacienda, featuring traditional New Mexican cuisine.
Afternoon:
After lunch we’ll ride to Santa Fe, our first stop will be Museum Hill where we’ll explore the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture features pottery, jewelry, sculpture, baskets, and other objects made by Native Americans from the earliest times to modern day, scrupulously documented and beautifully displayed. The Museum of International Folk Art focuses on indigenous populations from around the world through their art – ranging from ceremonial dress and masks to furniture. It holds the largest collection of international folk art in the world, including wings featuring some of the 106,000 pieces donated by collectors Alexander and Susan Girard and Lloyd Cotsen’s Neutrogena collection. We’ll check in to our hotel in the late afternoon.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
Architecture & History, Santa Fe Plaza, Free Time
Location:
Santa Fe, NM
Meals:
B
Stay:
Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
Activity Note
Walking up to 4 miles over the course of the day; uneven sidewalks during Santa Fe Plaza exploration. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will be joined by a local expert who will introduce Santa Fe’s architecture and history. We will learn how Santa Fe gets its distinctive look from the Pueblo Revival style of the southwestern United States — also known as Santa Fe style — that draws its inspiration from traditional Pueblo architecture and Spanish missions. Where did this style come from, why did it take hold, and how have city policies nurtured it? Then we’ll set out on a walking field trip to explore the Santa Fe Plaza area, historic heart of the city. We’ll visit the impressive Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the Palace of the Governors, and other sites as time permits.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. There are a number of museums, shops and galleries in this area, all within walking distance of the Plaza. Nearby museums include the New Mexico Museum of Art, the New Mexico History Museum, the Palace of the Governors, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Native Art. You might also enjoy visiting Loretto Chapel with its intriguing spiral staircase and the State Capitol building. The State Capitol houses the “State Capitol Art Collection,” featuring the work of local New Mexico artists, sculptors, and photographers. Those willing to travel a few miles down Cerrillos Road (city bus transportation available on Sheridan Street near the Plaza) might enjoy visiting “The House of Eternal Return” at the Meow Wolf Art Complex.
Dinner:
On your own.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Day
7
Bandelier Monument, Bradbury Science Museum
Location:
Albuquerque, NM
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 80 miles, approximately 1.5 hours total riding time. Walking up to 4 miles; paved and uneven packed dirt terrain, stairs, ladders (elective) at Bandelier, inclines. Elevations 6,000-7,500 feet.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and ride to Bandelier National Monument, fascinating both for its geology and archaeology. After a rest stop at the Visitor Center, we’ll explore some of the trails in Frijoles Canyon where we can see “cavates” — the cave-like dwellings used by the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here 400 to 800 years ago.
Lunch:
Boxed lunches.
Afternoon:
Next, we’ll take a short drive to Los Alamos, a town known for its role in the development of the atomic bomb. We'll visit the Bradbury Museum of Science which has wonderful exhibits about the history of Los Alamos National Laboratory, its national security mission, and the broad range of science, engineering, and technology research programs including the Lab’s focus on Stockpile Stewardship. Exploration here will be on your own so feel free to walk the grounds and visit the Manhattan Project National Historic Park next door. Reboarding the motorcoach, we’ll ride on to Albuquerque and check in to our hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
8
Program Concludes
Location:
Albuquerque, NM
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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Please Note:
This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Mar 16 - Mar 23, 2026 Itinerary Differences:
Taos Pueblo may be closed for its annual “quiet time;” if so, another Pueblo will be visited instead.