New Mexico Discovery

Welcome to Santa Fe, the oldest state capital in the USA. If you arrive early, feel free to spend the day exploring the city’s iconic Pueblo-style architecture and abundance of art galleries – there are more than 250 for you to find! Your tour kicks off with a group meeting at 6pm, where you'll meet your leader and fellow travelers. The evening is free for your own discoveries – perhaps stroll along gallery-lined Canyon Road or sample some of Santa Fe’s delicious (and often chili-infused) local cuisine.

Today is all about the flavors of New Mexico. First, join your leader on an exploration of the Santa Fe Farmers Market, with tastings of course! You'll want to try the local Hatch chiles, grown and harvested in the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico. Then join a specialist guide for a food tour taking in some of the city’s best restaurants where you’ll learn about the thriving local food scene and sample tasty New Mexican inspired foods paired with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. After the tour, you’ll have time to explore Santa Fe your way. If visual art is your passion, check out fellow B-Corp business Meow Wolf, which creates fantastical, immersive experiences.

This morning you’ll visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum for a tour with an expert guide. One of the country’s most significant artists of the 20th century, O’Keefe was captivated by the stark landscape and Native American cultures of the region and used her art to capture its untamed beauty. On this intimate guided tour, you’ll see many of her most famous paintings as well as personal items such as clothing and painting equipment. After the museum tour, you’ll have the rest of the day to further explore Santa Fe. Maybe check out the Loretto Chapel, Museum of Contemporary Native Art, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture or San Miguel Mission. This evening, you may like to head out to dinner with your group (own expense).

Visit the only living Native American community with joint designation as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark for a special guided tour on your way to Taos. The multi-storey adobe buildings at Taos Pueblo have been continuously inhabited for more than 1000 years. Today, the tribal members welcome visitors to their village to learn more about their home and way of life. After your visit to Taos Pueblo, continue north to the historic town of Taos, where you’ll spend the next 2 nights.

Your morning is free to explore Taos at your own pace. Cruise riverside in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument through wine and apple country. Make a pit stop at the quirky Classical Gas Museum before visiting the historic town of Chimayo to learn traditional rug weaving and make your own pilgrimage for holy dirt at the El Sanctuario de Chimayo. Re-group after lunch and head to Chimayo for a rug-weaving demonstration and a visit to a tapestry gallery that specialises in handwoven wool products using natural dyes and traditional weaving styles. The gallery is owned by award-winning weavers whose work has been shown in museums around the world, including the Smithsonian.

Today you will travel back to Santa Fe, making a stop along the way at the Bandelier National Monument. Discover some of the most unusual ancient ruins in the Southwest, including petroglyphs, pictographs and cave dwellings tucked away in the cliffside. If you’re feeling brave, climb the ladders to these alcoves, high above the canyon floor. You can expect to arrive back in Santa Fe around 5 pm, at which point your New Mexico Discovery comes to an end.