Things to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico (NM): The Best Cultural Tours

Private tour for 1 to 3 people.   Santa Fe, New Mexico is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!  There are so many shops, all full of stuff we really want to buy. From Indian Jewelry, trendy clothes, hand-tooled boots, OMG, hats, and art. The glass is full! Santa Fe truly captures the spirit and style of the Southwest with the adobe style of its buildings and architectural design. The oldest capital city in the United States, Santa Fe wows visitors with endless beauty. A walk through the streets around the historic plaza will lead you to shops and galleries, restaurants, museums, and historic churches. At the Palace of the Governors, you can admire the artwork and jewelry created by the Native Americans sitting under the portal. Walk up  scenic Canyon Road  with over eighty galleries, restaurants and shops. Santa Fe is an art lover’s and History Buffs’ paradise. From museums to galleries to restaurants, you will be awe struck!

Inclusions: Activities as per itinerary, Snacks, Bottled water

Exclusions: Drinks, Lunch

Our tour will take us north on the Camino Real, a road that connected Mexico's ancient cultures with the equally ancient cultures of the American Southwest. This Camino trail is a backdrop for countless Hollywood movies. The first stop will be at the Poeh Cultural Center in the native pueblo of Pojoaque, which translates to "water gathering place". We will visit the museum and see the hundreds of ancient pots returned to this pueblo from museums. Next we see the Nambe Pueblo and follow the trail of pilgrims to the village of Chimayo at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains Each year, more than 300,000 people of every culture visit the Santuario Shrine in hopes of miracle cures. The chapel for the Santo Niño de Atocha is on the grounds, receiving prayers for children. The famous New Mexico Red Chile served at the Rancho de Chimayó restaurant is where we will enjoy lunch. Returning to Santa Fe or Albuquerque, we see the Santa Fe Opera and it's amazing architecture.

Inclusions: Private transportation

Exclusions: lunch at Rancho de Chimayo

Only historical tour of its kind based on the research of the eight books I've written on Santa Fe including: Santa Fe Opera, Route 66, 109 E. Palace & the Manhattan Project, Pueblos of New Mexico History, Loretto Chapel, San Miguel Mission, Canyon Road & Santa Fe as an Art Mecca, Sunmount Sanatorium, Santuario de Guadalupe, Masonic Scottish Rite Temple, El Castillo Bridge & Manhattan Project, Spirituality in Santa Fe & Cross of the Martyrs Site, Japanese Internment Camp Site, WWII History, History of the Civil War to WWII and Billy the Kid.

Inclusions: Tour Guide

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With the Beer and Art Tour we will start our day with our first New Mexico brewed beer at the Upper Crust Pizza and get to know each other. Then we will start the walking tour visiting the Oldest House, Oldest Church, State Capitol and Bataan Memorial Building to view over 300 works of art along with history of Santa Fe. Then the tour will conclude at Del Charro Saloon or Santa Fe Brewing Co. for our final local beer

Inclusions: We will be drinking local Beer at Upper Crust Pizza for the start of the tour, and local beer at the end of the tour at Del Charro or Santa Fe Brewing Co.

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“Women of the West - Pioneering Women in New Mexico's History” focuses on telling the state's rich history through the eyes of important female historical figures such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Dona Tules, and the Sisters of Loretto to name just a few. Explore the downtown historic Plaza neighborhood by foot while learning about the lives of influential and fascinating women.

Inclusions: Wander New Mexico Pocket Guide to Santa Fe, Mid-tour we'll stop for a visit at Jimmy D's to sample Chef Jen Doughty's unique take on classic American comfort food with a New Mexican twist.

Exclusions: Gratuity for your tour guide (optional)

In addition to visits to the O'keeffe Museum, the Welcome Center and painting sites, we will be driving through the incredible Piedra Lumbre basin (or Valley of the Shining Stone) which stretches from Abiquiu to Chama along the Chama River. From there we will visit Ghost Ranch, a dramatic 21, 000-acre of New Mexican landscape, where the reclusive American artist Georgia O'Keeffe led a solitary life immersed in nature and art. O'Keeffe fell in love with the sculpted landscape of rivers, cliffs and buttes in an expanse of earthen formations which according to pueblo peoples are alive and imbued with spirits of the past. Ghost Ranch is also known for a remarkable concentration of fossils, most notably that of the theropod dinosaur Coelophysis, of which it has been estimated that nearly a thousand individuals have been preserved in a quarry at Ghost Ranch. By touring the formations, the Chama River Valley and Ghost Ranch we understand the love she felt for the ancient, sacred place.

Inclusions: Bottled water

Exclusions: Gratuities, A tour guided by O'Keeffe foundation - $45 per person advanced reservations are required.

Join this tour to visit three of the most important places in Mexican culture. Enrich your experience with a private guide that will bring you closer to the history of these places. Tlatelolco is the biggest archaeological site in Mexico City, which was a part of the capital city of the Aztec empire. Here was located the biggest market of that empire, and it was also the place where the conquest of the Aztecs was achieved. Right here stands the Square of the Three Cultures, where the prehispanic, colonial, and current Mexican culture mix together. Later, you will go to the Basilica of Guadalupe, popularly known as “La Villa”, which is the most important religious building in Mexico, and one of the most visited places in the catholic world. After visiting the Basilica, we will continue our travel heading to Teotihuacan, the “City of Gods”. The guide will take you on a journey across the history of this mystic place that will surprise you.

Inclusions: Ticket to Teotihuacán, Ticket to Tlatelolco, Tequila and Mezcal tasting

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Together with the professional guide, you will visit the most charming places in the city. Did you know that Santa Fe has Oldest Church in the United States? Or is it true that the State nickname is Land of Enchantment? You will have a chance to explore the city, while hearing fascinating facts and legends. Summer in Santa Fe is art market season. You will be surprised how many stories are hidden in the streets, buildings and corners of Santa Fe. Your charming guide will tell you what is special and unique about living in this city. Perfect for those who are visiting the city for the first time and want to get the most of it!

Inclusions: Local Professional Guide

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An exclusive tour for all the romantics of the world! Together with the professional local guide, you will visit the most romantic places in the city. Did you know that Santa Fe has Oldest Church in the United States? You will feel spellbound in a charming atmosphere. What is considered as one of the best places to have a date in the city? Where can you make lovely photos? You will be surprised how many historical love stories are hidden in the streets, buildings, parks of the city. From heartbreaking and tragic, to the hilarious or spicy ones. Is it true that the State nickname is Land of Enchantment? What is the most famous historical couple of Santa Fe? This tour is especially recommended in the Saint Valentine period!

Inclusions: Local Professional Guide

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Together with the professional guide, you will visit the most charming places in the city. Did you know that Charleston was the fourth largest city in colonial America, and the wealthiest? Or that the first golf club in America was established in Charleston in 1787? You will have a chance to explore the city, while hearing fascinating facts and legends. Charleston boasts the first public college, museum, and playhouse in the U.S. You will be surprised how many stories are hidden in the streets, buildings and corners of Charleston. Your charming guide will tell you what is special and unique about living in this city. Perfect for those who are visiting the city for the first time and want to get the most of it!

Inclusions: Local Professional Guide

Exclusions: