THINGS TO DO IN SANTA FE

Southwest Tours from Santa Fe, NM

Our Multi-stop Day Tours of New Mexico from Santa Fe are perfect for experiencing our splendid cultural and scenic wonders without driving, lunch included. Go on a Scenic tour, take part in the culture, learn about the unexpected history of NM, while visiting: movie locations, National Monuments, Ghost Ranch, hot springs, and much, much more!

  • Affordable Small-Group Tours
  • Fully Insured & Licensed
  • Knowledgable / Friendly Local Guides
  • Pick-up & Drop-off near Plaza
  • All Entry / Admission Fees included
  • CPR + First Aid Certified
  • Easy Online Booking & Payment
  • Discounts Available!
YOUR ROADTRIP REIMAGINED!

We’re your New Mexico tour, activity, excursion, and experience providers!

Let us take you on a journey down our backroads!

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CURRENT TOURS LEAVING FROM SANTA FE

SEE WHAT WE OFFER

Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) closures, we have suspended tours until further notice. As we offer full refunds up to 24 hours in advance, you can keep your bookings or make new ones after that date, and get a refund if the situation or your travel plans change. Be safe!

LINK: Information on COVID-19 closures and cancellations around Santa Fe, NM

$125

Full-Day Ojo Caliente Hot Springs & Ride from Santa Fe

Bask in the famous healing waters of Ojo Caliente, one of North America’s oldest health resorts.:

  • Relaxed small group van tour. Max 6 guests
  • Visit Ghost Ranch & Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort

Pueblo Indian tradition holds that its pools provided access to the underworld.

Sulphur-free, geothermal mineral waters have flowed from a subterranean volcanic aquifer for thousands of years.

Ojo Caliente is the only hot springs in the world with four different types of mineral water including lithia, iron, soda, and arsenic.

The twelve pools are filled with different types and combinations of these waters, with temperatures ranging from 80 – 106 degrees.

Enjoy this small-group van tour with us, it is a perfect getaway!

GUIDE

You will be guided by a professional photographer, with a background in Archeology and the campfire tales of our Western lands.

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More Tour Information/Book

An actual location on this tour

Current Available Dates for this Tour:

Now Booking 2020:

  • February 16th, 25th
  • March 1st, 10th, 15th, 29th
  • April 7th, 14th, 21st, 26th
  • May 5th, 10th, 19th, 24th
  • June 2nd, 7th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

$200

New Mexico Photography Full-Day Tour: Pecos, Fort Union & More, includes Lunch 

Spend the day along the Old Santa Fe Trail taking photos:

  • Relaxed small group van tour. Max 12 guests
  • Remarkable scenic and photographic opportunities
  • A sampler of unique famous and less-visited locations and history
  • Visit Pecos National Historical Park & Fort Union National Monument
  • Included Lunch with vegetarian options

– Explore the lovely ruins of an ancient Pueblo where the Spanish headquartered in their quest to discover the fabled Seven Cities of Gold.

– Enjoy a spot of lunch in a historic Western hotel near to where Doc Holliday drilled his last tooth, discarded dentistry for games of chance.

– See various movie locations, including key scenes in Easy Rider. Turns out you also just ate where they shot No Country for Old Men.

– Time travel to the rarely explored ruins of Manifest Destiny, a massive adobe Fort complex majestically melting back into the prairie blooms.

– Stop at an untouched church photographed by Ansel Adams.

– And if that were all, you’d still spend a lifetime in the enjoyment of sorting it all out. The Land of Enchantment will haunt you, in a good way, if you allow it.

Enjoy this guided full-day, small-group van tour (lunch included) with us, it is a perfect getaway!

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An actual location on this tour

Current Available Dates for this Tour:

  • April 11th
  • More dates TBD in 2020

$110

Puye Cliff Dwellings, Chimayo church, Ortega’s Weaving + Lunch

Spend the day exploring Cliff Dwellings and visiting the iconic village of Chimayo:

  • Roundtrip transportation from near Santa Fe Plaza
  • Local guides will be with you every step
  • Discover New Mexico cultures affordably
  • Enjoy carefully selected highlights
  • Lunch is included

First, enjoy a private tour of the Puye Cliff Dwellings, this National Historic Landmark is the ancestral home of the present-day inhabitants of the Santa Clara Pueblo who will lead you through the history. You will also see original Fred Harvey buildings, which helped birth Southwest Tourism in the time of the Santa Fe Railroad.

We will then travel to Chimayo, NM and visit the famous church, Santuario de Chimayo, known for its miraculous healing and large pilgrimages by the devoted. You will participate in tours of the church and Museum of Chimayo by local guides (based on availability).

We will visit Ortega’s weaving, where eight generations of this family have continued to carry on their own traditions of Chimayo weaving. See the iconic Chimayo vests and blankets.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant known for its New Mexican cuisine.

Enjoy this guided full-day, small-group van tour with us, it is a perfect getaway!

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More Tour Information/Book

  • Now Booking 2020:
  • February 20th, 27th
  • March 13th, 19th
  • April 2nd, 16th, 24th, 30th
  • May 8th, 14th, 22nd, 28th
  • June 5th, 11th, 19th, 25th

Please note, due to current movie productions our ‘movie ranch’ tours are currently on hold. Other tours we offer still visit various movie locations when noted.

We will be adding new tours and dates shortly, and generally, we run at least one full day tour each weekend.

For your planning, our prescheduled multi-stop tours occur on the weekend, mostly on Saturdays. Weekday tours or some weekend dates are set aside for custom group tours.

On our booking system, please note individual tours will only show available dates for that specific tour on the accompanying calendar. Please navigate to the tour you desire to book to see the correct dates.

If you have any issues, questions, or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us for a callback or email response from our staff.

Thanks very much for your interest in our New Mexico tours!

SCENIC & PHOTOGRAPHIC

Each tour is a handpicked Southwest Photography tour and itinerary of sublime beauty if you choose it.

HISTORIC & CULTURAL

Unexpectedly familiar History, your history, mingles with the strange and fantastic in New Mexico.

MOVIE SET & LOCATIONS

Easily more than 100 Hollywood movies have been shot at these locations — discover the reason!

SCHEDULED OR CUSTOM TOURS

SCHEDULED MULTI-STOP TOURS

CURATED ITINERARIES

Historic Santa Fe, New Mexico is perfectly situated for tours of the surrounding cultural and scenic wonders. We’ve carefully selected regional routes composing the highlights of the Southwest.

Looking for what-to-do in Santa Fe? Consider visiting more than one destination in one day without driving. Our guided bus tours are a good way to discover both what is famous and little known in this enchanted region of the United States. Meet delightful couples and independent travelers!

CUSTOM GUIDED TOURS

TAILORED ITINERARIES

Group discounts and custom itineraries are available for your next small-group getaway. Share your experience and make memories with a group.

Custom tours for Wedding parties, Business conferences, Family events, or other small groups, provide engaging activities and sightseeing opportunities for everyone to share!

Provide us with your CUSTOM TOUR details!

Our America by Waldo Frank (1919)

“We all go forth to seek America. And in the seeking we create her.”

Our Northern New Mexico tour itineraries are carefully crafted for a unique and genuine New Mexico experience.

YOUR ROADTRIP REIMAGINED!

We’re your New Mexico tour, activity, excursion, and experience providers!

Let us take you on a journey down our backroads!

BOOK TOUR

TourShield is an industry-leading insurance coverage developed by FanShield, LLC, technology company. For a small fee as a percentage of your ticket order, you will be reimbursed for the entire amount paid, aside from the cost of the policy, if you’re unable to attend the tour for a qualified reason. The most impressive aspect of TourShield is the scope of coverage.

Optional Third-Party Coverage Inclusions

  •  Work travel conflicts
  •  Injuries
  •  Family emergencies
  •  Unexpected illness
  •  Car accidents
  •  And other common issues

OLD SANTA FE TOURS

Background

See, Do, and Taste New Mexico

Begin your exploration in the city of Santa Fe (or “holy faith”), the oldest capital in the United States (Palace of the Governors), known worldwide for its distinctive Santa Fe style, where you can journey in time while being inspired by the fresh and novel. Discover the Southwest from Santa Fe!

From forward-looking contemporary art (Meow Wolf: The House of Eternal Return‎ or SITE Santa Fe) to ancient living cultures (Santa Fe Indian Market or Gathering of Nations PowWow) — there is a lot to see, do, and taste in New Mexico.

The Desert Destills

The naked beauty of the landscapes (Ghost Ranch or Abiquiu) which inspired Georgia O’Keeffe (Georgia O’Keeffe Museum) and Western filmmakers (Santa Fe Movie Ranches) still inspires artists and contemporary storytellers (Netflix or George R. R. Martin). Somewhere between Canyon Road and Meow Wolf is an ongoing conversation with the landscape.

The story began sometime before the end of the last ice age (Clovis and Folsom cultures), continued with the ancestors of the Tanoan or Pueblo people (Chaco Culture National Historical Park or Bandelier National Monument), and evolved within communities which turned simplicity and sincerity in to act of spiritual purification (Taos Pueblo or Acoma Pueblo). This distilling of the desert (White Sands National Monument or badlands), or even the essentials, influenced the diverse groups which followed (Earthship or Alternative Communities). It wasn’t always peaceful (Acoma Massacre or Pueblo Revolt or Manhattan Project), but it has been an honest struggle for the identity you will witness.

Up the Camino Real (or “royal road”) from Mexico City, the last of the conquistadors sought their fortunes in the Cities of Gold. Again, they were enchanted and somehow purified by the land (Penitente Brotherhood). Like so many following the Old Santa Fe Trail, and all these intersecting routes (later the Santa Fe railroad or Route 66), each traveler was changed with the journey, transformed.

Team

Craig Moreschini is the owner of Old Santa Fe Tours. He has a background in Archeology and Professional photography. When considering what to do in Santa Fe, he will take you on a tour which is equivalent to a Southwestern photography tour, only you will also be able to enjoy learning about the history and participating in the cultures of New Mexico. You will get the scenery, landscapes, but will also enjoy hot springs and visit seldom visited locations. There are Santa Fe tours and statewide New Mexico tours. Each is multi-stop and doesn't require driving, often lunch is included. By the way, his cowboy hat and shirt featured in the photo were custom-made in Santa Fe, not items you can easily find outside of the Old West, with the detail of craftsmanship Santa Fe is known for worldwide.

Craig Moreschini

Tour Organizer / Photographer

Craig worked in the field for the Smithsonian doing archeology and led tours at the Denver Museum of Natural History before becoming involved in commercial photography and filmmaking. A great interest in the stories of our western and regional history mingles with his cinematographic inclinations in designing these itineraries.

Jack Caffrey

Movie Ranch Tour Guide / SAG-AFTRA Actor

This former Marine has 40 years experience in the entertainment industry. Jack has appeared in such diverse roles as Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers to Lonesome Dove, along with such projects as Silverado and Desperado to name just a few. His passion for Santa Fe is an old and storied romance.

OUR COMMITMENT TO NEW MEXICO

We’re respectful about sharing what we love!

— We believe strongly in preserving the historical, cultural, spiritual, physical and biological integrity of the sites we visit for future generations.
— We are committed to working with the stewards of these sites to support their efforts at preservation and the continuation of living culture by careful integration of their policies and best practices into our tours.

“I think New Mexico was the greatest experience from the outside world that I have ever had. It certainly changed me forever.”

D.H. Lawrence
Writer

“As soon as I saw it, that was my country. I’d never seen anything like it before, but it fitted to me exactly.”

Georgia O’Keeffe
Painter

“I am dirty, ragged & sunburnt, but the best cheer. My life’s work has at last begun.”

Adolph Bandelier
Archaeologist

“Sun, silence, and adobe—that is New Mexico in three words.”

Charles Fletcher Lummis
Writer

“When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”

Ansel Adams
Photographer

” . . . I feel sure that the Pueblos . . . will continue to exist as long as their mysteries are not desecrated.”

Carl Jung
Psychologist

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most common tour questions

For your planning, our prescheduled multi-stop tours occur on the weekend, mostly on Saturdays. Weekday tours or some weekend dates are set aside for custom group tours.

On our booking system, please note individual tours will only show available dates for that specific tour on the accompanying calendar. Please navigate to the tour you desire to book to see the correct dates.

If you have any issues at all, please don’t hesitate to call (505) 216-6011 or ask for a callback or email response by using our contact form. Our response is generally very quick!

12 people maximum for our tours.

Most of our tours are day tours lasting approximately 8-10 hours, see individual tour for more specific details, as we occasionally offer half-day tours/experiences.

Not more than you can handle! All tours are set at a relaxed to a moderate pace which is usually convenient for all skill levels, but they do occur indoors and outdoors and in all weather conditions.

While we’re on our feet for a good part of the tour, most stops will allow you to explore at your own pace if desired, as we double-back to the van. Although you may then miss opportunities to participate in the dialog with the guide in these instances.

Please note that with some of our tours there are stairs to navigate, and due to the fact we may be on dirt trails/variable terrain/primitive paths some of the locations may not be considered ADA accessible.

Yes, all tours begin and end near the historic Santa Fe Plaza. The Sheridan Avenue Transit Center is on Sheridan Avenue, just south of Marcy Street (it is located next to Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Annex, just north on Sheridan Avenue). This bus stop is the northern transfer hub for Santa Fe Trails. The Blue and Red Routes serve this stop.

Parking is conveniently available in parking garages or convenient city street parking.

Metered parking spots in downtown Santa Fe cost ＄2 per hour for the first two hours and ＄3 per hour thereafter. Meters are in operation from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding major holidays. For your convenience, all city parking garages accept credit card payments.

We suggest comfortable walking shoes and clothes appropriate for the weather conditions on the day of your tour. We strongly recommend you wear layers, particularly in spring and fall, as you can always take a layer off if you get too hot or add a layer if you get too cold. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen may be appropriate year-round in the high desert.

We recommend you bring small items such as an ID, credit card and cash (to tip the guide), cell phone, and camera. Please don’t bring large backpacks or luggage.

All of our tours are held rain or shine except for extreme weather conditions. Before purchasing tickets, we advise to check the weather conditions for your tour date and dress appropriately.

We offer a remarkably flexible third-party tour cancellation insurance which is available separately at checkout. This policy includes various allowances for cancellation including weather.

Once purchased, tickets cannot be refunded or rescheduled because your space is being guaranteed for each tour. Our tours often sell out. No partial credits or rescheduling is allowed for partial attendance, no shows, or late arrivals. It is your responsibility to show up at the right location, on time. The events commence promptly.

We do provide osmotically filtered water from an insulated jug on our tours. There are also locations on the tour where you may refill a personal water container in most circumstances, but water is not available at every location.

Please plan to bring water with you in a refillable water bottle, but we will provide some bottled water just in case.

Our tours start near the Santa Fe Plaza, where public restrooms are located nearby.

We do highly recommend using the restroom before the beginning of your tour.

We will have restroom stops built into each tour, but due to the primitive nature of some of the locations, restrooms will not always be immediately available.

We love pets, but due to the policies of the various tour locations we visit, pets of any kind are not allowed on our tours.

Absolutely! Feel free to take as many pictures as you like, and don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter.

Please keep in mind due to the nature of the locations we visit, all photos are for personal distribution only and are not licensed for commercial use.

Additionally, some locations we visit must not be tagged with the location name or geotagged with coordinates, at the request of the landowners, when posted to the internet. We will let you know which locations must remain private during the tours to protect the integrity of these special sites.

More questions?

CONTACT our Tour Department!

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HISTORICAL + PARKS & MONUMENTS
OUTLAWS + NATURAL WONDERS + O’KEEFFE
SOVIET SPIES + ROUTE 66 + CHURCHES
HOT SPRINGS + CHILIES + SPANISH GOLD
EASY RIDER + PETROGLYPHS + PUEBLOS
D. H. LAWRENCE + MOVIE RANCH + ETC