Top Albuquerque Day Trips

Delve into New Mexico’s rich history and archaeology on a tour that reveals the Southwest’s natural wonders, ruins, and culture. As you visit the Pueblo of Jemez, a guide shares cultural stories and historical details that you would likely miss if visiting on your own. By traveling on a private tour, you can set the pace and choose how much time you want to spend at each site.

This private tour of Albuquerque is completely customizable and includes a guide and transportation for up to three people. A great option for first-time visitors, the tour begins in Old Town where you’ll learn more about the history and culture of the city. Visit a working lavender farm, relax for awhile at a local winery, or visit the prehistoric Pueblo Indian village of Kuaua. You may also want to take a ride on the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, which offers spectacular mountain views. The tour lasts eight hours, so the options are endless.

Customize your private full-day tour of Santa Fe for a personalized experience of this popular destination. Stroll around historic Santa Fe Plaza, browse shops and art galleries, learn about New Mexico’s history and the Native American Southwest, and visit attractions such as Georgia O’Keefe Museum or Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Your private guide shares the best of Santa Fe, including tasty foods and a scenic walk.

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.

Traveling New Mexico's Turquoise Trail is better in the company of a guide who can provide information about its rich history and people, from the Indigenous Pueblo to today's settlers. This private tour is exclusively for your party and takes you along Highway 14 and through the mining towns of Golden, Madrid and Cerrillos.

Watch daylight appear above the Rio Grand Valley during a sunrise hot air balloon ride from Albuquerque, and see the first rays illuminate the rugged Sandia Mountains. Take in stunning aerial views and dip low enough to skim the Rio Grande, then rise back up above the desert landscape. Touch town after a 1-hour flight, and begin the day with sparkling wine and a light continental breakfast before returning to your launch site.

Take a haunted tour of Old Town Albuquerque and learn about the many ghosts who have made the square home. Legends, folklore, ghost stories, and history come to life as you depart on an intriguing excursion through 313 years of haunted history. Historic buildings and dark alleys conceal long-forgotten secrets of battles, murders, hangings, hidden cemeteries, and more.

Albuquerque is world renowned for its hot air balloon festival. Most visitors only watch balloons from the ground but this tour offers the chance to soar into the air yourself. In a small group of no more than five people, watch the sun rise as you fly over the Sandia Mountains and toast the experience with a glass of bubbly.

Rather than wandering around alone, explore Albuquerque's Old Town in the company of someone who knows it best and can provide context. This small-group walking tour introduces you to the legends, lore and colorful characters of this historically rich neighborhood while taking you to all the most important landmarks.

Learn all about turquoise during your time in the American Southwest with a visit to The Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. Located in a modern 'castle' that is as interesting as the exhibits, the Turquoise Museum features a vast collection of turquoise jewelry and other pieces such as antique furniture. Take a self-guided tour with your admission ticket, or upgrade to include a Turquoise 101 class or a guided tour.

Watch sunset ignite the Rio Grande Valley on a hot air balloon ride from Albuquerque, and see the evening light transform the Sandia Mountains and desert landscape. Enjoy commentary from your pilot throughout the flight, and spot the region’s landmarks as you soar above the rugged terrain; dip low to skim the Rio Grande and capture unforgettable, aerial images of New Mexico’s largest city. Touch back down after a 1-hour flight, then linger over an elegant picnic of sparkling wine and snacks before returning to your launch site.

VIP Private History Tours: *Get up close and personal with Old Town *We'll customize the tour to suit your own interests *Take a more in-depth look at Old Town's historic properties, cultures and community *The casual atmosphere of a Private History Tour allows for more questions and detailed interaction with our guides *Enjoy the individual service and personal atmosphere of a private tour *Your knowledgeable Guide is ready to respond to (almost) your every need or request *Your private tour is really yours, because your questions and comments will shape the route, focus, the stories and even the locations that the tour explores We KNOW Old Town! We know the sights, sounds, flavors, people, shops, products, places, photo opportunities & all of the unique things that give visitors the complete “Old Town Experience”. Whether you're visiting Old Town for a few hours or for several days, we ensure you won't miss a thing! We will tell you Old Town's Secrets! Guide Gratuities appreciated!

Acoma Pueblo is considered to be one of longest inhabited places in North America. The stunning old Pueblo, Sky City, lies atop a sheer-sided mesa 367 ft. (111 m) above the valley floor. October to April tours to the top are on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. April through September tours to the top are available daily

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.