Discover the Real Story of Santa Fe

The Essential Introduction to the City Different

If you take only one tour in Santa Fe, make it this one.

For over 400 years, Santa Fe has stood at the crossroads of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and American cultures. Its adobe walls, quiet courtyards, churches, and plazas tell stories of resilience, rebellion, faith, trade, and artistic reinvention.

On this engaging 2-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Explore the historic Santa Fe Plaza, the city’s heart since 1610
• Visit 109 East Palace Avenue, gateway to the Manhattan Project
• Walk through Cathedral Park and learn the story of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
• Discover the legend of the Loretto Chapel’s “miraculous” staircase
• See how architecture reflects Santa Fe’s layered cultural identity

Along the way, your guide connects past and present — revealing why Santa Fe looks, feels, and endures as it does.

Perfect for first-time visitors seeking context, and returning guests ready to deepen their understanding of the City Different.

Departs: 10:00 a.m. daily from the concierge desk at La Fonda on the Plaza
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $40 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $65)

Walk-ups are welcome in the La Fonda lobby, though reservations are always appreciated.

👉 Reserve Your Downtown History Walk

(505) 577-7645

From Ancient Elixirs to Artisanal Indulgence

Chocolate has shaped civilizations for over 3,000 years.

Once revered in Mesoamerica as medicine, currency, and sacred drink, cacao was a “gift of the gods.” Long before candy bars, it was a powerful ceremonial beverage tied to ritual and trade. Remarkably, chocolate reached North America over a thousand years ago — here in New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon.

On this 3-hour walking tour, you’ll follow chocolate’s journey:
• From ancient cacao traditions
• To the American Southwest
• To Europe’s chocolate craze
• To today’s artisanal creations

Along the way, visit four local chocolate shops and sample everything from traditional-style elixirs to modern confections.

Blending flavor with history, this experience also explores Santa Fe’s rich cultural crossroads.

Perfect for chocolate lovers, history buffs, and curious travelers.

Duration: 3 hours
Price: $70 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Minimum: 2 participants
Maximum: 12 participants

👉 Reserve Your Chocolate Walking Tour

(505) 577-7645

Secrets, Espionage & Covert History in the City Different

For over four centuries, Santa Fe has quietly played a role in global intrigue.

From Spanish intelligence networks…
To Civil War informants…
To atomic-age espionage and Cold War operations tied to Los Alamos…

Spies have operated in this historic capital in surprising ways — shaping decisions that altered world history.

On this fascinating 2-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Visit former spy hangouts and discreet meeting spots
• Learn about secret drop sites and covert exchanges
• Explore Santa Fe’s role in atomic-era intelligence operations
• Meet the personalities behind daring successes, missteps, and tragedy
• Discover how global espionage unfolded within blocks of the historic Plaza

As one intelligence historian observed:

“The single greatest intelligence coup of the Soviet KGB, their greatest counterintelligence success, and the planning of their most infamous assassination all took place within one mile of the statue of Bishop Lamy…”

This tour reveals how a seemingly tranquil Southwestern city became a quiet stage for high-stakes international intrigue.

Perfect for history lovers, Cold War enthusiasts, and curious visitors drawn to hidden stories beneath familiar streets.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $45 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $70)

👉 Reserve Your Spy Walking Tour

(505) 231-5382

Walk in the Footsteps of Santa Fe’s Most Infamous Outlaw

Billy the Kid is one of the most legendary figures of the American West — often said to have killed 21 men, one for each year of his short life.

But before he became an outlaw of national notoriety, William H. Bonney called Santa Fe home.

Here, he:

• Learned to ride horseback
• Spoke Spanish fluently
• Worked odd jobs — including washing dishes at a downtown hotel
• Began developing the skills that would shape his destiny

It was also in Santa Fe that he spent four of the final months of his life — confined in the Santa Fe Jail.

On this engaging 2-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Visit the places where young Billy once roamed
• See the church where his mother married his stepfather
• Stop at the hotel where he worked as a youth
• View the site of the Santa Fe Jail where he was held
• Stand at the Palace of the Governors, where Governor Lew Wallace once offered him a pardon — a promise later withdrawn

This tour separates myth from history, tracing how a restless teenager in Santa Fe became one of the West’s most enduring legends.

Perfect for history enthusiasts, Wild West fans, and returning visitors eager to explore a dramatic chapter of Santa Fe’s past.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $45 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $70

👉 Reserve Your Billy the Kid Walking Tour

(512) 569-9613

Discover the Origins of the World-Famous Santa Fe Look

Santa Fe’s distinctive architectural style is recognized around the world — yet few visitors understand how it evolved.

On this in-depth walking tour, you’ll trace the origins of the iconic “Santa Fe Style,” from Pueblo adobe traditions and Spanish colonial haciendas to Territorial influences — and ultimately the Spanish-Pueblo Revival that defines the city today.

On this 2.5-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Examine adobe construction techniques rooted in Pueblo traditions
• Identify Territorial-era brick coping and architectural details
• Understand the late 19th-century shift toward Neo-classical styles
• Explore how Santa Fe reinvented itself in the early 20th century
• Discover why Spanish-Pueblo Revival became the city’s defining look

The tour explores exterior details throughout the Historic Downtown District, with select interior glimpses including:

• A classic Harvey House hotel
• Repurposed 18th-century Spanish haciendas
• The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Extended 3-Hour Architecture Tour (Optional)

Continue along the Old Santa Fe Trail for a deeper exploration of the city’s built environment, including:

• The 17th-century San Miguel Mission
• The New Mexico State Capitol
• The Inn of the Turquoise Bear, once a gathering place for artists and writers in the 1920s and ’30s

This extended experience offers a broader look at how landscape, commerce, religion, and artistic communities shaped Santa Fe’s architecture.

Perfect for design enthusiasts, architecture lovers, and curious visitors who want to understand what makes Santa Fe look so distinctive.

Duration: 2.5 hours (standard) or 3 hours (extended)
Price: $70 per person (2.5 hours) | $80 per person (3 hours)
Minimum: 2 participants

Recommendation: Comfortable walking shoes and water advised — this tour covers more distance than our other walks.

👉 Reserve Your Architecture Tour

(505) 577-7645

An Atmospheric Walk Through Santa Fe’s Haunted Past

For over 400 years, Santa Fe has gathered stories — some historical, some mysterious, and some that refuse to rest.

Late-night harp music drifting near the Plaza.
A young bride said to wander a downtown hotel.
A grieving socialite whose presence is still felt in her former mansion.

These are just a few of the legends you’ll encounter on this atmospheric walk.

On this guided 2-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Hear chilling tales of unexplained happenings and local lore
• Visit La Fonda on the Plaza, where multiple spirits have been reported
• Stand in the Santa Fe Plaza, where soldiers and outlaws are said to roam after dark
• Stop at La Posada, home of Santa Fe’s most famous ghost, Julia Staab
• Explore historic streets where fact and folklore intertwine

This is not a theatrical performance — but a story-rich walk grounded in Santa Fe’s layered history, cultural traditions, and long memory.

Perfect for couples, history lovers, and curious visitors looking to add a touch of mystery to their time in Santa Fe.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $50 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $80)

👉 Reserve Your Downtown Ghost Tour

(512) 569-9613

Discover the Flavors Behind Santa Fe’s Celebrated Cuisine

Many visitors come to Santa Fe for its renowned restaurants — but few discover the specialty food shops behind the scenes.

On this delicious 2-hour walking tour, you’ll explore the gourmet markets and purveyors that supply the city’s vibrant culinary culture.

Along the way, you’ll:

• Visit up to a dozen carefully curated specialty food shops
• Discover artisanal products from the Southwest and around the world
• Learn how Santa Fe’s cuisine blends tradition with innovation
• Meet passionate shop owners dedicated to exceptional ingredients
• Get insider tips on where to return for your own culinary finds

From farm-fresh goods to globally sourced delicacies, this tour reveals a side of Santa Fe most visitors never see.

You may want to bring a shoulder bag — you might not resist taking something home.

Perfect for food lovers, home cooks, and curious travelers eager to experience Santa Fe beyond the restaurant table.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $45 per person
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $70)
Limit: 10 participants
Not recommended for children 12 and under

👉 Reserve Your Gourmet Food Shoppes Tour

(973) 796-8513

Explore Santa Fe’s Most Iconic Art District with a Local Guide

Discover why Canyon Road is one of the most extraordinary art destinations in the world. What began as a quiet residential lane is now home to more than 100 galleries, studios, sculpture gardens, boutiques, and historic adobe homes.

On this guided 2-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Visit carefully selected galleries representing a range of styles
• Learn how Santa Fe became the third-largest art market in the United States
• Explore Pueblo Revival and Territorial architecture that defines old Santa Fe
• Hear the cultural stories that shaped this creative community

Beginning at La Fonda on the Plaza, we stroll along the Alameda before entering Canyon Road’s vibrant artistic corridor.

After the tour, you’re free to linger — explore galleries, dine, and take in the atmosphere at your own pace.

Perfect for art lovers, first-time visitors, and anyone looking to experience Santa Fe’s creative spirit.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $50 per adult
Minimum: 2 participants

👉 Reserve Your Canyon Road Walking Tour

(505) 577-7645

Walk the Original “Mother Road” Through Downtown Santa Fe

Celebrate 100 years of America’s legendary Route 66 with a guided walk along its little-known pre-1937 alignment through downtown Santa Fe — long before the highway captured the nation’s imagination.

On this unique 2-hour walking tour, you’ll:

• Trace the original Route 66 corridor on foot
• Visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
• Connect with the historic alignment near the New Mexico State Capitol
• Pass the San Miguel Mission, the De Vargas Street House (“Oldest House”), and the Loretto Chapel
• Explore the Historic Plaza and conclude at La Fonda on the Plaza — the “Inn at the End of the Trail”

Along the way, hear the stories of travelers, dreamers, and entrepreneurs who shaped the romance of the open road — and discover how Santa Fe’s culture intersected with America’s most famous highway.

Perfect for Route 66 enthusiasts, history lovers, and returning visitors looking for a fresh perspective on the City Different.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $50 per adult
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $80)
Minimum: 2 participants

👉 Reserve Your Route 66 Centennial Walk

(505) 577-7645