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 more than 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 hold 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 heart of the city since 1610
• Visit 109 East Palace Avenue, gateway to the Manhattan Project
• Walk Cathedral Park and step inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
• Discover the legend of the Loretto Chapel’s “miraculous” staircase
• Learn how architecture reflects Santa Fe’s layered cultural identity

Along the way, your guide connects the dots between past and present — explaining why Santa Fe looks the way it does, feels the way it does, and continues to captivate visitors generation after generation.

This is the tour Discovery began with — and it remains our most popular walk.

Perfect for first-time visitors who want context before exploring museums and galleries, and for returning guests who love Santa Fe but have never fully explored its remarkable history.

Depart: 10:00 a.m. daily from the concierge desk at La Fonda on the Plaza
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $35 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $60)

You are welcome to join us in the lobby of La Fonda without reservations, although we are always glad to hear from you ahead of time!

Contact Sita at (505) 577-7645

👉 Reserve Your Downtown History Walk

From Ancient Elixirs to Artisanal Indulgence

Chocolate has shaped civilizations for more than 3,000 years.

Revered in ancient Mesoamerican cultures as medicine, currency, and sacred ceremonial drink, cacao was known as a “gift of the gods.” Long before modern candy bars existed, chocolate was a powerful and complex beverage tied to ritual and trade.

Remarkably, chocolate made its North American debut over a thousand years ago — right here in New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon.

On this immersive 3-hour walking tour, you’ll trace chocolate’s journey:

• From sacred cacao drinks of Central America
• To its arrival in the American Southwest
• To its explosive popularity in 16th-century Europe
• To the artisanal creations enjoyed today

Along the way, we’ll visit four distinctive local chocolate shops, each offering a unique interpretation of this beloved treat. From ancient-inspired elixirs to modern decorative confections, you’ll sample and savor the diverse flavors that make Santa Fe’s chocolate scene so special.

Threaded throughout the experience is the rich history of Santa Fe itself — the oldest capital city in the United States — where cultures, trade routes, and culinary traditions have intersected for centuries.

Ideal for chocolate lovers, history enthusiasts, couples, and anyone who believes learning should be delicious.

Duration: 3 hours
Price: $65 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Minimum: 2 participants
Maximum: 12 participants

Please call to arrange a time and date:
Sita at (505) 577-7645

👉 Reserve Your Chocolate Walking Tour

Secrets, Espionage & Covert History in the City Different

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

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

Spies have operated in the historic capital of New Mexico in surprising and creative ways — shaping decisions that altered world history.

On this fascinating downtown 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 colorful personalities behind daring successes, missteps, and tragedy
• Discover how global espionage unfolded within blocks of the historic Plaza

As one intelligence historian notes:

“The single greatest intelligence coup of the Soviet KGB, their single greatest counterintelligence coup, and the planning of their most infamous assassination all took place within one mile of the statue of Bishop Lamy in front of the St. Francis Cathedral in central Santa Fe…”

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

Ideal for history lovers, Cold War enthusiasts, and curious visitors who enjoy uncovering hidden stories beneath familiar streets.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $40 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $65)

Please call to arrange a time and date:
Ellen at (505) 231-5382

👉 Reserve Your Spy Walking Tour

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.

It was here that he:

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

And it was in Santa Fe where he later spent four of the final months of his life — confined in the Santa Fe Jail.

On this fascinating downtown walk, you’ll:

• Visit the locations 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 incarcerated
• Stand at the Palace of the Governors, where Governor Lew Wallace once offered him a pardon for his role in the Lincoln County War — a promise that was later withdrawn

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

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

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $40 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $65)

Please call to arrange a time and date:
Ken at (512) 569-9613

👉 Reserve Your Billy the Kid Walking Tour

Discover the Origins of the World-Famous Santa Fe Look

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

On this in-depth walking tour, you’ll explore the roots of the iconic “Santa Fe Style,” tracing its development from adobe Pueblo structures and Spanish colonial haciendas to Territorial details inspired by the Santa Fe Trail — and finally to the celebrated Spanish-Pueblo Revival architecture that defines the city today.

Along the way, you’ll:

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

The 2.5-hour tour explores exterior details throughout the Historic Downtown District and includes select interior glimpses, such as:

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

Extended 3-Hour Architecture Tour (Optional)

For those who want a deeper exploration, our extended tour continues along the Old Santa Fe Trail and includes:

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

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

Duration: 2.5 hours (standard) or 3 hours (extended)
Price: $65 per person (2.5 hours)
$75 per person (3 hours)
Minimum: 2 participants

Recommendation: Comfortable walking shoes and a bottle of water. This tour covers more distance than our other walks.

Please call to arrange a time and date:
Sita at (505) 577-7645

👉 Reserve Your Architecture Tour

An Evening Walk Through Santa Fe’s Haunted Past

For more than 400 years, Santa Fe has gathered stories — some historical, some mysterious, and some that refuse to rest quietly in the past.

Late-night harp music drifting near the Plaza.
A young bride said to wander the halls of 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 downtown ghost walk.

On this guided evening 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 — it’s a story-rich walk grounded in Santa Fe’s layered history, cultural traditions, and long memory.

Ideal for couples, history lovers, and curious visitors who enjoy a touch of mystery with their evening stroll.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $45 per adult
Children 12 and under free with adult supervision
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $75)

Please call to arrange a time and date:
Ken at (512) 569-9613

👉 Reserve Your Downtown Ghost Tour

Discover the Flavors Behind Santa Fe’s Celebrated Cuisine

Many visitors come to Santa Fe for its remarkable restaurants — but few discover the specialty food shops that supply the city’s vibrant culinary scene.

On this delicious downtown walking tour, you’ll explore the gourmet markets and specialty purveyors that keep Santa Fe’s home kitchens and professional chefs stocked with exceptional ingredients.

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 fusion cuisine blends tradition with innovation
• Meet passionate shop owners and purveyors dedicated to fine ingredients
• Get insider tips on where to return for your own culinary treasures

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

While the tour is designed to introduce you to each shop and its specialty, you may want to bring a shoulder bag — you might not resist taking something home.

Ideal for food lovers, home cooks, and curious travelers who want to taste Santa Fe beyond the restaurant table.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $40 per person
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $65)
Limit: 10 participants
Not recommended for children 12 and under

For reservations, please contact Paul at (973) 796-8513

👉 Reserve Your Gourmet Food Shoppes Tour

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

Discover why Canyon Road is considered 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 walking tour, you’ll:

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

We begin at La Fonda on the Plaza and stroll along the Alameda before entering Canyon Road’s vibrant artistic corridor.

After the tour, you’re free to linger — dine, photograph, and explore at your own pace.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $45 per adult
Minimum: 2 participants

Questions? Contact Sita at (505) 577-7645

👉 Reserve Your Canyon Road Walking Tour

Walk the Original “Mother Road” Through Downtown Santa Fe

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

On this unique centennial tour, you’ll:

• Trace the original Route 66 corridor on foot
• Visit the magnificent 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 famed 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, you’ll hear the colorful stories of travelers, dreamers, and entrepreneurs who helped define the romance of the open road — and discover how Santa Fe’s unique culture intersected with America’s most famous highway.

Whether you’re a Route 66 enthusiast, a history lover, or a returning visitor ready to explore a different chapter of Santa Fe’s past, this centennial walk offers a fresh perspective on the City Different.

Duration: 2 hours
Price: $45 per adult
Single walkers welcome (minimum charge $75)
Minimum: 2 participants

For reservations or questions, please call Sita at (505) 577-7645

👉 Reserve Your Route 66 Centennial Walk