Day 1

Arrive at Albuquerque’s Sunport airport; transfer directly to Santa Fe. If you want old-school style, stay at La Fonda—it’s that much easier to get to bed after dinner at The Shed nearby and a margarita in the hotel lobby bar.

Day 2

Start with an early breakfast at the Plaza Café and then tour the surrounding blocks, including the Palace of the Governors, the St. Francis Cathedral, and the Loretto Chapel.

Around happy hour, wander down to the Dragon Room Lounge on Old Santa Fe Trail, and then have a casual dinner at Upper Crust Pizza across the street while you watch the sun glow on San Miguel Chapel.

Day 3

Take in Santa Fe’s more contemporary culture, with shopping, gallery hopping, or a visit to the Museum of International Folk Art. End up on Canyon Road, with drinks and tapas, and maybe even dancing at El Farol.

Day 4

Drive to Bandelier National Monument to see the ancestral Puebloan ruins. Have a late lunch on “the hill” in Los Alamos or down in the valley in Española. If you’re up to more driving, head for Abiquiu, where the cliffs glow red in the sunset. Return to Santa Fe to sleep.

Day 5

Drive to Taos via the high road, stopping at the pilgrimage site of Chimayó and in the villages of Truchas and Las Trampas. In Taos, head to the Stakeout Grill & Bar for an early dinner and a view of the sunset, and then settle into your hotel after a de rigueur margarita at the Adobe Bar.

Day 6

Start with breakfast at Gutiz or a pastry from Loka, and then stop by San Francisco de Asis Church, followed by a tour of La Hacienda de los Martinez. Stop for lunch in Arroyo Seco, at Maverick County Food Co., and then head up the mountain for a hike.

Day 7

Visit Taos Pueblo. Then check out some other indigenous architecture: Tour an Earthship on the Solar Survival Tour at Greater World Earthship Development, pausing to peer down into the Rio Grande Gorge on the way. Have dinner at Lambert’s, Taos’s favorite white-tablecloth spot.

Day 8

Pack a picnic lunch and take a leisurely drive around the Enchanted Circle, stopping for a hike along the back side of Wheeler Peak. Depending on your timing, you can get your green-chile fix in Questa or back in Taos at Orlando’s.

Day 9

Fueled with a to-go breakfast burrito from Mante’s Chow Cart, drive down to Albuquerque via the low road along the Rio Grande, then along the Turquoise Trail, stopping for lunch in Madrid and at Tinkertown Museum. Stay the night in Albuquerque, either at the Mauger Estate near downtown or in a rural-feeling Corrales B&B.

Day 10

Weather permitting, take a hot-air balloon ride first thing in the morning and then have breakfast at Sophia’s Place. Or start with a hearty meal and then take a bike ride along the Paseo del Bosque. In the afternoon, visit the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Day 11

Drive to Acoma Pueblo, west of Albuquerque. Return by afternoon and take a sunset ride up the Sandia Peak Tramway. Enjoy dinner and drinks downtown.

Day 12

Have a big breakfast at The Frontier before catching your plane out of the Albuquerque airport.

© Zora O'Neill from Moon Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque, 2nd edition