Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital is one of the cooler cities that I’ve visited in America. With a bustling art scene, a breakout food scene, and its rich history, Santa Fe is a must visit. Aside from all that Santa Fe has to offer, the city itself is beautiful, adorned in adobe style buildings and sitting at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo foothills.
While Santa Fe is a destination that deserves to be deeply explored, if you only have one day… that’s okay! You can still get a good feel for the city even if you don’t have much time. Here’s how to spend one day in Santa Fe…
DON’T MISS THIS HISTORIC WALKING TOUR!
How to Get to Santa Fe
Santa Fe does have an airport so you can fly directly into there or fly into Albuquerque, rent a car, and make the hour drive northwest to Santa Fe. I personally would choose the latter as the airport in Albuquerque is bigger so flights tend to be cheaper than flying into Santa Fe. Plus, having a sister that lives in Albuquerque – I must say, the city is quite cool. Both Santa Fe and Albuquerque deserve a chance to be visited if you’re traveling to New Mexico. (By the way, I recommend using Skyscanner to search for cheap flights).
RENT A CAR TO EXPLORE BEYOND SANTA FE
If you’re visiting Santa Fe, don’t miss your chance at exploring Albuquerque! Don’t miss…
Santa Fe Railyard
Start your day early at the Santa Fe Railyard. It’s a fun area with coffee shops, restaurants, and boutique stores; and every Saturday there is a farmers market! I suggest grabbing a coffee at Opuntia Cafe before heading out to walk around the area.
Pro tip: Before leaving, don’t miss your chance at stopping in at Kowboyz to try on some “western apparel”!
Santa Fe Plaza
For the rest of the day in Santa Fe, head to the historic Santa Fe Plaza to shop, eat, and learn about the history of New Mexico. My favorite part of the plaza is popping into the different art galleries that line the streets – the art is beautiful and unique to the area.
While you’re on the plaza don’t miss your chance to learn about the history of New Mexico at the New Mexico History Museum. Entrance is $12 for tourists and $7 for New Mexico residents. Make sure to also swing by The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (entrance is free), and the Loretto Chapel where the spiral staircase has been featured on Unsolved Mysteries (entrance is $5).
For lunch, stop by The Shed, a the wildly popular southwestern restaurant. Here you can taste traditional food native to the region like red and green chiles, posole, and more.
If you’re visiting Santa Fe during the summer months, make sure to swing by The Bell Tower Bar in the La Fonda Hotel for a drink and a rooftop view of Santa Fe.
Should You Spend the Night in Santa Fe?
While I explored Santa Fe on a quick and easy day trip from Albuquerque, if you’re coming from further out of town you might want to consider spending the night in Santa Fe so that you have more time to explore its charm. If that’s the case, here are my top hotel recommendations in Santa Fe…
New Mexico Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting New Mexico
- To easiest way to book hotels in New Mexico is through a booking platform
- For car rentals, I recommend Discover Cars
- To book a flight to New Mexico, I recommend this search engine or Skyscanner to compare options (if you’re from the US, sign up for Going to receive free, cheap flight alerts)
- For tours and activities in New Mexico, I recommend using Get Your Guide or Viator
- Don’t forget a New Mexico guide book to help plan your travels
- I recommend traveling with a reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic waste
- My favorite luggage to travel with is Calpak
- My favorite travel backpack is Nordace
While there’s so much more to see and do in Santa Fe, this small taste will surely intrigue you enough to plan another visit. Because in my opinion, one day in Santa Fe just isn’t enough time!
For more information on things to see and do in Santa Fe, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinnewmexico” or under my highlights for “New Mexico”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “New Mexico” highlight
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Founded by Kylee, a NICU nurse with nine years of experience, including seven years as a travel nurse; Passports and Preemies was created in 2017 and is now the go-to travel and lifestyle channel for nurses who crave adventure beyond the bedside. Whether you’re a staff nurse looking for your next getaway or a travel nurse navigating life on the road, this space is designed to help you maximize your time off, explore the world, and prevent nurse burnout.
On Passports and Preemies, you’ll find everything from travel nursing insights – how to get started, land the best assignments, and thrive on the road – to expert travel tips, destination guides, and real-talk about balancing nursing with a life well-traveled. Passports and Preemies also includes Beyond the Bedside – group trips for nurses around the world; as well as the podcast, Passports and Preemies Talks.
