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This is the best New Mexico road trip itinerary that will take you to all the highlights the state has to offer.
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The Best New Mexico Road Trip Itinerary
You can do this road trip in the order we show or in reverse or even just pick apart the activities of most interest to you.
For the sake of simplicity, the road trip itinerary we’re sharing is going to start in Santa Fe and end in Albuquerque after circling the state.
When we visited most of these destinations for the first time it was actually part of a larger 4 week Four Corners states road trip!
Santa Fe
This road trip begins in the historic town of Santa Fe.
There are several sites on the outskirts of town where you’ll keep passing back through Santa Fe, so it’s best to plan to stay at least a couple nights here.
While in Santa Fe, you’ll want to visit Santa Fe Plaza, a historic section of town.
Additionally, Canyon Road is their arts district you can drive through and do some window shopping.
Meow Wolf
One activity that is an absolute must in Santa Fe is Meow Wolf.
It’s an immersive, other-worldly experience that is also interactive.
You’ll find your way through a variety of rooms and secret passage ways.
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos is a hugely under-rated hidden gem about 30 minutes outside of Santa Fe.
When we visited, we were the only ones there and we were able to explore the entire place on our own.
The Pecos Pueblo are a set of ruins dating as far back as the 1400s and a second set of ruins are of an old mission that came about much later.
The short walk up to the mission has markers that tell the story of how the pueblo to be and is dotted with some other smaller ruins along the way.
Once you’ve made it to the mission, you’re free to roam around pretty much anywhere as long as you don’t see any ropes preventing access.
An even lesser known spot down the road is the site of a Civil War battle.
There’s a short 2.25 mile walking trail that takes you through the story of the Glorieta Pass battle.
When we went it actually started snowing, which probably explains why we were the only ones there.
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
While based in Santa Fe, we recommend making the 45 minute drive out to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.
They are run by the Bureau of Land Management.
At the time we are writing this, the monument is inaccessible.
So just keep checking back on their website if you’re planning on traveling here any time soon!
Bandelier National Monument
From Santa Fe, it’s about an hour long drive up to Bandelier National Monument.
We recommend doing the short Main Loop Trail which is about 1.2 miles round trip.
It takes a little over an hour, but there are ladders where you can climb into little alcoves carved out hundreds of years ago.
Along the way, we also recommend adding a 1 mile detour to your loop to check out Alcove House.
It has a series of ladders and steps to access an old Pueblo ceremonial house.
During winter, this area gets icy and the trails will occasionally be closed, so check the weather before making your trip.
Santuario De Chimayo
Santuario de Chimayo is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the US.
The shrine here is a National Historical Landmark.
The clay here is said to have healing power, so hundreds of thousands of visitors pass through each year to get some for themselves or others.
It’s especially popular to visit during Holy Week.
There is also a separate, smaller chapel dedicated to children who have died, but no photos are allowed inside.
Taos & The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway
The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway takes you on a short loop through Taos, Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa, and Taos Ski Valley.
It’s about an 85 mile drive, but plan to spend about 2 to 3 hours to make your way through it all.
When you’re in Taos, you’ll want to check out the historic pueblo, the church, Earthships, and Taos plaza.
Additionally, just outside of Taos is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.
It’s the second highest bridge on the U.S. Highway System and the fifth highest bridge in the United States.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
This park consists of a 9 mile Loop Drive.
At each stop you’ll see ruins of ancient pueblos that you can explore.
There are also some petroglyphs in the rocks and an old cemetery.
Here are the trails we recommend checking out while on the drive:
Una Vida and Petroglyphs – 1 mile round trip
Hungo Pavi – ¼ mile round trip
Chetro Ketl – ½ mile round trip
Pueblo Bonito – ½ mile round trip
Casa Rinconada – ½ mile round trip
Pueblo del Arroyo – ¼ mile round trip
Each of these trails take you around the various pueblo ruins.
Plan to spend maybe 15-30 minutes or more exploring each site.
Aztec Ruins National Monument
This park also takes you amongst ancient ruins.
There is a self guided audio tour you can play on your phone while you walk the loop around the park.
It’s a much smaller distance than Chaco Culture and doesn’t require any driving.
Some of the buildings have been restored to show how they would have looked back when they were originally built.
The inside of the buildings have some interactive exhibits as well.
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a fun little road trip stop where you can be in 4 different states at once.
It’s where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah all meet together.
It makes for a great vacation photo!
Gila Cliff Dwellings
The Gila Cliff Dwellings are pretty remote, but it’s a very scenic drive.
Once you arrive, there’s a short trail to get to the Cliff Dwellings, then you can roam around inside.
There are ladders throughout to get to different levels of the Cliff Dwellings and to get better views behind various walls.
You’ll most likely have at least 1 volunteer or park ranger there to assist with anything and answer any questions.
White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park is unlike any other National Park you’ll visit (unless you’ve been to Great Sand Dunes in Colorado).
Here, the main activity is sledding on the sand.
You can rent sleds or bring your own.
Putting a little bit of wax on them help them slide a little better.
It works better the hotter the sand is.
One thing to keep in mind when planning a visit to this park is that it is nearby where the military does some testing, which occasionally closes down access to the park.
Usually there are advance notifications on their website, but sometimes last minute changes are made, so just be prepared for that possibility.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns is one of the most well known caverns in the US.
You’ll want to book your cavern tour in advance because they always sell out.
Pick the tour that fits your physical capabilities and interests.
In addition to the caverns, there is a scenic drive throughout the park and some overlook spots to enjoy the views.
At night, there are ranger programs where you can see the bats.
As you leave the park, just outside the entrance are some great restaurants and gift shops that I highly recommend checking out.
Roswell
Driving through Roswell as you make your way back up to Albuquerque is a fun experience.
As you may already know, everything in this town is alien themed.
There’s also the International UFO Museum here.
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is one of my favorite cities to visit while road tripping.
They have some of my favorite foods – Indian tacos (or fry bread) and Sopapillas.
If you’re more into fast food (or cheaper food), then you’ll want to try the Indian tacos and Sopapillas from Twisters.
If you’re up for a sit down meal, then Garcia’s Kitchen is where you’ll want to go to try these.
They have several locations throughout Albuquerque.
A fun activity while in Albuquerque is the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.
There’s an entire section of interactive activities and games where you’ll learn to understand how nuclear science works in a fun way.
It’s an outdoor and indoor museum, so there’s quite a bit to do here.
Petroglyph National Monument
Just down the road is Petroglyph National Monument.
Depending on what all you want to see and do here, you could spend as little as an hour or as much as 4-5 hours here.
As you walk each trail, you’ll come across hundreds, if not thousands of ancient petroglyph drawings.
Depending on the time of day and the shadows some are more visible than others.
We recommend checking out the following trails:
Boca Negra Canyon – 1 mile round trip (keep in mind, last entry is at 4 PM to access this trail)
Rinconada Canyon – 2.2 mile round trip (keep in mind, you must be parked by 5 PM to access this trail)
Piedras Marcadas Canyon – 1.5 miles round trip
Conclusion: The Best New Mexico Road Trip Itinerary
This is the best New Mexico road trip itinerary because it takes you around the entire state to all the best historical, cultural, and foodie destinations.
You’ll see pretty much all the best that New Mexico has to offer on this trip and it’s unlike any other place you’ll visit.
