New Mexico Travel Guide

Texas & New Mexico Itinerary

Top Experiences in New Mexico

White Sand Dunes National Park: White Sands National Park is home to the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. These pure white dunes create a fun place to explore, for both kids and adults. Hike out into the dunes, learn about the wildlife that calls this park home, and go sledding on sand as white as the snow…these are just a few wonderful things you can do in White Sands National Park.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Located in the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico sits an underground fantasy land of limestone chambers, stalactites and stalagmites, and long, twisting tunnels. Carlsbad Caverns is breathtaking in its beauty. You can tour the caverns on your own or join a ranger-guided walk for an even more in-depth experience. Touring the caverns is the main attraction, but there are also miles of hiking trails and a scenic drive that winds its way through the mountains.

Albuquerque: Between the Rio Grande and the Sandia Mountains lies Albuquerque: New Mexico’s largest city. While the city has a mostly urban feel, Albuquerque has a fascinating Old Town Plaza and an excellent Indian Cultural Centre. A top experience here is to ride a hot air balloon during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, held every October.

Santa Fe: New Mexico’s capital is a place for art and outdoor lovers. The city is famous for Georgia O’ Keefe’s paintings, the immersive Meow Wolf experience, and its Railyard Arts District. Santa Fe also has much Native American influence, with ingenious architecture and traditions.

Taos Pueblo: Taos Pueblo is a Native American community that has been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. Its people are a joy to meet and its adobe buildings are wondrous to walk through. Many residents have shops and restaurants inside their homes, and tours are offered to guide visitors through the town.

Bandelier National Monument: Bandelier National Monument is one of North America’s largest cliff dwellings. The cave-like village was home to the Ancestral Puebloans for over 11,000 years before they moved to settle in new pueblos along the Rio Grande. Today, trails lead up to the ancestral village, allowing hikers to peer inside the historic cavates. 

Petroglyph National Monument: Petroglyph National Monument preserves over 24,000 displays of rock art created by indigenous peoples and early Spanish settlers. Several hiking trails lead visitors around the park’s many petroglyphs and expansive desert landscape.

Aztec Ruins National Monument: Contrary to the name, the Aztec Ruins National Monument was not actually built by the Aztecs, but by the Puebloan people over 1,000 years ago. The ruins are incredibly well-preserved examples of ancestral Pueblo architecture and culture, and ranger guided tours are provided for visitors who wish to gain more insight on the Puebloan way of life.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park: Chaco Culture National Historical Park preserves some of North America’s largest ancestral pueblos. The massive Puebloan ruins are a wonder to explore, for visitors can walk through prehistoric homes, view rock art, and admire the remote desert views. 

Four Corners Monument: Have you ever been to four states at once? At the Four Corners Monument, stand in the spot where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah converge.