New Mexico
New Mexico which is known as the Land of Enchantment is full of wonder both old and new. A trip to New Mexico will enliven your senses as you travel through high deserts surrounded by panoramic views of foothills in the distance with a full pallet of colors for your viewing pleasure. New Mexico is well known for some of the oldest civilizations in the United States as well as some old civilizations that have found new life through the Art and Culture communities.
Whether it’s the enchanting art galleries of Santa Fe, the numerous pueblos and artifacts of Native Americans, or cruising down historic Route 66, our tours through New Mexico offer a lot to experience. Southwest Adventure Tours can also custom tailor tours focusing on Native American history that will visit Chaco Canyon, the Aztec Ruins, Bandelier National Monument and other sites. Other popular attractions include Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Parks.
In the fall each year, Albuquerque is home to the International Balloon Fiesta featuring balloons of all shapes, sizes and colors. They fill the sky with vibrant colors that enhance the already spectacular scenery of the Rio Grande Valley. If you are an early riser, you will be delighted by the mass ascension of the colorful balloons glowing as they effortlessly drift upwards just as the sun is peeking over the horizon.
New Mexico in photographs
Trips that go here
Nothing in the published catalogue reaches New Mexico on a scheduled departure yet. Browse every trip.
Planning a trip to New Mexico
New Mexico sits high. Albuquerque is at about 5,300 feet, Santa Fe closer to 7,000, and much of the north is higher again — which makes the summers milder than the map suggests and the winters real.
The state is a different Southwest from Utah and Arizona. What draws people is as much the built history as the landscape: the pueblos, the Spanish colonial towns, the old alignments of Route 66 running east and west through the middle of it.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in early October is the largest event of its kind in the world and fills lodging across the region for its nine days. Anything travelling in that week needs deciding months ahead.
Distances are long and the roads are empty. Santa Fe is about an hour from Albuquerque, but Carlsbad Caverns in the far south-east is closer to five, and White Sands about three and a half — these are driving days, not day trips.
