72 Hours in Santa Fe, New Mexico: Where to Eat, Stay, and Play
We experienced one of our most exciting and favorite road trips that we’ve ever been on when we embarked on a road trip from Colorado to New Mexico in order to spend 72 hours in Santa Fe!
We had decided to embark on this road trip because we had never been to New Mexico before, we had heard phenomenal things about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and we wanted to do something unique for Sam’s birthday!
Below you’ll find so many important details about our trip to New Mexico and we hope our guide to 72 hours in Santa Fe helps you find what to do, where to eat, and so much more. Enjoy!
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How many days do you need in Santa Fe New Mexico?
In our opinion, the longer the better! We were only able to go to Santa Fe for a long weekend and we truly felt like we were able to experience the quaint town, culture, and spirit of Santa Fe in our short time.
However, we definitely wish we could have had longer than 3 days in Santa Fe.
Regardless, if you can only go for a long weekend trip… DO IT! We had the time of our lives!
How do I spend my weekend in Santa Fe?
There is truly an abundance of things to do in Santa Fe but a few things that stood out to us were the food, the tequila, Meow Wolf, and exploring the history behind the charming town.
We highly recommend that you check out one of the best walking tours in Santa Fe so that you can learn more about this charming city along with its rich history, unique architecture, incredible cuisine, and so much more through one of the local guides in the area!
Two of our favorite areas in Santa Fe were Santa Fe Railyard Park and the Santa Fe Plaza downtown. Both of these areas have plenty of restaurants, bars, and shopping to check out!
If you are visiting the town of Santa Fe, we highly recommend that you check out some of Albuquerque as well. It is about an hour long drive but was worth it in our opinion.
If you have flexibility on the time of year that you can plan your trip to Santa Fe, we strongly recommend that you look into planning your trip around the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.
It was one of our favorite experiences ever and we cannot say enough great things about this celebration.
What is the best time of year to go to Santa Fe?
We truly believe that any time of the year is a phenomenal time to visit Santa Fe.
However, we HIGHLY recommend you visit Santa Fe in October to experience some cooler weather and the hot air balloon festival just down the road in Albuquerque.
Where should I stay in Santa Fe?
We made the decision to stay outside of Santa Fe at an AirBnb to save a little bit of money but we definitely recommend that you stay in or around the Santa Fe Plaza.
This is without a doubt the place to stay to be able to walk to restaurants, bars, and shops!
The Santa Fe Plaza is in an ideal location if you are only spending 72 hours in Santa Fe so that you can truly take in the charming town and not feel like you are driving the whole time.
We recommend checking out the La Fonda on The Plaza. We’ve had many friends stay at the La Fonda hotel and loved it!
The hotel has a nice restaurant and one of the best rooftop bars in Santa Fe in the Bell Tower. Additionally, the location is excellent near countless shops, dining options, and things to do!
The Best Restaurants in Santa Fe:
There are countless delicious restaurants in the Santa Fe area. It is super important to note that some of the most talked about restaurants and bars get super packed before the restaurant even opens!
We highly recommend that you book reservations as soon as you start planning your trip to the area or plan to get to restaurants an hour or two early to get on the waitlist.
✅ Santa Fe Brewing Company
Santa Fe Brewing Company was one of our first stops in Santa Fe. We absolutely loved the variety of beer that they have on tap.
Additionally, they have an exceptional outdoor seating area that is perfect for you to enjoy a pint with your pup outside!
✅ The Pantry
Many people had recommended that we check out The Pantry for breakfast. It is a very cute diner known for their mouthwatering breakfast burritos, blue corn cinnamon pancakes, and much more.
We highly recommend that you get here early so you don’t wait in line all day.
Additionally, be sure to check out their bar seating! There weren’t many seats but we were able to snag two seats and didn’t have to wait in the long line to be seated at a traditional table.
✅ La Choza
La Choza has a SPECIAL place in my heart. Many people had raved about the delicious cuisine and sangria and we knew that we had to check it out.
We arrived 30 minutes before they opened for dinner and we are SO glad that we did.
By the time the restaurant had opened, there was at least a two hour wait to be seated. (I know this seems insane to show up so early but it was SO worth it, in our opinion.)
We highly recommend that you try the sangria and the taquitos.
✅ Coyote Cafe and Rooftop Cantina
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to have cocktails at Coyote Cafe and Rooftop Cantina because of inclement weather but we had heard great things.
It’s right near the Santa Fe Plaza too so the location cannot be beat!
✅ The Shed
Like La Choza, this restaurant has a special place in my heart. The Shed has impeccable food and the service was out of this world.
We arrived 30 minutes before they opened for dinner to put our name on the list for seating.
Luckily, I was able to walk towards the back and grab the last two bar seats available!
This was very fortunate because there was already a line out of the door to be added to the waitlist and 90 minute wait to be seated.
So if you have a larger party, then plan to make reservations weeks or months in advance or show up about an hour before they open to get on the waitlist.
We highly recommend any of their cocktails, their trio of salsas, and their Christmas burrito!
Their Paloma was Sam’s favorite tequila drink he has ever had!
✅ Second Street Brewery at The Railyard
If you’re in need of a good beer then we recommend you check Second Street Brewery out!
Unfortunately, we had just eaten but their burgers, fries, and other appetizers looked delicious.
Also, be on the lookout for when they are doing the farmers market at The Railyard because it is right outside of the brewery and the local food and crafts looked amazing!
✅ Hervé Wine Bar
We stopped by Hervé Wine Bar as we were exploring the Santa Fe Plaza!
The location is excellent and the atmosphere inside the wine bar is romantic and picturesque.
We loved our time here and enjoyed that they had several options for various wine flights so you can try a variety of different reds, whites, and rosé!
3 Perfect Days in Santa Fe: Santa Fe New Mexico Itinerary
Day One:
- Eat Breakfast at The Pantry
- Visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
- Grab Lunch and Drinks at Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Visit Meow Wolf
- Dinner at Piccolino
Day Two:
- Breakfast at Cafe Pasqual’s
- Shop and Explore the Santa Fe Plaza
- Grab Drink at Coyote Cafe and Rooftop Cantina
- Grab Drinks at Hervé Wine Bar
- Dinner at The Shed
Day Three:
- Breakfast at Cafecito
- Shop and Explore The Railyard district of Santa Fe
- Lunch at Second Street Brewery at The Railyard
- Dinner at La Choza
Overall Review of 72 Hours in Santa Fe:
We cannot recommend enough taking a long weekend trip from Denver to Santa Fe!
We had the time of our lives between the beautiful hot air balloon festival, the incredibly delicious New Mexican cuisine, and the culture and history intertwined into the charming town of Santa Fe.
