Albuquerque to Santa Fe drive: Distance, time & best stops
The best road trips on the Albuquerque drive are the Sandia Peak Tramway, the Coronado Historic Site and El Rancho de las Golondrinas. By car, the distance from Albuquerque to Santa Fe is 64 miles, with a 1h4m driving time.
The drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe connects New Mexico’s biggest city to its historic capital.
Fabulous Albuquerque experiences include a sunrise hot air balloon flight, old town ghost walks, nature tours by bike and guided hops between craft breweries . You can also pay a visit to the castle-like Turquoise Museum and old town food tours focusing on New Mexican flavours.
Great Albuquerque accommodation choices include the historic, adobe-style Casas de Suenos and the old town’s art-filled Hotel Chaco.
Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in the US, and has a huge arts scene. The glut of adobe architecture makes the New Mexico capital highly photogenic. These buildings are best seen on an architecture walking tour.
Fab Santa Fe experiences include history walks covering the city’s past, on-the-move photography classes and New Mexican food tours through the evocative Santa Fe Plaza.
For other options, try small group e-bike tours through lesser-known areas of the city and ghost story tours.
If you want memorable Santa Fe accommodation, try the Hacienda in the Railyard Arts District or the adobe-style La Fonda on the Plaza.
Top tip for Santa Fe
The Canyon Road Arts District plays a huge part in Santa Fe’s distinctive character. But with 80-plus galleries, it’s difficult to know where to start looking. Taking a Canyon Road Arts District tour with an art historian guide helps you zero in on the most interesting works. You’ll also get to chat to the artists and gallery curators. Find out more here.
David Whitley, editor of Best3Stops.
Albuquerque to Santa Fe distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Albuquerque to Santa Fe is 64 miles. That makes for a driving time of around one hour and four minutes.
The drive is almost entirely along the I-25.
The best road trips stops along the Albuquerque to Santa Fe drive are the Sandia Peak Tramway, the Coronado Historic Site and El Rancho de las Golondrinas.
Attractions between Albuquerque to Santa Fe: Sandia Peak Tramway
Just to the north of Albuquerque, the Sandia Peak Tramway is the longest aerial tramway in the Americas. It stretches 2.7 miles with just two support towers, and the upper station on Sandia Peak is at 10,378ft.
Once at the top, you can visit the TEN(3) restaurant and tackle some of the hiking trails. Most are quite content to just take in the views, however.
Albuquerque to Santa Fe drive: Coronado Historic Site
The Coronado Historic Site is where Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado entered the Rio Grande Valley in search of the fabled Cities of Gold. He didn’t find them, but he did find 12 Native American villages, which gave him and his men the food they needed to survive.
The main sights here are the remains of Kuaua Pueblo, one of the villages. A series of impressive murals have been salvaged, and are on display.
Albuquerque to Santa Fe road trip stops: El Rancho de las Golondrinas
El Rancho de las Golondrinas is a living museum that focuses on the Spanish colonial history and culture of New Mexico. It features some original 18th century adobe buildings, while other historic buildings from elsewhere in New Mexico have been reconstructed here.
Guided tours are available on request between April and October, and ‘villagers’ roam around in traditional dress.
More Albuquerque road trips
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More Santa Fe road trips
Amarillo to Santa Fe | Austin to Santa Fe | Colorado Springs to Santa Fe | Dallas to Santa Fe | Denver to Santa Fe | El Paso to Santa Fe | Flagstaff to Santa Fe | Houston to Santa Fe | Las Cruces to Santa Fe | Phoenix to Santa Fe | Sedona to Santa Fe | Santa Fe to Tucson.