Phoenix to Santa Fe road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The distance from Phoenix to Santa Fe by car is 480 miles, with a 7h41m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Phoenix to Santa Fe drive are Petrified Forest National Park, El Malpais National Monument and Albuquerque.
Planning a Phoenix to Santa Fe road trip itinerary
The Phoenix to Santa Fe drive connects the capitals of Arizona and New Mexico.
A stay in Phoenix is at its best when you explore the surrounding Sonoran Desert. That might be in a hot air balloon flight, on an ATV tour or on a guided sunset hiking adventure. You can also do day tours along the Apache Trail.
For other Phoenix experiences, try a downtown food tour, a street art tour or a spooky nighttime ghost walk.
Attractions that you might wish to buy advance include cell phone-friendly tickets for include Phoenix Zoo, the Sea Life aquarium or a drunk Shakespeare performance.
For Phoenix accommodation options with a bit of character, try the art-splashed Foundre or the resort-like Raintree at Phoenix South Mountain Preserve.
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.
Phoenix to Santa Fe distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Phoenix to Santa Fe is 480 miles. You can expect a driving time of around seven hours and 41 minutes.
The best stops to add to a Phoenix to Santa Fe road trip itinerary are Petrified Forest National Park, El Malpais National Monument and Albuquerque.
For more suggestions, read the guides to the Phoenix to Albuquerque drive and Albuquerque to Santa Fe drive.
Best stops between Phoenix and Santa Fe: Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park in eastern Arizona gets its name from the vast fossil deposits of petrified wood. Most come from the Late Triassic period, and the short walk to the Giant Logs is arguably the best place to see what it’s all about.
But this national park has much more to it than the petrified wood. It is part of the Painted Desert, and several walking trails show off the multi-coloured Badlands. Try the one mile Blue Mesa Loop or 1.2-mile Tawa Trail from Tawa Point to the Painted Desert Visitor Center for particularly impressive, yet accessible, scenery.
Phoenix to Santa Fe road trip attractions: El Malpais National Monument
A short diversion to the south from San Rafael, El Malpais National Monument covers a landscape formed by volcanoes. Get a special permit, and you can go caving in the lava tubes. Otherwise, there are several satisfying hiking trails. The 4.8 mile return hike to the top of cinder cone El Calderon is arguably the highlight.
The most popular sight is the Ice Cave by the Bandera Volcano. This is privately owned, and there’s a small charge to enter.
Phoenix to Santa Fe drive: Albuquerque
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.
More Phoenix road trips
Albuquerque to Phoenix | Phoenix to Colorado Springs | Dallas to Phoenix | Denver to Phoenix | El Paso to Phoenix | Phoenix to Flagstaff | Phoenix to Grand Canyon (South Rim) | Houston to Phoenix | Phoenix to Kingman | Las Cruces to Phoenix | Phoenix to Prescott | Omaha to Phoenix | Phoenix to San Antonio | Phoenix to Sedona | Phoenix to Tombstone | Phoenix to Tucson | Phoenix to Williams AZ | Winslow to Phoenix | Phoenix to Yuma.
Santa Fe road trips
Albuquerque to Santa Fe | 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 | Sedona to Santa Fe | Santa Fe to Tucson.