What to Expect: High Road to Taos Day Trip

Spanish style loom in Chimayo in Northern New Mexico.

Travel North from Santa Fe via the scenic High Road, a byway that traverses a historic mountainous route and ventures into remote artistic enclaves delighting in ancestral roots. Be ready for a full day of New Mexico history, architecture and culture.Taos Pueblo in Northern New Mexico.

First, we’ll arrive in Chimayó on the doorstep of the Santuario de Chimayó, where a sacred shrine built in the early 1800s has become the most important Catholic pilgrimage site in the United States. Continuing on from Chimayó, we’ll visit charmingly bucolic villages, meet local artists, and take in sweeping vistas. Before long you will begin to appreciate the blend of culture, tradition and natural beauty that makes this region so special.

Winding upward along the High Road, we’ll catch a view of the elusive Wheeler Peak, New Mexico’s tallest mountain, before descending the verdant canyon road into Taos.

From there we’ll head to the charming Taos Plaza and wander through the shops, galleries and boutiques before moving on to Taos Pueblo*. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, continuously inhabited for over 1,000 years, the multi-storied adobe buildings of the Pueblo will provide a rare glimpse into the ancient past. After our tour enjoy a traditional Puebloan lunch prepared by Bertha’s at Al’Thloo’s Café. Al’Thloo means grandmother in Tiwa and reflects the locally inspired home-made specialties like chicken stuffed fry bread and pinon coffee. Take in the sound of the Rio de Pueblo savoring your puebloan lunch by picnic blanket.

Vivac Winery in Northern New Mexico.

Next we’ll explore the Rio Grande Gorge and venture onto the famous bridge to peer over the 565-foot-deep chasm. The thrilling setting helps to illuminate the complicated geology that has produced the famed Rio Grande Rift. We will begin our trip back to Santa Fe by traversing the rim road that follows the rift, winding slowly down into the belly of the gorge. This lightly-traveled path will have you marveling at the expanse of multi-colored basalt walls towering around you!

Our High Road to Taos tour will introduce you to the history, the heritage and the people that makes this mountain region so spellbindingly unique. Allow us to introduce you to this authentically New Mexican place – one you are sure to be enchanted by for years to come.