Great Itineraries

Great Itineraries

Most visitors to Albuquerque combine a stay here with some explorations of the entire northern Rio Grande Valley. If you're looking for the perfect regional tour, combine either of the short Albuquerque itineraries here with those provided in the Side Trips from the Cities chapter, which covers several great areas within a 60- to 90-minute drive of Albuquerque as well as covering Isleta Pueblo and the towns of Corrales and Bernalillo, just on the outskirts of Albuquerque.

If You Have 1 Day

One of the best places to kick off the day is the Gold Street Caffe, where you can enjoy breakfast in the heart of downtown before checking out the shops and galleries on Gold and Central avenues. From here, it's a short drive or 30-minute walk west along Central to reach Old Town, where you can explore the shops and museums of the neighborhood. Definitely be sure to check out the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, and also try to make your way over to the Albuquerque Biological Park, which contains the aquarium, zoo, and botanic park. For lunch, try the atmospheric Monica's or the sophisticated St. Clair Winery and Bistro, both near the Old Town center.

Later in the afternoon, you'll need a car to head east a couple of miles along Central to reach the University of New Mexico's main campus and the nearby Nob Hill District. Start with a stroll around the UNM campus with its many historic adobe buildings; if you have time, pop inside either the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology or the University Art Museum. When you're finished here, walk east along Central into Nob Hill and check out the dozens of offbeat shops. If it's summer, meaning that you still have some time before the sun sets, it's worth detouring from Old Town to Far Northeast Heights (a 15-minute drive), where you can take the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway 2.7 mi up to Sandia Peak for spectacular sunset views of the city. Either way, plan to have dinner back in Nob Hill, perhaps at Graze or Flying Star. If you're still up for more fun, check out one of the neighborhood's lively lounges or head back downtown for a bit of late-night barhopping.

If You Have 3 Days

Follow the morning portion of the one-day itinerary above, and then spend the rest of your day exploring Old Town. With the extra time, you can hit the innovative Explora Science Center, the small but fascinating American International Rattlesnake Museum, and the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, which is a 10-minute drive away on the southern edge of downtown. At the end of the day, head to one of the trendy, relative new restaurants that have sprung up in the revitalized downtown, such as Slate Street Cafe or Standard Diner.

On your second day, rent a car and drive out to see the more than 25,000 ancient Native American rock drawings at Petroglyph National Monument. From here, follow Coors Boulevard up to Paseo del Norte, heading east to Balloon Fiesta Park, home to the fascinating Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. From here, hop on I-25 north for one exit, getting off onto Tramway Road, which leads east into the foothills to Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. Here, take the tram 2.7 mi up to Sandia Peak for spectacular views of the city. You can grab lunch up here at High Finance Restaurant, and then walk off your meal with a hike along the crest of the mountain. Depending on how much time you spend on the mountain hiking and exploring and also how exhausted you are, you might either head back to your accommodation to rest a while or drive directly back down Tramway to Sandia Resort & Casino to test your luck on the slots and tables. Either way, when it is time for dinner, head to Bien Shur, the superb restaurant on Sandia Resort's rooftop, where you can first sip cocktails in the open-air lounge while admiring the view of the city before sampling some of the best contemporary food around in the adjacent restaurant.

On your final day, spend the morning checking out the museums at the University of New Mexico, and then enjoy a leisurely afternoon exploring Nob Hill, as described in the one-day itinerary above. If you have some extra time, consider driving north of Old Town to Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, in the North Valley, and then perhaps continue north up Rio Grande Boulevard for some wine-touring at Anderson Valley Vineyards and Casa Rondena Winery. It's not far from here to such appealing dinner options as Casa de Benavidez for great New Mexican fare or Cafe Voila for urbane French bistro cuisine.