Would appreciate opinions on the walking tours offered in Santa Fe. I have found two, one offered by Historic Walking Tours of Santa Fe, and one offered by the Palace of Governors Museum. My first impulse is to go for the non-profit museum walk, but would appreciate information from someone who has taken one/both. Thanks.

downtown santa fe is quite small. the visitor and convention bureau is a block north of the plaza with much handout info. the people on the tours looked pretty bored. i found it more fun to walk around with the handouts and discover things for myself. more time to look at all the wonderful jewelry for sale on the plaza.

Santa Fe is a delightful walking city. You do not need a tour guide. Everything is clustered in one central area. Take your time. Look in the shops. Walk the side streets near the Cathedral. We are not Catholic, but we sat in on part of a service. Wonderful! Walk up to the State Capitol. Tour the inside. It has many diverse crafts and works of art on display. Visit the O"Keefe Museum, as well as city museum on the main drag. Walk along Canyon Road and view all the art galleries. Santa Fe is a wonderful city and needs to be absorbed using all of your senses.

Thanks for the information. Is locally made jewelry still being sold in front of the Governor's Palace? Any specific days, or is it everyday? Thanks.
Bill

Our information is based upon a trip we took in March of 2002. Each day, new vendors are allowed to sell their wares at the Palace of Governors. The items are authentic, as each vendor must obtain a license from the city. We found very nice sterling, tourquoise, and semi-precious jewelry. Do some research before you go, utilizing some excellent tour guides by Fodor's (of course), Frommers, et. al. I believe the Frommer's has several suggested walks aready outlined. Even if you decide on a formal tour, go back and walk, walk, walk on your own. If you have a car, drive around the outlying areas. We especially enjoyed our ride from Santa Fe to Taos via the High Road. We also visited a number of the Indian pueblos in the area. Many are open and welcome visitors (some for a fee). We would love to return!