Planning Your Time

While some of the spots on your local agenda will likely require car travel, Albuquerque does contain a handful of neighborhoods well suited to exploring on foot. In both Downtown and Old Town, you'll find plenty of parking (garages, lots, and street; but be prepared to feed street meters on weekends), and good areas to get out of the car and walk. The same is true of Nob Hill and the adjoining UNM neighborhood. For a short visit to the city, focusing your time on these two areas is amply rewarding; allow at least a half day for each. If hiking or biking appeal—and Old Town is a ready departure point for that—at least another half day or so is warranted.

Farther-afield spots require an average of 20 minutes via car to get to. A helpful strategy is to bunch together more outlying attractions that interest you, perhaps hitting Gruet Winery and the Balloon Museum the same day you go out to Petroglyph National Monument or ride the Sandia Peak Tram.