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Hello from Santa Fe! This is one of my favorite cities in the U.S. — I try to get here at least once a year for the art, the adobe, and the food (I love both the red and green chile, so I always ask for “Christmas” to get both). It’s rich in culture and history, with about a hundred art galleries on Canyon Road alone. Here’s exactly how I’d spend three perfect days in Santa Fe, with where to eat, drink, play, and stay — updated for 2026.
SEE ALSO: 15 Best Things To Do In Santa Fe, New Mexico
Table of Contents
Day one
Oldest House Museum
Explore downtown Santa Fe
Start where the city does — downtown. Wander the Plaza, where Native artisans sell handmade jewelry under the portal of the Palace of the Governors (we bought a pair of turquoise earrings here!), then make your way up Canyon Road to gallery-hop. Don’t miss the Oldest House, one of the oldest buildings in the U.S. For the full rundown of everything downtown, see my guide below.
Koko Tip: Stop by Kakawa Chocolate House for a historic drinking-chocolate elixir to sip while you stroll Canyon Road.
SEE ALSO: 15 Best Things To Do In Santa Fe
Check in: Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi
For a luxe home base, you can’t beat the Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi — an intimate 58-room hotel right off the Plaza, with kiva fireplaces throughout, handcrafted Southwestern furnishings, and everything (coffee, shops, galleries) walkable. We loved how easy it was to step right out into the heart of downtown.
113 Washington Ave, rosewoodhotels.com
Happy hour: Los Poblanos Bar Norte
I’ve stayed at the Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm in Albuquerque and adore it, so I was thrilled to see them open a spot in Santa Fe. Farm Shop Norte — set in a restored 1935 gas station a block off the Plaza — is beautifully curated with home goods, lavender products, and their botanical gins, and the adjoining Bar Norte does craft cocktails and light bites. We loved the tinned fish spread!
201 Washington Ave, lospoblanos.com
Dinner: The Anasazi Restaurant
Stay in for dinner at the Anasazi Restaurant inside the Rosewood — Southwest-meets-Latin-American cuisine in a warm, candlelit adobe room. An easy, elevated first night.
113 Washington Ave, rosewoodhotels.com
Day two
Breakfast & coffee: Mille French Café
Start day two at Mille, a cozy, authentic French café in the old Bouche Bistro space — run by a French-Corsican couple who make their croissant dough from scratch with imported Isigny butter. Come for quiches, croissants, savory crepes, macarons, and eclairs. We had the French toast and it was delicious.
Hours: 7am to 3pm
451 W Alameda St, millenm.com
Visit the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Santa Fe and Georgia O’Keeffe are inseparable, and this jewel-box museum holds the largest collection of her work anywhere. It’s compact — about an hour — and the self-guided audio tour is included. Buy timed tickets online in advance.
Admission: $22 adults, free for ages 17 and under
Hours: 10am to 5pm daily
Koko Tip: The museum’s big new expanded building is opening in downtown Santa Fe in 2026 — worth checking what’s on view when you go.
217 Johnson St, okeeffemuseum.org
Lunch: El Chile Toreado food truck
I stopped here twice in one trip because it was so good. This beloved food truck’s chef-owner was a James Beard semifinalist, and the pork adobada burrito — marinated pork in adobo with onions — is unreal.
Hours: 7:30am to 2:30pm
807 Early St, elchiletoreado.com
Get lost in Meow Wolf
You have to do Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return at least once — a 70-room immersive art wonderland you climb, crawl, and wander through. Give yourself a couple of hours, book online ahead (pricing varies by date/time, generally from around $45), and note it’s cashless.
1352 Rufina Cir, meowwolf.com
Soak at Ojo Santa Fe
One of my favorite things to do in Santa Fe. Ojo is a gorgeous spring-fed spa resort on 77 acres about 20 minutes south of downtown, with communal thermal pools, a saltwater pool, and a spa. You don’t have to stay over — grab a day soaking pass and unwind.
Good to know: Day soaking is first-come, first-serve, 10am-10pm; it’s a 13-and-older resort. Book spa treatments ahead and check current pass rates at ojosparesorts.com.
242 Los Pinos Rd, ojosparesorts.com
Happy hour: Tumbleroot Pottery Pub
This one’s so fun — part cocktail bar, part pottery studio. Grab a pound of clay and a handcrafted cocktail (served in a locally made ceramic vessel), and sculpt your own creation at the communal tables while you sip. No reservations needed.
Hours: 11am to 9pm
135 W Palace Ave Ste 100, tumblerootpotterypub.com
Dinner + show: flamenco at Entre Flamenco
One of our favorite nights in Santa Fe. Entre Flamenco puts on an intimate dinner-and-show — Spanish-inspired tapas and wine followed by live, world-class flamenco music and dance in a cozy cabaret setting. Seating is up close, so you feel every stomp. Shows are seasonal, so check the current schedule and book ahead.
Day three
Coffee: Crash Murder Business
Don’t let the name scare you off — this local coffee shop is great. I loved the Race of Roadrunners (a thick, chocolatey coffee with a little spicy kick and salty notes) so much I came back multiple times, and the Crash of Rhinos is like a chai-coffee hybrid.
Hours: 7:30am to 4pm
312 Montezuma Ave, cmbcoffeeshop.com
Explore the Santa Fe Farmers Market
Open Saturday mornings in the Railyard — come hungry. Local vendors sell fresh produce, chiles, and pastries (grab a lavender-glazed blue corn doughnut from Whoo’s Donuts), and we loved a pupusa with red pork chile. Then walk across the tracks to the mercado for rugs, hats (we scored a deal on a Stetson!), boots, art, and jewelry. The whole Railyard district around it is full of modern galleries and home-décor shops.
Hours: 8am to 1pm
1607 Paseo de Peralta, santafefarmersmarket.com
Lunch: Tomasita’s
Right by the Railyard tracks, Tomasita’s has been a Santa Fe institution for decades — classic New Mexican plates, fast and unfussy, with margaritas and that legendary red and green chile. The perfect no-frills lunch before your afternoon.
500 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe
Ride the Sky Railway
Co-owned by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin, the Sky Railway is a one-of-a-kind themed train ride from the Santa Fe Depot — vintage coaches, an open-air observation deck, drinks, live music, and big New Mexico views. Arrive about 20 minutes early for boarding and parking.
430 W Manhattan Ave, skyrailway.com
Cocktail: As Above So Below
We stopped by As Above So Below (the craft distillery and cocktail lounge formerly known as Altar Spirits) for a drink after the Sky Railway — it’s right by the railroad tracks, with house-made gin, vodka, and whiskey poured into seasonally inspired cocktails.
Hours: Afternoon to late (varies by day)
545 Camino de la Familia, aasbdistillery.com
Dinner: Sazón
End your trip at Sazón, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef Fernando Olea — refined, traditional Mexican with a serious tequila and mezcal list. Start with the mole tasting (six different moles!); it was the highlight of our meal.
Hours: Dinner from 5pm (closed Sundays — check ahead)
221 Shelby St, sazonsantafe.com
One more meal before you go
Breakfast: Café Pasqual’s
If you have a morning to spare before heading home, Café Pasqual’s is a must — the blue corn pancakes with maple syrup, mole, and chile made me tear up at breakfast. It’s that good. We came back twice. Go early or expect a wait, and don’t be shy about the communal table.
Hours: 8am to 3pm (breakfast & lunch)
121 Don Gaspar Ave, pasquals.com
