These are the best places to travel this summer

Santa Fe

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book
Downtown Santa Fe at dusk

© Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Santa Fe

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

Missions, museums and Meow Wolf. All are players in the story of 'the city different,' a place that makes its own rules without forgetting its long and storied past.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Santa Fe, New Mexico– April 30th, 2017: Meow Wolf art collective in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. Open to the public the main exhibit is the The House of Eternal Return..; Shutterstock ID 632888321; Your name (First / Last): Alexander Howard; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Southwest POIs

    Meow Wolf

    Santa Fe

    If you've been hankering for a trip to another dimension but have yet to find a portal, the House of Eternal Return by Meow Wolf could be the place for…

  • Santa Fe, NM: People outside the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in downtown Santa Fe, NM on a winter day.

    Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

    Santa Fe

    With 10 beautifully lit galleries in a rambling 20th-century adobe, this museum boasts the world's largest collection of O'Keeffe’s work. She’s best known…

  • Palace of the Governors santa fe new mexico

    Palace of the Governors & New Mexico History Museum

    Santa Fe

    The oldest public building in the US, this low-slung adobe complex began as home to New Mexico’s first Spanish governor in 1610. It was occupied by Pueblo…

  • New Mexico, Santa Fe, Museum Hill, Museum of International Folk Art

    Museum of International Folk Art

    Santa Fe

    Santa Fe’s most unusual and exhilarating museum centers on the world's largest collection of folk art. Its huge main gallery displays whimsical and mind…

  • SANTA FE, NM - OCTOBER 20, 2013: An adobe structure on Santa Fe, New Mexico's historic Plaza is home to the New Mexico Museum of Art. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

    The Plaza

    Santa Fe

    For more than 400 years, the Plaza has stood at the heart of Santa Fe. Originally it marked the far northern end of the Camino Real from Mexico; later, it…

  • Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

    Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

    Santa Fe

    This top-quality museum sets out to trace the origins and history of the various Native American peoples of the entire Southwest, and explain and…

  • St francis cathedral santa fe

    St Francis Cathedral

    Santa Fe

    Santa Fe’s French-born bishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy – hero of Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop – set about building this cathedral in 1869. Its…

  • This historic rancho, now a living history museum, dates from the early 1700s and was an important paraje or stopping point along the famous Camino Real, the Royal Road from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico. | Location: near Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

    Rancho de las Golondrinas

    Santa Fe

    Built as a fortified residence along the Camino Real, the 'Ranch of the Swallows' is nearly as old as Santa Fe itself. Now it’s a 200-acre living museum,…

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Santa Fe's inviting mix of traditional and contemporary cultural experiences creates a slate of engaging activities for your visit.

Read article

Best Time to Visit

With its distinctive seasons and rich festival calendar, choosing the best time to visit Santa Fe takes a little research and forward planning.

Read article

Transportation

Packed with info on everything from bus routes to local bicycle hire places, here's our guide to getting around in Santa Fe.

Read article

Free Things to Do

From dancing at outdoor evening concerts to tackling rewarding forest hikes, here’s our guide to visiting Santa Fe for free.

Read article

Best Neighborhoods

Santa Fe is an ancient and colorful city with a lot to explore. Immerse yourself in the area's culture and charm, one area at a time.

Read article

Day Trips

Santa Fe is the gateway to New Mexico; easy day trips can take you to sacred sites, hot springs, ancient Native American settlements and epic landscapes.

Read article

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Santa Fe