New Mexico
Albuquerque is the city where hundreds of hot air balloons rise together every October, where Route 66 still glows in neon along Central Avenue and where a 2.7-mile tramway lifts you from the desert to the crest of the Sandia Mountains in fifteen minutes.
Founded in 1706 around an adobe plaza that survives as Old Town, it holds Pueblo, Spanish colonial, Mexican and American history in the same few miles, along with 24,000 ancient petroglyphs, a nuclear history museum, a world-class balloon museum and some of the best green chile in the country. Start with a guided trolley ride from Old Town, then build a trip from museums, mountain views, sunrise balloon flights and day trips to Santa Fe, Acoma Sky City and the Turquoise Trail.
ABQ Trolley Co. Best of ABQ City Tour
A fully guided ride on an open-air trolley from Old Town through Museum Row, Downtown, historic Route 66, Nob Hill, the university district, Barelas and the BioPark. The easiest way to get the lay of a spread-out city.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
The largest hot air balloon gathering on Earth: hundreds of balloons lifting off together at dawn over Balloon Fiesta Park every October. The signature event of the city and one of the great spectacles in travel.
Hot Air Balloon Rides Over Albuquerque
A sunrise or sunset flight over the Rio Grande valley with the Sandia Mountains beside you. Albuquerque's calm morning air and the Albuquerque Box make it one of the best places in the world to fly.
Sandia Peak Tramway
A 2.7-mile aerial tram from the foothills to the 10,000-foot crest of the Sandia Mountains. Roughly 15 minutes each way, with a view across 11,000 square miles at the top.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
A fully guided ride on an open-air trolley from Old Town through Museum Row, Downtown, historic Route 66, Nob Hill, the university district, Barelas and the BioPark. The easiest way to get the lay of a spread-out city.
The largest hot air balloon gathering on Earth: hundreds of balloons lifting off together at dawn over Balloon Fiesta Park every October. The signature event of the city and one of the great spectacles in travel.
A sunrise or sunset flight over the Rio Grande valley with the Sandia Mountains beside you. Albuquerque's calm morning air and the Albuquerque Box make it one of the best places in the world to fly.
A museum next to Balloon Fiesta Park that tells the story of ballooning, from the first flights to the transatlantic and transpacific crossings launched by Albuquerque pilots.
A 2.7-mile aerial tram from the foothills to the 10,000-foot crest of the Sandia Mountains. Roughly 15 minutes each way, with a view across 11,000 square miles at the top.
The adobe plaza where Albuquerque began in 1706: San Felipe de Neri Church, shaded portals, galleries, jewelry vendors, courtyards and a cluster of museums within an easy walk.
A lantern-lit evening walk through the alleys and courtyards of Old Town, with stories of haunted rooms, legends and the colorful characters of 300 years of Albuquerque history.
A guided tasting walk through Old Town that explains red and green chile, blue corn, sopaipillas and the Spanish, Pueblo and Mexican roots of New Mexican cooking.
A guided ride to the Albuquerque locations where Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul were filmed, aimed at fans who want to see the city behind the series.
A guided tour of Albuquerque's stretch of the Mother Road: neon motels, Pueblo Deco theaters, Nob Hill and the stories of Central Avenue.
A museum and cultural hub owned by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, with exhibits, dance, artisans and Pueblo cooking in the Pueblo Harvest Cafe.
A volcanic escarpment on Albuquerque's West Mesa carved with some 24,000 images pecked into the basalt by Ancestral Pueblo and Spanish settlers. Short trails, big skies and ancient art.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Downtown Albuquerque
A restored 1939 landmark in Downtown Albuquerque with Moorish-Spanish architecture, a lobby of arches and tile, and a central address for Route 66 and the KiMo Theatre.
Check rates →Old Town area
A design-forward hotel on the Old Town side of the city, inspired by the architecture of Chaco Canyon, with mountain views and a rooftop scene.
Check rates →Old Town
A Spanish Colonial style hotel a few steps from the Old Town plaza and Museum Row, with a courtyard pool and a convenient base for walkers.
Check rates →Old Town
A dependable, value-minded hotel near Old Town with free breakfast, a pool and easy access to the plaza, museums and BioPark.
Check rates →Downtown and Hiland
A boutique hotel in a converted 1926 hospital near Downtown, with a rooftop lounge, courtyard and easy access to Route 66 and the Nob Hill corridor.
Check rates →North Valley / Los Ranchos
A historic inn and working organic farm in the North Valley, with lavender fields, gardens, a farm shop, a spa and a celebrated restaurant. The most romantic address in the region.
Check rates →Northeast Albuquerque
A large resort on Pueblo of Sandia land at the foot of the mountains, with a casino, pool, spa, golf nearby, restaurants and an amphitheater.
Check rates →North Albuquerque
A Native American-inspired hotel with local art and design touches, a pool and a value-friendly rate, a good fit for travelers who want some cultural flavor.
Check rates →Santa Ana Pueblo (north of Albuquerque)
A desert resort on Santa Ana Pueblo land about 20 miles north of Albuquerque, with a spa, pools, golf, horses and views of the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande.
Check rates →A practical first-visit guide to Albuquerque, New Mexico: Old Town, the Sandia Peak Tramway, Route 66, hot air balloons, museums and how to plan around altitude and sun.
How to choose a hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Old Town, Downtown, Nob Hill, the North Valley, the north side and resorts at the foot of the Sandias.
A three-day Albuquerque itinerary: Old Town and Museum Row, the Sandia Peak Tramway, Route 66, balloons, petroglyphs and a day trip.
A guide to Albuquerque food: red and green chile, breakfast burritos, sopaipillas, posole, Pueblo cooking, food tours and where to eat in Old Town, Nob Hill and the North Valley.
How to plan around the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, from the Mass Ascension and Balloon Glow to shuttles, weather, hotels and year-round flights.
The best day trips from Albuquerque: Santa Fe, Acoma Sky City, the Turquoise Trail and Sandia Crest, with distances, timing and etiquette tips.
