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Downtown History
Walking Tour
Let our experienced guides introduce
you to the rich history of Santa Fe.
Our downtown stroll will expose you to Santa Fe's 400-year history, serene adobe architecture, religious landmarks, and colorful culture. Stops on this tour include the Plaza, 109 East Palace Avenue, Cathedral Park, Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and Loretto Chapel.
Depart: 10 a.m. daily from the concierge desk at La Fonda Hotel.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $30 per adult; children 12 and under go free with adult supervision. Single walkers are welcome but there is a minimum charge of $50
Recommendation: Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water.
Walk-ins Welcome: although reservations are appreciated. Contact Sita
at (505) 577-7645
Chocolate
Walking Tour
Chocolate first made its North American debut one thousand years ago in New Mexico's Chaco Canyon.
Tis tour highlights the intriguing his
This tour highlights the intriguing history of chocolate, with tastings at five Santa Fe chocolatiers. Our last stop will be Kakawa, where we can sit and imbibe their elixirs, which are fashioned in the way chocolate was consumed before chocolate bars. Threaded throughout our tour will be the history of Santa Fe, the oldest capital city in the United States.
Duration: 3 hours
Price: Children 7 and under go free; ages 7 to 16 are $35 each; ages 16 and older are $55 each.
Recommendations: Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water.
Please call to arrange a time and date: Contact Sita at (505) 577-7645
Spy
Walking Tour
From earliest days of the Spanish to the modern days of the Atomic Bomb, spies have always been active in the historic capital of New Mexico.
This tour features Santa Fe's major spy hangouts and drop off points where top secret information was exchanged. Come join tour guide Allen Steele as he shares spy history in the nation's oldest capital city.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $35 per adult; children 12 and under go free with adult supervision. Single walkers are welcome but there is a minimum charge of $60.
Recommendation: Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water.
Please call to arrange a time and date. Contact Jean at (508) 433-3666
Billy the Kid
Walking Tour
Billy claimed Santa Fe as his home town. It is where he spent his younger formative years learning how to ride horseback, how to speak Spanish, and how to sing for his supper. Unfortunately it is also where he spent four of the last months of his life, in the Santa Fe Jail.
Our tour visits the locations where he roamed as a kid, the church where his mother married his stepfather, the hotel where he washed dishes, and the jail where he was incarcerated. We also view the Palace of the Governors, where the governor, Lew Wallace, offered a pardon to the gangs of Lincoln County, something highly sought after by Billy.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $35 per adult; children 12 and under go free with adult supervision. Single walkers are welcome but there is a minimum charge of $60.
Recommendation: Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water.
Please call to arrange a time and date.
Contact Ken at (512) 569-9613
The Old Santa Fe Trail and Route 66 City Tour
If you were traveling into Santa Fe along the Old Santa Fe Trail in the 1880s or on US66 in the 1900s, you would enter the ancient city on the same entrance road.
This tour starts at the La Fonda Hotel, then over to the Cathedral Basilica and on to the Santa Fe River to cross the Bridge of Spies and to the foot of the famous Canyon Road. From there it’s over to the Old Santa Fe Trail to grasp the excitement that millions of people have experienced upon finally entering the famous “City Different.” Passing through the historic Barrio de Analco, the oldest church and house and down to the river crossing to the Plaza, the tour ends with an orientation to the downtown area, including the 109 East Palace Avenue city office of the Manhattan Project.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $35 per adult; children 12 and under go free with adult supervision. Single walkers are welcome but there is a minimum charge of $60.
Recommendation: Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water.
Please call to arrange a time and date.
Contact Allen at (269) 861-5203
Historical Architecture and Interior Design Tour
This tour offers an in-depth history of the architecture and designs styles over the last 400 years in the Santa Fe downtown district.
These styles range from the traditional adobe constructions brought here by the Spanish to the Territorial style, popular in the American Territorial time. Later developments include the Neoclassical style popular in the 1800's and the recent and iconic Spanish Pueblo Rival style of present day.
We will also visit interiors representing many of these styles, ranging from churches, La Fonda hotel ( a railroad and Fred Harvey legacy hotel), previous homes Including the Rainbow Man and the Inn of the Turquoise Bear (the home until recently of Witter Brynner, a very well known poet and socialite in Santa Fe in the 20 and 30's) and the State Capital Building.
Duration: 3 hours
Price: $65 per adult; children 12 and under go free with adult supervision. Single walkers are welcome but there is a minimum charge of $65.
Recommendation: Comfortable shoes and a bottle of water. This tour involves somewhat more distance than our other tours.
Please call to arrange a time and date.
Contact Sita at (505) 577-7645
ABOUT OUR GUIDES
Sita Jamieson Caddle: Sita has lived in Santa Fe since 1979. Her tours emphasize Santa Fe's three cultures and how they shaped the beauty, architecture, and tourism of today. She was trained by the History Museum and can't wait to guide you around New Mexico's capital city.
Allen Steele: Allen is one of the most requested tour guides by hotels in Santa Fe. His historical research and enjoyment come through in his joy of sharing all he knows about this historic city. A published author, his most recent book about Santa Fe is expected to be published soon and he enjoys sharing the stories he has discovered about the ancient city. His specialties are history, spies and chocolate but he also shares his love of art and cuisine that make Santa Fe so famous. He likes nothing more than stopping at the various spots around town to tell you about historical events that happened there.
Tom Gallegos: Tom helps visitors experience Santa Fe, native Pueblos, Spanish villages, the beautiful outdoors and unique cuisine. He especially enjoys sharing the beauty and history of Santa Fe on his walking tour. Tom is a native of Taos and currently lives in Santa Fe.
Paul Hillman: Paul spent 40 years as an art director at CBS and ABC Television in Manhattan before coming to Santa Fe, where he was immediately captivated by the richness of the land and its people. A longtime outdoor sports enthusiast and history buff, he devoured as much information as he could about the Land of Enchantment before joining the Discovery City Walking Tour. Rain or shine, Paul now enjoys sharing his excitement about Santa Fe’s culture, history, and architecture with visitors from all over the world.
Ken Ortolon: Ken is a former journalist who has a passion for history, particularly the history of the American Southwest. His interest in New Mexico history was sparked in the 1980s when his wife began making frequent trips to Santa Fe on buying trips for her art gallery, which specialized in Native American art and jewelry. Ken enjoys sharing his knowledge of the centuries-old city of Santa Fe and the people who have lived here—Native American, Spanish, Mexican and American. Ken also has extensive knowledge about the notorious outlaw, Billy the Kid, and is available to lead tours focusing on Billy’s life in Santa Fe and New Mexico.
Jean McLarty: Jean fell in love with Santa Fe on her first visit over 25 years ago and in 2019 came to stay. She brings her background in science and love of history to offer a Santa Fe Spy tour that explores the espionage activities that have occurred in Santa Fe from the earliest days of the Spanish to modern times. The drop-off points and hangouts where secrets of the atomic bomb were exchanged are prominently featured. She also offers Chocolate tours that explore the long history of chocolate and introduces wonderful Santa Fe chocolatiers who offer tastes as part of the tour.
GUIDE NEWS
We are proud that our tour guide extraordinaire, Allan Steele, has just released a new book titled, Santa Fe 1880. You can purchase your copy today on Amazon!
"The sleepy frontier capital of Santa Fe transformed abruptly in 1880. The city, already a vibrant mix of cultures, jolted suddenly into the industrial age when it was inundated with hordes of newcomers from the East. The freshly laid tracks of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway provided easy access to the Wild West and changed the city almost overnight. Learn about the daily lives and surprising adventures of its local inhabitants, including Sisters of Charity challenging the establishment, Buffalo Soldiers pursuing an Apache chief across the desert and Billy the Kid's escape from prison. Author Allen R. Steele recounts these events and more from firsthand accounts of that dynamic year."
CONTACT US
Contact Sita Jamieson Caddle
(505) 577-7645
for more information