Things to Do in Taos
A living pueblo, a deep river gorge and an old artists' colony under the mountains.
See top-rated activities »About Taos
Taos sits on a high plateau at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, about 90 minutes north of Santa Fe. Its best-known sight is Taos Pueblo, a multistory adobe village that has been lived in for around a thousand years and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can walk the plaza, see the San Geronimo church and buy from artists in their homes, but the pueblo sets its own hours and closes for ceremonies, and photography rules are strict. Check with the pueblo's tourism office before you go.
The town itself grew around a Spanish plaza, and later around artists. Painters arrived in the late 1800s and founded the Taos Society of Artists, and the Harwood Museum of Art and the Millicent Rogers Museum both tell that story along with the region's Native and Hispanic art. A few miles south, the San Francisco de Asis church in Ranchos de Taos has thick buttressed adobe walls that painters and photographers have returned to for a century.
West of town, the land drops away into the Rio Grande Gorge, about 650 feet deep at the high steel bridge on U.S. 64. The bridge has walkways on both sides, and the surrounding Rio Grande del Norte National Monument offers rim trails and hot springs along the river. Outfitters run whitewater trips through the Taos Box and gentler floats in the Racecourse section from spring into summer, depending on snowmelt.
Winter belongs to Taos Ski Valley, 20 miles into the mountains, known for steep terrain and a base village that has grown considerably in recent years. In summer the same valley is a trailhead for hikes toward Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico. Back in town, Taos has a good spread of New Mexican restaurants and galleries around the plaza and along Kit Carson Road.
Don’t Miss
A UNESCO World Heritage Site lived in for about a thousand years; hours and photo rules are set by the pueblo and it closes for ceremonies.
A high steel bridge with walkways over the gorge, part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.
An 18th-century adobe church with massive buttresses, one of the most painted buildings in the Southwest.
Native American and Hispanic art and jewelry gathered by a collector who moved to Taos in the 1940s.
Art made in and about Taos, from the early artists' colony to contemporary work.
Steep, high-altitude skiing in winter and a gateway to Wheeler Peak hikes in summer.
Top-Rated Tours, Tickets & Activities in Taos
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Get free trip quotes »Taos — FAQ
Is Taos Pueblo open to visitors?
Usually, during set daytime hours with an admission fee, but it closes for ceremonies and sometimes for weeks at a time. Contact the pueblo's tourism office before you plan your day around it.
What is the best way to drive from Santa Fe to Taos?
The Low Road along the Rio Grande (NM 68) is faster. The High Road through Chimayo, Truchas and Las Trampas takes longer and is worth it for the villages and mountain views.
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