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Santa Fe Revisited

5.0 ★ · 479 reviews · from USD80

Santa Fe Revisited

Only historical tour of its kind by a true local and bona fide historian. Ana Pacheco's family settled in Santa Fe in 1692 and she was the City Historian of Santa Fe (2015 - 2017). Pacheco is the author of eight books: Legendary Locals of Santa Fe, The History of Spirituality in Santa Fe, Pueblos of New Mexico, Early New Mexico Death Rituals, Los Comidas Cookbook, Saints & Seasons, Early Santa Fe, J. Paul Taylor: The Man from Mesilla. Information on the tour includes: Santa Fe Opera, Route 66, 109 E. Palace & the Manhattan Project, Pueblos of New Mexico History, Loretto Chapel, San Miguel Mission, Canyon Road & Santa Fe as an Art Mecca, Sunmount Sanatorium, Santuario de Guadalupe, Masonic Scottish Rite Temple, Spirituality in Santa Fe & Cross of the Martyrs, Japanese Internment Camp, History of the Civil War in New Mexico. Billy the Kid's story begins in Santa Fe.

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What Travelers Say5.0 ★ · 479 reviews
  • Across nearly every review, travelers single out guide Ana Pacheco by name as the reason the tour stands out — describing her as an exceptionally knowledgeable historian, gifted storyteller, and engaging communicator who makes Santa Fe's complex history feel vivid and accessible rather than overwhelming.
  • Ana's deep personal roots in Santa Fe come up repeatedly as a major asset, with reviewers appreciating how she weaves in firsthand local experiences and family history alongside the broader historical narrative — details that visitors say they simply couldn't get from a book or a less connected guide.
  • Multiple reviewers note that Ana is a published author of multiple books on Santa Fe, and several mention a binder of historical photos she brings along as a particularly useful visual aid during the walking portions of the tour.
  • A practical theme across many reviews is timing: travelers frequently recommend booking this tour on your first day in Santa Fe, describing it as an ideal foundation that helps visitors decide what to explore further — one reviewer even wished they had done it sooner in their trip.
  • The tour runs approximately 2 hours at a comfortable walking pace, with multiple reviewers noting that Ana builds in opportunities to sit and ask questions throughout — one reviewer mentioned their senior mother had no trouble keeping up, and another described the physical format as well-suited to a range of ages and energy levels.
  • At least one reviewer flags a practical limitation worth knowing before booking: the tour is entirely outdoors and does not include entry into any buildings or historic interiors, which caught them off guard. The same reviewer also noted that the depth of dates and timelines can be a lot to retain in a single session, though they still found the experience worthwhile. A separate reviewer flagged that the tour ends at a different location than it starts, which can be inconvenient for those who drove and parked.

Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor.

What's Included

✓ Tour Guide

Itinerary
1

10 min

La Conquistadora the oldest Madonna in the United States. The Santa Fe Plaza, Loretto Chapel, the San Miguel Mission church, the oldest in the country. History of Art and Architecture in Santa Fe. An overview of four hundred years of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and American history in Santa Fe, the oldest capitol city in the United States

2

5 min

The military checkpoint for the Manhattan Project during WWII.

3

10 min

Oldest government building in the U.S. plus the History of New Mexico's 19 Indian Pueblos.

4

History of the only U.S. government building designed as a Native American symbol.

5

10 min

Loretto Chapel was built in 1878 by Archbishop Lamy to accompany the Sisters of Light Loretto Academy. The Gothic-Revival chapel was inspired by Saint Chapelle in Paris, which was built by architect Antoine Mouly, who did the restoration of chapel that was patterned for King Louis IX in Paris. Legend has it that the 360-degree staircase built in the chapel between 1877 and 1881 had no visible means of support. Today, it is known as the Miraculous Staircase that St. Joseph the Carpenter had built. The Chapel was closed in 1968 and deconsecrated by the Catholic Church and is now run a privately owned museum.

6

5 min

Burro Alley is a small street connecting Palace Avenue and San Francisco Street. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, vendors who sold salt from the Galisteo Salt Basin and firewood from surrounding mountains would tie up their burros there to rest. While the animals recuperated, the vendors would frequent the local saloons and brothels. The gambling hall that was run by María Gertrudis Barceló, known as Doña Tules, was at the corner near Palace Avenue.

Meeting Point

In front of the Basilica Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi

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