Things to do in Taos
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Taos
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall for non skiers. Aspens, San Geronimo, fall arts, balloon light and harvest food.
Late May to June is best spring window, lilacs, rafting and drier hiking.
Best winter month for snow depth, Winter Wine Fest and longer days.
Warmest river and wildflowers, if you respect daily monsoon thunderstorms and hike at dawn.
Worst shoulder month, mud, wind and closures after ski season ends.
Early November is post colour and pre ski, with cold wind and reduced hours.
What's on
- San Geronimo Feast Day 30 September
Taos Pueblo largest public feast day, with races, pole climbing, dances and a trade fair. No photography.
- Taos Mountain Balloon Rally late October
Thirty five to fifty balloons launch at dawn from town fields against the Sangres.
- Fiestas de Taos late July
Town Hispano fiesta around Santiago and Santa Ana feast days, with queen, parades, music and food on the Plaza.
- Taos Winter Wine Fest late January / early February
Grand tastings and Taos Ski Valley seminars in ski season.
- Taos Lilac Festival mid-May
Lilac celebration around the Plaza with art and craft fairs.
- Taos Wool Festival early October
Fibre artists, shearing and weaving demos in Kit Carson Park.
- Taos Fall Arts Festival late September-October
Multiple weekends of open studios, exhibitions and the Quick Draw auction.
- New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade & Fireworks 31 December
Skiers descend Taos Ski Valley with torches, followed by fireworks.
Best things to do in Taos
Taos Pueblo
Continuously inhabited adobe pueblo over 1,000 years old, with guided tours led by community members.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Steel arch bridge 650 feet above the Rio Grande, with walkways and rim views toward bighorn sheep cliffs.
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
Wild gorge landscape of rim trails, river access and petroglyphs, best experienced from inside the canyon.
San Francisco de Asís Mission Church
Sculptural adobe church famed for its massive rounded rear buttresses, most striking in late afternoon light.
Harwood Museum of Art
New Mexico art museum with a dedicated Agnes Martin room and strong Taos Society and contemporary shows.
Millicent Rogers Museum
One stop introduction to Pueblo and Navajo jewellery, weavings, pottery and Hispanic santos and retablos.
Taos Plaza
Historic adobe plaza and portal lined core, best as a slow walk into Ledoux and Bent Street galleries.
Taos Art Museum at Fechin House
Nicolai Fechin hand carved adobe home housing Taos art, where the rooms and furniture are artworks themselves.
Where to stay in Taos
Downtown Taos Historic District / Plaza area
first trip, all-round base
Walk to dinner, museums and galleries, with the Pueblo and gorge a short drive away.
Taos Ski Valley
ski-in ski-out and summer hiking
Base at 9,200 feet for dawn ski and trail starts, but quiet nights and limited dining.
Arroyo Seco
repeat visitors, village halfway house
Small arts village halfway to the mountain, quieter and more local than the Plaza.
Ranchos de Taos / South Taos
budget and quiet
Affordable motels and B and Bs near the Ranchos church, with easy parking and a short drive to town.
El Prado
space, views and hot springs access
Open mesa casitas with huge Sangre views and dark skies, fully car dependent.
Think twice about
- Far-south Paseo del Pueblo Sur highway strip beyond Ranchos
Noisy, unwalkable truck route frontage of budget motels and fast food. Charmless as a base, not a safety issue.
- Isolated rural rentals far down unpaved county roads in winter
Snow and mud can block access, cell service drops, and night drives for dinner are long and unlit.
- Taos Ski Valley as a base for a non-ski summer cultural trip
You commute forty minutes each way daily to town sights and pay ski village prices to do it.
Best restaurants in Taos
The Love Apple
Candlelit former chapel serving farm to table northern New Mexican food across just thirteen tables.
Lambert's of Taos
Long standing celebration restaurant in an adobe house, known for rack of lamb and a serious wine list.
Suchness
Thirty two seat chef driven restaurant with bright ingredient led tasting style plates and natural wine focus.
Juliette
Hotel Willa restaurant working nearby farm corn, chiles and peas into focaccia, trout and a famed burger.
De La Tierra
El Monte Sagrado fine dining room with globally inspired organic leaning plates and the Anaconda Bar.
Doc Martin's
Beloved all day Taos Inn institution for huevos rancheros, chile relleno, trout and strong margaritas.
Orlando's New Mexican Cafe
Bright turquoise roadside cafe locals argue serves the best red chile in Taos, with adovada and sopapillas.
Gutiz
Latin French brunch in a cosy art filled room, known for French toast, crepes and Mexican hot chocolate.
Best coffee in Taos
World Cup Café
Tiny cafe on the ski valley road with superb espresso and blue corn bread for the drive up.
Chokola
Bean to bar chocolate cafe by the Plaza for drinking chocolate and truffles, a small afternoon luxury.
Outdoor things to do in Taos
Taos Ski Valley
Steep expert ski mountain with dry powder, Kachina Peak terrain and the famed multi day Ski Week.
Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area
Groomed classic and skate cross country trails through aspen and fir, with rentals, lessons and snowshoeing.
Williams Lake Trail
Essential alpine hike to a lake at 11,040 feet under Wheeler Peak, through spruce forest and meadows.
Wheeler Peak
New Mexico highest summit at 13,161 feet, a serious alpine day with views across the Sangre de Cristos.
Wild Rivers Recreation Area
Rim campgrounds and steep trails down to the Rio Grande, with petroglyphs, springs and bighorn sheep.
Orilla Verde Recreation Area
Gentler riverside trails and campgrounds where the Rio and Rio Pueblo join, good for families and birding.
Devisadero Loop
Five mile loop east of town through pinon juniper to a viewpoint peaklet, no drive to the ski valley needed.
Rift Valley Trail
Easier trail network popular with mountain bikers and runners, with gorge views south of town.
Best hotels in Taos
The Blake at Taos Ski Valley
Slopeside alpine luxury hotel with ski valet, spa and heated pool, the only true ski in ski out luxury here.
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa
Luxury resort in town with casitas around a Sacred Circle garden, spa and saltwater pool near the Plaza.
Hotel Willa
Design forward boutique hotel built around a willow tree, with pool, cedar sauna and Juliette restaurant.
Inn on La Loma Plaza
Historic adobe inn on a hill west of the Plaza with gardens, kitchenettes and a strong included breakfast.
Casa Benavides Inn
Adobe compound a block from the Plaza famed for breakfast, afternoon treats, hot tub and warm service.
Historic Taos Inn
Town social living room since the 1930s, built around an adobe plaza with lobby fireplace and live music.
El Pueblo Lodge
Classic well kept lodge with pretty grounds, pool, hot tub, fireplaces and included breakfast.
Hacienda Del Sol B&B
Artisan bed and breakfast east of town with mountain views, kiva fireplaces, hot tub and gourmet breakfast.
Is Taos expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $120 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $250 a person |
| Splurge | $500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Taos Pueblo: a few days ahead
- Taos Ski Valley: weeks ahead
- Rio Grande Racecourse: a few days ahead
- Taos Box: a few days ahead
- Taos Fly Shop: a few days ahead
- Rio Grande Balloons: a few days ahead
- Wild Earth Llama Adventures: weeks ahead
- Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs: a few days ahead
- Check Taos Pueblo open status the day before, it closes for ceremonies without much notice.
- Book Love Apple, Lambert's and Suchness dinners days ahead in season, and Ojo Caliente soaking on weekends.
- Book balloon flights early in the trip for a weather backup morning, and ski lessons and lift tickets online ahead.
Is Taos safe?
- Petty theft from cars at trailheads, gorge and ski lots is the main risk. Leave nothing visible.
- Summer monsoon lightning means be off Wheeler and Williams Lake by noon. Winter whiteouts affect the mountain roads.
- At Taos Pueblo follow all posted rules, no photography where prohibited, and leave by closing.
Taos travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Plaza souvenir shops selling imported mass made Southwest goods at gallery prices. Learn your eye at Millicent Rogers first.
- Earthship Visitor Center as a thirty minute walk up add on, it is thin without a proper tour.
- Taos Plaza alone as a destination, the riches are dispersed across Pueblo, gorge, museums and mountain, not the square.
Getting around Taos: public transport and more
- A car is not optional. Town is walkable once parked, but Pueblo, gorge, ski valley and trailheads are all drives.
- Fly to Albuquerque or Santa Fe and drive. Check NM Roads on winter mornings for the ski valley and Enchanted Circle.
- Plaza parking is tight in peak season. Gorge and ski valley trailhead lots fill by mid morning, go early.
- Town is 6,969 feet and ski lodging is over 9,200 feet. Hydrate, go easy on alcohol night one, and acclimatise before hard hikes.
Who Taos suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Taos your trip
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