New Mexico Land of Enchantment

INCLUDING

✔ Multiple-night stays in Albuquerque, Taos and Santa Fe ensuring in-depth cultural discoveries
✔ Visits to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and private welcome and talk at the National Museum of Nuclear Science offer an insider look at life in Albuquerque, past, present & future
✔ Exploration of Bandelier National Monument & Pueblo de Taos
✔ Storyteller tales & a float trip on the Rio Grande, followed by a guided visit to Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved Ghost Ranch
✔ Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as detailed
✔ 16 meals; service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage

Step back in time to centuries of Pueblo culture... at Bandelier National Monument where echoes of ancient American Indian lifestyles live on today... at Taos Pueblo, ten centuries strong and along the Rio Grande where storytelling, a raft trip and a family-style lunch inspire the imagination... stroll through the spirited landscapes of Ghost Ranch and gaze at the vibrant works of Georgia O'Keeffe... In New Mexico, the enchantment begins.

Spend two nights at a resort at the foot of the Sandia Mountains, and three nights in fabulous Santa Fe. Enjoy a private visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, a private presentation by a local chef (with lunch) and a visit to a private artist's studio in Santa Fe... be treated to a private welcome and talk at the National Museum of Nuclear Science... discover Albuquerque's Indian Pueblo Cultural Center... visit 1,000-year-old Pueblo de Taos, enhanced by a storyteller's tales... explore ancient dwellings at Bandelier National Monument... take a float trip down the Rio Grande, and a guided visit to Ghost Ranch. It's New Mexico vacation magic at its best!

DAY 1

Arrive Albuquerque, New Mexico

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Hotel Albuquerque. A transfer is included from the Albuquerque International Sunport to Hotel Albuquerque. Join us for a welcome reception followed by dinner tonight at your new ultra-modern hotel – inspired by the ancient local Chacoan culture and nestled between Albuquerque's historic Old Town and the vibrant Sawmill district, against a backdrop of New Mexico's mesas and the Sandia Mountains.

✔ Dinner
✔Hotel Albuquerque (Acommodation)

DAY 2

Pueblo culture & the Nuclear Science Museum

Today you'll explore New Mexico's myriad cultural influences, from Pueblo tribes to innovations of the Atomic and Nuclear ages. A guided sightseeing tour of Albuquerque includes historic Nob Hill, the University of New Mexico, downtown districts and Old Town Albuquerque. On a visit to the National Museum of Nuclear Science, a private welcome and introductory talk by a museum docent provide insights on New Mexico's unique role in the history of the Nuclear Age. After lunch, get a closer look at the history and accomplishments of the Pueblo people, from pre-Columbian to current times, with a visit to the unique Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, a showcase of puebloan history and culture operated by 19 Native American pueblo communities. Return to your hotel late afternoon; dine at the hotel tonight. Note: The largest hot air balloon festival in the world, the annual 9-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place in early October. Guests on the October 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 departure dates can enjoy an optional early morning (5:00 AM) excursion today (day 2) to see the mass ascension of balloons; ask for details at booking.

✔ Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
✔Hotel Albuquerque (Acommodation)

DAY 3

Bandelier National Monument and on to Taos

Depart Albuquerque this morning and stop at Jemez State Monument to see the ruins of its 17th-century mission church before peeking into the lives of the ancient Anasazi Pueblo culture at Bandelier National Monument, one of North America's oldest human settlements. Lunch in a 100-year-old adobe home whets your appetite for the mountain vistas that enhance today's journey to the Taos region, which has long attracted a thriving and talented community of artists and craftspersons with the scenic beauty of its contrasting forests and deserts. Visit Santuario de Chimayo en route to your Taos resort, where you'll spend the next two nights and enjoy dinner at your leisure tonight.

✔ Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
✔El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa (Acommodation)

DAY 4

Pueblo life, past and present in Taos

Start your day with a private lecture that shares insights on Pueblo life. A guided excursion to continually inhabited multistoried Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcases a unique way of life that has remained unchanged for almost ten centuries. Continue to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, a magnificent structure that is a landmark site in Taos and the second-highest bridge on the U.S. Highway System. The remainder of the day is free.

✔ Breakfast
✔El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa (Acommodation)

DAY 5

Rio Grande float trip, Ghost Ranch & Santa Fe

After leaving your Taos resort, today's gentle float trip* on the Rio Grande with a native guide ends with a traditional Pueblo Indian cooking demonstration and family-style lunch, where you will meet local artisans crafting baskets and drums. Continue on through picturesque desert landscapes for a memorable guided visit to Ghost Ranch, immortalized in the work of artist Georgia O'Keeffe; explore the area's stunning landscapes, and view trees and mountains as O'Keeffe saw and painted them. Arrive at your hotel in Santa Fe in time for dinner.

✔ Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
✔Eldorado Hotel & Spa (Acommodation)

DAY 6

The many flavors of Santa Fe

As the crossroads of the historic Southwest, Santa Fe's unique culture and ambiance are a blend of Spanish, Native American and Old West influences. Experience this diverse cultural mix on a guided walking tour of Santa Fe's centuries-old center, on which you'll see the city's historic plaza, terminus of the storied Santa Fe Trail, and America's oldest public building, the Palace of the Governors; and visit St. Francis Cathedral, the Manhattan Project site, and famous Loretto Chapel, adjacent to your hotel. Discover the tasty secrets of southwestern cuisine at a private presentation by a local chef, followed by lunch highlighting the city's diverse heritage at the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Later, a special private guided tour of the New Mexico History Museum offers a close-up look at the legacy of the Spanish Colonial era that is so prevalent here. Choose from among an amazing array of choices for dinner as you please tonight in Santa Fe.

✔ Breakfast, Lunch
✔Eldorado Hotel & Spa (Acommodation)

DAY 7

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum & local artist visit

Enjoy an exclusive, private morning visit to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe – revealing the sensuous landscapes and other works by this renowned 20th-century artist, who so loved this part of the Southwest that she made it her home later in life. The collection contains over 1,100 paintings, sculptures and drawings by O'Keeffe herself, and nearly 1,800 works by her contemporaries, including many photos chronicling her life and career. Later, embark on a Horizons Elite Exclusive insider visit to the studio of an acclaimed local artist, who you'll meet for a private demonstration, presentation and lecture on the art styles of New Mexico. After time to explore and have lunch as you please this afternoon in Santa Fe, celebrate the close of your remarkable New Mexico adventure at this evening's farewell cocktail reception and dinner at your hotel.

✔ Breakfast, Dinner
✔Eldorado Hotel & Spa (Acommodation)

DAY 8

Journey home

Tour ends: Albuquerque. Fly home anytime; a transfer is included from Eldorado Hotel & Spa in Santa Fe to Albuquerque International Sunport. Allow a minimum of 2 hours for your flight check-in. Ask at booking about extending your stay with additional hotel nights.

✔ Breakfast