Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour of Historic Santa Fe
Description
Embark on a captivating journey through Santa Fe with this self-guided walking tour. Start at the historic San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the U.S., then wander to the enchanting Loretto Chapel, known for its miraculous spiral staircase. The past comes alive in the Santa Fe Plaza and at the soaring Cross of the Martyrs, offering unparalleled views of Santa Fe. As you wind through the city’s old Spanish streets, you’ll relive the dramatic events of the Pueblo Revolt which forever changed this unique capital. After booking, check your email/text to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action while connected to WiFi or mobile data. Enter the password, download the tour, and enjoy it offline. Follow the audio instructions and route from the designated starting point. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This tour begins outside the New Mexico Capitol Art Collection building at 415 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe. If you're not already there, you should head there now. To get started, stand so the big circular Art Collection building is on your left. Then start walking straight down Old Santa Fe Trail. NOTE: The tour is over 1.2 miles long, with more than 19 audio stories, and takes about 1-2 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
We’re standing in the middle of Santa Fe Plaza. This obelisk in front of us is the Soldiers’ Monument, erected in 1867 to honor the Union soldiers from New Mexico who fought in the Civil War. It’s actually been a pretty controversial monument for decades. To hear more about that, click on Learn More.
Pause here and look to our right. Here stands Loretto Chapel, built in 1878. Though it doesn’t have as much history as something like the San Miguel Chapel, it does have its own claim to fame all the same. That would be the so-called “miraculous stair.”
Pause here. To our right stands the mighty Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, built in 1869. It sits on the site of a much older church which missionaries built back in 1610. That one burned down in 1680, but it might have survived to the present day if not for a fateful decision in 1675.
Santa Fe has long been a pivotal destination along many trails through the American west. That includes the Old Spanish Trail which connects Santa Fe to the California coast and El Camino Real, which extends all the way up from Mexico City. And it’s these ancient trails
Pause here and look to the right. See that simple adobe chapel with a cross on top? That’s San Miguel Chapel. And guess what? You’re looking at the oldest church in the United States!
Pause here. That adobe building across from us is the Palace of the Governors, the administrative center of Santa Fe since 1610. From here, the Spanish ruled over New Mexico for decades. And it’s here where Po’pay sets his sights when he leads his Puebloan forces into the city.
Look up ahead a little, on the left side of the street. Do you see the white sign that says “chocolate + cashmere”? That marks a stylish little boutique selling exactly what it says in the name… but the address itself has a much more surprising history.
After Otermín’s failed attempt at reconquest, a decade passes in relative peace. That is, until Diego de Vargas enters the scene. In 1692, Vargas marches on Santa Fe with only a few hundred men and a handful of cannons. But he isn’t there to fight. He offers the Puebloans a deal: If they allow Spain to retake control of New Mexico, they will all be granted clemency and will not be punished for their revolt. After much debate, the Puebloan leaders agree.
Continue walking along the path. Remember to pace yourself if you need to. We’re currently more than 7,000 feet above sea level. That means the oxygen up here is a lot thinner than you might be used to! So if you start feeling out of breath, it’s okay to take a break!
Up ahead stands the Cross of the Martyrs, the most iconic feature of this park. This cross honors the 21 Franciscan missionaries and 380 settlers who were killed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
- Private tour: Follow the route on your phone without an in-person guide or crowded group.
- At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
- Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
- Multi-device access: Use the same password on one device for each traveler included in your booking.
- More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
- Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
- Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
- Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
- Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
Reviews(55)
I like it! It’s a good alternative if you are going to stop a few hours in Santa Fe. You can go on your own pace and make your journey enjoyable.
Luis, thank you for taking my Historic Santa Fe self-guided walking audio tour. I’m so glad it was a good choice for exploring at your own pace during a short stop in Santa Fe. I’m happy it helped make your journey enjoyable. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
Good guide, got us out of the immediate plaza area to see some other parts of Santa Fe. Tour contains a good bit of history about the city and region that we found very interesting and informative.
Jim, thank you for taking my Historic Santa Fe GPS walking audio tour. I’m so glad it helped you explore beyond the plaza, enjoy the city at your own pace, and learn more about Santa Fe’s history and region. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle, featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
It was easy to use and gave a great historical explanation of what we were seeing. Santa Fe is a walking town, this gave us a chance to stop and see other stores as we walked around.
Sharon, I’m so glad you found my Santa Fe GPS audio tour easy to use and that you enjoyed the historical stories along the way. It’s wonderful to hear that the self-guided format gave you the flexibility to explore Santa Fe at your own pace and to stop and enjoy other places along the way. I’d love to be part of your future travels as well.
Easy to use and great value. I never would have learned all the history without this tour. Highly recommended.
Geri, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed my Historic Santa Fe GPS Walking Audio Tour. It’s wonderful to know you found the tour easy to use, informative, and a great value. I’m especially happy the experience helped bring the history of Santa Fe to life in a way you may not have discovered on your own. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
Id rather pay more and go with a live tour. Navigating through maps is difficult
Can you confirm that you hit “allow” for location permissions? That’s a necessary function for the tour and without it, the app won’t sync with your location as you mentioned. Since you weren’t really able to take this tour, I’d be happy to exchange it for you.
Clear instructions. Easy walk through historical sites of downtown. Good narrative on the major players.
Victoria, I’m glad to hear my Historic Santa Fe GPS Audio Walking Tour was easy to follow and helped you enjoy a clear walk through downtown’s historical sites. It’s great that the instructions and narration added helpful context about Santa Fe’s major figures. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
Loved this walking tour. Once you figure out where it starts it guides you step by step to your next stop. The navigation worked perfectly with the narration starting as you approached each location. The history only covered a specific time period that was applicable to what you were seeing but the story was told chronologically so you could fully understand what had happened and imagine what it must have felt like. We walked on Easter Sunday so there were no crowds although I can't imagine it would matter anyway since you listen to your own headphones. Highly recommend as a way to get a snapshot of what Old Town Santa Fe is all about.
I’m really glad to hear that my Historic Santa Fe GPS Walking Audio Tour gave you a meaningful snapshot of the area’s history. It’s great that the navigation and GPS-triggered narration worked smoothly, helping bring the story to life in a clear, chronological way. I’m also happy you enjoyed the flexibility to explore without crowds at your own pace. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
Excellent way to take a walking tour around time at your own pace. Audio guide is clear and provides excellent information and directions.
Sue, I’m really glad to hear that my Santa Fe GPS Walking Audio Tour was a great way to explore and that the audio was clear and informative with easy-to-follow directions. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
This was exactly what I was looking for my first walk through Santa Fe! Read, download and follow instructions for everything sent before you go and it’s a breeze! The narrator is informative and speaks in a voice that is pleasant to hear. Stop and go at will but be sure to keep track of your stop numbers in case a narrative gets missed. Highly recommended!
Nancy, I’m really glad to hear that my Historic Santa Fe GPS Walking Audio Tour was exactly what you were looking for on your first walk through the city. It’s great that the setup felt easy once you followed the instructions, and I’m happy the narration was both informative and pleasant to listen to. I also appreciate your helpful tip about keeping track of stop numbers while using my tour. If you’re interested in more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle featuring Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
Glad that we took the time to set up tour on our phones beforehand as it took a lite time to do this. Information provided was very informative. It was a little difficult to follow directions at times but we persisted and eventually hit all the points of interest
I’m really glad to hear that my Historic Santa Fe GPS Walking Audio Tour was informative and helped you explore the city at your own pace. That’s a great tip about setting everything up beforehand—it really helps things run smoothly. I’m sorry to hear that the directions felt a bit difficult at times. I’d love to understand more—was it the map, the route transitions, or certain stops that were harder to follow? I want to learn more, and I am available daily from 9 AM to 6 PM EST. If you want more self-guided adventures, check out my New Mexico Bundle with Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Park!
