Enchanted New Mexico: Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta & Santa Fe (Self-Launched)
8 days · New Mexico, USA
Globus charges £3,250
No-markup version: ~£1,490 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of Globus's 8-day "Enchanted New Mexico" tour: five nights in Albuquerque timed to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, then three nights in Santa Fe via the Turquoise Trail. You book the Fiesta park-and-ride and museum tickets yourself, use ABQ Ride buses and the New Mexico Rail Runner instead of a coach, and stay in hostels and budget motels in place of the tour's Hilton/DoubleTree hotels. Same museums, same Plaza, same green-chile sopaipillas — roughly a third of the price.
Day-by-day
Land in Albuquerque, orient yourself in Old Town
Albuquerque, NM
Fly into Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) — direct from Denver, Dallas, Phoenix or LA if you're routing in from the UK. Take the ABQ Ride Route 50 bus or a $12-18 Uber into the city centre and check into a hostel or budget motel near Downtown/Old Town. Spend the afternoon wandering the adobe plaza of Old Town, the San Felipe de Neri Church and the turquoise-and-silver shops along Rio Grande Boulevard. In the evening, head to a local brewery on Central Ave for a green chile burger. Tonight, read up on Balloon Fiesta logistics: buy your park-and-ride tickets online in advance (around $15 return) and set an early alarm. Fiesta mornings start around 5:30am.
🚌ABQ Ride bus from Sunport to Downtown, ~$2; flight excluded from estimate
🛏Route 66 Hostel or Downtown budget motel (dorm £30-40/night, private room £55-70)
- →Old Town Albuquerque walk
- →San Felipe de Neri Church
- →Central Ave breweries
Balloon Fiesta opening mass ascension + Chasers Club breakfast
Albuquerque, NM
Up at 4:45am for the park-and-ride lot — the Fiesta's own shuttles run from several city lots and drop you at Balloon Fiesta Park gates. The Dawn Patrol show goes up before sunrise, followed by the Mass Ascension of 500+ balloons, the single best morning of the trip (if you're here on the opening Saturday you also get the Opening Ceremonies). Tickets: ~$15 general admission online, cheaper if you buy in advance. Afterwards, instead of the tour's private Chasers Club breakfast, join the public line at any of the on-site food vendors for a breakfast burrito and coffee (~£9). Then take the shuttle back into town and visit the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum next to the park (adult ticket ~£9). Spend the afternoon napping, then get an early night.
🚌Balloon Fiesta Park & Ride shuttle, ~$15 return
🛏Route 66 Hostel or Downtown budget motel
- →Dawn Patrol & Mass Ascension at Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
- →Opening Ceremonies (opening weekend)
- →Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Nuclear science, Pueblo culture and a proper New Mexican lunch
Albuquerque, NM
A slower day. Take ABQ Ride Route 66 (Central Ave) east to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (~£10 entry) — a surprisingly good deep dive into the Manhattan Project and the Cold War, with decommissioned aircraft in the outdoor yard. Back west, hop off at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which runs a free guided talk by Pueblo community members and has an excellent cafe serving Pueblo oven bread (a bowl of posole here is about £10 — the DIY stand-in for the tour's included sopaipilla lunch). Overnight as before. Consider a self-booked Airbnb Experiences session with a local balloonist (~£25) if a pilot's perspective on the Fiesta appeals.
🚌ABQ Ride buses, $2 day pass
🛏Route 66 Hostel or Downtown budget motel
- →National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
- →Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
- →Pueblo feast-day talking circles and dance (weekend dependent)
Second Fiesta morning, then Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe
Albuquerque to Santa Fe, NM
If the weather cancelled your first Fiesta morning (it happens — the tour had the same problem), use your ticket's return policy or buy another general admission for a second go at the Mass Ascension. Then check out and travel the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway the budget way: take the Rio Metro Regional Transit Authority's 611 bus from Albuquerque to the historic mining town of Madrid (~$10, 1h15), a quirky village of galleries, a saloon and the Mine Shaft Tavern. Lunch there, then continue north on the same route to Santa Fe, or grab the NM Rail Runner Express from Bernalillo to Santa Fe Depot (around $10, 1h15). Check into a hostel or budget hotel within walking distance of the Plaza. Evening: green chile stew and a margarita on the Plaza.
🚌Rio Metro 611 bus Madrid, ~$10; NM Rail Runner Bernalillo to Santa Fe, ~$10
🛏Santa Fe International Hostel or budget adobe motel near Cerrillos Rd (£55-70/night)
- →Second Mass Ascension option
- →Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway
- →Madrid and the Mine Shaft Tavern
- →Santa Fe Plaza at dusk
Santa Fe history circuit + Plaza lunch
Santa Fe, NM
Do the guided city tour yourself on foot: San Miguel Mission (the oldest church in the US, $1 donation), the Palace of the Governors (free to walk the Native American artist portal, ~£10 for the museum), the New Mexico State Capitol (free, open weekdays) and the Loretto Chapel with its famous spiral staircase (~£6). Lunch at a Plaza-side institution — the Shed, Tia Sophia's or Cafe Pasqual's — for blue corn enchiladas (~£15-18). Afternoon at the Museum of International Folk Art on Museum Hill (~£12, includes the Latin American folk art collection). In the evening, swap the tour's Mariachi farewell dinner for a set at a local venue: La Fonda's La Fiesta Lounge or the Cowgirl BBQ often have live Latin music and no cover.
🚌Walking (Santa Fe is compact) plus a short Museum Hill bus/taxi, ~$6
🛏Santa Fe International Hostel or budget adobe motel
- →San Miguel Mission
- →Palace of the Governors
- →New Mexico State Capitol
- →Loretto Chapel
- →Museum of International Folk Art
- →Live music at La Fiesta Lounge / Cowgirl BBQ
Bandelier National Monument or the Culture Pass
Santa Fe, NM
Pick your own 'Globus Choice'. Option A: Bandelier National Monument — book a spot on the free shuttle (in season) or drive/rideshare to White Rock, then hike the Main Loop past Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings and climb the 140 ft ladders into Alcove House. Entry ~£20 per vehicle, so pair up with a fellow hostel guest. Option B: buy the New Mexico Culture Pass (~£22) for entry to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the New Mexico History Museum, the Governor's Palace, the Museum of Art and the Folk Art Museum — then do Bandelier on a cheap day trip another time. Evening: walk the Canyon Road gallery strip, free, with openings most Friday evenings.
🚌Shuttle to Bandelier from White Rock, or NM Park & Ride, ~£8
🛏Santa Fe International Hostel or budget adobe motel
- →Bandelier National Monument Main Loop & Alcove House
- →New Mexico Culture Pass museums
- →Canyon Road galleries
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and a chimayo day out
Santa Fe, NM
Start at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum on Johnson St (~£15, book the timed slot online) — the artist's New Mexico landscapes and the reconstructed Abiquiú studio elements. Then take the free-ish regional bus or a shared shuttle (~£10 return) north to Chimayó, where the El Santuario de Chimayó chapel draws pilgrims and the weaving shops sell handloomed blankets. Back in town, spend the late afternoon browsing the Indian Arts & Crafts vendors under the Palace of the Governors portal, then dinner at Maria's New Mexican Kitchen for the biggest margarita list in town (~£20).
🚌Chimayó shuttle, ~£10 return
🛏Santa Fe International Hostel or budget adobe motel
- →Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
- →El Santuario de Chimayó
- →Palace of the Governors craft vendors
- →Maria's New Mexican Kitchen
Last sopaipillas and out
Santa Fe to Albuquerque Sunport
Breakfast at Tia Sophia's (breakfast burrito, ~£9) then walk the Plaza one last time. Take the NM Rail Runner Express from Santa Fe Depot to the Albuquerque airport connector — the free ABQ Ride 222 shuttle links the Downtown Rail Runner station to Sunport (~£10 total, 1h45 all in). If you've got a late flight, stow your bag and do the Albuquerque Museum or a quick ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway before heading out. Flight home is not included in the estimate.
🚌Rail Runner Santa Fe to Albuquerque + free 222 airport connector, ~£10
🛏None — onward travel day
- →Santa Fe Plaza farewell walk
- →NM Rail Runner ride along the Rio Grande
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,490 | £3,250 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,760 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,490
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Enchanted New Mexico: Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta & Santa Fe (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,490 per person for 8 days in New Mexico, USA. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £3,250 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,490 — a saving of roughly £1,760 (54%) per person.
How long is the New Mexico, USA trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through New Mexico, USA.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, festivals, foodie trip through New Mexico, USA, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.