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With the Río Grande flowing through it like a heartbeat, and the Sandia Mountains standing sentinel, Albuquerque attracts outdoor addicts, culture lovers, and craft-beer fans. The largest city in New Mexico, it's also the self-proclaimed hot-air ballooning capital of the world: And its mantle is well earned as home to the world’s largest hot-air balloon festival, which marks its 50th anniversary in October. Growing from a humble gathering of 13 hot-air balloons in a mall parking lot, the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta now attracts some 600 balloons and 700 pilots—and 750,000 festival goers who bookend their days with early-morning ascensions and glowing evening sunsets.
Travelers visit Albuquerque year-round not only for ballooning, but also for its signature heritage, contemporary Southwestern art scene, chili-laden cuisine, and high-desert scenery. Here’s a look at the hottest dining, top hotels, and best things to do in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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The best things do in Albuquerque
No trip to this hot-air ballooning hot spot is complete without a trip to Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, which chronicles the city’s ballooning history that includes local pilots’ world record–setting flights. If you can’t enjoy the landscape from the basket of a balloon, take in picturesque vantage from the Sandia Peak Tramway’s 15-minute ascent from the foothills to the 10,378-foot mountain crest. Panoramic views reveal the sprawling 188-square-mile cityscape that’s home to 560,000 people.
Trails through ponderosa forests unfold from the mountain-top tram station, but from this perch you can also spot two of the city’s other hiking hubs: Petroglyph National Monument, where routes wend through one of North America’s largest collections of Indigenous rock etchings and the 16 car-free miles of the Paseo del Bosque Trail as it traces the river through cottonwood forests.
The Tiwa people inhabited these lands long before European contact, and they continue to steward it today. Their descendants inhabit some of the Pueblo villages that rim Albuquerque (Isleta, Sandia, and Santa Ana). The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center spotlights their histories, languages, and contemporary cultures with exhibitions, traditional dances, and meals at the in-house Indian Pueblo Kitchen.
Low-slung adobe buildings dating to Albuquerque’s 1706 Spanish founding dot Old Town. Plan to spend a few hours dallying in the city’s original neighborhood that’s now home to shops and galleries ranging from touristy to high-end, as well as wine and beer tasting rooms. For a primer on the city’s history stop by Albuquerque Museum, where you can also linger over an admirable art collection starring historic and contemporary New Mexican talents. The National Hispanic Cultural Center spotlights Hispanic, Chicano, and Latinx visual and performing arts. The city also has a slate of great art museums and galleries, including 516 Arts, Secret Gallery, Harwood Art Center and Mariposa Gallery. The latter is part of Nob Hill, a walkable district with eclectic boutiques and indie eateries.
Where to eat in Albuquerque
A tasting tour of the Duke City—so nicknamed after the Spanish royal who inspired its name—could make up your entire trip. Classic New Mexican cuisine is smothered in locally grown Big Jim and Sandía chilis. El Patio de Albuquerque, Casa de Benavidez, and Sadie’s of New Mexico serve some of the best plates of enchiladas, tamales, and burritos (to name a few).
The agricultural region serves a hearty helping of farm-to-table cuisine. Relish it at fine-dining restaurants Campo (multi-time James Beard Award–finalist chef Jonathan Perno is at the helm) and Farm and Table. Chef-driven salads, with locally grown greens, and artisanal brunches dominate the menus at sister restaurants Vinaigrette and Modern General. Look to Sawmill Market, the state’s first food hall, for a mini-culinary tour in a renovated lumber mill. Kiosks serve everything from house-made pasta to Japanese-inspired soft serve ice cream.
Craft beer aficionados can hop among the city’s dozens of tap rooms, including Marble Brewery, Tractor Brewing Co., Bosque Brewing Co., and the first Native American, woman-owned brewery in the U.S. Bow & Arrow Brewing. The city lies within the country’s first wine-growing region, so sips at Casa Rondeña Winery and Gruet Winery & Tasting Room shouldn’t be missed.
Where to stay in Albuquerque
Near Old Town, Hotel Chaco overflows with Indigenous art: Every room features a traditional Two Grey Hills/Toadlena Navajo weaving. Nativo Lodge's launch-field proximity makes it a favorite among balloonists, but it’s also a destination for art mavens: Bold-faced names in contemporary Native American art have painted murals in 60 guest rooms. The five-story Puebloan great houses of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a worthy day-trip three-hours west of Albuquerque, inspired its design.
Downtown, Hotel Andaluz channels Spanish aesthetics, but it began as one the first skyscrapers in Conrad Hilton’s empire. (Yes, that Hilton.) West of downtown, El Vado Motel has transformed an archetypal 1937 Route 66 motor lodge into a modern Southwest lodging. Half of its guest rooms are now shops and restaurants to create a one-stop-spot for travelers.
If all your touring is complete, complete your trip in the never-want-to-leave bucolic surrounds of Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm with lavender-field adjacent rooms and afternoon tea at a cultural center designed by iconic Southwest architect John Gaw Meem. The lavender fields provide essential oils for some of the body products used in its luxurious spa. It’s also the home of the previously mentioned Campo restaurant.
