5 Best Santa Fe Food Tours: The Flavors of New Mexico
No visit to Santa Fe, New Mexico, would be complete without exploring the local food! And Santa Fe food tours are the perfect way to taste the most mouthwatering New Mexican specialties while seeing some of the not-to-miss historical points of interest.
I have eaten my way through Santa Fe many times, and I think this unique city has the best food in the state. Seriously, I get hungry just thinking about it!
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Santa Fe feels more like a friendly small town than a major city, but it is the New Mexico state capital. In fact, it’s the oldest state capital in the United States! So, as you may expect, downtown Santa Fe oozes with history.
Enmeshed in the state’s rich history, New Mexican food is like a cultural fabric that interweaves elements from the Native Americans, Spaniards, and Mexicans that inhabited the state in its earliest days.
As a result, learning about the food and history of New Mexico’s capital at the same time makes sense! And our list of the best food tours in Santa Fe provides 5 options to have a wonderful time exploring both facets of the city!
Catch a glimpse of the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts on a Santa Fe food tour.
Each of our favorite SF walking food tours provides a knowledgable tour guide able to share fun and interesting historical facts.
In addition, each tour ranks 5 out of 5 stars!
5 Best Santa Fe Food Tours
Please note: all of the best food tours Santa Fe offers are limited in group size and do sell out. Reserve your tour ASAP!
1. Half-Day Santa Fe Food and History WalkinG TOUR 🏆
That’s me with James Beard Award winner, Chef Fernando Olea of Sazón.
My #1 pick for the best Santa Fe food tour is the perfect balance of humor, history, and tasty bites!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars—Over 200 reviews! Badge of Excellence!
⏰ 4 hours, 🚶🏽♀️12 people max
“We’ve traveled to many cities and enjoy taking a food tour to get a little history and taste of the local food scene. This food tour was over the top and by far the best food tour we’ve ever done! I love and appreciate our guide Lauren working in the culinary arts. She has an in-depth understanding and palate for the local food scene. I love all the restaurants we experienced, from the amazing food and drinks to the architecture and decor. All our tastings were high-quality dishes with beautiful presentation, and I appreciate the chefs taking a few minutes from their busy day to introduce themselves and explain their dishes. This chef experience was quite an unexpected and wonderful surprise! I love learning a bit of Santa Fe history along the way. Thank you for the best food tour ever!”—Christopher E. Read more reviews.
Why take the Santa Fe Food & History Walking Tour?
This is the best food tour Santa Fe offers!
This walking tour is a great way to eat a one-of-a-kind late lunch.
While restaurants vary from tour to tour, the typical itinerary will stop at four different tasting stops for food and/or beverages. And it’s not unusual to meet local chefs, restaurants owners, and winemakers during your visits.
Examples of prior tastings include tacos and margaritas at El Callejon, mole and mezcal at Sazón, a sparkling wine flight at Gruet tasting room, and New Mexican craft ice cream at La Lecheria.
You’ll start your walking food tour at the Santa Fe Plaza. Your guide will then do an excellent job of bringing you up to date on 1,000 years of history over the course of 4 hours.
At the Palace of the Governors, you’ll learn the significance of this landmark, which is the oldest public building in the U.S. in continuous use.
Other historical sites along the way include Cathedral Park and the Basilica of Saint Francis, Hotel Saint Francis (the oldest hotel in Santa Fe), Burro Alley, La Fonda Hotel, and Loretto Chapel.
Half-Day Santa Fe Food and History Walking Tour includes:
✔︎ A fun and informative tour guide
✔︎ 4 unique food and beverage tastings
✔︎ Stops at historic sites
✔︎ Learning about the history of Santa Fe
✔︎ Learning about New Mexican cuisine
The historic Santa Fe Plaza is the heart of the city.
Dating back to 1609, the historic Santa Fe Plaza was the endpoint of the Old Santa Fe Trail. Today, it is still the heart of Santa Fe, and you’ll definitely want to find out what keeps it beating!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars—Over 275 reviews!
⏰ 2.5–3 hours, 🚶🏽♀️16 people max
“Our food tour was the absolute best thing we did on our trip to SF. Peter was fun and informative. He also helped us with other plans in the city and surrounding area. I highly recommend this tour, and you should do it when you first arrive!!” —Rebecca P. Read more reviews.
Why take the Food Tour of the Santa Fe Plaza?
This fun food tour will highlight the history and culture that surround the Santa Fe Plaza and the nearby restaurants and their culinary delights.
Taste New Mexican–inspired foods along with alcohol pairings that may include margaritas, local beers, or wine. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available, and, of course, so is dessert!
You’ll visit 4 local favorite Santa Fe Plaza restaurants and one specialty shop. Some possibilities include La Fogata, Del Charro, Luminaria, and Señor Murphy Chocolate Shop.
Learn about the oldest church structure in the U.S., San Miguel Chapel, also called the San Miguel Mission. Pass by Loretto Chapel and hear the story of the miraculous staircase built in 1888. You may even see a wedding at this charmer of a chapel like we did!
Santa Fe Plaza Food Tour includes:
✔︎ A knowledgeable local guide
✔︎ 4 restaurants tastings
✔︎ 1 specialty shop stop
✔︎ Learning about historical sites
See the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi at night on this Santa Fe food tour.
This is a great tour for those with gourmet taste! Take the pressure off of finding the perfect dinner restaurant—and go to three instead!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!
⏰ 2.5–3 hours, 🚶🏽♀️16 people max
“Jose did a wonderful job. You can tell he is very passionate about the culture/history of Sante Fe and loves sharing it with people. Each dish was excellent and the wine pairings truly complemented as well. You can tell they really put thought and effort into making the experience excellent. We will definitely do this again when we come back to Sante Fe.” —Kenneth W. Read more reviews.
Why experience the Santa Fe Wine Pairing Dinner?
This is not your standard food tour! It’s more like a gourmet multi-course dinner with wine pairings.
Come hungry, as you’ll want to eat everything at some of the best foodie spots in Santa Fe. Some of the restaurants you may visit include Julia, Sasella, Rio Chama, and La Casa Sena.
Since this is still a walking food tour, between restaurants, your local guide will give historical context to the sites you pass. For instance, you’ll discover the significance of 109 E. Palace Ave and what it holds today.
You’ll get a whole different perspective of the city at night. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is particularly beautiful all lit up!
Savor Santa Fe: Wine Pairing Dinner includes:
✔︎ A skilled local guide
✔︎ Visits to 3 gourmet restaurants
✔︎ A multi-course dinner with wine pairings
✔︎ Dessert
New Mexican flavors at Kakawa Chocolate House
Wine and food lovers will appreciate this progressive lunch in Santa Fe that visits three local favorites for wine-paired tastes.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars—Over 100 reviews!
⏰ 2.5–3 hours, 🚶🏽♀️16 people max
“The tour guide was awesome, as was all the food. Best food tour in Santa Fe. Food tours are the best way to learn about the food and history of the city you are in.” —Greg R. Read more reviews.
Why take the Santa Fe Wine and Dine Lunch Tour?
With an expert guide leading the way, you’ll stop at three wonderful spots to enjoy the local fare. From spicy New Mexican dishes to decadent chocolates, your delectable choices will together equate to a full lunch with wine pairings.
Previous stops on this culinary lunch tour have included La Casa Sena, SantaCafé, and Kakawa Chocolate House. All have great food!
While you stroll through the city, your guide will show you iconic landmarks like the Palace of the Governors, the capitol building of New Mexico, and more.
Taste of Santa Fe Wine and Dine Lunch includes:
✔︎ An expert guide
✔︎ 3 restaurant stops
✔︎ Lunch with wine pairings
✔︎ Dessert
For a walking food tour away from the tourist trail, take the Santa Fe Railyard tour.
For those who want to walk the path less travelled, the Santa Fe Railyard tour is for you!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars—Over 50 reviews! Badge of Excellence!
⏰ 3–3.5 hours, 🚶🏽♀️12 people max
“Lauren the tour guide was fun, knowledgeable, and helped make for a great experience of dining and sharing local cultural activities and information. Food was awesome, and I highly recommend this tour!”—Montie M. Read more reviews.
Why take the Santa Fe Railyard Food Tour?
Of the 5 best food tours Santa Fe offers, this is the ONLY one that ventures into the Railyard Arts District.
On Tuesdays, the Santa Fe Farmers Market is brimming with lots of good food and other tasty treasures. You'll have the opportunity to meet chefs, farmers, distillers, and craftsmen who are shaping the future of this up-and-coming neighborhood.
On this friendly and casual tour, you’ll see a different side of the history of Santa Fe. Learn how a defunct rail yard transformed into a thriving center of art and culture—and how the railroad redefined the American Southwest.
You'll also discover some of Santa Fe's hidden gems, learn how the city has evolved over the last century, and find out where it's headed in the future.
Santa Fe Railyard Food Tour includes:
✔︎ A knowledgeable local guide
✔︎ Guided tour of the farmers market (Tuesdays)
✔︎ 1 spirits lesson & tasting (Fridays)
✔︎ History of Railyard Arts District
✔︎ 3–4 samples of local cuisine and beverages
Santa Fe Food Tours: FAQs
Aerial view of Santa Fe, New Mexico
1. What foods is Santa Fe known for?
Santa Fe is best known for serving authentic New Mexican foods like sopaipillas, burritos, tacos, stacked enchiladas, pozole, and green chile stew.
2. Is New Mexican cuisine the same as Mexican cuisine?
Although they may share certain traditional dishes, New Mexican cuisine is not the same as Mexican cuisine. The New Mexican green and red chile sauces are the biggest differences between the two. It is also interesting to note that a few Colorado food specialties have similarities to some New Mexican foods.
3. Which is better, red or green chile sauce?
Authentic New Mexican restaurants all make their own sauces, so they vary in taste and spiciness. I tend to order “Christmas,” an offering of both sauces, so that I can taste each of them.
"Christmas" is half red chile sauce and half green.
4. Where is the best place to take a New Mexico food tour?
Santa Fe is the best place for food tours in New Mexico, followed by Albuquerque. Albuquerque breweries, on the other hand, way outnumber Santa Fe’s.
5. When is the best time to take a Santa Fe food tour?
I prefer to take food tours on the first day of a trip, or at least early on in the stay. Doing so helps you get to know the city, and you’ll find places you’ll want to return to. If you wait until your last day, you will most likely wish you did it earlier.
6. Can I take a food tour in Santa Fe if I have serious food restrictions?
You may have the opportunity to request replacements, but it will depend on the tour. Make sure to read the policies and make your inquiries before the tour date.
7. Do I need to be in good walking condition to partake in these Tours?
Yes. All of the above are walking tours that will cover between one and two miles. Check the details of your tour to see the minimal walking ability required.
8. Can I enter the historical sites we see on the tours?
San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church structure in the U.S.
The above Santa Fe experiences do not enter the historic sites. If you return another time, most sites just have a small entry fee per person, if there is any fee at all.
9. What should I bring on my walking food tour?
I always bring a small bottle of water and wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
10. Are gratuities included on Santa Fe tours?
Gratuities for the eateries are included, but not for your guide. If your guide does a good job, it is customary to tip at the end of the tour.
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