When I heard I would be attending a conference in Albuquerque, NM, my immediate thought was “What’s in Albuquerque?”. After doing some research, I not only found enough to keep me interested, but I built a full 6-day Albuquerque itinerary.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a city where rich culture, stunning landscapes, and vibrant flavors come together to create an unforgettable travel experience. Whether you’re an art enthusiast eager to explore colorful murals and museums, a foodie craving authentic Southwestern cuisine, or an adventurer ready to hit the hiking trails, this six-day itinerary has something for everyone.

Day 1 – Arrive in Albuquerque, NM

Pick up Rental Car

I was visiting ABQ for a conference so I was already at a hotel in the city. I chose to reserve a car through Turo.com for this trip because it was a much more affordable option than reserving a rental car at a rental car agency. The pick-up location was easily accessible by bus (free to ride) from my hotel.

There is free public transportation in ABQ, but a car is much more convenient depending on your itinerary. If you’re just hoping to stay downtown and visit Old Town, you’re fine without a car. If you want to go hiking, up to Sandia Peak Tramway, or take any day trips, you’ll want to rent a car.

I always look on Turo when I need a rental because it’s typically more affordable than rental agencies, pick up and drop off is less of a hassle, and my Capital One Quicksilver card almost always has a deal for booking rentals through Turo!

There are some risks with Turo, like last-minute booking cancellations, so if you’re uncomfortable with that risk you can always book through another reputable rental car agency like getrentacar.com or rentalcars.com.

Nuclear Science Museum

My first visit was to the Nuclear Science Museum. This museum is on the east side of Albuquerque and was close to my Airbnb so it fit perfectly into my schedule. I spent a little over 2 hours there and the time went by very quickly. There’s so much information in this museum! Whether you’re traveling solo, as a couple, with friends, or with children, I’d absolutely recommend adding it to your Albuquerque itinerary.

Check into Airbnb

When doing my research, I found shared Airbnb’s to be more affordable than hotels for me as a solo traveler. I booked a stay at an Airbnb called ‘Casita Bonita’ and it was one of the cutest, most thoughtful Airbnb‘s I’ve ever stayed at.

Dinner at La Salita

I didn’t have a plan for dinner that night so I just pulled up Google Maps and found a restaurant that was close to the Airbnb and had decent reviews. Dinner at La Salita wasn’t bad at all, but it wasn’t anything to write home about either. I wrote a google review for them sharing my experience.

Day 2 – Hike, Eat, and Visit Museums

Hike Eye of the Sandias Loop

The Casita Bonita Airbnb is just a short 2-minute drive from the Copper Trailhead where I parked my vehicle and hiked the Eye of the Sandias Loop Trail. Parking is free and so is entrance to the hike.

Breakfast & Coffee at Airbnb

I love visiting new restaurants while traveling, but eating out for every meal can quickly make a trip expensive so I always plan to have a few meals “at home”. I typically pack some oatmeal packets, granola bars, cereal, etc.

After my hike, I headed back to the Airbnb, made some oatmeal and coffee, and had a slow morning enjoying the patio.

Sawmill Market

The SawMill Market was one of the coolest places I visited in Albuquerque! I’ve always loved a good food hall because the range of food options brings all kinds of people together in one place and allows everyone in your party to choose something they feel sounds good. They had a great indoor and outdoor space for solo travelers, couples, and friend groups.
This place needs to be on your Albuquerque itinerary!

Museum of Natural History and Science

I’m pretty sure I’ve visited over 15 natural history museums when traveling to different cities across the U.S. and each of them has something unique. Although the dinosaurs were impressive (they always are), what made this natural history museum different from others I’ve visited in the past was the volcano and cave exhibits. They were both done so well and I learned a lot about their impact on ABQ’s history.

Ponderosa Brewery

Right down the street from the Museum of Natural History and Science is Ponderosa Brewery. Of all the breweries I visited, this one was my least favorite. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t recommend adding it to your Albuquerque itinerary. It was really loud inside the brewery, the staff didn’t seem too interested in the people sitting at the bar, and I ordered two beers and didn’t like either of them.

Gravity Bound Brewery

Gravity Bound was the first brewery I visited on my trip and it set a high bar for the rest of them. I love visiting local breweries when I travel and I always ask the bartenders which breweries they would suggest and EVERY single bartender mentioned Gravity Bound!

Marble Brewery

Just around the corner from Gravity Bound is a much larger, much different brewery – Marble Brewery. I loved my time here! The bartenders were amazing and there’s great indoor/outdoor space. I tried 7 beers and liked ALL 7 of them!

Story: As a solo female traveler, I need to make smart decisions and while I was at Marble Brewery, I had to use the restroom and didn’t want to leave an open drink unattended. I asked the bartender if they’d be willing to watch my beer while I used the restroom and not only did they say “Yes, absolutely!” but they covered it with a coaster and moved it to the other side of the bar where no visitors would have had access to it. These small things that help me feel safe are important.

Dinner at Green Jeans Food Hall

Green Jeans is a neat food hall-type place made out of shipping containers. There’s a brewery, multiple restaurants, an arcade, and a few little shops. I got dinner at Fusion Tacos and ate by the outdoor fire pit.

Back to Airbnb for the Night

Today was a long day and I was more than ready to head back and rest up at the Airbnb.

Day 3 – Hike, Eat, and Museums (again!)

Hike Faulty Loop via South Crest Trail

I found this hike on alltrails.com and planned to get to the trailhead around 7 am so that I could finish the 5.8-mile loop and get back to the Airbnb with enough time to shower before my 11 am check out. I really liked this one because it was a challenge and it was in a forest area vs. out in the open like the Eye of the Sandia’s hike.

If you like the outdoors, I highly recommend you find some time to get outside and hike while you’re visiting. Here are some of the best hikes in Albuquerque, New Mexico to add to your itinerary!

Check out of Airbnb

After my hike, I had just enough time to shower, pack up, grab coffee, and check out before my 11 am checkout time. Not gonna lie, I was rushing outta there, but I made it.

Frontier Restaurant for Breakfast

One of the most iconic restaurants in ABQ is Frontier, so I HAD to stop. Parking was a whole ordeal, you can read about it in this post, but I’m glad I visited nonetheless. The food was average, but it was the experience that mattered.

The Albuquerque Museum

This was unexpected and I hadn’t planned on visiting, but I heard it was $6 to visit the museum and park in their parking lot for free or it was $4 to park in the lot.. so I girl-mathed it and said it was only $2 to go to the museum? Why not!

Wander Around Historic Downtown

When researching places I can’t miss in Albuquerque, there was a resounding “HISTORIC DOWNTOWN” response.

In my honest opinion though, it wasn’t all that. The church is very photogenic if you want to get that selfie… I did not. There are a couple of cool spots (like the rattlesnake museum and the Breaking Bad store), but almost every store was selling the same things and the park was much smaller than I’d imagined it would be. I wouldn’t budget much time on your Albuquerque itinerary for visiting the historic downtown area.

Rattlesnake Museum

This place was cool! The owner of the Rattlesnake Museum welcomed me and other visitors with a smiling face and a bunch of jokes. When you enter the museum you first enter a store that has some really unique decor and merchandise for purchase. Spend some time looking around, and reading the funny signs on the ceiling!

Once you’ve paid entrance to the museum, you’ll start your journey through one of the coolest collections of snakes, scorpions, lizards, and turtles that I’ve ever seen. It’s worth the entrance fee in my opinion.

Check into 2nd Airbnb & Relax

I moved to the other side of town to a new Airbnb to be closer to the other attractions I wanted to visit. It’s a cheaper spot, also in a shared home, and not a place I would really recommend unless you’re really traveling on a budget, but it was great for me.

After I checked in I just relaxed for a little bit, sorted through some of my photos, and got my daily Facebook update written.

Self-Guided Mural Tour

When I first arrived I noticed there were a lot of murals around town, so when I checked into my Airbnb, I google mapped a few I wanted to go check out and found there are actually a lot of murals around. So I made a mini-map and hopped in my car to go tour them. I found a couple that weren’t on Google too, which was nice! Read more about my self-guided mural tour in this blog post and add a few of these to your Albuquerque itinerary for good photo ops and to support local artists.

Nob Hill Neighborhood

My mural tour took me to the iconic Nob Hill Neighborhood, which I was going to visit anyway. This whole neighborhood is a blast from the past. The neighborhood is centered around the historic Route 66 central avenue. It’s lined with quirky shops, restaurants, and art galleries. If you’re visiting Nob Hill you have to head over to the Route 66 diner, Guild Theatre, and walk the central ave at night to see all the neon lights.

Tractor Brewery

As mentioned above, there are a few breweries in the Nob Hill neighborhood, and Tractor Brewing is one. I figured it must be a good one because they have three locations across Albuquerque. I loved the farm them and their slogan “Get Plowed” made me laugh because it’s funny and on brand for their theme.

Dinner and Drinks at Bosque Brewery

This place was super busy. It took quite a while to get my food and beer and by the time I was done eating, I was completely wiped out and exhausted. However, I would not exclude it from your Albuquerque itinerary if you’re looking for a fun spot to have drinks with friends or dinner. For my fellow solo travelers, this location wasn’t the most welcoming environment. There are multiple locations of this brewery too though!

Back to Airbnb for the Night

I had a full schedule today so getting back to the Airbnb for some rest was much needed.

Day 4 – Day Trip to Santa Fe

Slow Breakfast at Airbnb, Head up to Santa Fe ( 1 hour drive)

My Airbnb host kindly put out coffee (with creamer!) and some breakfast options including pre-packaged cereal, fruit, and granola bars. I had some breakfast, showered, and then headed up to Santa Fe.

Finding parking in Santa Fe near the plaza was VERY difficult. There was a lot of street parking, but every spot was full and the lots I did find were a bit confusing on whether or not you could park there on weekends so be prepared for that. I ended up parking at the Visitor’s Center for free… but I’m not sure I was allowed to if I’m being honest. I didn’t get a ticket though and I was there for about an hour and a half.

Walk Around Downtown Santa Fe

Once I found a place to park, it was pretty easy to walk around the downtown area. The weather was perfect for exploring a new city. In just over an hour I visited the San Miguel Church, toured Loretto Chapel, and explored a market happening in the plaza.

Explore the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market

After wandering around the plaza, I walked back to my car to head over to the Railyard Arts District to experience the Santa Fe Farmers Market. Unfortunately, I got there near the end of the market so a lot of the stalls were already out of product, but it was very lively and I enjoyed walking around to see what was being sold. I even watched a man fire roast some chiles!

Lunch & Drinks at Railyard Second Street Brewery

While I was at the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market, I got really hungry from all the great smells and decided to stop in for lunch at the Railyard Second Street Brewery, which was located right in the middle of the market.

The food was good, the people were nice, and I had a really great time here.

Ride Sky Railway for their Margarita Themed Train Ride

If you decide to leave Albuquerque for a day trip up to Santa Fe, I’d highly advise having Sky Railway on your itinerary! The staff of this rail experience were so welcoming and fun. The ride was not too short and not too long. The drinks were delicious and I had a really great time riding. There are many different themes for the Sky Railway rides, so depending on your time of visit, you could have a totally different experience each time.

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Stop at REI

At the time I was visiting, I didn’t have an REI near my in my hometown so I was super excited to visit.

Drive Back to Albuquerque

I don’t know what happened here, maybe too many margaritas, but I was supposed to go to Meow Wolf after riding Sky Railway and by the time I got out of REI it had completely slipped my mind! I just got in my car and started driving back to Albuquerque! It wasn’t until I was about 30 minutes into my drive that I remembered I actually had plans to do something else in Santa Fe before I headed back.

That was a missed opportunity for me, but if you’re day-tripping from ABQ to Santa Fe, I’d highly suggest adding Meow Wolf to your agenda if you have the time!

Fast Food & Airbnb

I wasn’t feeling too well when I go back to the Airbnb so I decided for tonight I’d just stop by a fast food place and then rest up.

Day 5 – Breakfast, Cave Visit, Museums, and the Tramway!

Breakfast at Flying Star Cafe

My Airbnb was located in the northwest part of Albuquerque where there weren’t a lot of restaurant options. However, I did find the Flying Star Cafe on Google Maps on Day 5 of my trip. I was so surprised by this place and absolutely fell in love with it. It was large and welcoming, had delicious food, and was a perfect spot to work, have coffee, meet up with friends, or just have a meal. I rave about Flying Star Cafe in my post: 5 must-visit restaurants in Albuquerque!

Drive up to the Sandia Cave

One of the hikes I chose to put on my Albuquerque itinerary is The Sandia Cave hike. I found this one on Alltrails and despite it being less than a mile total, it was unique and intrigued me! Who doesn’t want to hike a cave?

Anyway… I didn’t actually get to the cave. The drive was wild and I didn’t have the appropriate car to get there. I drove an hour to the main cave road… drove about an hour on that road going less than a mile, and then had to turn around and drive back. Read the full story in my Albuquerque hikes blog post.

Soak in Jemez Hot Springs

2nd failed plan of the day was a drive up to Jemez Hot Springs. I was super excited about this one but by the time I’d gotten back to civilization after my failed cave hike attempt, it was already getting pretty hot and the idea of driving another hour to go to a hot spring just really didn’t feel like something I wanted to do. However, it was initially on the itinerary and I would like to visit in the future if I’m back in ABQ.

Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum

After a morning of mishaps, getting to the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum and finding out it was free entrance day was much appreciated.

I really enjoyed this museum! There was a lot of great content. I learned more than I thought I would and seeing all the balloons (and even being able to pull the fire to ignite one) was a cool experience!

ABQ Biopark (Bugarium, aquiarium, botanical gardens)

It was pretty hot so my visit to the ABQ Biopark was shorter than expected, but it was still worth it. The Bugarium alone was worth the ticket price! I’m not a lover of bugs, but I’ve also never seen a Bugarium and I was impressed. It’s definitely unique.

Despite the heat, I took some time to roam around the botanical gardens and stroll through the (thankfully) air-conditioned aquarium. The botanical gardens have an awesome toy train set that runs through an area of the park that really awed me. It was so well constructed. You have to find this train if you’re visiting!

I did not visit the Zoo, but you could easily make a visit to ABQ Biopark a full-day activity.

Back to Airbnb to Cool Down/Relax

It was really hot and I still wasn’t feeling too well so I went back to the Airbnb early today and rested up. I took some time to offload my photos from my phone to my computer, do some editing, and took a nap.

Not so fun fact – 2 days after this trip I was rushed to the emergency room and found out I had a massive kidney stone, which was the cause of me feeling ill while on this trip.

The Sandia Peak Tramway

I ended my day doing one of the most iconic things you can have on your Albuquerque itinerary – Riding the Sandia Peak Tramway. I booked a timeslot that I thought would allow me to catch the sunset while riding up the mountain, but the line was long and I actually watched the sunset from the base of the mountain at the Tramway, and while we were going up it was mostly dark. Seeing the night sky was pretty spectacular though! Read my Sandia Peak Tramway Experience for full details about my visit.

The Sandia Peak Tramway Experience: A Must-Do in Albuquerque, NM

Back to Airbnb for the Night

I had leftovers from my dinner last night so I ate at the Airbnb and headed to bed early.

Day 6 – Final Stops & Heading Out

Check out of Airbnb

Drive Around to a Few More Murals

There were a few murals I hadn’t made my way to yet and I spent my time visiting a few last ones and getting my photos.

Breakfast at Route 66 Diner

Another iconic must-visit place for your Albuquerque itinerary! This iconic diner will take you back in time and fill your belly with some good diner food too.

Wash and Return Rental Car

I don’t think I’ve ever actually run a rental car through a car wash before returning it, but the attempt to make it up to the cave got the car really dirty and I figured I’d rather be safe and pay $15 for a carwash than to be charged the car wash fee on Turo which was around $40!

Catch a Ride to the Airport

Thankfully I found a rental car that was close to the airport so I got a Lyft for a 4-minute ride to the airport. I had too much luggage to take the bus and I definitely couldn’t have walked it with all my luggage crossing a few major highways.

Summary

Creating a 6-day itinerary for a trip to Albuquerque, NM is not a difficult task at all! I visited as solo female traveler and I never felt unsafe despite all the locals telling me not to go out after dark. I enjoyed multiple museums, visiting iconic Route 66 stops, wandering through the city looking for beautiful street art, and of course eating and drinking at inviting restaurants and breweries.

I did take one of my 6 days to venture out of the city to Santa Fe, but even if I didn’t I would have had plenty to do within Albuquerque itself.