Taos Walking Tour: Exploring Historical and Cultural Highlights
4.8
77 Ratings
Taos
Discover the fascinating history and vibrant culture of Taos on a 60-minute walking tour. Uncover unique stories, ghost tales, and historical highlights. Dog-friendly and available daily with a reservation.
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Taos Plaza - The starting and ending place of this walking tour, your guide will cover the major historical points of the Historic Taos Plaza.
  • John Dunn Shops - We will walk through the John Dunn Shops and explain who Long John Dunn was.
  • Taos County Courthouse Murals - Painted during the Great Depression as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, these 10 treasured murals depict justice in allegorical themes in the historic courthouse of Taos, New Mexico.
  • Michael Gorman Gallery - Visit the grandson’s gallery of Carl Gorman, one of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers of World War 2 that are credited with defeating the Japanese Army to win the Pacific theatre. Michael Gorman honors his grandfather and other Code Talkers in his gallery on Taos Plaza.
  • Hotel La Fonda de Taos - An historic hotel on Taos Plaza that displays Navajo artist R.C. Gorman’s work, one of Taos’s signature artists and a true character.
  • Red Cat House Apartment - Visit the red light district of Taos to hear stories of the esteemed (mostly) Dona Luz, Taos’s Lady of Light (Luz in Spanish) and Lady of the Night.
What's Included
  • Local guide
What's Not Included
  • Guide gratuity not included.
Additional Information

Get a brief yet detailed introduction to this charming little town. We share the key historical moments that give this location its distinctive character, such as the lethal haircut of the first American Governor of New Mexico, the erstwhile red light area of Taos, a cleric fathering 51 children, and the most influential Native American in history. We add loads of flavor, excitement, and a couple of ghost tales to keep you engaged throughout the 60-minute, half-mile walk. Friendly to dogs! Available every day with prior appointment. Contact for group trips or spur-of-the-moment reservations.

Location
Plaza South
Meet in front of La Fonda Hotel, 108 South Plaza
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(77 Ratings)
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A8718zysuzannew
May 27, 2024
Perfect! - Our tour guide Sam was great, very friendly and knowledgeable, and brought with him photos and fun references. Great stories and history we learned that we wouldn't have heard just walking around on our own. Definitely recommended this walking tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lillian_s
May 17, 2024
Fun with a local character - Story of the Indian uprising of 1640 & of the historical & artistic figures who came thru Taos, many staying here. Kit Carson’s story was fascinating! Sam is a good narrator of all this!Meeting some shop owners & artists was great too.
Review provided by Viator
Eileen_t
May 12, 2024
Excellent walking tour with Sam - Sam was so accommodating when we had to change our date. He had such a personal insight into the history & culture of Taos. He has personal insight into the Taos art world & brought it all to life.
Review provided by Viator
I6117yqwaltert
May 7, 2024
Taos Experience - The tour was excellent! The tour guide "SAM" was both knowledgeable and entertaining. I would do the tour again for sure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trisha_a
Mar 27, 2024
Nice tour - Sam was a wonderful tour guide. He was friendly and knowledgeable about the local history and did a great job showing us around the town. We really enjoyed ourselves!
Review provided by Viator
Houlinda
Mar 9, 2024
Don’t overlook Taos!! - Sam is so very knowledgeable of the Taos area history which goes back to the 1600’s. He knows historical influencers of the region as well as all of the local shop owners. He is not only great at answering questions, but of relating to both young and older visitors. He is inspiring and you can tell he loves his hometown.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ekeeney17
Mar 5, 2024
Nice tour! - Sam was a great tour guide- very knowledgeable about local history and did a nice job showing me the town. I enjoyed the tour!
Review provided by Viator
Jocko421
Nov 8, 2023
Walkin with Sam - Sam had stories that brought old Taos to light in surprising and humorous ways. He carried a packet of images to make his stories more pointed. We talked with some folks who are part of contemporary Taos. Thanks, Sam!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K782szkarenf
Oct 25, 2023
Had a great time - Sam, the guide, was very entertaining and knowledgeable. Learned a lot on the history of the area. Great tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bt119dp
May 25, 2024
Walking and Art. - We all enjoyed this walking tour of Taos. You do go into lots of art gallery’s but I don’t feel any pressure to buy anything. Our guide Sam was a lovely man!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
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June 2024
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