Taos Walking Tour: Exploring Historical and Cultural Highlights
4.8
75 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
(75 Ratings)
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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
Maryjudge
Oct 11, 2023
Short and Sweat - We really enjoyed Sam. He is a little soft spoken, but was very interesting. We liked his humor. Taos is a cute area. Sad that the construction takes away from the area.
Review provided by Viator
H3175cgerikah
Jul 8, 2023
Great start to your stay in Taos - Sam was a wonderful tour guide, leading us around the historic Taos Plaza, through the John Dunn shops on Bent Street, and more. He had a binder full of photos to illustrate his narrative and to give it more context. As an artist himself, he introduced us to some of the artists who own galleries in the plaza, and recommended a semi-secret exhibit of DH Lawrence paintings that I enjoyed seeing at the conclusion of our tour. Highly recommend this introduction to Taos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Boardingpass628722
Jun 15, 2023
Toured Taos Pueblo and had a guided informative tour of the native history - Amazing history of native Americans of the Red Willow People. There are approx 5 native families that still reside in the Taos Pueblos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chris
May 27, 2023
Informative and relaxed tour. - Sam gave an interesting and informative tour of Taos. The tour was relaxed and informal. We definitely recommend taking this tour to learn about the history of the area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
V4447yumarkc
Jul 19, 2023
Sam was 5 stars. Taos 3 stars. - Sam was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Taos however, seriously needs to work on their infrastructure. The all-important town square was tore up and, apparently, has been so for a long time. Otherwise, we learned a lot about this vibrant town and it's varied history. Thanks Sam!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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