Click on “Download the brochure” for rates, terms, and itinerary details.

Art aficionados, curious travelers, and fans of beautiful sunsets will love this small group tour designed to provide you with an in-depth experience of the rich tapestry of cultural heritage that blooms in New Mexico.

Trace the landscapes that captivated Georgia O’Keeffe, from her museum to her home in Abiquiú, where desert light and form shaped an artistic legacy. Continue into Taos at the storied Mabel Dodge Luhan House, once a gathering place for writers, painters, and photographers who defined a creative era.

Go beyond the gallery walls with curator-led explorations and a private visit to the renowned Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery Gallery, a global leader in Native American ceramics. Engage with the pioneering work of the Tamarind Institute, whose revival of lithography reshaped contemporary printmaking.

From the sacred Puye Cliffs to the quiet expanse of the Chimayó Valley and the creative enclaves of Taos and Abiquiú, experience the terrain that has long stirred artistic expression. In this interplay of geology, culture, and light, New Mexico reveals its enduring creative spirit.

The Inn of The Governors, located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, will be your abode for the duration of the tour. Authentic, stylish, with a breakfast you will miss after your gone, this boutique property with flower-laden balconies and fireplace rooms is the perfect home base from which you will set out each day. With a gorgeous 86-degree outdoor pool available year round, your tranquil evenings may include a swim under the stars or a visit to one of the iconic nearby spas.

Accompanied by art historian Nancy Green, this program offers an in-depth experience of New Mexico’s artistic and cultural heritage. Nancy’s expertise and passion for the region will enrich your understanding of the interplay between the landscape, culture, and art that defines New Mexico.

“Nancy is fantastic - probably the primary reason I signed up for this tour. Personable, knowledgeable, able to connect with everyone, from art novices to art historians."
~Katie Streitwieser '77, 2025 New Mexico traveler

Nancy Green's enduring impact on the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art where she served for many years as the Gale & Ira Drukier Curator is well known. Now retired, Nancy co-leads CAU Summer's most popular course--an art history survey course that spans decades, traditions, movements, and iconic milestones in a matter of days providing students with a definitive and dazzling grasp on art and culture from 1880 to the Eve of WWII. Known for inspiring her students with her holistic approach that includes bringing music and food relevant to the art she's teaching about into the classroom, Nancy is a natural leader of CAU Study Tours emphasizing immersive experiences. Nancy designed your itinerary to include both the most iconic museums of the region as well as important cultural touch points that will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the region, its people, and the art that grows from the Land of Enchantment, as New Mexico is affectionately called.

Following your independent arrivals in Santa Fe, you may choose to utilize a pre-arranged shuttle service or Uber to make your own way to the Inn of the Governors, (superior rooms) which is about one hour from the Albuquerque airport. Inn of the Governors is located a few steps away from the historic Santa Fe Plaza. The rooms here are rich in color and decorated in a charming southwestern style. Your hotel is renowned for its Mountain Sunrise Breakfast, an abundant spread of southwestern offerings, which you will experience on Day 2! This evening, meet your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner.

(Meals included: Dinner)

After breakfast, dive into an artistic journey with Nancy Green as she presents a captivating exploration of Georgia O’Keeffe’s life and masterpieces, revealing the vivid landscapes and delicate flowers that define O’Keeffe’s iconic style. Following the presentation, depart for a lovely eight-to-ten minute walk through the historic downtown neighborhood to the O’Keeffe Museum where the collections provide a palpable sense of the deep connection between her works, life, and the terrain of the New Mexico countryside—an understanding which will deepen when you visit Abiquiu on Day 5. Continue to Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. The museum has a broad collection that includes 80,000 archaeological, ethnographic, and fine arts objects, and more than 10 million artifacts from almost 12,000 carefully excavated archaeological sites across New Mexico. As a part of the Laboratory of Anthropology, the museum interprets the history and contemporary life of the Pueblo, Navajo, Apache, and other indigenous cultures of the Southwest. Meeting the group will be Tony Chavarria, the museum Head Curator of Ethnology. Lunch has been arranged at The Museum Hill Café. After lunch visit the Museum of International Folk Art, one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to folk art. We are also very excited to have con-firmed a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum with a curatorial team member. Return to the hotel mid-afternoon. Enjoy dinner tonight at the Santa Cafe.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Get inspired with an early morning lecture from CAU Study Tour leader, Nancy Green and then head our to enjoy a full day excursion to Taos which is sometimes called the “Soul of the Southwest” because it’s a community made up of different cultures that nurture creative spirits. We will set off on a scenic drive (about one hour and forty minutes) along the Rio Grande River on our way to the small high desert city of Taos. Our first stop will be at the D. H. Lawrence Ranch where the famous writer lived and worked for two years. Enjoy lunch at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House which is now a hotel and small conference center. It was once home of arts supporter and writer Mabel Dodge Luhan (1879–1962). Continue on to the Taos Art Museum which is located in the previous home of Russian artist Nicolai Fechin. We'll then head to explore the Millicent Rogers Museum. This museum gives visitors a chance to see a wide range of objects including Native American jewelry, pottery, weavings, baskets, and more. We’ll return to Santa Fe by late afternoon and the balance of the day is yours to enjoy. Perhaps it’s time for a spa appointment at one of the acclaimed locations nearby, or dinner at the James Beard Award-winning Sazón, which is walking distance from your hotel. Advance bookings for both spa appointments and dinner reservations are highly recommended.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

This morning, walk to the nearby IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) which holds the premier collection of contemporary Native American art in the world from Native American, First Nations and other Indigenous peoples. Close by is the Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery Gallery where we have arranged for an introduction to Southwest Native American pottery Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery is the premier Native American pottery gallery in the world. After lunch, enjoy free time to revisit the museum collections, browse the shops and galleries, or relax by the pool at Inn of the Governors. This is another evening when you can select from Santa Fe’s diverse dining options. Advance reservations are highly recommended.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

This morning, we will head north on a one-hour drive to the O’Keeffe Welcome Center, gateway to the Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio Tour at Abiquiu. O’Keeffe’s home in Abiquiú reveals her commitment to design and the aesthetics of her surroundings. Plus, you can peek into her pantry, cupboard, and closet for an inside view of her well-curated personal objects. Following a scenic drive, enjoy lunch at Ghost Ranch, where after lunch you will visit the simple adobe house that was O’Keeffe’s first residence in her beloved New Mexico. Return to Santa Fe for dinner at a local restaurant.

(Meals included: B, L, D)

This morning we will stop first at the Railyard Artisan Market which is dedicated to local artisans and small creative businesses. Every Sunday, year-round, it is of New Mexico’s oldest and best-loved art markets. From the market depart for the Puye Cliffs. After lunch, our local Santa Clara Pueblo guide will meet the group and share the history of the ancient living pueblos carved into the side of a rock dating back over one thousand years. The origins of the Puye Cliff Dwellings date back to the 900s when a group of 1,500 Pueblo Indians constructed multiple levels of living spaces in the side of a canyon wall. Concluding our time at the Pueblo, we will return to Santa Fe for your last chance to experience the night life on your own.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

After a morning lecture from Nancy, we’ll take a short five-minute walk across the plaza to the New Mexico Art Museum, known for its extensive collections of the Taos Society of Artists and Los Cinco Pintores, the five painters who moved to Santa Fe in the 1920s and helped establish the community as a famous art colony. Meeting the group will be Tom Leech, the curator of the 2026 show at the museum Gustave Baumann: The Artist’s Environment. This expansive retrospective revealed the humor, beauty, and craftsmanship that shaped Baumann’s vision of the Southwest—its light, its landscapes, and its layered cultural identity. Enjoy free time to revisit your favorite museums or shops this afternoon before heading to Chimayo, one of the Southwest’s most historic villages. On the way, visit the home and studio of Cornell alum Randall Davey Class of 1909, now an Audubon sanctuary. Enjoy a farewell dinner at the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant, which was honored as one of New Mexico’s Culinary Treasures in March 2014, one of only a handful of restaurants awarded with this wonderful distinction. En route back to Santa Fe, your coach will make a stop so you can marvel at the desert landscape of the night and the star-studded sky above.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner)

After breakfast, drive to Albuquerque and enjoy a visit to the NM University Art Museum which houses the largest collection of art in New Mexico with the goal of bringing cutting edge contemporary artists to Albuquerque. Close by, we'll visit the Tamarind Institute, a lithography workshop created in 1960 as a division of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. At the conclusion of our visit to the Tamarind, it’s time to head to the airport. You will arrive by 12:30 p.m. with a provided boxed lunch to sustain you through the day’s travels.

(Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch)

April 6 - 13, 2027
To reserve your space:
contact CAU partner, Distant Horizons (Pacific Time)
Phone: 562-983-8828 |  Email: emilyw@distant-horizons.com

Download the brochure

August 1 - 11, 2027
CAU Study Tour featuring Cole Gilbert, Professor of Entomology &
Linda Rayor, Senior Lecturer Emerita
In partnership with Thomson Safaris

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