The Plaza has been the cultural and commercial center of Santa Fe for more than 400 years. A wide variety of museums, churches, restaurants, and shopping options are on or nearby to the Plaza, including the outdoor jewelry market under the portal of the Palace of the Governors on the north side of the Plaza (building pictured).

A 15-minute walk south of the Plaza, Canyon Road is the main reason why Santa Fe is the third-largest art market in the U.S. There are more than 100 galleries along the narrow road with a wide variety of styles and periods represented.

A 9-minute drive southeast of the Plaza, Museum Hill is home to the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden.

A 15-minute drive east of the Plaza, the Randall Davey Audubon Center and the neighboring Nature Conservancy and Dale Ball trails are the best places to hike near downtown Santa Fe. The trail systems give visitors a great sample of the different environmental zones of northern New Mexico. None of the trails require special equipment, but make sure to bring lots of water.

A 15-minute drive southwest of the Plaza, Meow Wolf is a former bowling alley turned experiential arts space and concert venue. Santa Fe's House of Eternal Return was the first permanent installation by the Meow Wolf collective of artists, and there are sibling locations in Denver, Las Vegas, and Dallas/Fort Worth.

A 15-minute drive north of the Plaza near the Santa Fe National Forest, Ten Thousand Waves is a Japanese-style spa with massages, hot tub soaks, facials, and an izakaya restaurant.

A 30-minute drive southwest of downtown Santa Fe, El Rancho de Las Golondrinas is a living history museum that showcases rural life in the 18th and the 19th centuries.

A 40-minute drive northwest of downtown Santa Fe is Los Alamos, NM, home to Los Alamos National Labs. The Bradbury Science Museum documents the history of the Manhattan Project and has replicas of the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

An hour's drive northwest of Santa Fe, Bandelier National Monument preserves evidence of human occupation dating back over 11,000 years ago. Cliff dwellings, pueblo foundations, and high-altitude plant and animals abound. Visit the NPS website before making the drive as parts of the Monument are frequently closed.