Where to Stay
Book early
It's a holiday weekend and Taos fills up fast in September — we recommend booking your room as soon as you can. Here are a few of our favorite places to stay.
A note on hotel availability: If a hotel search comes up empty for our dates, it likely just means they haven't released rooms yet — Taos hotels typically don't open their booking calendars until six months to a year out. Check back closer to the date rather than assuming it's booked up. (Booking advice from us, in full: book early, unless you can't, in which case book later.)
Taos
Hotel Willa
Our top pick. Beautifully restored boutique hotel right on the Taos Plaza with a great bar (Juliette) and restaurant. Walkable to almost everything downtown. The hotel also has cars on hand for guests and will even run shuttles up to the ski valley.
El Monte Sagrado
Beautiful resort set on the Rio Pueblo just steps from the Plaza. Gorgeous grounds and a great spa. A step up in luxury if you're looking to treat yourself.
El Pueblo Lodge
A comfortable, well-located lodge on the north side of Taos.
The Historic Taos Inn
A Taos landmark just north of the Plaza, with adobe charm and the famous Adobe Bar — known as "the living room of Taos" — right in the lobby. Walkable to downtown.
Arroyo Seco / El Prado
Airbnb options near the venue
If you'd like to stay in Arroyo Seco during the weekend, there are some great Airbnb options close to the venue. Neighboring El Prado is also close to the venue and should have even more options. Search on Airbnb for Arroyo Seco or El Prado, NM — book early as this area fills up fast in September.
One thing to weigh before you book: our wedding shuttle picks up at Hotel Willa and El Pueblo Lodge only. At the end of the night it can drop off in Arroyo Seco and El Prado if your rental sits right on Highway 150, Highway 230, or US 64 heading into town — but there's no pickup out that way beforehand. Staying in town is far and away the simplest option. If you do book out near Seco, plan on driving yourselves to the venue, and know you can leave the car there overnight and ride the shuttle home. Worth sorting out before somebody plans on a second margarita.
Taos Ski Valley
The Blake at Taos Ski Valley
Up the mountain at the ski valley. Summer activities include mountain biking, Via Ferrata, spa, hiking, and scenic lift trips. Shops, restaurants, and bars will be open for the holiday weekend. For those traveling with kids, The Blake has babysitters who will come to the hotel.
If you're flying into Taos, The Blake also does airport pickup from TSM — ask about it when you book.
Getting Here
Flying into Taos
Believe it or not, Taos has an airport!
The schedules are a little tricky as there aren't flights every day, but two airlines fly into TSM:
JSX
If prices and times align, this is absolutely the way to go!
Contour Air
Search via Google Flights with TSM as the destination. Flights between Taos and Denver run on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays only. If prices and times align, this is absolutely the way to go!
A note on flight schedules — and when to book
Both JSX and Contour only publish their schedules three to six months out, so if you search TSM today and nothing comes up — don't panic! It doesn't mean the flights are gone or that they've stopped flying to Taos. It just means the schedule isn't loaded yet. Set a reminder to check again in the spring of 2027, and in the meantime you can price out Santa Fe or Albuquerque as a backup.
On timing: the usual “wait until a few weeks out for a deal” advice doesn't really apply to a holiday weekend. Labor Day fares tend to climb rather than dip, so aim to book roughly three to five months ahead — somewhere around April to June 2027.
Big airports vs. small ones: Albuquerque and Denver have enough competition that it's worth setting a price alert on Google Flights and waiting for a good fare. Taos, Santa Fe, and Alamosa are the opposite — small planes, few seats, and prices that only go up as they sell. On those, book when you see something that works rather than waiting for a sale that isn't coming.
One more trick: flying in Thursday and out Tuesday is usually cheaper than Friday-in, Monday-out, when everyone else is traveling. It also happens to line up nicely with Contour's Thursday/Sunday/Monday schedule — and it gives you an extra day in Taos, which we would obviously never discourage.
Nearby airports
Santa Fe (SAF)
The closest commercial airport. United and American fly to SAF regularly via Dallas, Phoenix, and Denver. Fingers crossed that by the wedding, there will also be a flight from Chicago. CHO-ORD-SAF FTW!
Alamosa (ALS)
Twice-daily flights from Denver, and the airport has TSA. The drive to Taos is exactly the same length as from Santa Fe — just an easier drive. Car rentals available at the airport.
Albuquerque (ABQ)
A sweet little airport. For East Coast residents, there is a direct flight on United from Dulles (IAD) to ABQ that operates daily. There's also a JetBlue flight from JFK that runs seasonally. All major car rental companies are available at ABQ — we recommend renting a car here rather than relying on shuttles.
Before you leave the airport, stop into Los Poblanos — one of New Mexico's most beloved farm and lavender estates has a retail shop right in the terminal. Beautiful botanicals, soaps, and locally made goods. A wonderful introduction to New Mexico.
Denver (DEN)
Only a good option if you want to tack on a trip through the Front Range. Marcus and Annie love driving through Buena Vista and Salida to get to Denver — a little longer than going via Colorado Springs, but worth the extra time. Several direct flights daily from Richmond on Southwest, United, and Frontier.
Getting to Taos from the Airport
Two roads lead to Taos — take a different one each way
Whether you're flying into ABQ or Santa Fe, there are two main routes north to Taos: the High Road and the Low Road. If your schedule allows, we recommend taking one each way — they couldn't be more different from each other. Our pick: take the Low Road north to Taos and the High Road south back to Santa Fe or ABQ.
The High Road to Taos
The classic mountain route winds through centuries-old Spanish Colonial villages in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Allow extra time — there's a lot worth stopping for.
Highlights along the way:
- Chimayó — El Santuario de Chimayó is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in North America — a humble adobe that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Deeply moving. Inside the back room, pilgrims collect the tierra bendita — holy dirt said to have healing powers. Some take it home. Some eat it on the spot. You know who you are.
- Rancho de Chimayó — Just up the road from the church, a New Mexico institution serving legendary red chile in a historic hacienda.
- Truchas — A dramatic ridge-top village with sweeping views and working artists' studios. Sugar Nymph Bistro is here for a meal or a slice of pie.
- Las Trampas — One of the best-preserved 18th-century adobe churches in New Mexico.
- Peñasco & Sipapu — Quiet mountain villages before the final descent into Taos.
The Low Road to Taos
The Low Road follows US 84/285 north from Santa Fe, then cuts east on NM 68 along the Rio Grande through the gorge. It's the faster route — and honestly more dramatic, especially on the drive to Taos. The canyon narrows, the river rushes alongside you, and the red cliffs rise several hundred feet on either side.
Before you hit the gorge, you'll pass through Española — stop at El Parasol for the shredded beef tacos with avocado. Always. Pull over at Pilar if rafting is on your agenda — Los Rios River Runners launches from here. There are also wonderful spots to pull off and wade into the river along the way.
As the canyon opens and you climb out toward Taos, the view back over the gorge is unparalleled — the land suddenly drops away behind you and the scale of the whole thing hits at once. The day Annie drove into Taos for the first time, there was a rainbow ending right in the middle of town. An auspicious omen if ever there was one.
If you're taking the Low Road north, consider taking the High Road back south to Santa Fe — you'll see two completely different faces of northern New Mexico.
Getting Around
Sadly, Taos does not have reliable Uber/Lyft service.
In general we recommend renting a car at whichever airport you fly into — it's the simplest way to get around, and you'll want it for exploring. But if you'd rather not drive, there are good shuttle options.
We are planning a wedding shuttle between town and the venue. Heading to the wedding, it picks up at Hotel Willa and El Pueblo Lodge only. At the end of the night it runs the other way and can also drop off in Arroyo Seco and El Prado, as long as your place is on the main route — Highway 150, Highway 230, or US 64 (Paseo del Pueblo Norte) heading back into town.
So the ride home is the flexible one, not the ride there. If you're staying out toward Seco, plan on getting yourself to the venue and catching the shuttle back afterwards. If you drive, you're welcome to leave the car at the venue overnight and collect it the next day. We'll confirm times closer to the weekend.
Shuttles & airport transfers
Please do not take a public bus from the airport
You may come across the free Blue Bus from Santa Fe, or similar public transit from Albuquerque, and think you've found a wonderful bargain. Please don't. These are local routes for locals running errands — they are not airport transfers, and they are not somewhere we want to put the people we love. This is not us being precious about comfort. Take a shuttle or rent a car. We are begging you.
Arrange your ride before you fly
TSM is a very small airport, and there is no scheduled service into town that we can promise will be running over Labor Day weekend — some of the free transit routes here are winter-only. Don't land expecting to sort it out on arrival. Either reserve a rental car at the airport or arrange a shuttle pickup ahead of time. It's a short drive into Taos, but you do need a plan for it.
One happy exception: if you're staying at The Blake up at the ski valley, they do airport pickup from TSM. Mention your flight when you book your room.
Taos Rides
Door-to-door shuttle and charter service between Taos, the Albuquerque Sunport, and Santa Fe, for groups up to twelve. Book at least 48 hours ahead.
Fares, one way, before tax: $130 between Taos and ABQ, $90 between Taos and Santa Fe, $145 from ABQ to Taos Ski Valley, and $105 from the Ski Valley to Santa Fe.
Plan your landing time around the schedule. The daily northbound run picks up at the Albuquerque Sunport at 1:00 pm and Santa Fe at 2:00 pm, reaching Taos around 4:00 pm. So if you want the scheduled shuttle, aim to be on the ground at ABQ before about noon. If your flight lands later — or there are a few of you traveling together — ask them about a private charter instead.
Other local options
Shuttle Taos (+1 575 770 4033) and Mountain View Shuttle (+1 575 770 8759) both run local and regional trips. Taos Ski Valley also operates its own airport shuttle if you're staying up the mountain at The Blake.
Car rentals
Wheeler Peak Rent a Car (+1 575 776 4904) serves the Taos airport, and there's an Enterprise on the south side of town. Selection is limited in both cases, so reserve early — renting at ABQ or Santa Fe usually gives you more choice and better rates.
Please confirm before you rely on any of this
Shuttle schedules, fares, and phone numbers have a way of changing — especially a year out, and the fares above don't include tax. Everything here was accurate when we put this page together, but do call ahead to confirm before you build your travel day around it.