Best Hotels in Santa Fe for Christmas

Santa Fe's Christmas is built around farolitos, small paper-bag lanterns lit along adobe walls, and a Christmas Eve walk on Canyon Road. There are also the Plaza lights, Las Posadas processions and seasonal concerts. The city sits at about 7,000 feet, so December is cold and sunny, with some snow.

What's on

• Canyon Road Farolito Walk — Canyon Road, Eastside. 24 December, evening; in 2025 from sundown to 9 pm, and free.
• Las Posadas on the Plaza — Santa Fe Plaza and the Palace of Governors. 6 December 2026, from 5 pm (7 December in 2025, the 49th annual). A candle-lit procession that ends with carols at the Plaza bandstand.
• Plaza holiday lighting — Santa Fe Plaza. A Friday evening around the start of the holiday season; in 2025 the event ran about 4 to 8 pm with the tree lit around 6:30 pm. Check the City of Santa Fe for the 2026 date.
• La Luz de las Noches — Santa Fe Botanical Garden. 17 to 31 December 2026, evenings, closed 24 and 25 December.

Dates and times change from year to year, so check the organiser's listing before you travel.

Where to stay

• Plaza and downtown: Las Posadas, the Plaza lighting and most restaurants are on foot, and Canyon Road is a walk away.
• Canyon Road and the Eastside: The Farolito Walk is on your doorstep, along with the galleries and quiet adobe lanes.
• Railyard District: Restaurants, galleries and a cinema close to downtown, a short walk from the Plaza.

December weather

December highs are around 45 to 47°F (7 to 8°C) with lows around 18°F (-8°C), with sunny days, cold nights and some snow.

How we picked: the 7 hotels in this guide are 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts in Santa Fe with the strongest Booking.com guest scores, weighted by how many reviews they have. Scores and review counts were checked in October 2026.