The best road trip stops on the Amarillo to Albuquerque drive are Tucumcari NM, Santa Rosa NM and Tijeras NM. The distance from Amarillo to Albuquerque by car is 288 miles, with a 4h18m driving time.
Planning an Amarillo to Albuquerque road trip itinerary
The Amarillo to Albuquerque drive connects Texas to New Mexico on Route 66.
Amarillo is a classic stop on Route 66. Highlights include Cadillac Ranch, an art installation featuring 10 brightly-painted Cadillacs buried nose-first in the ground. You’ll also find the Texas Air and Space Museum here, and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. For the great outdoors, Palo Duro Canyon State Park is just to the south-east of the city.
For high quality Amarillo accommodation, try the historic Barfield or the spacious Embassy Suites Amarillo Downtown.
5 great Albuquerque experiences to book
- 🎈 Admire the sunrise on a hot air balloon ride across the desert.
- 🌅 Alternatively, take your balloon ride at sunset.
- 🎬 Get on the trail of Walter White with a Breaking Bad filming locations tour.
- 🚴 Take a bike tour – and see Albuquerque’s top natural sights.
- 👻 Listen to spooky historic tales on an Old Town ghost tour.
In Albuquerque, the must-dos are the Sandia Peak Tramway cable car and Petroglyph National Memorial. Explora and the ABQ BioPark are good bets with kids in tow, while the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum explores one of the greatest places in the world for hot air ballooning.
Fabulous Albuquerque experiences include a sunrise hot air balloon flight, old town ghost walks and nature tours by bike. You can also pay a visit to the castle-like Turquoise Museum and old town food tours focusing on New Mexican flavours.
Great Albuquerque accommodation choices include the historic, adobe-style Casas de Suenos and the old town’s art-filled Hotel Chaco.
Amarillo to Albuquerque distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Amarillo to Albuquerque is 288 miles. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 18 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-40.
The best stops to add to an Amarillo to Albuquerque road trip itinerary are Tucumcari NM, Santa Rosa NM and Tijeras NM.
Best stops between Amarillo and Albuquerque: Tucumcari NM
Tucumcari NM makes a big play of its location on Route 66, and the Route 66 Monument here makes for a classic photo.
The main Tucumcari attraction worth considering is the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, which showcases the wealth of dino fossils discovered nearby.
Tucumcari accommodation is mainly motel-style, with the Roadrunner Lodge Motel generally getting the best reviews.
Amarillo to Albuquerque road trip attractions: Santa Rosa NM
Santa Rosa NM bills itself as the Scuba diving capital of the Southwest, largely thanks to the Blue Hole. This 81ft deep pool, fed by an artesian spring, is naturally heated to 62 degrees year-round. Divers need a permit, swimmers don’t.
Another alternative for swimming is Park Lake, which is patrolled by lifeguards in summer and has an inflatable obstacle course that’s very popular with children.
Car-lovers, meanwhile, can enjoy the Route 66 Auto Museum.
Amarillo to Albuquerque drive: Tijeras NM
Tijeras NM is sandwiched between the Sandia Mountains and Manzano Mountains. There are several hiking trailheads around the village. For a relatively easy leg-stretch, the one mile return walk to Travertine Falls is best tackled in spring when the water is flowing. The trail to Carlito Springs is another option that won’t eat much of the day.
For cultural attractions, take a walk through the ruins of the Tijeras Pueblo Architectural Site or the Museum of the American Military Family.
More Texas road trips
Other Texas travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Where to stop on the Austin to Albuquerque drive through west Texas and New Mexico.
- Interstate road trips from Houston: Where to stop on the Houston to Albuqueruque drive, Houston to Hot Springs AR drive, Houston to Memphis drive, Houston to Oklahoma City drive and Houston to Wichita drive.
- Best stops on the Austin to Galveston drive and the Dallas to Galveston drive.
- Best stops on the Dallas to Hot Springs AR drive.
- Getting to Houston: The best stops on the Abilene to Houston drive, Arlington to Houston drive, Dallas to Houston drive and Waco to Houston drive.
