Five-Night Land-Only (Post-Tour Included)
October 3-8, 2025
Overview & Pricing
Hotel: Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town (Albuquerque), Eldorado Hotel & Spa (Santa Fe)
Activity Level
Days: 6
Travel Host:
Purdue Alumni Travel Staff
Email Host
Package Overview
Spend more time immersed in the excitement of the International Balloon Fiesta with the Purdue Alumni Association and Purdue Alumni Travel by exploring more of what New Mexico has to offer. Packages include all aspects of our three-night tour, plus in-depth visits to Chimayo, Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home Studio, Santa Fe hotel accommodations, and more!
Package Includes:
- Three (3) nights’ deluxe HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS at the newly renovated Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
- Check-in: Friday, October 3
- Check-out: Monday, October 6
- WELCOME RECEPTION on Friday evening with complimentary food and beverages featuring an Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta industry speaker
- Balloon Fiesta Park ADMISSION Sat (morning & evening) and Sun (morning), includes events like Dawn Patrol, Mass Ascension, and Balloon Glow (Sat evening)
- Exclusive Gondola Club HOSPITALITY for all sessions which includes, food, open bar (3 drinks pp.), restrooms and prime viewing spots
- Deluxe roundtrip TRANSPORATION to Balloon Fiesta Park on Sat and Sun with preferred parking
- Sunday evening highlight is a Flamenco PERFORMANCE with dinner and beverages
- Monday morning BREAKFAST reception at Hotel Albuquerque
- Two (2) nights deluxe HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS at Eldorado Hotel & Spa
- Check-in: Monday, October 6
- Check-out: Wednesday, October 8
- Monday guided afternoon in Chimayo with ADMISSION to El Santuario de Chimayo, the Chimayo Museum, and lunch
- A Tuesday behind-the-scenes tour Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home Studio in Abiquiu
- ADMISSION to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe on Tuesday
- Wednesday morning airport TRANSFERS to Albuquerque International Sunport
- Official Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta SOUVENIRS
- Event lanyard and CREDENTIALS for seamless entry
- On-site TRAVEL HOSTS and a hotel hospitality desk for any assistance needed throughout your stay
- Detailed pre-travel and on-site TRAVEL DOCUMENTS provided
- Taxes and gratuities are included for all provided items
PLEASE NOTE: Transportation to/from your home city to Albuquerque is not included. Travel insurance is highly recommended; CLICK HERE for more information.
Pricing
*Pricing per person, based on occupancy.
| Single | Double | Triple | Quad |
| $7,119 | $5,779 | $5,249 | $3,739 |
Occupancy Rules:
Max Occupancy: 4
Max Adult: 4
Max Children: 3
Due to the nature of our Bucket List Tours, please note this not a university-exclusive trip. While many of our fan travel offerings coincide with singular university events and alumni gatherings, our Bucket List Tours are open to all travelers looking to experience these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Hotel
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
800 Rio Grande Blvd NW | Albuquerque, NM 87104
505-843-6300
This landmark Albuquerque luxury hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Old Town and the Sawmill District, offering accommodations and amenities, including on-site restaurant and bars, an outdoor resort swimming pool, a romantic wedding chapel, and more than 62,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. Hotel Albuquerque is only steps away from Sawmill Market: a 25,000 square-foot food hall with various local vendors featuring an array of culinary experiences. Hotel Albuquerque is being transformed again into one of the most luxurious hotels in New Mexico. This property will welcome you with new guest bathrooms, additional renovations in the guest rooms, and traditional New Mexican tile throughout the property.
Hotel Information
Standard Guestroom
Max Occupancy: 4 / Max Adults: 4 & Max Children: 3
Eldorado Hotel & Spa
309 W San Francisco Street | Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-988-4455
For centuries men have searched for the legendary city known as Eldorado – the City of Gold. Despite their failure to find any cities of gold, history has shown this expedition to have been a journey of epic proportions. This unique AAA Four-Diamond-rated Santa Fe hotel and spa shares the story of Eldorado with a modern twist. Located just steps away from the historic Santa Fe Plaza, the thrill of discovery is met with true reward — celebrating centuries of tradition and culture in a bold new expression of design and creativity.
Hotel Information
Standard Guestroom
Max Occupancy: 4 / Max Adults: 4 & Max Children: 3
Ticket
Balloon Fiesta Park
Albuquerque, NM
Click to enlarge.
Saturday Morning Mass Ascension & Twilight Twinkle Glow
Admission to Saturday's morning and evening sessions.
Mass Ascension, a launch of all the participating balloons has been a feature of Balloon Fiesta since its earliest days and is the most spectacular display of sound and color in all of aviation. During mass ascensions, balloons launch in two waves. Launch directors, also known as zebras because of their black-and-white-striped outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch so balloons leave the field in a safe and coordinated manner. Weather permitting, balloons begin to launch at about 7:00 AM on mass ascension days, led by a balloon flying the American flag to the strains of The Star Spangled Banner.
The events now known as balloon glows were invented in Albuquerque in 1979, when local pilots inflated balloons on Christmas Eve night as a thank you to local residents. The sight of balloons lit from within at night like giant holiday ornaments is breathtaking and glow events are now held all over the world. Balloon Fiesta launched its Balloon Glow, the world's biggest, in 1987. Balloon Glow all burns, when all the balloons fire their burners and light up at the same time are perhaps the most spectacular single moment in all of Balloon Fiesta. The Balloon Glows, followed by New Mexico's most spectacular fireworks displays, are now among Balloon Fiesta's most popular events.
INCLUDED IN PACKAGE
Sunday Morning Mass Ascension
Admission to Sunday morning's session.
Mass Ascension, a launch of all the participating balloons has been a feature of Balloon Fiesta since its earliest days and is the most spectacular display of sound and color in all of aviation. During mass ascensions, balloons launch in two waves. Launch directors, also known as zebras because of their black-and-white-striped outfits, serve as traffic cops, coordinating the launch so balloons leave the field in a safe and coordinated manner. Weather permitting, balloons begin to launch at about 7:00 AM on mass ascension days, led by a balloon flying the American flag to the strains of The Star Spangled Banner.
INCLUDED IN PACKAGE
Hot Air Balloon Rides
If you are interested in taking a ride in a hot air balloon during your time in Albuquerque, please reach out to Rainbow Ryders, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta’s preferred vendor.
www.rainbowryders.com/festivals/albuquerque-international-balloon-fiesta/ or call 1-800-725-2477
OPTIONAL TICKETS Ride and transportation to site not included in package
Misc
Saturday & Sunday Gondola Club Hospitality
Enjoy Balloon Fiesta from one of the most picturesque locations in Balloon Fiesta Park. The Gondola Club is a private area away from the crowds, and includes delicious food, local entertainment, courtesy shuttles, and indoor restrooms just for our guests. The Balloon Fiesta is a truly unique experience, and Gondola Club tickets allow guests to experience this world-class event in a very special and private setting. Just imagine being able to have a private seat complete with wonderful food while looking out over a Mass Ascension, Special Shapes Rodeo, a balloon glow, competition or fireworks.
INCLUDED IN PACKAGE
Sunday Dinner and Flamenco Performance
At Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, passion and energy come alive nightly as you experience flamenco in its most intimate, powerful setting in the heart of historic Old Town Albuquerque. Featuring a world-class line-up of artists, the Tablao Flamenco presents a dynamic schedule of performances, featuring the premier artists from Spain and the United States.
INCLUDED IN PACKAGE
Monday Tours
Monday includes guided tours to El Santuario de Chimayo and the Chimayo Museum, and includes lunch.
El Santuario de Chimayo
Nestled in the village of Chimayo along the High Road to Taos sits a national historic landmark, El Santuario de Chimayo. The sanctuary is notorious for the unusual legend of its creation and as a present-day pilgrimage site. It receives almost 300,000 visitors per year and has been called "no doubt the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States.” It is also often called the “Lourdes of America” for its magical healing soil. In the small prayer room next to the sanctuary is a round hole filled with this soil. In fact, many come to the church in pursuit of this soil, hoping to find a cure for their afflictions.
Chimayo Museum
The Museum is located in the Plaza del Cerro, one of Chimayo's historic neighborhoods. The Plaza was organized as a fortified community in the second half of the eighteenth century by the Spanish colonial administration of New Mexico. The rectangular Plaza is made up of a contiguous row of adobe buildings. It was designed to protect its residents from attack. It is one of the best surviving examples of a fortified plaza in New Mexico. The Museum building is a classic New Mexican adobe home with white-washed mud plastered interior walls, vigas as supporting ceiling beams and hardened mud floors. In the nineteenth century, it was the home of Jose Ramon Ortega y Vigil and Petra Mestas Ortega, ancestors of the world-renowned Ortega family of Chimayo weavers.
INCLUDED IN PACKAGE
Tuesday Tours
Tuesday includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home Studio in Abiquiu and admission to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe.
Home Studio
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) was an important American modernist who painted the stunning architectural and landscape configurations of Northern New Mexico for more than 40 years. She bought a house at Ghost Ranch in 1940, and another in Abiquiu in 1945, which are now owned by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. The 5,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial-era Abiquiu compound was in ruins and for the next four years O’Keeffe supervised its restoration. She moved from New York to make New Mexico her permanent home in 1949 and lived at these two houses until 1984, when she moved to Santa Fe. O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio in Abiquiu remain much as she left it.
Museum
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe and to the study and interpretation of American Modernism (1890's-present). The Museum organizes exhibitions of O'Keeffe's work and that of her contemporaries within the context of American Modernism. The Museum's collections, exhibitions, Research Center, publications, and education programs contribute to scholarly discourse and serve diverse audiences.
INCLUDED IN PACKAGE
Itinerary
Friday, October 3
Check into Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town.
Visit the SET hospitality desk at the hotel to pick up souvenirs and on-site travel documents.
Evening welcome reception featuring a distinguished speaker from the hot air balloon industry. Enjoy hours d’oeuvres and drinks while getting acquainted with fellow travelers.
Saturday, October 4
Depart early morning for Balloon Fiesta Park to witness the awe-inspiring Dawn Patrol and Mass Ascension, where hundreds of colorful balloons take flight against the backdrop of the New Mexico sunrise. Enjoy access to the exclusive Gondola Club hospitality, offering delicious food, local entertainment, restrooms, and outdoor seating away from the crowds.
Return mid-morning to Old Town.
In the late afternoon, return to Gondola Club Hospitality for food and beverages at the Balloon Fiesta Park for the enchanting Balloon Glow.
Sunday, October 5
Return to Balloon Fiesta Park early morning for an expanded Mass Ascension and to delve deeper into the park’s offerings.
Mid-morning return to Old Town.
Enjoy dinner and a traditional Flamenco performance.
Monday, October 6
Gather for a group breakfast at Hotel Albuquerque, reminiscing about the memorable experiences shared during the trip.
Check out of Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town and depart for Chimayo. Spend the afternoon in Chimayo visiting the El Santurio de Chimayo and the El Potrero Trading Post. Lunch to be included. Evening at your leisure.
Tuesday, October 7
Breakfast. Morning departure for the Georgia O’Keefe Tour in Santa Fe. Afternoon and evening at leisure.
Wednesday, October 8
Departure Day – Breakfast. Morning airport transfers to Albuquerque International Sunport.
Map
FAQ
What is a “Land-Only” package?
A Land-Only package includes all the items listed as “tour package features” EXCEPT for air transportation, airport/hotel transfers, and baggage handling. A Land-Only package would be appropriate should the tour participant not be able to conveniently depart/return from the same city listed in the Air package or wish to travel on their own. Please note flights and/or motor coach transportation to the destination city is not included in this type of package.
What’s included in my price?
Your final price includes room and all hotel taxes. It does not include items such as charges for meals, parking, rollaway beds, phone calls, valet and room service, or any other items of a personal nature.
What do “Single,” “Double,” “Triple,” and “Quad” mean?
Single, Double, Triple, and Quad refer to how many adults (13 and over) are sharing each room (total room occupancy). For example, if two adults wish to stay in the same room, the price would be the Double price, and this would be per person.
Do I need travel insurance?
Due to the investment of your travel package, we strongly recommend the purchase of appropriate insurance coverage. Medical insurance policies may not protect your travels away from home and often have out-of-network deductibles. Likewise, coverage through credit cards and travel suppliers can have shortfalls and not fully protect you. For additional information, please click on the Insurance link on the bottom left of this website.
What does the “Child” price mean?
Children’s prices are limited to those 12 years of age or under sharing a room with one or more adults and using existing bedding. For example, if the room is shared with one adult, the single rate applies as the adult’s price plus the child’s price. If the room is shared with two adults, the double rate applies as each adult’s price plus the child’s price.
What type of payments do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Debit cards featuring the Visa or MasterCard logo are also accepted; however, please be advised these types of cards typically have a maximum amount that you may charge daily. Please check with your financial institution.
When will I receive my trip documents?
Trip documents are typically emailed two to three weeks prior to departure for regular season football weekends and specialty programs while bowl game participants will receive theirs five to seven days out. Itineraries for special events, such as the Final Four and Bowl Games, will be sent via email just prior to leaving. If you are not the main reservation contact and would like to receive the emailed tour documents, please add your email to the reservation or contact your booking agent.
If I’m not traveling, can I make a reservation for someone else?
When completing the reservation, use the name of the person for whom you are making the reservation. When entering credit card information, you may use your credit card and billing address for payment.