Santa Fe in three days: a realistic itinerary.

Three days is enough for Santa Fe if you don't try to do it like Disneyland. You can't see everything. You shouldn't try. Here's how we send first-time guests out the door.

Day one. Sleep in. The altitude — 7,200 feet — will lower your battery the first day no matter how fit you are. Drink water. Walk Canyon Road in the early afternoon, browse the galleries, then have an early dinner at Geronimo or Sazon. End the night at the firepit at the house.

Day two. Hike before lunch. Sun Mountain is the orientation hike — it's a quick drive down Old Santa Fe Trail from both houses, short and scenic with good elevation and beautiful views. Pack water. Lunch in town at The Teahouse on Canyon Road, or at Pasqual's. Afternoon at Ten Thousand Waves — book a private hot tub session with its own cold plunge and sauna. Dinner late at The Shed if you reserved a week ahead, or Pink Adobe if you didn't (it's our second-favorite traditional New Mexican and easier to get into).

Day three. Day trip. Choose one: Bandelier National Monument for the cliff dwellings (about 50 minutes northwest, well-maintained trails — arrive early), Ghost Ranch for the O'Keeffe landscape and the Chimney Rock hike (about 1.5 hours north, with lunch at Fire and Ice or Café Abiquiú), or Rancho de Chimayó (35 minutes north for an authentic New Mexican lunch, prickly pear margaritas on the patio, and the historic chapel right next door). Get back in time for golden hour at the house.

What to skip on a first trip: restaurants on the Plaza generally — they're priced for tourists. Don't try to do every museum. The Georgia O'Keeffe is the one to do.

What we'd add for a fourth day: Tsankawi, our favorite easy hike — old Native American caves and spectacular views from the plateau, with a few steep ladders to climb. Pair it with a long lunch at Izanami at Ten Thousand Waves on the way back.