Route 66 Day 3 (West to East): Flagstaff, AZ to Albuquerque, NM Epic Self-Guided Driving Tour
Places: 26 POIs
Distance: 310.71 mi
Duration: 15h:58m
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Tour #2931
About this English self-guided 15h:58m driving tour in Albuquerque
Welcome to Day 3 of our Route 66 journey.
Today we’re leaving the pine forests of Flagstaff and heading east to Albuquerque, with a lot of open country and a few wonderfully strange roadside surprises in between.
We’ll pass Winona, a tiny place made famous by the Route 66 song. We’ll find dinosaurs at Meteor City, a corner immortalized in another song in Winslow, and the colorful hills of the Painted Desert. If you have extra time, Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park make remarkable detours.
Then we’ll cross into New Mexico, where Gallup, Grants, and the communities of Laguna Pueblo add new stories to the road.
We’ll drive surviving sections of historic Route 66 where they fit our route and use Interstate 40 to connect them.
Some of the best moments today are small ones: an old sign, a quiet trading post, or a bend in the road that still feels much as it did decades ago.
Take your time. Albuquerque will be there when we arrive.
- 1For the best experience, begin at the tour's recommended starting point and follow the stops in order.
- 2Want to start somewhere else? Simply use Start At on the tour screen, before tapping Start Tour, to begin from any stop.
- 3Need to detour or skip a stop along the way? Tap Tour Assistant (
![UCPlaces AI Bot Icon]()
) to use Force Play, Skip, and Back, for full flexibility.
) to use Force Play, Skip, and Back, for full flexibility.
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Places (POIs) visited during this tour
Place #1
![Map Pin]()
Recommended Starting Point
Distance: 0.00mi
4424 Historic Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, USA
Flagstaff Behind Us — East on Route 66
As Flagstaff falls behind us, think about how different it felt from the desert towns we visited yesterday.
Here, Route 66 climbed into a forest of ponderosa pines. Travelers who had crossed hundreds of miles of hot, open country could suddenly roll down a window and feel cool mountain air.
Flagstaff was already a railroad town before the Mother Road arrived. The highway followed the tracks through town, bringing motorists past the depot, hotels, cafés, and service stations. For a family driving west, this could be the place to fill up and prepare for the long descent toward the desert and California.
But Flagstaff has always been more than a place to pass through. It’s a mountain city with a lively downtown, a university, and a long connection to stargazing through Lowell Observatory.
Now we’re following Route 66 in the other direction. The pines will gradually thin, the sky will open up, and ahead of us lie the old railroad towns and painted landscapes of eastern Arizona.
Here, Route 66 climbed into a forest of ponderosa pines. Travelers who had crossed hundreds of miles of hot, open country could suddenly roll down a window and feel cool mountain air.
Flagstaff was already a railroad town before the Mother Road arrived. The highway followed the tracks through town, bringing motorists past the depot, hotels, cafés, and service stations. For a family driving west, this could be the place to fill up and prepare for the long descent toward the desert and California.
But Flagstaff has always been more than a place to pass through. It’s a mountain city with a lively downtown, a university, and a long connection to stargazing through Lowell Observatory.
Now we’re following Route 66 in the other direction. The pines will gradually thin, the sky will open up, and ahead of us lie the old railroad towns and painted landscapes of eastern Arizona.
Place #2
![Map Pin]()
Distance: 2.72mi
6517 U.S. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, USA
A Route 66 Welcome Sign
Coming up on your left is a Route 66 sign hanging from a wooden beam beside a single stone pillar.
And this isn’t just a photo opportunity. We’re driving on a surviving stretch of the historic road itself.
As we leave Flagstaff behind, take a look at the landscape around us. The pine forests are beginning to give way to the wide-open country of eastern Arizona.
This is what makes following Route 66 so much fun.
One moment you’re passing through a mountain town; the next, the road is carrying you toward desert horizons, small communities, and stories we haven’t discovered yet.
And this isn’t just a photo opportunity. We’re driving on a surviving stretch of the historic road itself.
As we leave Flagstaff behind, take a look at the landscape around us. The pine forests are beginning to give way to the wide-open country of eastern Arizona.
This is what makes following Route 66 so much fun.
One moment you’re passing through a mountain town; the next, the road is carrying you toward desert horizons, small communities, and stories we haven’t discovered yet.
Tour itinerary stops | Additional places you'll see on this self-guided tour
Place 1
Flagstaff Behind Us — East on Route 66
Place 2
A Route 66 Welcome Sign
Place 3
Just seven minutes away.
Place 4
Standin' on the Corner Park
Place 5
JACK RABBIT TRADING POST — HERE IT IS!
Place 6
Jack Rabbit Trading Post Exit
Place 7
Joseph City — Before the Jackrabbit
Place 8
Petrified Forest National Park — An Optional Detour
Place 9
Welcome to Gallup: The Heart of Indian Country
Place 10
El Rancho Hotel – Gallup, New Mexico
Place 11
Crossing the Continental Divide
Place 12
Bluewater Lake State Park: A Cool Desert Escape
Place 13
Prewitt — A Trading Post Stop
Place 14
Welcome to Bluewater — The Bluewater Motel
Place 15
Welcome to Milan — A Town Built Beside Route 66
Place 16
Welcome to Grants — Neon and Uranium
Place 17
Grants, New Mexico – Neon, Mining, and the Mother Road
Place 18
ANZAC — A Surprising Name on Route 66
Place 19
The 1936 Rio San Jose Bridge
Place 20
Whiting Brothers — The Roadside Stop That Disappeared
Place 21
Budville Trading Company — A Route 66 Mystery
Place 22
New Laguna and Laguna Pueblo — A Road Through Living History
Place 23
Dead Man’s Curve — Route 66 Takes a Turn
Place 24
Owl Rock — A Desert Lookout
Place 25
Canoncito Indian Reservation & Laguna Pueblo: Echoes of the Ancestors
Place 26
Welcome to Albuquerque — End of Day 3
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Have any questions about this tour? Or a general travel / self-guided tours question? That's completely natural
+ How long does this tour take?
Most travelers complete this tour in approximately 13.5 to 18.5 hours, depending on pace, time spent at each stop, and optional detours. Having said that, please remember that self-guided tours are extremly flexible (you can start, pause, continue anytime) and everyone has their own pace.
+ What does this tour include?
This self-guided driving tour includes 26 stops, covering top attractions such as Flagstaff Behind Us — East on Route 66, A Route 66 Welcome Sign, Just seven minutes away., Standin' on the Corner Park, JACK RABBIT TRADING POST — HERE IT IS!.
+ Where does the tour start?
The tour starts at Flagstaff Behind Us — East on Route 66 (Address: 4424 Historic Rte 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, USA). You can begin the tour there or join from any stop along the route.
+ What type of tour is this?
This is a self-guided driving tour designed to be completed by car, covering scenic routes, city highlights and optional key stops.
+ Can I do this tour at my own pace?
Yes, this is a self-guided driving tour, so you can start anytime and explore at your own pace. You can pause, skip stops, or spend more time at places that interest you. You can even split it into multiple days. Explore however feels right for you. The only vaiables that might affect your pace are speed limits and traffic congestion.
+ Do I need a car for this tour?
Yes, this is a driving tour, designed to be completed by car, with stops spread across different locations connected by a driving route.
+ Do I need anything in order to take the tour?
There are two things that you need - 1. A mobile phone (with the UCPlaces app installed and active location services, and a cellular data plan with a decent signal for downloading the tour). 2. A car. Here are some recommendations for a great experience: 1. Make sure your phone is fully charged and bring a charging cable for your car. 2. Connect your phone to the car speaker system via bluetooth or use our CarPlay/Android Auto option for the best experience.
+ How will I navigate from point to point during the tour?
The tour uses GPS-based navigation through the UCPlaces app, with automatic audio playback and step-by-step directions between stops. This works great either directly from your phone, or while connected to your car's multimedia system and using our CarPlay or Android Auto options. Just follow the route and listen to the audio guide. Use the resume feature to continue from where you recently stopped (or closed the app). Easily skip or go back to stops.
+ Is this tour suitable for families or groups?
Yes, self-guided tours are ideal for families and small groups, allowing everyone to explore comfortably without being tied to a fixed schedule.
+ What makes a self-guided tour better than a guided tour?
Self-guided tours are more flexible, affordable, and personalized. You can avoid crowds, choose your pace, and focus on the stops that interest you most.
+ I installed the app and it's now asking for GPS and media access permissions, why?
The app is your tour-guide, it needs to know where you are located on the map to be able to trigger the points of interest. It also needs access to audio and media files to provide you with this experience.
+ What happens if there are unexpected roadblocks or navigation issues?
We have been working hard to deliver a great experience. Though you may run into unexpected obstacles (the world is constantly changing), our app has multiple features and mechanisms in place to help you overcome them, including: AI assistance, force play an audio if you can't reach the stop, skip or return to stops, automatic rerouting and more.
+ Can I take the tour in my language?
Though all of our tours are primarily in English, many tours are muyltilingual (including: Spanish, German, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Hebrew, French, Arabic and more...). The tour language options depend on the specific tour - You can easily check which languages are available in the tour screen!