Gallup Travel Guide

  One of many Indian Craft Stores
by LoriPori
 
  • One of many Indian Craft Stores
      One of many Indian Craft Stores
    by LoriPori
  • Mural in Downtwon Gallup
      Mural in Downtwon Gallup
    by LoriPori
  • Native Indian Arts & Crafts Mural
      Native Indian Arts & Crafts Mural
    by LoriPori
  •   Favorites
    by LoriPori
  •   Favorites
    by LoriPori
 

Flights to Gallup

All fares Ashburn (IAD) to Gallup (ABQ) found by travelers in past 48 hours*
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Pro

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 Great Native Indian Craft Markets 


Con

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 Still a ways east of Navajo Reservations 


In a nutshell

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 a gigantic trading post 

 

Explore Gallup

Things to Do  

Red Rock Balloon Rally

Red Rock Balloon Rally, Gallup

 histrionia62 Says:  Second only to the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, this is a big event in Gallup. You are likely to get a free ride if you volunteer to crew for one of the balloons. The website will give you info on who to call and where to go to volunteer to crew. 

Annual Inter-Tribal in August is Huge!

Annual Inter-Tribal in August is Huge!, Gallup

 LauraWest Says:  Ceremonial Indian dances, marketplaces, juried art show, a professional Indian rodeo, parades in downtown Gallup, local foods, and Indian crafts demonstrated make this yearly event very popular. This is a 5 day event, bringing in thousands of people, from all over. Special... 

Red Rock State Park Does Weddings!

Red Rock State Park Does Weddings!, Gallup

 LauraWest Says:  Get Your Attention?! Well, its true, too. Pick any date but Summer! A few miles East of Gallup, this was a good place to picnic & camp, too.It is beautiful, the red rock cliffs & sand. I love the peacefulness.The Visitor Center has a small museum & garden of native plants,... 

Road Trip Thru Gallup

Road Trip Thru Gallup, Gallup

 LauraWest Says:  You have to stop in Gallup to buy some Indian jewelery. Best deals ever! Beware plastic stones that look real. Ask for certificate of authenticity, which seller should provide. Good place to stop for lunch, too, if you eat meat. As vegetarians, we had a hard time. Even the... 

Its only a truckstop, but what a truckstop!!

Its only a truckstop, but what a truckstop!!, Gallup

 druvincent2112 Says:  Pilot truckstop...20 miles east of Gallup...it's huge and it rocks...I've always found it a great stop for gas and to just browse around. they have amazing posole in the Subway Store there 

Hotels  

Comfort Suites Gallup

 124 Opinions

Restaurants  

SIZZLER: GREAT SALAD BAR

SIZZLER: GREAT SALAD BAR, Gallup

 LoriPori Says:  Friday, September 25, 3009We got settled into our Motel, now it was time to look for a bite to eat. All along Hwy 491, it was like restaurant row in Gallup. We chose SIZZLER because of its great salad & dessert bar and they had a great Senior offer of 6 ounce steak,... 

Jerry's Cafe: A taste of real mexican food

Jerry's Cafe: A taste of real mexican food, Gallup

 brendatoadalena Says:  The food is excellant! The place is a little small but the enchiladas and rellenos are to die for. Have luck trying to get a seat, because the place is so popular with the locals it's almost sure to be full. Green chilie Rellenos. The relleno is a long green chillie stuffed... 

Nightlife  

The Class Act: Dancing to the two-step and club music
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2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

KristyB 7 reviews

Before walking into this nightclub you must be prepared for the scene and expect anything could happen here. Depending on your ethnicity, you will most likely be a minority. If you are white, you will stick out the most, but don't let that get to you, after all, this is "Indian Country", as the locals call it.

It really is a friendly place and don't be surprised if someone points out the obvious. Last time I was there a guy came up to my friend and said, "I have nothing against you just cause you're white." Since my friend took this in stride, they ended up having a good conversation.

With that in mind, dancing the two-step is fun. I had never done it before going here. If you go Thurs-Sat. you will have a good chance of seeing a live band and they are usually pretty good. Cheap drinks and a cheap cover make this place even more appealing.

Written Jun 9, 2003

Address: In the Rio West Mall at Exit 22 on I-40

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Shopping  

ORTEGA'S GALLUP INDIAN MARKET: NATIVE INDIAN CRAFTS

ORTEGA'S GALLUP INDIAN MARKET: NATIVE INDIAN CRAFTS, Gallup

 LoriPori Says:  There are at least 100 Trading Posts, Shops and Galleries in Gallup, making the town the undisputed Southwestern Center for Original Native American Art.Route 66 (Main Street) and Coal Avenue are the principle sites of most Gallery and Trading Post activity in Gallup. I... 

Just North of Town: Native American Flea Market

Just North of Town: Native American Flea Market, Gallup

 atufft Says:  The flea market is an open air space of dirt north of town where vendors gather every Saturday. The collections jewelry, raw agates, other tribal art, and food is outstanding. Feel free to bargain for jewelry here. I was particularly impressed by the "kneel down bread" and... 

Native Crafter's Jewelry and Supply: Navajo Art from the Native Makers

Native Crafter's Jewelry and Supply: Navajo Art from the Native Makers, Gallup

 atufft Says:  I had only a few minutes to browse and buy, but I quickly recognized the very reasonable prices for the jewelry and other art available at this store. The Navajo woman held her beautiful baby and explained the source and quality of the jewelry on display. Within a few... 

Local Customs  

GALLUP INTER TRIBAL
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3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

LoriPori 3011 reviews

As Gallup is considered the center of Indian America, the largest gathering of Native Peoples occurs here every August. Established in 1922, the GALLUP INTER-TRIBAL is held at Red Rock State Park, Thursday through Sunday. The Inter-Tribal begins at night with the entrance of a Navajo Medicine man and his sons. The Medicine Man starts the sacred fire and ceremonial torches are lit from this fire.
Ceremonial dances and traditional drumming are all part of this spectacle.

Written Oct 13, 2009

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Warnings and Dangers  

Not Safe for Women

Not Safe for Women, Gallup

 lovemycacti Says:  Women should probably not travel alone in Gallup. While most locals seem to stick to themselves and mind their own business, you do get quite a few who seem to be a little too friendly, to the point where one feels unsafe - and that was during the daytime. At night, lone... 

Beware of Driving at night on 264 and 491(aka: 666

Beware of Driving at night on 264 and 491(aka: 666, Gallup

 KristyB Says:  The only warning I can think of is not to drive on Hwy 264 towards Window Rock or on Hwy 491 (formerly Hwy 666) at night unless you really have to. There are two reasons for this that are both equally important. 1.) Drunk drivers and bad medians: there is absolutely no... 

Tourist Traps  

Native American Indians - Made in China
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2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

lovemycacti 137 reviews
Downtown Gallup

I was not impressed with shopping in Gallup. The websites make it sound as if it were a shopping paradise for Native American arts boasting over 100 trading posts. What they don't tell you, is an underlying sadness that you can feel on some of the Natives faces.

My mother is a Six Nations Iroqouis/Mohawk and I am a Metis. I was saddened to see the American Indians taking their heirlooms into pawn shops for quick cash, then watching as older, predomintately white tourists gobbled up the goods. I felt disgusted and ill.

I tried to justify the need for such pawn shops, thinking that obviously the Natives needed the money to survive, but like many reserves I quickly came to realize alcoholism is a large problem here.

Their beautiful mural on the posts downtown even had a shadow move over it as one local told me I shouldn't sit in this area, as at night it is where the Natives get drunk and pass out there.

The other upsetting thing is the high-frequency of goods in shops that come across with an American Indian flair - only to turn the product around with a big ol' "Made in China" sticker slapped on the back.

Know the laws when buying goods labelled Native American Indian arts and don't get scammed for an imitation!

Written Feb 26, 2004

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Off The Beaten Path  

Church Rock

Church Rock, Gallup

 ChetLemmon Says:  Just outside of Gallup is a Navajo Chapter House called Church Rock. The "rock" itself is in its own park just off Highway 666. To reach the top takes about an hour, if you've been there before, and about two hours to the average tourist. The web site I list just show a... 

Crownpoint Rug Auction

Crownpoint Rug Auction, Gallup

 histrionia62 Says:  Fantastic Navajo rugs for great prices. This is held in Crownpoint NM, it is attended by many dealers, so get there early so you can look over the rugs before they are auctioned. They auction hundreds of rugs each night it is held and it goes fast!Most importantly, the sale... 

Favorites  

A BIT ABOUT GALLUP

A BIT ABOUT GALLUP, Gallup

 LoriPori Says:  Called the "Indian Capital of the World, as GALLUP, NEW MEXICO is located in the Heart of Native Indian lands - Navajo - Zuni - Hopi - many other smaller tribes.Gallup lies on Interstate 40 (Historic Route 66) 139 miles west of Albuquerque and 25 miles east of the Arizona... 

ROUTE 66 - GALLUP AREA

ROUTE 66 - GALLUP AREA, Gallup

 LoriPori Says:  Gallup, New Mexico is one of the ROUTE 66 towns. We did a bit of Historic Route 66, which today is just a shadow of itself now and is incorporated into Highway 40. We drove through bits of Route 66 through the towns of Santa Rosa, Grants and Gallup. We stopped at one old Gas... 

GALLUP -DOWNTOWN MURAL PROJECT

GALLUP -DOWNTOWN MURAL PROJECT, Gallup

 LoriPori Says:  The ambitious DOWNTOWN MURAL PROJECT goal is to retell the story of Gallup, New Mexico through a series of Murals on wall spaces throughout Downtown. The Murals are best seen by taking a walking tour.The Murals depict some of the city's proudest and saddest moments. The... 

Comments

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Map of Gallup