Are you a fan of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and El Camino? Want to experience the world of those critically-acclaimed TV shows for yourself? Relive your favorite moments and scenes from your favorite TV shows by taking the Breaking Bad RV Tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are award-winning television shows about a high-school chemistry teacher turned meth manufacturer and the shady lawyer he gets involved with. In Breaking Bad, Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston) is leading a pretty average life until he gets diagnosed with cancer and “breaks bad” by seeking out a former student Jesse Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) to make meth in an old RV. Being a chemistry whiz, lets just say he becomes pretty good at it. The spinoff Better Call Saul follows a popular lawyer from the Breakining Bad, Saul Goodman (AKA James Morgan “Jimmy” McGill, played by Bob Odenkirk).
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The shows were both filmed in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico and fans flock to the city to see all the places that served as a backdrop for the shows. You can find Walter White’s house (though they have put up fencing to avoid pizzas being thrown on their roof). You can eat at the Dog House Drive-In or Loyola’s Family Restaurant where characters met and ate. You can visit the Twisters restaurant that stood in for Gus Fring’s Los Pollos Hermanos.
While you can certainly do a do-it-yourself tour and drive around Albuquerque to find all the Breaking Bad filming locations, the best way to do it is via the Breaking Bad RV Tour.
This 3-hour tour takes passengers around the city to visit many of the best filming locations from the show in a replica RV just like the one used in the show. You’ll potentially drive by character houses, The Dog House, Tucco’s headquarters, Combo’s corner, the railyard, the RV Junkyard, Los Pollos Hermanos, Owl Cafe, Saul’s Office, Crossroads Motel, the Car Wash, the Superlab, and Walter White’s house, among other significant filming locations of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. (Locations are subject to change as filming schedules and other road blocks might need to be respected.)
Many of these filming locations will be seen from the windows on the RV (or an accompanying shuttle if the RV is sold out). But there are a few opportunities to hop out, take pictures, and get a closer look. There’s even an included light meal and drink at Twisters, AKA Los Pollos Hermanos. Also along the way you’ll watch show clips and interviews on a mounted TV and play trivia games to win prizes (like blue meth candy made locally by The Candy Lady).
As of 2023, the tour cost $95 per person and runs Thursdays through Mondays, starting at 9:00am in Old Town.
If you want to take the Breaking Bad RV Tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico, plan to book early as it sells out quickly. I am a huge fan of both shows and knew that this would be a highlight of my New Mexico road trip (I was driving Arizona and New Mexico Route 66 for two weeks) so I tried to book it as soon as I knew what date I’d be in Albuquerque. For a month the website said “call to book” but I couldn’t get anyone on the phone. So, for a month I refreshed the website every day, several times a day. Finally I saw it on sale and grabbed a ticket right away. By that afternoon, it was sold out. The tour is rather popular so if you want to go, you might just have to be as diligent and patient as I was.
Was the Breaking Bad RV Tour worth it? Absolutely. As a fan of the shows I was giddy with excitement the entire ride. It was a fun and informative experience and so much easier that driving around myself. As a solo road tripper it’s always nice when someone else takes the wheel for a bit! There were so many different sites to see. Here were some of the highlights!
Ready to go? Click here to book the Breaking Bad RV Tour!
Breaking Bad Store & Museum
If you want to experience even more, check out the Breaking Bad Store & Museum in Old Town. It’s full of memorabilia from the shows and is the perfect place to pick up a Breaking Bad souvenir!
Highlights of the Breaking Bad RV Tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico
The Breaking Bad RV
From the very first episode of the TV show, the beige 1986 Fleetwood Bounder RV became synonymous with Breaking Bad. Used as a meth lab on wheels, this recreational vehicle was pivotal to the early plot lines and, literally, helped drive the show.
While the RV that takes passengers around for the Breaking Bad RV tour isn’t an original prop, it comes pretty close. It’s even outfitted with some chemistry equipment and pair of Walt’s underwear hanging to dry. Plus it has a TV up front that plays exclusive content, interviews, and scenes from the TV shows that set the scene for where you are.
The tour takes place across two vehicles. You can book the RV or, if that is full, a secondary shuttle. But don’t worry, even those on the shuttle got a chance to hop on board and look around the inside of the RV!
Dog House Drive In
This drive in known for its foot-long chili cheese dogs served as a backdrop to the story several times throughout both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul when you would see characters like Jesse Pinkman, Jimmy McGill, and Kim Wexler eating (or selling meth, peddling mobile phones, buying guns…) there. While you won’t stop here for a meal be sure to drop by after the tour for a tasty lunch in your car.
Park Bench
Washington Park with distinctly artistic pillars served as the backdrop to Badger getting busted by the cops in season 2 of Breaking Bad.
RV Storage Yard and Port-a-Potty
In season 2 of Breaking Bad, Walt and Jesse store their RV at a salvage yard and, in one episode, Jesse infamously climbs over the fence and lands in a Port-a-Potty, knocking it over and coming out covered in blue liquid. On the tour you’ll drive through the lot to see this filming location, complete with a port-a-potty!
Twisters/Los Pollos Hermanos
Los Pollos Hermanos plays a pivotal role in Breaking Bad, serving as a front from Gus Fring’s drug empire. In real life, this filming location is a Twisters. While you won’t get to try any famous Los Pollos Hermanos chicken, we did take a break here for a breakfast burrito, bathroom break, and photo opps!
Crossroads Motel
The Crossroads Motel was a popular landing place for junkies in the series, notably a prostitute named Wendy whose story interweaved with many of the characters. Nicknamed “The Crystal Palace” by Hank Schrader, this motel served as the backdrop for many scenes in the TV show.
Character Houses
On the Breaking Bad tour of Albuquerque you’ll stop by many of the houses where characters in the show resided, including Jesse & Jane’s house.
Loyola’s Family Restaurant
Loyola’s Family Restaurant has been the backdrop for movies like In Plain Sight and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as well as countless commercials. But it’s most recognizable roles come from its appearances in the TV shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. It is particularly a favorite dining spot of the character Mike Ehrmantraut and him and others are seen dining and making deals there throughout both series.
A1A Car Wash
The A1A Car Wash was the Albuquerque car wash originally owned by Bogdan Wolynetz where Walter White worked part-time to supplement his teaching salary. Later in the series, Walt and Skyler White purchase the business to use as a money laundering facility. It’s a real working car wash in Albuquerque and currently operates as Mister Car Wash.
Walter White’s House
One of the most popular stops on the Breaking Bad RV Tour, or for anyone DIYing a tour of their own, is Walter White’s House. This is where Walt, Skyler, and their son, Walt Jr., lived throughout the series. The house is someone’s actual house and is now fenced off and surrounded by security cameras (you’d probably take the same measures if people were flocking to your home to throw pizzas on your garage’s roof), so there is no stopping at this popular filming location, just a slow drive by, but it’s definitely a highlight of the tour for every fan!
The Superlab/Laundry Service
The Superlab was a large-scale meth producing lab that was secretly built underneath laundry service. In Better Call Saul Mike Ehrmantraut supervised its construction under the eye of Gus Fring and, in Breaking Bad, Walt and Jesse (and Gale Boetticher) worked there to produce massive quantities of their famous Blue Sky. The laundry service is a real working laundry service in Albuquerque and, while the super lab itself was not filmed there the entrance was, and while here you’ll even get a demonstration on how they faked going down to a basement that didn’t exist!
Book the Breaking Bad RV Tour
Want to check out all the best Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul filming locations in Albuquerque and see them in person for yourself? Click here to book the Breaking Bad RV Tour!
More Photos from the Breaking Bad RV Tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Breaking Bad RV Tour
Pick Up Location: 1919 Old Town Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
Times: 9am, Thursday-Monday
Cost: $95 Per Person
The tour must be booked ahead and does sell out quickly so plan ahead!
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