The Best Places To Visit In Denver Colorado

From museums to mountains, Denver’s big-ticket attractions, diverse neighborhoods and staggering natural beauty make it ideal for a city break with a difference.

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Denver is so much more than the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Its vibrant neighborhoods are crammed with craft beer breweries, independent galleries and artisan coffee shops, yet skiing, rafting, hiking and kayaking are all in easy reach if you yearn to escape the city streets. Nicknamed the Mile High City due to its elevation above sea level, Colorado’s capital is warmed by even more hours of sun each year than Miami Beach, making it easy for you to get out and about and enjoy Denver’s diverse delights.

Denver’s foothills

The Rocky Mountains may be Colorado’s very own showstoppers, but there are challenging hikes and killer city views in easier reach from Denver’s foothills. Just 12mi from the city itself, the mountains are smaller than the Rockies and rise to 11,000ft at their highest. Drive the scenic Lariat Loops to wind through foothills, canyons and historic towns within fragrant pine forests.

Encounter elk, chipmunks, coyote and raccoons in Estes Park, a mountain town about 90mi northwest of Denver and the ideal base camp for adventures in the Rocky Mountains. Surrounded by soaring peaks, verdant valleys and gurgling rivers, Estes Park is an adventurer’s dream, with nearby hiking trails, lakes for kayaking and slopes for skiing and snowshoeing on the doorstep.

Pikes Peak

For views to take your breath away, Pikes Peak should not be missed. The imposing 14,115ft peak is America’s most famous mountain, and is known for inspiring Katharine Lee Bates to write America the Beautiful. Its alpine scenery, sun-dappled reservoirs and cloud-covered trails aren’t just for mountain climbers, either; the safe 19mi Pike Peak Highway means everyone can reach the summit, and when you get there you can spot five states (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Kansas) on a clear day.

Red Rocks, Evergreen and Echo Lake

Red Rocks Park is just 15mi from Denver, but it feels like another planet. Its unique rust-colored sandstone outcrops stand taller than Niagara Falls and have been designated a National Historic Landmark, forming a natural amphitheater that has hosted the likes of the Beatles and U2. From there, visit the charming mountain town of Evergreen or hike the scenic trail around Echo Lake at the base of Mount Evans highway, the highest paved road in North America.

Downtown Denver

Downtown Denver doesn’t waste an inch. In a compact one-mile radius, this walkable, attraction-filled area boasts a clutch of museums and an aquarium, more than 300 restaurants, cafés and music venues, not one but three sports stadiums and the country’s only downtown amusement park. Shopaholics are well catered for with the pedestrianized 16th Street Mall packed with stores, horse-drawn carriages and fairy-lit trees, while outdoorsy types won’t miss out either – Downtown has its very own river for fishing, kayaking and even tubing.

Garden of the Gods

Get closer to Colorado’s extraordinary natural wonders at the Garden of the Gods Park, a National Natural Landmark and the most popular attraction in the region. The soaring sandstone rock formations are a geological marvel, formed 300 million years ago and watched over by a snow-dusted Pikes Peak. The park’s visitor center traces its fascinating history, and knockout views can be snapped while you are hiking, biking or horse riding through the park’s winding trails.

Breckenridge Mountain

With five peaks covering nearly 3,000 acres, the mighty Breckenridge Mountain is one of the world’s best-known ski resorts. It features the highest chairlift by altitude in North America, is blanketed in over 300 inches of snow each year and offers skiers an incredible 187 trails. Yet Breckenridge is a must-visit year-round, with hiking and biking trails, white-water rafting, zip lining and even summer dog sledding available to satisfy the most daring thrill seeker.

St Mary’s Glacier

Officially not a glacier but a semi-permanent snow mass in Arapaho National Forest, St Mary’s Glacier offers an accessible hike, lungfuls of refreshingly crisp air and some of the best views in Colorado. From the trailhead, the rocky hike weaves through alpine meadows and dense pine forests to the snow-cloaked St Mary’s Glacier looming over a metallic, ice-blue lake that’s great for swimming on summer days.

Mount Evans

Bring a head for heights when visiting Mount Evans, reached by the highest paved road in North America. Just 60mi west of Denver, the stunning highway stretches from the city through five climate zones in just 28 miles to the summit of Mount Evans, one of 54 peaks in Colorado that top 14,000ft. At the top, look down on Denver’s rugged foothills, a patchwork blanket of meadows and cloud-wrapped peaks.

Denver Botanic Gardens

There’s no need to leave the city for a nature fix. The Denver Botanic Gardens are a peaceful urban paradise in the historic Cheesman Park. Stroll around the aromatic fragrance garden featuring herbs and perfumed plants, take in the colors of the pretty Lilac Garden or wander round the Romantic Garden’s arches and gazebos. Featuring plants from around the world, including those that thrive in the arid Colorado climate, the gardens also host outdoor concerts, light shows, markets and a corn maze.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.