Positioned within the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Denver, Colorado is a fast-growing metropolis attracting guests from close to and much. Every of Denver’s neighborhoods is exclusive in its personal approach, whether or not it’s the hip and concrete RiNo (River North) Arts District or the charming inexperienced house often known as Wash Park.
within the arts, delicacies, or craft beer? Denver has all of it. And one of the best half? You’re more likely to get up to sunshine and clear skies virtually on daily basis!
Except for its distinctive array of neighborhoods, you’re only a brief drive from a number of the most well-known mountains within the nation. Mountaineering, snowboarding, mountain biking, and snowmobiling await.
As somebody who has lived in Denver for years now, I can attest to town’s heat and friendliness, so distinctive and delightful it’s arduous to search out elsewhere. There’s really one thing for everybody within the Mile Excessive Metropolis!
PRO TIP: Earlier than we get going, do not forget that the elevation in Denver is a lot greater than you’re doubtless used to! I’d advocate giving your self a minimum of a day or two to acclimate earlier than doing any strenuous actions or hikes.
Finest Areas in Denver
Downtown Denver
Downtown Denver is essentially the most handy place to remain by way of comfort and issues to do in a single central location. It’s residence to town’s Union Station, which serves as a hub for Amtrak and Denver RTD.
Trains and buses run by right here, making it simple to get round. There’s even a simple prepare from the airport to Union Station, with a 37-minute journey costing simply $10.50 a method. The realm additionally provides handy entry to standard mountain locations like Vail, Breckenridge, and Winter Park. Within the winter, Amtrak provides separate weekend entry to and from Winter Park.
Moreover, downtown Denver provides sports activities stadiums akin to Empower at Mile Excessive for soccer and reveals and Coor’s Area for baseball and concert events.
You’ll discover a plethora of eating places, bars, and outlets lining each road, with easy accessibility to close by enjoyable areas like LoHi and RiNo.
Downtown Most Widespread Sights:
- Coor’s Area Baseball Stadium
- Empower Area at Mile Excessive Soccer Stadium
- Meow Wolf
- Sightseeing like Mile Excessive Steps, Huge Blue Bear, and Larimer Sq.
- Eat on the Milk Market
LoHi (Decrease Highlands)
Foodie paradise! A quaint little city only a mile from downtown Denver, LoHi is the right spot for {couples} and younger adults in search of a walkable neighborhood slightly farther from downtown.
It’s a nifty residential space with loads of leases and some inns. Fashionable bars and upscale eating places await!
Can’t Miss in LoHi
- Flip your frown the other way up at Glad Camper!
- Discover the Avanti Meals Corridor
- Style wine at Postino
- Get pleasure from licks at Little Man Ice Cream
RiNo (River North)
RiNo, also referred to as River North, is Denver’s most artsy neighborhood. This Artwork District is full of hip breweries, hidden dive bars, and eccentric eating places – together with a bar that serves sizzling canine with caviar.
That is the place to be if you’d like countless nightlife choices and love native brews.
RiNo’s Most Widespread Sights
- Go for a hole-in-one on the Puttshack
- Hit the breweries
- Style one thing new at Stem Cidery
- Try the road artwork
Capitol Hill
One of the crucial historic Denver neighborhoods, Capitol Hill, was residence to Titanic survivor Molly Brown. Capital Hill comes with a wealthy historical past – actually and figuratively. It was once residence to Denver’s wealthiest residence, which used to reside on Millionaire’s Row.
Historic houses and museums will be discovered all through the world. Capitol Hill can also be residence to many festivals, such because the Cinco de Mayo and Satisfaction parades.
The downtown sixteenth Avenue free bus begins in Capitol Hill, making it a simple journey to and from downtown.
Capitol Hill’s Widespread Sights
- Denver Artwork Museum
- Broadway Market
- Brown Home Museum
Issues to Do in Denver
Most Widespread
1. Sightsee by downtown’s main points of interest
Assume: Larmier Sq., standing one mile excessive on the Colorado State Capitol, Huge Blue Bear, stroll by artwork museums, and Union Station. Sightseeing by downtown is definitely walkable. There’s additionally a free sixteenth Avenue bus that may transport you round!
2. Get misplaced in Meow Wolf
Belief me, you’re going to get misplaced. This convergent station may have all your senses tingling! You’ll be able to depart just a few hours to wander round this immersive expertise and you continue to received’t make it by all of it.
3. Discover the bar above Union Station
Make your approach up the steps by the Amtrak ticket counter to search out this hidden gem. Take within the wine and craft cocktail record – it’s one in all my favorites on the town!
4. Steal some laughs on the Denver Comedy Membership
Professional tip: begin your evening with an espresso martini and chortle till you may’t breathe
5. Stroll by the Botanic Gardens
Seize a seasonal cross in the event you love metropolis escapes and wildflowers.
6. Store til you drop at Wash Park or LoHi
Each neighborhoods are full of cute boutiques to window store or discover native items and souvenirs.
Finances Sights
7. Have a picnic on the parks
Try the inexperienced house and mountain views from Wash Park, Commons Park, and Metropolis Park.
8. Catch a ball sport at Coor’s Area
They’re [usually] not nice, however the tickets are low-cost and the views are spectacular! Ask for the Rock Pile tickets on the counter for the most cost effective possibility.
Professional tip: the sunsets from the stadium will blow your thoughts!
9. Zip down the Cherry Creek Path on a motorbike or scooter
40 miles of trails?! You learn that appropriately. Denver is a bikeable metropolis, and this is likely one of the greatest! Trip alongside the South Platte River. It’s as shut as I can get my Caribbean coronary heart to a seaside downtown.
Close to Denver
10. Go tenting
You’re 1-4 hours away from dream-worthy dispersed tenting websites. Colorado Springs, Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park, Vail, Rio Grande Nationwide Forest, and Telluride are just some of the coveted tenting locations you must see to consider. I wish to camp close to reservoirs and lakes – it’s the closest I can get to feeling like I’m on a seaside in Turks and Caicos in Colorado.
11. Ski and snowboarding in Colorado’s well-known mountain cities
Winter Park is the closest mountain city to Denver – there’s even an Amtrak prepare that runs to and from the mountain on the weekends within the winter months.
Breckenridge, Vail, Copper Mountain, Keystone, A-Basin, and Steamboat Springs are all 2-3 hours from town. There are tons of transportation choices to the mountains from the airport and downtown.
12. Soak within the sizzling springs
In search of an Instagram-worthy day trip? Steamboat Spring’s Strawberry Scorching Springs is located simply outdoors of downtown Steamboat. You may make a visit as much as the springs or spend the evening in one in all their coveted cabins.
Professional ideas: Reservations have to be made forward of time. If you happen to don’t have a 4-wheel drive car, you should purchase a round-trip shuttle to take you to the recent springs from downtown.
13. Catch a present at Purple Rocks
Essentially the most visited venue on the planet, Purple Rock Amphitheater is a excessive bucket record venue for artists from all genres. Catch quite a lot of performers right here each summer time, from Huge Wild, to Chic and Sting to Wiz Khalifa.
You’ll be able to even catch just a few coveted comedy reveals on the historic venue.
What time of yr must you go to Denver?
4 seasons, 4 fully totally different experiences within the Mile Excessive Metropolis!
Summer season
If you happen to’re a fan of climbing, tenting, breweries, and sunshine, summer time in Denver is ceaselessly ignored! The parks in Denver are full of inexperienced grass, volleyball video games, and cookouts.
Eating places open their patios and rooftops so that you can benefit from the each day sunshine. Though it will possibly get sizzling with 95-degree days, there’s little or no humidity – and even higher, little or no rain – which is likely one of the perks of visiting Denver in the summertime.
Whereas the warmth isn’t too dangerous, having a pool at your resort or rental is a superb perk.
What to pack in the summertime: climbing footwear, energetic shorts, and light-weight shirts, raincoats for afternoon showers, sundresses, hats, and loads of sunscreen (the solar hits tougher in Denver!)
Fall
Fall is named a wet season in lots of areas, from the West Coast to the Caribbean. Nonetheless, fall is the best possible time to go to Denver! The solar remains to be shining, the warmth is cooling down, and the summer time crowds disappear.
However the actual fantastic thing about fall in Denver lies within the altering aspen leaves – the mountains flip right into a shimmering golden paradise.
It’s my favourite time to go tenting and climbing, although the nights get tremendous chilly. To prime off the right climate, there’s virtually no rain within the fall, even within the mountains, making it an unbeatable season in Denver.
What to pack within the fall: climbing gear, light-weight shirts, and pants, 1-2 pairs of shirts for decent days, a lightweight sweater or jacket for cold evenings.
Winter
Winter is once I desire to run to the islands, however is arguably the preferred time to go to Denver.
Relating to mountain cities round Denver, each locals and guests are drawn to the world’s famend ski resorts. Colorado provides a variety of winter actions akin to snowboarding, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
It’s price noting that that is the priciest time to go to, with skyrocketing costs within the mountain cities and more and more costly ski passes.
Nonetheless, regardless of the expense, individuals proceed to go to for good motive.
What to pack within the winter: all of your heavy stuff! Puffer coats, hats, gloves, waterproof ski jackets and pants, skis, snowboards, and sweaters
Spring
The spring air is difficult to beat, however sadly, spring has changed into Denver’s wet season over the previous few years.
Whereas it’s nonetheless much less wet than many spring locations, Spring is a giant shoulder season in Denver. When it’s not wet, the climate is heat and nice for climbing and strolling round Denver’s neighborhoods.
Shoulder season additionally means cheaper costs and fewer crowds. Spring is the right time for exploring town’s historical past and tradition, bar hopping, and tasting town’s well-known brews.
What to pack within the spring: a mixture of cool and heat garments, raincoats, gentle jackets for the evenings, and climbing gear.
Getting Round Denver
Public Transportation
Public transportation is obtainable to and from the DEN airport to downtown Union Station. The sixteenth Avenue bus is a free service that may get you round downtown.
Shuttle Bus Corporations and Amtrak
A number of bus corporations have routes to and from a number of mountain cities from the airport and Union Station. These have to be reserved forward of time, however are nice methods to keep away from renting a automobile to get to the mountain cities.
If you happen to don’t plan on staying on the ski resort, cities like Breckenridge have bus providers to get you to the ski resorts from sure areas.
Rental Vehicles
A necessity in the event you’re planning on visiting multiple space or city. Nonetheless, the mountains within the winter require a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive car with snow tires. Maintain this in thoughts when budgeting.
In the summertime, if you wish to go on hikes, parks, and tenting, you’ll clearly want your individual automobile to get round.
Ubers, Bikes, and Scooters
Ubers, bikes, and scooters are a simple possibility for navigating round Denver and its neighborhoods. Bikes and scooters, in fact, aren’t the most suitable choice within the winter when the roads are slick!
Visiting Denver FAQ
What number of days do it’s worthwhile to go to Denver?
If you wish to solely go to downtown Denver and its neighborhoods, I’d counsel visiting for 3 to 4 days. If you wish to go to downtown Denver and its close by out of doors actions and mountain cities, 5 to 7 days will permit you extra time to acclimate and discover.
What it’s worthwhile to know earlier than going to Denver
An important factor to know earlier than going to Denver is that the elevation and trigger some odd signs and you could want 2-3 days to acclimate earlier than doing any strenuous climbing or actions.
Is it price it to go to downtown Denver?
Sure – it’s completely price going to downtown Denver. Downtown Denver is a central location full of sports activities and a number of the metropolis’s hottest points of interest, eating places, and bars. It’s additionally the place you’ll wish to be for sporting occasions and concert events.
Is Denver a walkable metropolis for vacationers?
No, Denver will not be very walkable. Until you’re staying straight downtown and don’t plan on visiting any surrounding neighborhoods, you’ll want a automobile, scooter, or Uber to get round.
Abstract: Your Full Information to Visiting Denver
There you’ve it! Hopefully, this information offers you the whole lot it’s worthwhile to know to discover Denver and its magnificence. Whether or not you’re visiting first time or a repeat Denver traveler, there’s a lot so that you can discover.
Denver doesn’t simply cater to skiers and snowboarders. There’s a city and exercise for you whether or not you need nice views, thrilling journey, low-key brunches, historical past, or extra.
Maintain studying:
Rachel Grenis is keen about encouraging you to cease ready and begin exploring. When she’s not exploring within the Caribbean, she’s hanging out within the mountains close to her hometown of Denver, Colorado.
She took the images for this text.
