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 means, whether or not it’s the hip and concrete RiNo (River North) Arts District or the charming inexperienced house generally known as Wash Park.
within the arts, delicacies, or craft beer? Denver has all of it. And the perfect half? You’re more likely to get up to sunshine and clear skies nearly day by day!
Except for its distinctive array of neighborhoods, you’re only a brief drive from a few 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 laborious to seek out elsewhere. There’s really one thing for everybody within the Mile Excessive Metropolis!
PRO TIP: Earlier than we get going, keep in mind that the elevation in Denver is a lot greater than you’re probably used to! I’d advocate giving your self not less than a day or two to acclimate earlier than doing any strenuous actions or hikes.
Greatest Areas in Denver
Downtown Denver
Downtown Denver is probably 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 straightforward prepare from the airport to Union Station, with a 37-minute journey costing simply $10.50 a technique. The realm additionally affords handy entry to well-liked mountain locations like Vail, Breckenridge, and Winter Park. Within the winter, Amtrak affords separate weekend entry to and from Winter Park.
Moreover, downtown Denver affords sports activities stadiums akin to Empower at Mile Excessive for soccer and exhibits and Coor’s Subject for baseball and concert events.
You’ll discover a plethora of eating places, bars, and outlets lining each road, with quick access to close by enjoyable areas like LoHi and RiNo.
Downtown Most Common Sights:
- Coor’s Subject Baseball Stadium
- Empower Subject at Mile Excessive Soccer Stadium
- Meow Wolf
- Sightseeing like Mile Excessive Steps, Massive 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 somewhat farther from downtown.
It’s a nifty residential space with loads of leases and some motels. Fashionable bars and upscale eating places await!
Can’t Miss in LoHi
- Flip your frown the wrong way up at Comfortable Camper!
- Discover the Avanti Meals Corridor
- Style wine at Postino
- Take pleasure in licks at Little Man Ice Cream
RiNo (River North)
RiNo, often known as River North, is Denver’s most artsy neighborhood. This Artwork District is stuffed with hip breweries, hidden dive bars, and eccentric eating places – together with a bar that serves scorching canine with caviar.
That is the place to be in order for you infinite nightlife choices and love native brews.
RiNo’s Most Common Sights
- Go for a hole-in-one on the Puttshack
- Hit the breweries
- Style one thing new at Stem Cidery
- Take a look at the road artwork
Capitol Hill
One of the vital 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 residence to Denver’s wealthiest residence, which used to reside on Millionaire’s Row.
Historic properties and museums might be discovered all through the realm. Capitol Hill can also be residence to many festivals, such because the Cinco de Mayo and Pleasure parades.
The downtown sixteenth Avenue free bus begins in Capitol Hill, making it a straightforward journey to and from downtown.
Capitol Hill’s Common Sights
- Denver Artwork Museum
- Broadway Market
- Brown Home Museum
Issues to Do in Denver
Most Common
1. Sightsee by downtown’s main points of interest
Assume: Larmier Sq., standing one mile excessive on the Colorado State Capitol, Massive 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 your entire senses tingling! You possibly can go away a couple of hours to wander round this immersive expertise and you continue to gained’t make it by all of it.
3. Discover the bar above Union Station
Make your means up the steps by the Amtrak ticket counter to seek out this hidden gem. Take within the wine and craft cocktail listing – it’s one in every of my favorites on the town!
4. Steal some laughs on the Denver Comedy Membership
Professional tip: begin your night time with an espresso martini and snigger till you’ll be able to’t breathe
5. Stroll by the Botanic Gardens
Seize a seasonal go if you happen to love metropolis escapes and wildflowers.
6. Store til you drop at Wash Park or LoHi
Each neighborhoods are stuffed with cute boutiques to window store or discover native presents and souvenirs.
Funds Sights
7. Have a picnic on the parks
Take a look at the inexperienced house and mountain views from Wash Park, Commons Park, and Metropolis Park.
8. Catch a ball recreation at Coor’s Subject
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 affordable choice.
Professional tip: the sunsets from the stadium will blow your thoughts!
9. Zip down the Cherry Creek Path on a motorcycle or scooter
40 miles of trails?! You learn that appropriately. Denver is a bikeable metropolis, and this is among the finest! 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 only a few 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 scorching springs
On the lookout for an Instagram-worthy day trip? Steamboat Spring’s Strawberry Sizzling Springs is located simply outdoors of downtown Steamboat. You can also make a visit as much as the springs or spend the night time in one in every of their coveted cabins.
Professional suggestions: Reservations must be made forward of time. Should you don’t have a 4-wheel drive automobile, you should purchase a round-trip shuttle to take you to the new springs from downtown.
13. Catch a present at Crimson Rocks
Probably the most visited venue on the planet, Crimson Rock Amphitheater is a excessive bucket listing venue for artists from all genres. Catch quite a lot of performers right here each summer season, from Massive Wild, to Chic and Sting to Wiz Khalifa.
You possibly can even catch a couple of coveted comedy exhibits on the historic venue.
What time of 12 months must you go to Denver?
4 seasons, 4 utterly completely different experiences within the Mile Excessive Metropolis!
Summer season
Should you’re a fan of mountain climbing, tenting, breweries, and sunshine, summer season in Denver is continuously neglected! The parks in Denver are stuffed with 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 might probably get scorching with 95-degree days, there may be little or no humidity – and even higher, little or no rain – which is among the perks of visiting Denver in the summertime.
Whereas the warmth isn’t too dangerous, having a pool at your lodge or rental is a superb perk.
What to pack in the summertime: mountain climbing sneakers, 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 called 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 season crowds disappear.
However the true 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 mountain climbing, although the nights get tremendous chilly. To prime off the right climate, there may be nearly no rain within the fall, even within the mountains, making it an unbeatable season in Denver.
What to pack within the fall: mountain climbing gear, light-weight shirts, and pants, 1-2 pairs of shirts for decent days, a light-weight sweater or jacket for cold evenings.
Winter
Winter is once I favor 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 realm’s famend ski resorts. Colorado affords a variety of winter actions akin to snowboarding, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
It’s value noting that that is the priciest time to go to, with skyrocketing costs within the mountain cities and more and more costly ski passes.
However, 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 tough to beat, however sadly, spring has became Denver’s wet season over the previous few years.
Whereas it’s nonetheless much less wet than many spring locations, Spring is an enormous shoulder season in Denver. When it’s not wet, the climate is heat and nice for mountain 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 mountain 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 can 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 must be reserved forward of time, however are nice methods to keep away from renting a automobile to get to the mountain cities.
Should you don’t plan on staying on the ski resort, cities like Breckenridge have bus companies to get you to the ski resorts from sure areas.
Rental Vehicles
A necessity if you happen to’re planning on visiting a couple of space or city. Nonetheless, the mountains within the winter require a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive automobile with snow tires. Preserve this in thoughts when budgeting.
In the summertime, if you wish to go on hikes, parks, and tenting, you’ll clearly want your personal automobile to get round.
Ubers, Bikes, and Scooters
Ubers, bikes, and scooters are a straightforward choice for navigating round Denver and its neighborhoods. Bikes and scooters, after all, aren’t the most suitable choice within the winter when the roads are slick!
Visiting Denver FAQ
What number of days do it’s good to go to Denver?
If you wish to solely go to downtown Denver and its neighborhoods, I’d recommend 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 good to know earlier than going to Denver
Crucial factor to know earlier than going to Denver is that the elevation and trigger some odd signs and it’s possible you’ll want 2-3 days to acclimate earlier than doing any strenuous mountain climbing or actions.
Is it value it to go to downtown Denver?
Sure – it’s completely value going to downtown Denver. Downtown Denver is a central location stuffed with sports activities and a few 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 shouldn’t be very walkable. Until you’re staying instantly 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 got it! Hopefully, this information provides you every thing it’s good to know to discover Denver and its magnificence. Whether or not you’re visiting first time or a repeat Denver traveler, there may be 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.
Preserve studying:
Rachel Grenis is captivated with 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 photographs for this text.