Official Visitor Info

Explore 5 Colorado Cities 5 Different Ways: Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder & Aurora

Explore the Front Range cities of Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder and Aurora using five personas to best suit the way you travel.

Two people drinking beer at Atrevida Beer Company in Colorado Springs
Atrevida Beer Company in Colorado Springs
Pikes Peak Train at the summit
Rocky Mountain views from the Pikes Peak Train
5 Cities, 5 Ways

Aurora Cultural Arts District

Stanley Marketplace in Aurora
Stanley Marketplace in Aurora
Penguins at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs
Penguins at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs
By: Colorado.com Staff Writer

1. Denver

Couples

  • Stay: Life House, Lower Highlands
    Experience Victorian splendor in a Western-meets-Charlotte-Brontë-romance kind of way.
  • Morning: The Brown Palace Spa
    Have all your aches lightly pummeled during a couple’s massage.
  • Dinner: Mizuna
    The menu is ever changing and offers intimate tastings of things like Tokyo escargot.
  • Evening: Sunday Vinyl
    Reserve a black-marble table and sample from an impressive array of wines.

Families

Foodies

  • Stay: The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block
    Gourmands, delight — this place is set above a food hall with delights from burritos to hand-made bucatini.
  • Morning: Delicious Denver Food Tours
    Five mouthwatering tastings later and you’ll have a lock on the city’s cuisine scene.
  • Lunch: Denver Milk Market
    Taste test pillowy bao buns and creamy gelato.
  • Dinner: Beckon Chef’s-Counter Experience
    Catch one of the “2019 Badass Colorado Women to Watch in the Food Industry” working her magic.

Adventurers

  • Stay: Halcyon Hotel
    The on-site Gear Garage is packed with rental bikes, surfboards, sleds, snowshoes and more.
  • Morning: Ruby Hill Rail Yard
    Featuring 10 rails and boxes for varying skill levels, this wonderland is free — BYO-snowboard. In summer, hit the bike park for sweet jumps, berms, wall rides and more.
  • Afternoon: Raíces Brewing Company
    Sip a Celebración while perusing vendors at Sabados Culturales (Cultural Saturdays).
  • Evening
    Colorado Avalanche: Watch the home team put the biscuit in the basket at the chilly Ball Arena.

Art Lovers

  • Stay: the ART, a hotel
    See Leo Villareal’s sparkling overhead installation in the porte cochere.
  • Morning: Museo de Las Americas
    Appreciate the museum’s ceramic artifacts from the Inca, Aztec and Maya peoples.
  • Lunch: Burrito Giant
    Have your smothered burrito with a side of ultra-colorful murals.
  • Afternoon: Denver Art Museum
    The Martin Building shows off the museum’s Indigenous Arts of North America collection. Make a dinner reservation for Ponti, named after the famed architect.

Eco-Tip: Guzzle a can of Good River Beer: 2 percent of their revenue goes to river conservation.

2. Colorado Springs

Couples

  • Stay: Glen Eyrie Castle
    The European palace-esque rolling grounds are ideal for roaming with your companion.
  • Morning: The Broadmoor Seven Falls
    In summer, the tumbling falls are a mesmerizing delight. In winter, these frozen waters look like clumps of powdered sugar with their dusty covering of snow.
  • Afternoon: Painting with a Twist
    Create a masterpiece together while sipping some full-bodied vino.
  • Dinner: Shuga’s
    Indulge in za’atar-spiced beet dip and an adult juice box (vodka, white-grape juice and sangria).

Families

Foodies

  • Stay: The Broadmoor
    Not only is this historical hotel beautiful, but its Penrose Room has five AAA diamonds.
  • Morning: Pikes Peak Summit House
    Sure, America’s Mountain offers incredible panoramas, but you’re here for the warm, high-altitude doughnuts.
  • Dinner: Four by Brother Luck
    The head chef was featured on “Top Chef” seasons 15 and 16 — so, run, don’t walk.
  • Evening: Ivywild School
    Visit the Principal’s Office for a Sazerac.

Adventurers

  • Stay: Adobe Inn at Cascade
    Tucked at the base of Pikes Peak, this 1929-built gem acts as a basecamp for explorers.
  • Morning: Front Range Climbing Company
    Hook up with a guide to send craggy climbs with stunning views. Come winter, strap on those crampons and crawl up glistening ice structures.
  • Afternoon: Colorado Jeep Tours
    Bump along mountain roads for insane spectacles of towering peaks and valleys.
  • Evening: Atrevida Beer Company
    Feel magical flavors burst across your tongue with inventive flavors Fresas Con Crema ale.

Art Lovers

  • Stay: Kinship Landing
    Request a balcony room where a miniature garage door offers inspirational summit views.
  • Breakfast: The Wild Goose Meeting House
    Pick a table near the huge, color-coded bookshelf to snack on your breakfast nachos.
  • Morning: Colorado Springs Chinese Cultural Institute
    Check their calendar for year-round events, like the Chinese New Year Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and more.
  • Afternoon: Gallery 113
    Take in various art styles at this showcase on trendy Tejon Street.

Eco-Tip: Rent a purple PikeRide bike to pedal around downtown.

3. Fort Collins

Couples

Families

  • Stay: Remington Flats
    The FoCo studio comes with a full kitchen and adorable pig painting (it’s wearing glasses, y’all).
  • Breakfast: Silver Grill Cafe
    The oldest restaurant in NoCo makes its giant cinnamon rolls fresh daily.
  • Afternoon: Colorado Carriage and Wagon
    Old Town inspired Disneyland’s Main Street. Prearrange a horse-drawn carriage to spot the similarities.
  • Dessert: Butter Cream Cupcakery
    An afternoon pick-me-up of vanilla-bean cupcakes might just be necessary.

Foodies

  • Stay: The Armstrong Hotel
    How many hotels can you stay at with in-house butcher shops?
  • Morning: Little Bird Bakeshop
    Gorge on baked oatmeal and Irish-cheddar toast.
  • Afternoon: The Teaching Kitchen at Ginger and Baker
    Master how to make pasta from scratch on a lazy afternoon.
  • Dinner: The Exchange
    This food hall, with a giant milk-churn ice-cream shop, will complete your trip.

Adventurers

  • Stay: Fernweh Inn & Hostel
    Affordable rooms, bunk beds and a homey living room make the ultimate home base.
  • Morning: Akinz
    Pick up handmade beanies for the outdoorsy folks back home at this local boutique.
  • Afternoon: Lory State Park
    Rent cross-country skis or kayaks from a local outfitter and make your way across breathtaking scenery until dusk.
  • Drinks: Intersect Brewing
    Before turning in, have a Girl You Know It’s True pineapple-raspberry hard seltzer.

Art Lovers

  • Stay: The Elizabeth Hotel
    Herringbone floors and a sweeping staircase meant for drama make the Elizabeth a work of art.
  • Morning: Museum of Art Fort Collins
    Peruse cool exhibits — from inflatable contemporary art to studies on textile movements — at this cozy museum.
  • Afternoon: Fort Collins Mural Project
    More than 30 vivid designs decorate the city’s nooks and crannies.
  • Evening: Jessup Farm Artisan Village
    Stop by this old farmstead turned creator-and-maker space.

    Eco-Tip: Get ahead of next year’s disposable plastic-bag ban with reusable totes from Kansas City Kitty.

4. Boulder

Couples

  • Stay: St. Julien Hotel & Spa
    Choose the mini-moon package, which comes with a chilled bottle of Champagne.
  • Morning: Realization Point
    Profess your love for one another on this trail with vistas of Boulder.
  • Afternoon: Piece, Love & Chocolate
    Hand-craft truffles for your person with your person.
  • Dinner: Black Cat
    Arrange a romantic cabana for a literal farm-to-table meal.

Families

  • Stay: Basecamp Boulder
    Four twin beds are sunk into the turf-covered ground in the Great Indoors camping-themed room.
  • Morning: Scott Carpenter Park
    Grab a sled and rip down this steep hill in winter, giggling all the way. No snow? No problem. This is also an amazing kite-flying park.
  • Lunch: Avanti F&B
    After an excitement-filled morning, tuck into New York-style pizza and mini-burgers for the kiddos.
  • Afternoon: Museum of Boulder
    Play music by touching colors and build your own robots at the Google Garage.

Foodies

  • Stay: Hotel Boulderado
    In the historic foyer of this grand-dame hotel, you’ll find decadent prime-rib hash at Spruce Farm & Fish.
  • Morning: Food Lab
    Learn how to cook like Julia Child at this community kitchen.
  • Dinner: Frasca Food and Wine
    Consume refined northern Italian goodies like tagliatelle with asparagus and burrata.
  • Drinks: The Bitter Bar
    This is potentially Boulder’s coolest bar with a great happy hour — $7.50 drinks, anyone?

Adventurers

  • Stay: A-Lodge
    Let the adventure concierge do all the work while you enjoy the Sunset Cabin. 
  • Breakfast: Thrive
    Begin bright and early with an energy-filled berry baobab smoothie.
  • Morning: Caribou Ranch Open Space 
    Lush, shaded trails are perfect for summer morning hikes past mining relics. In winter, rent snowshoes from Crystal Ski Shop and traverse the vast area in winter. 
  • Afternoon: Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides Custom Adventure
    This takes some advance planning, but experienced local guides will curate your dream outing — whether that's fishing, mountain biking or skiing.

Art Lovers

  • Stay: Mary H. Galey Cottage at Chautauqua
    Marble countertops, hexagon-tile floors and antique furniture make a stay here extra pretty.
  • Morning: Street Wise Boulder murals
    These 35 flamboyant artworks are meant for your Instagram feed.
  • Afternoon: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art
    Constantly changing exhibits make docent-led tours different each time you visit.
  • Evening: 1000 Voices Project
    Listen to African songs at one of these harmonious performances.

Eco-Tip: Finished with your tea bag? Throw it in a compost bin along Pearl Street Mall.

5. Aurora

Couples

Families

Foodies

Adventurers

Art Lovers

Eco-Tip: Refill your favorite household products at Zero Market in Stanley Marketplace.