Discovering Colorado: From Metro to Mountains and Back

Activities, Colorado Group Tour Planner, Western US Itinerary

THE ITINERARY AT A GLANCE

From award-winning museums and delightful shopping to scenic beauty and outdoor fun, it’s all in Denver and the nearby Rocky Mountain towns
 
 
Estes Park Horseback

Estes Park Horseback

Enjoy These Great Colorado Attractions and More:

  • Denver’s History Colorado Center
  • Golden Triangle Creative District
  • Denver Art Museum
  • Rocky Mountain National Park
  • Lunch in Estes Park
  • Exploring Grand Lake’s
  • Sportsman’s Paradise
  • Heritage Park Museum
  • Grand Lake

 


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Blue Bear

Blue Bear

COLORADO DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY


DAY 1:

Your first stop is Denver’s History Colorado Center. Exhibits include setting off dynamite in a mine, a virtual ride in a Model T and a ski jump simulator. Take a photo in front of the Colorado Convention Center’s famous Blue Bear sculpture before visiting Denver Union Station: an exciting transportation, shopping, dining and entertainment center. Browse one-of-a-kind local shops, including the Tattered Cover Book Store. An early dinner tonight is at one of four chef-owned restaurants in the historic Union Station. Farm to-table, seafood, Italian and more wait. After check-in, it’s on to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Groups of 10+ will be entertained with a variety of shows. Musicals, comedies and dramas produced by the DCPA Theater Company and Broadway tours round out a full, annual calendar.

 

DAY 2:

Arrive at the Golden Triangle Creative District and Denver Art Museum. Fourteen collections include European & American, African, Asian and Indigenous Art of North America. Lunch is on your own at Civic Center Eats, a gathering of local food trucks in Civic Center Park before gathering at the Kirkland Museum of Decorative Art. Browse three different collections (“International Decorative Art,” “Colorado and Regional Art” and “Vance Kirkland and the Original Studio”) all arranged “salon style.” There’s still more art to enjoy at the Clyfford Still Museum, which houses nine galleries of Still’s art, historic photos, objects and letters from his archives. Depart Denver for a short drive to Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, Visitor Center and dinner at Ship Rock Grille. The Visitor Center offers a short film and interactive displays to tell the story of the only natural amphitheater in the world.
 

DAY 3:

Enjoy the leisurely 70-mile ride to Estes Park on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. Begin your visit with the Aerial Tramway. You’ll travel across the treetops to the summit of Prospect Mountain. Venture to the Riverwalk, where the Big Thompson River and Fall River wind through the city. Start with lunch at your choice of more than a dozen area restaurants. Continue by shopping locally owned stores sure to have those perfect gifts for the family and friends back home. Check into your group-friendly hotel before dinner at Hunters Chophouse for some “Old Fashioned Mountain Fare.” Along with a nice variety of chicken, fish and beef entrees, there’s bison, elk and Kurobuta pork on the menu. Finish a fun day with some Estes Park nightlife.  
 

DAY 4:

After breakfast, meet your Estes Park Guided Tour guide for a memorable three-hour Lower Valley Tour. Enjoy lunch in Estes Park before spending the afternoon driving through Rocky Mountain National Park on a leisurely drive over Trail Ridge Road, an America’s Scenic Byway. Discover how a portion of the Colorado River flows into the Mississippi River. Spend two nights at Grand Lake Lodge, a National Historic Landmark. Dinner tonight is casual elegance at the Grand Lake Lodge overlooking Grand Lake, the largest natural lake in Colorado.  
 

DAY 5:

Enjoy breakfast and take time to walk to Adams Falls followed by a boat tour of the lake. After lunch, relax while exploring Grand Lake’s wooden boardwalks, restaurants and shops or just sit on the beach listening to the waves on the sandy shore. Dinner tonight is at one of the delightful Grand Lake restaurants, followed by a live performance at the world-famous repertory theatre. Or take a short drive to Hot Sulphur Springs Resort and Spa to spoil yourself with some much needed relaxation in 21 mineral pools.

 

DAY 6:

It’s just a 45-minute drive to Kremmling, which is known as a “Sportsman’s Paradise” for its exceptional elk hunting areas. Fishing, river rafting, kayaking and every other imaginable outdoor activity are options. With a little more relaxing vacation pace, you’ll begin your day at the Heritage Park Museum. Its six historic buildings include a 1915 Forest Service Ranger Station and the original Kremmling town jail. There’s always something to experience in small town history. Depart for the 40-minute drive to Silverthorne, a community with a commitment to hosting Public Art Exhibits. More than 50 artists have participated from contemporary murals to
 
Colorado still has plenty more for travel groups to experience, so be sure to Subscribe to Leisure Group Travel for FREE and get even more travel ideas and tips
 
 

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