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Planning a weekend trip to Denver? You’re in the right place, then. Here’s an incredible Denver itinerary for a weekend trip.
There is a raw, majestic, and haunting beauty to Denver, Colorado, and her surrounding mountains, and the city itself is marked by a vibrant and expectant atmosphere.
A weekend in Denver offers a chance for a genuine escape. You can anticipate many opportunities for outdoor adventure.
This exciting getaway town brings positive vibes, vibrancy, and Denver’s mile-high signature to every event. The locals celebrate life through many festive activities. Prepare your bucket list.
In this article, you’ll discover the following treasured Denver weekend getaway locations, such as great places to eat in Denver, Larimer Square, Union Station, the Museum of Nature and Science, and so much more.
Ready to learn more about your weekend in Denver? Read on!
Where to Stay in Denver, CO
Here are our favorite places to stay on a Denver weekend trip. They are particularly good for a weekend trip because of their location and unique ambiance.
- Warwick Denver – our top-pick Denver hotel is just a stone’s throw away from Denver CBD. The hotel features a pool, gym, pet-friendly rooms, and good prices near many attractions. Click here to book your stay at Warwick!
- SpringHill Suites – the best neighborhood and hotel in Denver for first-timers who want to stay near all the action. They are pet friendly, parking is available, and they offer free WiFi and breakfast. Click here to book your stay at SpringHill!
When to Go On a Weekend Trip to Denver?
Denver is nicknamed The Mile High City as it’s exactly one mile above sea level (5,280 feet). Therefore, Denver maintains a cool, dry climate thanks to its elevation above sea level, and the air is thinner.
Denver’s residents celebrate the town’s mile-high altitude. You’ll find the city’s mile-high pride presented in the names of stadiums, restaurants, and local enterprises.
In addition, Denver’s mile-high altitude is promoted in relevant landmarks.
Denver’s climate is unexpected to outsiders. The arid, chill environment creates a sparse rainfall- only 8 to 15 inches.
In addition, the unusual weather offers 300 days of sun. The snowfall is temporary due to the relentless sun, and golf courses and parks stay open for most of the year.
It’s essential to be mindful of Denver’s higher altitude. The transition from sea level when arriving in Denver is considerable.
You may need to make minor amendments to prepare your body. Denver’s mountainous climate is dry, so keep a water bottle within reach to adjust and avoid headaches.
Have a ready, constant supply of sunscreen and drink responsibly. In addition, be sure to secure a good pair of protective sunglasses.
Denver’s seasonal schedule is packed with plenty of events, festivities, and celebrated occasions suitable for all ages and tastes.
Summer In Denver
Denver’s summer months are sun-soaked with mild, even temperatures and low relative humidity. In Denver, summer days are beautiful, and the evenings are relaxed and comfortable.
In August, the temperatures reach 86°F. There are many outdoor excursions that visitors can enjoy in Denver during summer.
Spring In Denver
Spring in Denver offers unexpected gems secreted away during the other seasons. Downtown Denver offers an array of outdoor activities and festivities.
There is a spring festival for every taste and desire.
These spring festivals offer live music, an eclectic vibe of curio booths, and a variety of local and international cuisines: jazz, rock, blues, opera, art, classic theater, and different heritage festivities.
Winter In Denver
Denver’s winters are moderate, with a daily high temperature of 45°F and rise to 60°F. Denver receives 57 inches of snow yearly.
Winter days in Denver are sunny, and snow doesn’t last. Therefore, golf courses and parks don’t stay closed for long due to the weather.
Autumn In Denver
Autumn in Denver is an enchanting affair of orange-yellow trees and crisp-cool air, as all of Denver’s natural appeal is enhanced by the season’s deepening transition to winter.
Denver’s surrounding mountains and historical charm, settled among 4,000 acres of long-established parks, are exquisite during autumn.
From mid-September to mid-November, autumn reveals different shades of the season’s transitions throughout the various elevations across Denver.
Denver Weekend Trip Itinerary – Day 1
For a weekend getaway in Denver, it’s advisable to familiarize yourself with downtown Denver on your first day. Denver offers an exciting, unique, and eclectic atmosphere.
Therefore, a Denver weekend itinerary should first engage with the local culture by visiting Larimer Square, local breweries, riding a bike, taking a stroll, or visiting museums, art galleries, and Union Square.
There is so much to enjoy during your first day in downtown Denver. Take a look at these suggestions to add to your itinerary for a weekend retreat in Denver.
Start Your Denver Trip With A Breakfast Filled With Bagels, Biscuits, Bacon, And Buttermilk
Denver has prized selections of delicatessen and delis. The following are a few agreed-on must-visit breakfast locations. Begin your day with a wholly Denver experience with a local breakfast eatery.
The Stowaway Kitchen is consistently regarded as one of the top restaurant sites for breakfast in Denver. Located in a freshly redone, repaired, and restored warehouse in RiNo (River North Art District), Denver, it’s easy to see its appeal.
The country-style brick face periphery secures a gorgeous interior. The Stowaway Kitchen is lined with wooden floors and alive with constant chatter.
There’s an eccentric mini cactus garden on the counter. There are outdoor seating arrangements, a community table, and private indoor seating.
Another highly recommended Denver breakfast destination is Snooze an A.M. Eatery. Snooze Eatery originated in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood by two brothers in 2006.
There are now Snooze Eatery branches in Arizona, California, and Texas. Try their Benny Duo option, where you can choose from six different benedict variations.
Lounge Around Larimer Square
Enjoy the bubbly atmosphere of Larimer Square. Spend a day and stay deep into the evening. You’ll discover Larimer street alight with festivities.
Enjoyable all year round, Larimer Square in spring possesses enticing energy that revitalizes the spirit, body, and mind.
Larimer Square is a scene of shops, restaurants, and entertainment among bright, blooming flowers, friends, and merriments. This Denver destination interlaces historic charm with a trending, bouncy beat.
Go sightseeing with a small-group walking or cocktail tour. Larimer Square is located among landmark architecture, specialty shops, and quaint museums.
Engage With Denver’s Cultural Scene
Denver’s art and culture scene is refined, vibrant, and a fun, sophisticated affair. Explore these options if you prefer to stay indoors over the colder seasons.
Or maybe you need a break from sightseeing in Denver’s remarkable nature and rampant wildlife over the hotter months.
Denver Union Station
City district Denver has at its heart Union Station. Denver Union Station is a vibrant mix of history, culture, and energy, especially at night.
Denver Union Station was voted Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice of 2021. This iconic landmark supports an urban beekeeping program that partners with local restaurants.
Along with award-winning restaurants, like James Beard winner Jennifer Jasinski, Union Station has local and eclectic boutique stores, bars, and the plush Crawford Hotel.
This metropolitan hub is full of historic appeal and urban charisma. The train station provides transport across the city.
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Discover the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, as it appeals to visitors on a cultural and historical spectrum. This deeply enriching site has various programs, workshops, and exhibitions.
The American Alliance of Museums recognizes this historical space and has verified its immense importance and societal contribution.
It explores the universe, pre-history, paleontology, anthropology, and zoology. You can spend a day getting lost exploring the realms of time and space—an ideal place for all members of your family and of all ages.
The Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum boasts over 70 000 valuable art pieces and is a worthwhile visit. The museum’s collection is arranged across all art history eras.
Watch out for special events like Curious Vision- Beyond Abstract Photography, Age of Armor, Revision- Art in the Americas, Twentieth Century Chinese Ink Art, and Georgia O’Keeffe Photography.
The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver
There is also the worldly Clyfford Still Museum. This museum celebrates abstract artist Clyfford Still’s distinctive voice and uncompromised vision.
An excursion through Clyfford Still’s nine gorgeous galleries reveals the seminal artist’s inventiveness and creative design. Art enthusiasts will thrive from a couple-hour visit to the museum.
Reclaim Peace Of Mind By Strolling Through Denver
Simply taking a stroll through Denver’s neighborhoods’ is its own occasion.
Denver’s metro area offers several walks: Capitol Hill, Sloan Lake, Washington Park, Jefferson Park to Confluence Park, Highline Canal Trail, City Park, Platte River Trail, Green Mountain, and Cherry Creek Trail.
Take a walk around Capitol Hill, for example. This four-mile stroll will acquaint you with old precious historic buildings, including the Colorado State Capitol Building.
Each season enhances Denver’s innate beauty. However, the golden highlights of autumn are enchanting.
The atmosphere of goldening aspens, auburn cottonwoods, and dark, deep crimson maple infuses the scene with a sense of enduring adventure. There are coffee shops and bars throughout the journey, and this area caters to bikes and pedestrians.
A walk to the nucleus of the city center of Denver, Confluence Park, is the intersection of South Platte River and Cherry Creek.
This area is historically significant, as it was the first campsite of gold scourers during the 1800s. The creek is an ideal retreat for kayaking and other water activities during the summer.
Sample Local Craft Beer In Downtown Denver
Denver is home to many craft beers and breweries, and there are numerous brewery trails you can enjoy.
There’s a list of craft breweries with an interactive map to assist you #DenverBeerTrail.
Take a bike ride around the different districts of Denver, which has 87 miles of paved bike paths, and sample craft beer.
Alternatively, you can join a highly-reviewed 2h30 min craft beer tour in the city. It’s well worth checking out!
Take a Twilight Ghost Tour
Denver carries all the mystic and quiet haunting mystery of a historical site.
Of these, Capitol Hill is illustrious in its ghost tales and spooky scenes, like Sheedy Mansion, Poets Row, and Molly Brown House.
As the evening darkens into the night, paranormal activity charges Capitol Hill’s cold air.
Enjoy a guided tour and discover the lives and stories that echo silently among the old architecture: stories that relay murder, scandal, and unresolved riddles.
Ice-Skate in Winter at Denver’s Skyline Park
Old school is never far from the Denver experience, and ice-skating at downtown Skyline Park recreates yesteryear’s romance and innocent fun.
Denver rink is situated in the Southwest region and offers its venue for free every day of the week. You can bring your skates or rent a $2 pair.
Denver Weekend Trip Itinerary – Day 2
For your second day on your Denver weekend, plan a getaway to one of the many inspirational spots offered by Denver’s wildlife landscape. Fill your Denver weekend itinerary with any of these exciting places to visit.
Picnic Amongst Denver’s Wildflowers
The Rocky Mountains are hands-down one of the most beautiful places in Colorado, and that offer countless adventures. Rocky Mountain National Park has been a recognized conservation site for 100 years, and it’s breathtaking.
Taking a scenic trail, you’ll discover the unchecked expanse of fragile, beautiful wildflowers. Choose a quiet spot shadowed by Pine trees and have a memorable picnic.
Described as Denver’s backyard jewel, Roxborough State Park is a 4,000-acre sweep of striking red-rock formations, unbridled vegetation, and free-roaming wildlife.
Get the chance to enjoy one of Roxborough’s hikes. There are also several programs like bird watching and trail running.
On Willow Creek Trail in Roxborough Park, wildflowers proliferate the scene and reach the horizon. There are specific species of wildflowers that typically grow at significant distances from each other.
However, due to the park’s diverse ecology- when trailing Willow Creek, you’ll find these distant cousins’ flourishing closely together.
Read next: Best Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rollercoaster at Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park
Elitch Gardens, an amusement and water park, is open from April to October and is an all-out, worthwhile day adventure.
For over 120 years, Elitch Gardens has been a communal safe place of fun and excitement.
Elitch Gardens promotes an old-town vibe and has close to 50 eventful rides. There is an observation tower that presents an expansive view of downtown Denver.
Yoga at Red Rock Park and Amphitheater
Red Rock Park and Amphitheater can only be described as legendary and the ideal destination to create many treasured memories.
There are many events offered at Red Rock. However, yoga at this elevation is unique and transcendental.
Red Rock is strewn from two sandstone formations that are 300 feet in size. This is a natural arena, and the geological arrangement provides the ideal acoustics.
Step-like seating is carved into the rock, presenting a staggering, awe-struck view. Visitors of Red Rock are secured within the heart of the sandstone elevation.
Capture Forever Bison in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Refuge
The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Refuge is a worthwhile visit at any time. However, in Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, winter is an icy landscape and iridescent white trees.
Situated only ten miles from Denver city, the 15,000 acres of unhindered wildlife is a sanctuary to Bison, coyotes, raptors, prairie dogs, and approximately 330 species of other beasts and birds that call Colorado their home.
The Rocky Mountains Arsenal National Wildlife is involved with a Bison conservation program. The 2020 Bison Conservation Initiative is focused on bringing Bison back from extinction.
You can capture one of these stately beasts as they move along the horizon with your camera or phone and keep that memory for life.
The objectives of this program have five aims, which include healthy, free bison herds, species conservation, shared stewardship, and ecological and cultural restoration.
In 2021 excess Bison was roundup and donated to Wolakota Buffalo Range.
Indigenous people aided in the endeavor for the first time since the Refuge was established. This effort at community and conservation is commendable.
Be Transformed after a Trip to Denver Botanic Gardens
Day visits to Denver Botanic Gardens are transformative and otherworldly. Denver’s climate makes it favorable for celebrations and simple festivities.
Summer is filled with days saturated in the sun, and winter is hung in icy crystals and adventurous spirit.
Positioned next to Cheeseman Park, Denver Botanic Gardens is a 23-acre stretch of a wide variety of international plants.
Several themed gardens have drawn their inspiration from different corners of the earth, including the Tropics, South Africa, China, and Japan.
Of these, there’s a striking Japanese garden that offers an entirely immersive experience. Named the Shofu-en Japanese Garden, which translates to Garden of the Pine Winds.
There are about 130 ponderosa pines that have been hedged to appear as clouds floating close to the earth’s surface.
The architect of this landscape, Koichi Kawana, cleverly maintained Colorado’s Rocky Mountains characteristics represented in Japanese style.
A handful of these floating trees are close to 200 years of age. The entire aesthetic is maintained in rigorous Japanese tradition.
Denver Botanic Garden Amphitheater
Denver’s Botanic Gardens also has a sunken amphitheater that provides an array of performances and concerts.
The arena promotes a diverse selection of talent and attracts visitors from all over. Go online to see the different schedules, festivals, and concerts announced.
Go Skiing in Denver
There are many different ski resorts surrounding Denver, including Winter Park, Vail, Loveland Ski Area, Keystone Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Copper Mountain Resort, Echo Mountain, Eldora Mountain Resort, and Ski and Snowshoe Tours.
Have More Days in Your Denver Itinerary?
In that case, you can…
- Go on a day trip from Denver to one of the many incredible places spread across the state, like Colorado Springs, Idaho Springs, Steamboat Springs, or Glenwood Springs.
- Stroll around the Civic Center Park at the south end of the 16th Street Mall.
- Go for some bites at Denver Central Market.
- Celebrate a festive Christmas in Denver
- Check out some hiking trails at the nearby Estes Park.
- Go on a weekend getaway in Breckenridge, one of the fantastic mountain towns near Denver.
- Enjoy one of the best cities in the US, let alone North America.
Final Words on Weekend Trip to Denver
While not as popular as San Francisco or Chicago, Denver is an incredible city worth visiting.
Mile-high Denver is unexpected for its climate, beauty, and festivities. A getaway weekend in Denver can be a bucket list experience.
The majesty of the surrounding landscape displaces usual daily stresses and transports you with a sense of vigor and adventure.
There are many areas and events in city-central Denver and the surrounding conservation sites. Remember to pack sunscreen and UV-protected sunglasses. Prepare your body for the changing altitude.
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