Denver 3-Day Itinerary: Arts, Nature & Adventure

Denver 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arts, Culture, and History in Downtown

16th Street Mall

In 1982, it was constructed with a mile-long pedestrian promenade with outdoor cafes and retailing stores. It is easy to traverse the entire length as free buses have a 90-second frequency and make a stop at every intersection.

Big Blue Bear

“I See What You Mean” is a sculpture 40 feet (14th and California streets) by Lawrence Argent. It is also referred to as the Big Blue Bear, which provides a peephole into the Colorado Convention Center and has become a fun city emblem, ideal for getting an image at any angle.

Denver Pavilions

This is an outdoor entertainment and shopping center, comprising 40 shops, restaurants, and entertainment services, including a movie theater and bowling alley, covering two city blocks and three stories, including underground parking.

Denver Performing Arts Complex

The cultural center of opera, theater, dance, and music in the city. There are performances of symphonies, jazz, musicals and plays, comedy programs, and one-man performances. The tickets are better organized.

Brown Palace Hotel & Spa

An iconic luxury hotel since 1892 and a Four-Star Forbes and Four-Diamond establishment. It also features a stained-glass atrium lobby, finely furnished suites, fine dining, and an artesian spring well 720 feet below the lobby floor, which continues to feed water all over the hotel. Historical tours are offered.

Lower Downtown Highlights

Denver Union Station

The Beaux-ARTs station of 1914 has been totally redesigned and converted into a transportation, dining, shopping, and entertainment station. The Crawford Hotel includes 112 rooms, four chef-owned restaurants, fast service, special local shops, and a Colorado beer hall. The station is directly connected to Denver International Airport by rail.

Rockmount Ranch Wear

A fashion icon in the Western world, they were the first to have the snap-button type shirt that has become a fashion staple in America. It’s a very beautiful building, the Rockmount building of 1909 is a historic site.

Museum of Contemporary Art Denver

The first permanent contemporary art museum in the city, a sustainable building by David Adjaye. Exhibitions introduce new ideas and promote discussions and new ways of looking at contemporary art.

Larimer Square

The city has the oldest block, which is today a very popular shopping, dining, and nightlife place. Glitter lights adorn Victorian structures, which contain boutiques, chef-led restaurants, and specialty stores. There are events and gatherings throughout the year in the atmosphere.

Afternoon: Golden Triangle Creative District

Denver Art Museum

Custodian of a famous Native American art gallery and daring modern design in the Frederic C. Hamilton edifice by Daniel Libeskind. The recently restored Martin Building was initially planned by Gio Ponti and James Sudler Associates in 1971, but now has additional gallery space and extensive city skyline and Rocky Mountain views. 

Children under 18 are admitted free, and there are regularly free days throughout the month. Open daily.

Clyfford Still Museum

The exhibition is devoted to the life and work of Clyfford Still, the prominent representative of abstract expressionism. The museum possesses a collection of 2,400 works of the artist that have not been shown to the public till the time of its establishment.

History Colorado Center

Interactive displays make the history of the state come to life, such as a Model T ride simulator, ski jump challenge, and a recreation of an 1880s hard-rock mine. Exhibitions present the past, present, and future of Colorado.

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

It has collections of Vance Kirkland, art of Colorado, the local artists, and an international decorative art collection.

Colorado State Capitol

After the Capitol of the U.S., and topped off with a dome of over 200 ounces of actual gold. The 13th step on the west staircase is one mile above sea level. Closed on Saturdays, except in summer.

Evening: Downtown

McGregor Square & Denver Milk Market

Outside Coors Field, the Milepost Zero food hall and the 17,000-square-foot McGregor Square plaza with concerts, festivals, and movies on a stadium-sized LED screen are located. The area is lined up with food, drinks, and stores such as Tom’s Watch Bar, Carmines, and Tattered Cover Book Store. Robert Dairy Block is located close to Denver Milk Market and the Alley, an informal nightlife venue.

Day 2: Red Rocks, Shopping, and Science Experiences

Morning: Front Range

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

It is the only naturally created amphitheater in the entire world with perfect acoustics, situated 15 miles west of Denver. Famous concerts also featured scenic biking and hiking trails in the adjacent park.

Denver Buffalo Herd

The herd of bison is kept in their natural habitat along the I-70 Exit 254, which is approximately 20 miles west of the city. These are the direct descendants of the last herd of wild bison in the country.

Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave

The museum, located on Lookout Mountain, features souvenirs of the life and Wild West performance of Buffalo Bill, Native American collections, antique guns, and Old West history. The museum, the grave of Buffalo Bill, the Pahaska Tepee gift shop, and an area for children’s activities are all contained in the complex.

Cherry Creek

Cherry Creek Shopping Center

It has over 160 stores, which comprise the Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Michael Kors, H and M, and Forever 21. A quarter of the outlets can be found only within the locality, and there are restaurants such as the 801 Chophouse.

Cherry Creek North

Luxurious boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and day spas inhabit the 16-block area. It is also famous due to high fashion, unusual jewelry, fine arts, and its exciting shopping, dining, and cultural mix.

Afternoon: Downtown

Meow Wolf Denver

The convergence station is a fully realized art experience in four worlds: C Street, Eemia, Ossuary, and Numina. Situated in the station, there is also HELLOFOOD that serves creative bites and local brews in a new cosmic environment.

City Park Attractions

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Inside are fascinating exhibits, including Space Odyssey, Exhibition Health, Gems & Minerals, Egyptian Mummies, and Prehistoric Journey. The museum also features the giant-screen Infinity Theater and a planetarium for immersive experiences.

Denver Zoo

The zoo occupies an area of over 75+ acres and accommodates approximately 4,000 animals such as Amur leopards, okapi, black rhinoceroses, elephants, vampire bats, orangutans, and Komodo dragons. 

Thelma and Louise are the Toyota Elephant Passage, the largest single place in the world on which the bull elephants live, and The Edge, where you can get close to the Amur tigers.

Denver Botanic Gardens

The park is a peaceful escape in downtown Chicago and houses 45 thematic gardens and over 33,000 plants. The most popular are the Japanese Garden, the Rock Alpine Garden, and the Mordecai Children’s Garden.

Evening Highlights in Denver

Denver Beer Trail

The craft-beer market in Denver has more than 100 brewpubs, breweries, and tap rooms. The Denver Beer Trail, by neighbourhood, assists visitors in knowing it all, whether it is Latin American-inspired brews, conventional German brews, or even gluten-free options.

Art and Entertainment Districts

1. River North Art District (RiNo): River North Art District (RiNo) is an arts district home to street-art graffiti, transformed studio spaces currently used by artists, urban food halls including The Source and Denver Central Market, and live-music bars such as Nocturne and Mission Ballroom.
2. South Broadway: South Broadway is a busy street with taverns, clothing shops, art galleries, antique stores, used bookstores, all sorts of restaurants, and music clubs.
3. LoHi (Lower Highland): Located in LoHi (Lower Highland), on the other hand, represents historic and modern architecture as well as being the home to trendsetting restaurants and bars such as Linger and Avanti brothel, and B, with gorgeous views of the Highland Bridge and downtown skyline.

Day 3: Excursions Beyond Denver

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is 71miles northwest of Denver and is a 400-mile stretch of scenery. The trail ride road, the world’s highest continuous highway, crosses the Continental Divide more than two miles above sea level. 

The park is also equipped with two visitor centers, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, lakes, waterfalls, wildlife habitat, and horseback riding. There is a resort town of Estes Park where one can eat and shop at the fringes of the park.

Golden

At the foot of the foothills lies Golden, which was the capital of the territory until the year 1867. A pedestrian bridge across Broadway reads, It Where the West Lives. The Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden History Museum, Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, and the American Mountaineering Museum are just some of the museums that offer a lot of historical information.

Coors Brewery is the largest single-site brewer in the world that producing up to 22 million barrels per year. Learned tours (reservation) are a tour of malting, brewing, and packaging, and end with product sampleings; the gift shop has unique finds.

Colorado Springs

The Pikes Peak, which is 14,000 feet tall and 60 miles south of Denver, is the foundation of attractions in Colorado Springs. Among attractions are the U.S. Air Force Academy, Broadmoor Resort with lake and golf courses, Seven Falls, Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, and the Garden of the Gods, which features 500-foot sandstone formations in the background of Pikes Peak. 

The summit is reached either by foot or vehicle, or by the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Among the adventure activities are the Jeep tours, zip lines, hot-air balloon rides, and Segway tours.

Idaho Springs, Mount Blue Sky, and Georgetown

Idaho Springs, located just 30 miles south of Denver, offers outdoor adventure and gold mining history. The Lawson Adventure Park & Resort offers rafting and zip lining on Clear Creek as well as canopy ziplines, via ferrata, and zorbing.

Mount Blue Sky is home to North America’s highest-altitude paved road, which reaches 14,260 feet. Reservations are necessary, and seasonal access is available from mid-May to early October. The M. Walter Pesman Trail is a beautiful walk that takes you past ancient bristlecone trees and rare wildflowers.

Georgetown, located in the mountains 42 miles from Denver, is home to 200 Victorian-style buildings that have been restored, as well as antique stores and restaurants. Georgetown Loop Railroad is open during the summer with steam trains crossing over trestles and silver mine tours.

Fort Collins

Fort Collins is an outdoor adventure destination that is also vibrant and energetic at the base of the Rockies, approximately 65 miles northeast of Denver. An endless recreation is formed with over 50 parks and 280 miles of trails, and the Cache la Poudre River offers whitewater rafting facilities throughout May to September.

Restaurants, shopping, and nightlife characterize the downtown. The community is dotted with Colorado State University and the legendary New Belgium Brewery as a drinking destination.

In Summary

The best of the city in art and history, mountain day-trips, and cultural attractions, this is a 3-day itinerary of the best things in Denver. Cultural fusion and adventure, Rhinoceros or craft beer, Mile High City does not differentiate between the two. A trip to Denver will be an adventure to remember with variety, beauty, and breathtaking scenes.

FAQs

What is the prettiest place in Colorado?

The most beautiful locations that provide magnificent natural landscapes, hiking routes, and stunning views are the Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Does Denver get snow?

Yes, it does snow in Denver from October through April, averaging approximately 60 inches a year, and this will mean some sunshine and snowboarding days.

What is closest to Denver?

Then again, there are what can be called day trips, and which are easy to make: nearby, there is the Red Rocks Park, Golden, and Boulder, all of which can be reached in a short drive.

What is so special about Denver?

Denver is an awe-inspiring blend of outdoors activities and dynamic culture where world-class museums, historic sites, artisan beer, retail shops, and effortless access to the Rocky Mountains coexist.