If it is your first time in Denver Colorado and you only have a weekend, I would focus on two very different sides of the city.
Spend your first day around downtown, LoDo, Larimer Square, Union Station, and Dairy Block. Then spend your second day in RiNo, where you can slow down a little and mix murals, shopping, food, and a couple of fun activities.
This is still a pretty full weekend in Denver, but it gives you a really good feel for the city without trying to cram in every attraction.
If you are still deciding what you want to prioritize, my Top Things to Do in Denver Colorado covers more of the city so you can easily swap something in or out.
Start the morning at Onefold.
The menu has a mix of Mexican, Asian-inspired, and classic breakfast dishes, and everything is made from scratch. It is a good place to have breakfast before a very food-heavy afternoon.
I would keep this meal fairly light because your next stop is a food tour.
Next, join a Secret Food Tours Denver tour.
This is an easy way to get introduced to the city while also taking care of lunch. You get to try several foods along the way instead of choosing one restaurant, and you also learn a little about the neighborhoods you are walking through.
Because the tour includes plenty of food, I would skip a separate lunch afterward.
If food is going to be a major part of your trip, I also put together a DIY Denver Food Tour: Best Places to Eat in Denver Colorado with more places to add if you have extra time.
After the food tour, rent an electric city bike and ride part of the Cherry Creek Trail. This was one of my favorite ways to get around Denver because it turns transportation into part of the sightseeing.
The trail follows Cherry Creek and gives you stretches of creek views, bridges, and city scenery without just biking through traffic. You can choose how long you want to ride the trail. Even spending 30–45 minutes on the trail is a fun way to see another part of the city.
Wendy’s Tip: Make sure to check the tires before you pay because if it has flat tires, like my first bike did, you have to find another bike and pay the fee for a new one.
I would also have water with you if you are doing this in warmer weather. I travel with my Brita Water Bottle, which is easy to refill as I go.
From there, make your way toward Larimer Square.
Walk around the historic block, look at the buildings and overhead lights, and pop into a few stores.
One fun stop is Garage Sale Vintage, which is part vintage shop and part bar. Even if you are not planning to buy anything, it is entertaining to wander through.
After Larimer Square, start making your way toward Union Station. I would walk down 16th Street because there are plenty of little photo spots, public art, shops, and interesting things to look at along the way.
This part of the afternoon does not need a strict plan. Just give yourself some time to wander.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
Head to Denver Union Station later in the afternoon. The sun does not actually set directly behind Union Station, so I would not come here expecting that exact photo.
But the sky can still be really pretty around sunset, and the building looks especially nice as the lights start coming on. Walk through the station, look around outside, and take a few photos before dinner.
From Union Station, walk over to Dairy Block. I loved this area at night. Walk through Maker’s Alley, check out the little shops and restaurants, and take some photos once everything is lit up.
Then you have two very good dinner options depending on what type of night you want.
If this trip is for a birthday, anniversary, or you just want one major foodie experience, book BRUTØ. It is a Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant inside Dairy Block, and dinner is much more of an experience than a normal night out.
It is expensive, but I thought it was absolutely worth it.
Read my BRUTØ Denver Review: Is the Michelin-Starred Restaurant Worth It? if you want to see what the full experience is actually like before booking.
If you want something more traditional, go to Tavernetta near Union Station. It is an upscale Italian restaurant with handmade pasta, excellent service, and a polished atmosphere.
You still get a really nice dinner, but without an entire tasting-menu experience.
Finish your first day at Run for the Roses. This underground cocktail lounge is hidden inside Dairy Block, and part of the fun is finding the entrance. It has both cocktails and a thoughtful zero-proof menu, so this works even if you do not drink.
The atmosphere is dark and stylish and works well as the final stop after a full day downtown.
Your second day is all about RiNo, the River North Art District.
This was one of my favorite areas in Denver because you can spend the entire day here without needing to constantly move your car.
Start at Stowaway Kitchen, which was my favorite breakfast in Denver. The food is creative and farm to table. They have unique items on the menu, and the flavors come together perfectly.
Give yourself about an hour here.
After breakfast, start walking around RiNo.
The neighborhood is known for street art, and murals are everywhere.
You can use the official RiNo mural map if you want to find specific pieces, but also read my One Day in RiNo Denver: Where to Eat, Shop, and Explore to see my favorites and how I would organize a full day in the neighborhood.
While you are walking, stop at some of the local shops.
A few places we liked were:
RiNo has a mix of small local businesses and larger outdoor and lifestyle brands, so you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering.
For lunch, choose based on what sounds good.
You can grab pastries, coffee, sandwiches, chocolate, salads, and plenty of other things from several different vendors.
It is also one of the easiest places to turn lunch into a mini food crawl.
Another option is Cart-Driver. The clam pizza with pancetta is one of Cart-Driver’s most talked-about pizzas and probably the most interesting thing on the menu.
If clams are not your thing, the Daisy is their simple Margherita-style pizza and another local favorite. Their namesake Cart-Driver pizza with sausage and kale is also popular.
If you want an appetizer, people consistently rave about the fresh oysters and chicken liver mousse with focaccia.
After lunch, head to Puttshack. This is interactive mini golf with automatic scoring, bonus points, obstacles, and different challenges built into each hole. It feels more like a game than traditional putt-putt, so it works even if golf is not remotely your thing.
I would reserve ahead if you are visiting on a weekend.
If you prefer to have more of your activities booked before you arrive, Viator and GetYourGuide are also good places to compare other Denver tours and activities.
Next, try F1 Arcade Denver. There are full-motion Formula 1 racing simulators, and you can choose different difficulty levels depending on how confident you are.
I stayed on Level 1 Easy. That was still ambitious for me and I hit alot of walls. Brad thought this was hilarious.
We did the three-race option, and even with the motion sickness kicking in—my inner ear hates me—on a few tracks, I still thought it was really fun.
For dinner, go to Corsica.
This was one of my favorite meals in Denver. The whole menu made me want to order more than we realistically needed, which is usually a good sign.
It has a stylish atmosphere, great food for sharing, and works really well for a fun dinner in RiNo.
End your weekend at Death & Co inside The Ramble Hotel. It has a serious cocktail program, a beautiful atmosphere, and a full zero-proof menu that feels intentional instead of an afterthought.
This is an easy final stop because you are already in RiNo and can settle in for the night.
Yes. You will not see everything, but two days gives you enough time to experience several of Denver’s most recognizable areas without spending the entire weekend rushing between attractions.
It is definitely a full weekend, but if you only have 2 days in Denver and want a mix of sightseeing, food, neighborhoods, and fun things to actually do, this is the route I would choose.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
Compare flights to Denver with Skyscanner.
If you are extending your trip beyond downtown Denver and RiNo, you can compare rental cars through Discover Cars.
Flying in or out of DEN? My Denver Airport Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Denver International Airport covers what to expect at the airport.
Compare Denver hotels on Booking.com or Hotels.com.
If you want to stay right in Dairy Block, read my The Maven Hotel Denver Review: What to Expect.
If you have another day and want to get outside the city, my Red Rocks Amphitheatre Guide: What to Know Before You Visit covers what to know before going.
Have more than a weekend? See my The Perfect 3 Days in Denver Colorado.
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
