If you have one week in Colorado and want to experience Denver without spending your entire trip in the city, I really like combining five days in Denver with two days in Golden.
This one week in Colorado itinerary gives you plenty of time for Denver’s neighborhoods, food, street art, Red Rocks, shopping, and some of the more unusual attractions before finishing with two much more outdoorsy days in Golden.
And while this is definitely a full week, I purposely did not pack every hour. You still have time to wander around, shop, sit down for a good meal, and actually enjoy where you are instead of constantly racing to the next stop.
Start your week by getting acquainted with downtown Denver.
Today’s route: Coffee → Denver food tour → Larimer Square → 16th Street → Union Station → Dairy Block → Tavernetta → Run for the Roses
Keep breakfast light this morning because you have a food tour coming up.
Grab coffee and something small from Huckleberry Roasters or Amp Artisan Coffee, then head downtown.
Spend the late morning exploring Denver with Secret Food Tours.
I like starting a trip with a food tour because you get lunch taken care of while also learning your way around the city. You will try several different things along the route, so I would definitely skip a separate lunch afterward.
If food is a big part of how you travel, my DIY Denver Food Tour: Best Places to Eat in Denver Colorado is also a good resource for planning the rest of your meals.
After the tour, leave the rest of the afternoon fairly loose.
Start around Larimer Square, browse Garage Sale Vintage, then walk along 16th Street toward Union Station. There are plenty of shops, public art, and fun photo spots along the way.
Take a look inside Union Station, then continue toward Dairy Block and walk through Maker’s Alley.
I especially liked Dairy Block later in the day when everything started lighting up.
For dinner, head to Tavernetta near Union Station.
This is a more polished Italian dinner with handmade pasta and excellent service, making it a really nice first-night meal.
Finish the night at Run for the Roses, the underground cocktail lounge inside Dairy Block.
Part of the fun is finding the entrance, and I especially liked that the zero-proof drinks felt just as thoughtful as the regular cocktail menu.
Today is all about RiNo, Denver’s River North Art District.
This was one of my favorite neighborhoods in Denver, and I think it deserves an entire day.
Today’s route: Stowaway Kitchen → murals + shopping → Denver Central Market or Cart-Driver → Puttshack → F1 Arcade → Corsica → Death & Co
Start at Stowaway Kitchen, which was my favorite breakfast in Denver.
We loved everything we ordered, but there was one waffle in particular that I was still thinking about after the trip.
After breakfast, just start walking.
RiNo is filled with murals, galleries, shops, restaurants, and small local businesses. You can use the official mural map if you want to find specific pieces, but I also liked seeing what we stumbled across.
Some of our favorite shopping stops were Three Arrows Market, Topo Designs, and Justin Great Custom Hats.
If you want a more detailed route through the neighborhood, see my One Day in RiNo Denver: Where to Eat, Shop, and Explore.
Choose lunch depending on what sounds good.
Head to Denver Central Market if you want to sample several different vendors, or grab pizza at Cart-Driver. If you choose Cart-Driver, I would get the Daisy with extra garlic.
After lunch, switch from sightseeing to something a little more competitive.
Puttshack has interactive mini golf with automatic scoring, while F1 Arcade lets you race on full-motion Formula 1 simulators.
We did both, and they were a fun way to break up all the eating, walking, and mural hunting.
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.
End the night at Death & Co inside The Ramble Hotel.
It is known for its cocktail program, but I also appreciated that the zero-proof menu was treated like a real part of the experience.
Today gets you outside the city without taking you very far.
Today’s route: Red Rocks Amphitheatre → hike → Ship Rock Grille → Dinosaur Ridge → hotel break → ChoLon → 54thirty
Spend the morning at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
You do not need concert tickets to visit. Walk through the amphitheatre, stop at the Visitor Center, and take some time to see Creation Rock and Ship Rock.
My Red Rocks Amphitheatre Guide: What to Know Before You Visit has the more detailed planning information if this is your first time.
If you want more than the amphitheatre, this is a good day to hike.
For most first-time visitors, I would look at the Trading Post Trail because it combines Red Rocks scenery with a relatively convenient route.
If hiking is one of the main reasons for your trip, you could choose something more challenging instead.
I would bring plenty of water, especially in summer. I travel with my Brita Water Bottle, and sunscreen is also useful because you are pretty exposed around Red Rocks. I use SuperGoop Face Sunscreen on my face and Coola Spray Sunscreen for arms and legs.
Stay at Red Rocks for lunch at Ship Rock Grille before continuing to your next stop.
Spend the afternoon at Dinosaur Ridge. You can see actual dinosaur tracks and geological sites along the ridge, and you can either walk or choose one of the guided options.
It pairs really well with Red Rocks because you are already in this part of the Denver area.
After a hotel break, head back downtown for dinner at ChoLon.
ChoLon is known for creative, Asian-inspired small plates that are meant for sharing. The French onion soup dumplings are probably the most talked-about dish, but the pork belly bao buns, kaya toast, potstickers, fried rice, and Ping Gai chicken also get a lot of praise.
Finish the night at 54thirty Rooftop for views over Denver. After spending most of the day hiking around rocks and dinosaur tracks, ending on a rooftop feels like a pretty good change of scenery.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
Day four is deliberately a little different.
You have something quirky in the morning, time outside, a full afternoon for shopping, and another great Denver dinner.
Today’s route: LoDough → Hammond’s Candy Factory → Cherry Creek Trail → Cherry Creek Shopping Center → Hop Alley
Start with something quick from LoDough Bakery before heading to the candy factory.
The Hammond’s Candy Factory Tour was much more interesting than I expected.
I originally wondered if it might feel mostly geared toward kids, but I loved watching the candy being made by hand and seeing some of the old machinery that is still in use. The tour is short enough that it is easy to work into a Denver morning.
If you are thinking about doing the tour, my Hammond’s Candies Factory Tour Review: What to Expect has all the details on what the tour is actually like.
Spend the afternoon shopping at Cherry Creek Shopping Center.
You can easily give yourself several hours here, especially if shopping is part of how you travel. If you still want more afterward, explore some of the shops around Cherry Creek North.
Afterward, 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 you get creek views and city scenery while actually getting somewhere.
You do not need to make this a huge bike ride. Just enjoy a section of the trail along Cherry Creek.
Head back toward RiNo for dinner at Hop Alley.
I loved how creative the food was here, and one of the most memorable things I ate was actually a vegetable dish—which is saying a lot considering how seriously I took eating in Denver.
Your final full Denver day has a much slower schedule.
Today’s route: Denver Central Market → Meow Wolf → choose one afternoon activity → BRUTØ
Start at Denver Central Market.
I would grab a pastry from Izzio Bakery and coffee from Crema, but there are enough vendors here that you can easily create your own breakfast.
If you want to know which vendors I would prioritize, see What to Eat at Denver Central Market.
Next, head to Meow Wolf Denver — Convergence Station.
This is completely different from everything else in the itinerary, which is exactly why I like putting it on Day 5.
Give yourself around two to three hours to explore the immersive rooms, installations, and all the weird little details.
After Meow Wolf, choose one thing based on what sounds good that day.
You could walk around Confluence Park, explore Millennium Bridge and Commons Park, stop at the REI Flagship, visit the Denver Art Museum, or see the Colorado State Capitol and Civic Center Park.'
For your final Denver dinner, splurge on BRUTØ.
This Michelin-starred tasting menu was one of the coolest experiences of our trip. The meal incorporates food research, fermentation, preservation, and Colorado ingredients, but somehow never feels stuffy.
It is expensive. I would still do it again.
After five days in Denver, it is time to change things up.
Check out of your Denver hotel and spend your final two nights in Golden. You are not moving very far, but the scenery and pace feel completely different.
Today’s route: Golden → Abejas → Coors Brewery → downtown Golden → arepas → Lookout Mountain → Golden Mill
After dropping off your luggage, start with brunch at Abejas.
It is a seasonal, chef-driven bistro right in downtown Golden and a nice way to start the slower half of the trip.
Then head to the Coors Brewery Tour. Even if Coors is not your favorite beer, seeing the scale of the operation is interesting.
If breweries are not your thing, you can skip this and spend more time exploring downtown or Clear Creek.
Leave the afternoon fairly open. Walk Washington Avenue, browse the shops, get the classic Welcome to Golden photo, and spend some time walking along Clear Creek.
I would also stop for arepas while you are in town.
Later in the day, drive up to Lookout Mountain Park. This gives you a chance to see more of the mountain scenery surrounding Golden and is a nice time of day to be up there.
You can also add the Buffalo Bill area if it interests you.
Finish at The Golden Mill. It is a casual food hall with multiple vendors, self-pour drinks, and creekside and rooftop seating.
We tried several vendors, which is exactly how I think you should do it.
End the trip outside.
Today is intentionally much simpler than your Denver days.
Today’s route: Clear Creek Canyon hike → lunch in Golden → float Clear Creek → Sherpa House
Spend the morning exploring Clear Creek Canyon.
There are several different access points along the Clear Creek and Peaks to Plains trail system, so you can choose a section based on how far you want to walk.
I would use the Clear Creek Canyon trail map to pick the best trailhead for your day rather than committing to one specific route months in advance.
A small Osprey Backpack works well for carrying water, sunscreen, and anything else you want with you on a short hike.
Head back into Golden for lunch and take a little break before getting on the water.
If you are visiting during summer and conditions are right, spend the afternoon floating Clear Creek. Creek conditions can change with weather and snowmelt, so this is one part of the itinerary I would decide closer to your trip.
If floating is not an option, spend more time walking along the creek or exploring the canyon instead. If you do float, Water Shoes make much more sense than trying to deal with slippery rocks barefoot.
Finish your week at Sherpa House, a popular Golden restaurant serving Nepalese, Tibetan, and Indian food. If I went, the Chicken Tikka Masala would probably be where I would start. Then you can officially stop moving. You earned it.
I would split the trip between the two cities rather than driving back and forth every day. Spend five nights in Denver and your final two nights in Golden.
In Denver, staying around LoDo or Dairy Block makes it easy to walk to restaurants, Union Station, and many downtown attractions. We stayed at The Maven, which put us right inside Dairy Block.
You can compare hotels through Booking.com or Hotels.com if you want to stay somewhere else in the same general area.
Then move to Golden for the final two nights so you can spend more time outside without worrying about driving back into Denver at the end of every day.
I would want one for this particular itinerary, but you do not need to use it every day.
RiNo, LoDo, Dairy Block, Union Station, and downtown Denver are very walkable, and we also used electric bikes to get around.
The car becomes much more useful for:
Once you are in Golden, you can park and walk around downtown for a lot of the day.
If you need a rental car, you can compare rates through Discover Cars.
Not with this itinerary.
Five days gives you enough time to actually experience Denver instead of rushing through a checklist, while the final two days in Golden completely change the pace.
You get city neighborhoods, street art, shopping, great food, interactive attractions, Red Rocks, hiking, dinosaur tracks, mountain scenery, Clear Creek, and a couple of nights outside Denver.
And most importantly, you are not trying to do all of that in three days.
If I had a full week for a first trip to this part of Colorado, this is how I would spend it.
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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.
Filing this one under “go now before it gets cold.” Bonneville Hot Springs is one of those trips where fall access is honestly the sweet spot the campground road is open, the hike in is short, and you skip the snow-and-gate situation we dealt with when we went in March.
September and early fall mean clearer trails, easier parking, and pools that are just as good without the extra mile of hiking to earn them. Fewer than 10 people out there when we visited, a rustic changing booth, zero amenities, and pools that range from “relax” to “actually scalding” until you move some rocks around and mix in river water. Small waterfalls feeding in, mountains in every direction, not polished, and that’s exactly the point.
Full breakdown on parking, what to pack, and timing it right is linked in my bio.
Summer’s not even over and I already have the itch. Fall hiking season is calling and I am answering.
Save this if you feel the itch too.🍁
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