Denver surprised me because there were so many more things to do in Denver than I expected. Yes, you have the obvious Colorado scenery, but the city itself has great neighborhoods, food halls, street art, quirky attractions, creative restaurants, and some really fun places to spend an evening.
If you are trying to decide what to do in Denver on your first trip, I would not try to cram everything into downtown. Some of my favorite parts of the trip were in RiNo, Dairy Block, Red Rocks, and Golden.
Here are the things to do in Denver I would put at the top of your list.
RiNo—short for River North Art District—was one of my favorite areas to wander around.
The neighborhood is packed with murals, restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, and small local businesses, so I would leave some room in your schedule here for wandering.
Walk around looking for street art, use the RiNo mural map if you want to find specific pieces, and stop into shops like Three Arrows Market, Topo Designs, and Justin Great Custom Hats.
There are also plenty of places to eat and things to do, including Denver Central Market, Puttshack, F1 Arcade, pizza stops, and great dinner options.
I could easily spend a full day here.
If you want to plan the neighborhood in more detail, read my One Day in RiNo Denver: Where to Eat, Shop, and Explore.
You do not need concert tickets to enjoy Red Rocks. We visited around noon when there was not a show happening, and it was really cool to see the amphitheatre without a concert crowd.
You can walk through the seating area, see the stage, look at the huge sandstone formations, and stop inside the Visitor Center to learn a little more about the geology and history.
For more details on timing, what to wear, and what to expect, see my Red Rocks Amphitheatre Guide: What to Know Before You Visit.
Golden is only about 30 minutes from Denver and makes an easy day trip. Downtown is compact and walkable, Clear Creek runs right through town, and you can mix outdoor time, food, shopping, and a few local attractions into one day.
Golden feels different enough from Denver that I think it is worth giving it a full day. If you plan to drive outside Denver and need a rental car, you can compare options through Discover Cars.
For the full itinerary, read my One Day in Golden Colorado: The Perfect Day Trip from Denver.
Denver Central Market is one of the easiest places to create your own mini food crawl. We went more than once because there were so many things I wanted to try, and I liked that every vendor felt completely different.
You can grab coffee, pastries, breakfast, lunch, chocolate, fresh juice, and plenty of other options without leaving the building. If you like trying several things instead of sitting down for one big meal, this is a really fun stop.
Dairy Block was one of the easiest areas to keep coming back to during our trip. There are restaurants, bars, shops, Maker’s Alley, Milk Market, and some really cute photo spots—especially at night.
We stayed at The Maven, so this area was basically right outside our door, but even if you are not staying there, I would still walk through. You can easily pair Dairy Block with Union Station or use it as a starting point for dinner and drinks.
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One of the most fun ways we got around Denver was by renting scooters, especially along the Cherry Creek Trail.
The trail runs through downtown and follows Cherry Creek, so it gives you a completely different view of the city than just walking from block to block. We used scooters to connect different parts of downtown, and I liked being able to cover more ground while still actually seeing Denver instead of sitting in a car.
If the weather is good and you are comfortable on a scooter, I would absolutely do it again.
The Cherry Creek Trail is especially nice because you are away from most of the street traffic for stretches of the ride, and you get a mix of city views, creek scenery, bridges, and people biking or walking.
BRUTØ is much more than just a nice dinner.
The tasting menu is built around food research, fermentation, preservation, and local ingredients, and the chefs explain the dishes as you go.
What I liked most was that the food felt incredibly technical, but the overall experience did not feel stuffy. The chefs were funny, interactive, and made the whole dinner feel fun.
It is definitely a splurge, but I thought it was worth it.
We had everything from breakfast spots and bakeries to food halls, pizza, small plates, creative Asian food, Italian, and a Michelin-starred tasting menu.
If food is a big part of how you travel, I would absolutely build some of your Denver sightseeing around where you want to eat.
I put together a full guide with my favorite breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner stops so you do not have to figure it all out from scratch. You can find them in my DIY Denver Food Tour: Best Places to Eat in Denver Colorado.
If you would rather have someone else handle the planning, you can also look at Denver food tours through Secret Food Tours.
Denver also has a really good cocktail scene, and I was especially impressed by how many places take non-alcoholic drinks seriously.
There are hidden speakeasies, stylish cocktail lounges, casual stops, and bars with actual zero-proof menus instead of one sad mocktail at the bottom of the page.
If drinks are part of your trip, I would work at least one cocktail bar into your evening.
I was not sure whether the Hammond’s Candy Factory tour was going to feel mostly geared toward kids. It did not.
The free tour lasts about 30 minutes and gives you a look at the history of Hammond’s before taking you into the factory area to watch candy being made by hand.
For more details on the tour, what you will see, and what to expect, read my Hammond’s Candies Factory Tour Review: What to Expect.
LoDo—Denver’s Lower Downtown—is easy to pair with Union Station, Dairy Block, restaurants, bars, and shopping. It is very walkable, and I would leave some time just to wander around instead of treating it like one specific attraction.
One thing I did not expect to see was the Skynet Art Series. These large suspended art installations add huge pops of color around downtown, including areas near Skyline Park, 16th Street, and Union Station.
For a first trip, I would give Denver at least three days.
That gives you enough time for:
If food is a major part of your trips, I would add another day because there are way too many restaurants to squeeze into a short weekend.
Definitely! What surprised me most was that Denver did not feel like a city you simply use as a base for the mountains. There is plenty to do in the city itself, and the food scene was much better than I expected.
I went to Denver expecting Colorado scenery. I came home still thinking about pastries, pasta, bread, dumplings, and one very exciting tasting menu.
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, and if you are still deciding how long to stay, my The Perfect 3 Days in Denver Colorado lays out a full first-time itinerary.
If you are flying through DEN, read my Denver Airport Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Denver International Airport before your trip.
We stayed at The Maven in Dairy Block, which put us within easy walking distance of LoDo, Union Station, restaurants, and Milk Market. Read my The Maven Hotel Denver Review: What to Expect if you are considering staying there.
You can also compare Denver hotel prices through Booking.com.
For tours and other Denver activities, compare options on Viator or Get Your Guide.
If you are trying to fit several of these Denver attractions into a shorter trip, my A Weekend in Denver Colorado: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary puts them together into a practical weekend plan.
Flying out of Frankfurt at the crack of dawn? Stay at the airport, not in the city!
The Hilton Frankfurt Airport is connected to Terminal 1 and the long-distance train station, so the walk to your gate takes a few minutes and no taxi. The rooms are soundproofed so well you barely hear the planes, some have runway views, there’s a sauna, and the bread and butter at Rise are dangerously good. It costs more than hotels farther out. On a budget, the Hilton Garden Inn next door gets you the same walk for less.
Save this for your next Frankfurt layover ✈️
No landmarks, no crowds, no souvenir shops. Otterberg is the everyday side of Germany 🇩🇪
It’s a small town just outside Kaiserslautern. Lunch at Putai inside the historic Das Blaue Haus means crispy chicken in coconut curry and spring rolls with homemade sweet chili sauce, then a slow walk past the old church and quiet streets. The Palatinate Forest and Humberg Tower views are close by. If you want a packed itinerary this isn’t your town, but if you like good food and nowhere to be, you’ll love it.
Save this for your Germany road trip!
Every 6 minutes a new round unlocks, and you can eat your way around the world for two hours. 🌍🍽️
Masons in Kaiserslautern: Korean BBQ, Jamaican jerk chicken, raclette potatoes, crispy baked ricotta from Monaco, and the Belgian cookie cheesecake you’ll still be talking about the next day. €39-45 per person. Bring a group and pace yourself, because they charge for leftovers.
Save this for your next trip to Germany
Sedona got me again 🌵
This was my second trip, and somehow I liked it even more. Every visit adds another trail, viewpoint, or restaurant to the list, and the list keeps getting longer. This time I stayed near Airport Mesa, with sunsets right outside my door and none of the crowds.
My Substack has everything I’d tell a first-time visitor: the lodge I’ve now stayed at twice, the experiences I’d do first, and the restaurants I’d plan my days around.
Subscribe for free so you don’t miss the next one. Link in bio ✨
YES is always the answer... ✈️
I’m Wendy, and yes, I travel for a living (still pinching myself). After 15 years teaching middle school math, I traded the whiteboard for a passport and never looked back. Knoxville is home base, but Arizona sunsets are on another level, and if it’s been sitting on your list, this is your sign to finally say yes and book it. City guides, hotel reviews, and foodie spots are all on the blog. So glad you’re here 🌵☀️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
