Colorado is the 8th largest state geographically in the United States of America, and it has a diverse landscape, including deserts, the Rocky Mountains, and rivers.
How to get there?
Depending on your location, you can either drive to Denver or fly in.
Tips:
- Fly on a budget: Search for Thursday night flights if you can take off on Friday. Choose flights with multiple stops or red-eye options to lower the fare.
- Booking tricks: Browse flights in your browser's incognito mode, and try to search and book on Wednesdays.
- Timing matters: Try to travel in non-peak seasons if your kids are in elementary or young. Fares will be lower if it's not spring, fall, or winter break from school.
Where to stay?
Denver or Colorado Springs is a great base.
Tips:
- Accommodation: Try to book an Airbnb with a kitchen, even if it's a little far from the city, and book for all 3 nights. It will save money when compared to hotels, and you can cook home meals on some days.
- Rental Car: Try to book your rental car through Costco if you have a membership and regularly check for lower fares. When you get a good price, you can cancel and re-book.
Budget Planning:
Here are the estimated budget details:
Now that the basics are all sorted out, let's go to the itinerary.
Day 1 - Itinerary:
Morning: Denver to Pikes Peak (2 hrs 10 min)
- Pikes Peak Scenic Byway: This 19-mile scenic toll road reaching an elevation of 14,000 ft takes 2 hours if done slowly with multiple stops. Spend at least 30 minutes at the summit before returning down. Please check here for admission hours and fares, and read this post for more details on what to see.
- Timing & Food: If you start early from your Airbnb, you can finish the drive by 3 PM. Try to pack a picnic lunch to have at the summit (fresh donuts will also be available at the top!).
- Royal Gorge: Royal Gorge Bridge is one of the world's highest suspension bridges, and features a gondola ride and zipline as well. It takes around 2 hours to reach Royal Gorge from Pikes Peak. Read this travelogue for more details.
- Dinner: You can have dinner at Manitou Springs while returning to your Airbnb.
Day 2 - Itinerary:
Rocky Mountain National Park:
- Getting There: Rocky Mountain National Park is 1.5 hours away (66 miles) from Denver.
- Must-Do Highlights: This will be a full-day trip depending on your interest in hiking. The must-do highlights are the scenic drive on Trail Ridge Road (open only from summer through fall) and a hike to Bear Lake and Alberta Falls.
- Food: It would be better to pack a picnic lunch. If not, you can get good food at Estes Park or near Grand Lake.
- Optional Add-On: If you have one more day, you can do a boat ride on Grand Lake and cover hikes to beautiful alpine lakes and mountain scenery. Follow this travelogue for more details.
- Sunset View: If you are traveling in summer and you still have some daylight while returning to Denver, you can visit Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison for sunset.
- Dinner: You can have dinner in Denver or Estes Park.
Day 3 - Itinerary:
Considering that this is a half day to leave time to start your return drive or catch a flight, you can cover either the Mt. Blue sky Scenic Byway or Garden of the Gods.
Option A: Mt. Blue Sky Scenic Byway
- Location: 40 mins (32 miles) from Denver.
- Details: This is the highest paved highway in North America. The Summit is open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting. This road reaches an elevation of 14,130 ft above sea level in just 14 miles from the visitor station. Read this travelogue for more details.
OR
Option B: Garden of the Gods
- Location: 1 hr 10 mins away from Denver (67 miles).
- Details: If you have been to Utah, I am not sure if you will appreciate it, but Garden of the Gods is a natural landmark and public park in Colorado Springs, famous for its natural rock formations. It is free to enter. Read this travelogue for more details.
That wraps up the Colorado itinerary for 3 days! Please let me know in the comments if this information will be enough to confidently plan a vacation to Colorado from anywhere in the USA. If not, please let me know what this post is missing, and I will try to add more info as per your feedback.
In my personal opinion, you need 1 week or more to visit all the beautiful places in Colorado. I especially enjoyed visiting Vail, Steamboat springs, Great sand dunes national park, Black Canyon of Gunnison national park, Million dollar highway, Telluride, Ouray, Grand Junction, and many more places.
This index of my travelogues has a lot of info on Colorado trips. Please check.
Until next time,
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