Denver tours and excursions
Denver tours
Segway tours
Gain the benefits of a walking tour while covering the same amount of ground as a bus tour with a Segway tour. Colorado Adventure-Segway Tours take participants around all of Denver’s historical sites in two hours. Tours run daily at 0900, 1200 and 1600.
Tel: +1 303 449 6780Website: http://www.coloradosegwaytours.com
Walking tours
Denver Free Walking Tours offers—you guessed it!—free walking tours of downtown at 1000 daily from May to October, and on weekends from November to April. LoDo District Inc gives walking tours of Lower Downtown, offering two options: the Historic LoDo Walking Tour, targeted at children, and the Adults-Only Adventure. Tours take two hours, meeting at the front of The Market, at 1445 Larimer Street, Historic Larimer Square.
Tel: Denver Free Walking Tours: +1 720 372 3849; LoDo : +1 720 690 7432Website: https://www.denverfreewalkingtours.com/free-tour
Bus tours
Gray Line Denver offers a Denver City Tour, which runs daily all year from 1400 to 1750. There is also a nine-hour Mountain Parks Tour & City Tour, which takes in the best city sites, the foothills, Red Rocks, Golden and Lookout Mountain. Tours run year-round at 0830 from Cherry Creek Shopping Centre. Banjo Billy’s Bus Tours also offer bus tours, but from an old school bus that has been transformed to look like a travelling hillbilly shack. Tours are offered in Denver and Boulder, and a tour’s specifics are determined by the passengers and last 90 minutes. Tour schedules vary by season.
Tel: 303 394 6920 ; 720 938 8885.Website: http://www.banjobilly.com
Denver excursions
Estes Park
Surrounded by the Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest, the village of Estes Park has spectacular mountain scenery at every turn. Fishing, biking, horseback riding, river rafting, hunting, hiking and skiing are all possibilities in Estes Park, which is 103km (64 miles) northwest of Denver. Wildlife tours in the surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park offer the chance to see elk, moose, marmots, pikas, coyotes and big horn sheep. Estes Park Visitors Center 500 Big Thompson Avenue, Estes Park
Tel: +1 800 443 7837.Website: http://www.visitestespark.com
Grand Lake
This historic mountain town is nestled below the Rocky Mountain peaks and based around Colorado’s largest natural lake, Grand Lake. Get a sense of the town’s Western charm by walking along the boardwalk, which boasts more than 60 bars, galleries, restaurants and shops. If you want to get your feet wet, head to the beach where you can swim, fish, or boat. And if it’s boating you’re particularly interested in, visit the Grand Lake Yacht Club, the world’s highest registered yacht club. During the winter months, Grand Lake is known for it snowmobiling terrain. It has been ranked as one of the top 10 snowmobiling destinations in the USA with 483km (300 miles) of trails.
Tel: +1 970 627 3402.Website: https://www.visitgrandcounty.com/explore/towns/grand-lake/
Golden
Colorado’s origins in mining and the Wild West are clearly evident in the city of Golden, 24km (15 miles) west of Denver. The handsome Victorian buildings in the historic business district are beautifully restored, and colourful shops, art galleries, bars, and restaurants are set beneath the wooden arcades. The Heritage Square Amusement Park, 18301 West Colfax Avenue, is mainly of interest to children, who love the amusement park rides, go karts, boats, and mini golf. The winding Lariat Loop, a national scenic byway, leads from US Highway 6 up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill's Museum and Grave, which has original posters from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows and exhibits illustrating life on the frontier in the days of the famous Pony Express.
Golden is easily accessed from the Denver area via several major roadways, including I-70, US Highway 6 and State Highway 58, or by RTD buses GS, 16, and 16L.
Golden Visitors Center 1010 Washington Avenue, Golden
Tel: +1 303 279 2282Website: http://visitgolden.com
Georgetown
Lying in a spectacular mountain valley, 72km (45 miles) west of Denver, Georgetown is a historic mining town maintained and restored in turn-of-the-century style. The town’s highlight in summer is the steam-powered Georgetown Loop Railroad, which gives you an exceptional opportunity to see the Clear Creek Valley area. The train curves down a mountain ledge covering 183m (600ft). In its course, the train crosses over four bridges, including the 30m (100ft) Devil's Gate Bridge. There’s also the option to take a walking tour of the Lebanon Silver Mine, which is the railway’s halfway point.
From Georgetown, the famous Rocky Mountain National Park is a short drive away on the I-40.
Georgetown Visitors Center
1491 Argentine Street, Georgetown
Website: http://www.georgetowntrust.org/gateway-visitor-center.html