2 days in Denver

Day by day

1. Day 1: Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre and Denver Art Museum

   Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Denver Art Museum, Colorado State Capitol and Denver Union Station, then Larimer Square in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

      When there is no show, visitors can climb the steps, walk the Trading Post Trail and visit the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.

   2. Late morning

      Denver Art Museum

      Collections are known for art of the American West, Indigenous arts of North America, and Latin American and Asian art.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Green chile

      Mexican diners and taquerías across the city, especially on Federal Boulevard and in Northwest Denver.

   4. Afternoon

      Colorado State Capitol

      Free tours visit the chambers and the rotunda, and the dome's observation level has views of the Front Range.

   5. Late afternoon

      Denver Union Station

      The plaza has summer fountains that children play in.

   6. Evening

      Larimer Square

      Come in the evening when the lights are on, and look for the lower-level cocktail bars.

2. Day 2: Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Museum of Nature & Science

   Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Clyfford Still Museum and History Colorado Center, then Coors Field in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Denver Botanic Gardens

      The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory is a good cold-weather stop.

   2. Late morning

      Denver Museum of Nature & Science

      The back steps give one of the best views of the downtown skyline against the mountains.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Smothered breakfast burrito

      Breakfast diners and burrito counters citywide.

   4. Afternoon

      Clyfford Still Museum

      The concrete building, lit through a perforated ceiling, shows rotating selections of his huge, jagged canvases.

   5. Late afternoon

      History Colorado Center

      The state history museum covers Colorado's people from Indigenous nations to mining towns and ski resorts, with interactive exhibits and a simulated ski jump.

   6. Evening

      Coors Field

      Cheap rooftop tickets are a sociable way to see a game with mountain sunset views.

Before you go

• Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: Concert tickets sell out quickly for popular shows; buy from the official site.

If it rains

• Swap in Molly Brown House Museum (Capitol Hill): Guided tours are timed; book a slot online in busy periods.
• Swap in Meow Wolf Convergence Station (Sun Valley): Visit on a weekday and allow at least two to three hours to explore.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–20 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.4 hours in December to 15 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Train. RTD commuter rail runs from Union Station to the airport on the A Line in about 37 minutes, and the W Line light rail reaches Golden.

More or fewer days

• One day in Denver
• 3 days in Denver
• 5 days in Denver

Questions travellers ask