The Best of Colorado

Fill your lungs with that crisp Rocky Mountain air on this Colorado trip! You’ve arrived in Denver, the ‘Mile High City’, which has more than a hundred breweries and tap rooms, giving you a chance to find your new favorite pale ale, pilsner or stout. Later, you’ll meet up with your Travel Director and fellow travelers with whom you can spend the rest of the evening relaxing or discovering the best of Denver your way.

You’ll feel like you can touch the sky during your visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, a sky-high showcase of 60 epic peaks. This Colorado highlight is a wilderness of luscious landscape unfolding throughout the day. You’re in for an amazing treat as you travel along Trail Ridge Road to the roof of the Rockies where the views are breathtaking, making you feel energized and excited for the next leg of your thrilling Colorado adventure.

Today starts at the picture-perfect village of Vail, followed by historic Glenwood Springs, where you’ll find the confluence of the Roaring Fork Rivers, before continuing to Palisade. During summer, we’ll stop at Clark Family Orchards, a seven-generation farm where you’ll tour the orchards. In cooler months you’ll visit another local fruit store for tasty seasonal picks. The ‘River City’ is just a short hop away where we kick back for the night.

Enjoy your Iconic Breakfast with a view at the Colorado National Monument, totally immersed in beautiful nature. Next stop: Ouray, the ‘Switzerland of America’ in the heart of the San Juan Mountains, before the Wild West calls. Durango, a former mining town and rail center, is today’s last stop where you can explore this historic town and have an al fresco dinner.

You’ll have the whole day to ride, hike, explore and even get your feet wet during our Choice Optional Experience rafting adventure on the Animas River. Or, if you prefer a more relaxed Optional Experience, visit Mesa Verde National Park’s breath-taking cliff dwellings with your Tour Director. The park features some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the US

We leave the railroad town of Durango to Alamosa with a stop in Pagosa Springs to admire the stunning views overlooking the San Juan River. Once in Alamosa, there’s time for lunch before letting loose your inner child at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Reserve. Then it’s back to Alamosa, with its night skies providing a staggering starscape.

The sightseeing loop brings you for two nights to Colorado Springs, where the foothills of the Rockies provide a stunning backdrop, but it’s the 14,115-foot (4302 metres) Pikes Peak that will make your jaw drop.  First though, a guided visit to the Garden of the Gods, which is much more than a world-class Visitor and Nature Center, and is paradise for nature lovers. At night you can explore the hip hidden bar scene, a nod to its notorious prohibition past.

It’s your final day in Colorado, so make every second count; whether you tackle one of the endless outdoor activities or explore the city’s vibrant culture. Or hop on one of our epic Choice Optional Experiences – you can do both in one day! Visit the iconic Royal Gorge Bridge and Park for a unique experience suspended 995 ft (303.27 m) above ground. Or, choose to visit the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum before bidding farewell to your fellow travellers.

The beauty of Colorado and all you’ve seen and experienced the past few days will linger long after you leave Denver, where our wonderful Colorado trip comes to an end. It’s time to say goodbye to new friends as you prepare to return home or surrender to Denver’s irresistible charm and extend your stay. There’s a complimentary transfer to Denver International Airport with an approximate arrival time of 10 am.