A week or so ago I was actually at the first stop on this list, Amano, and I saw the guy sitting next to me asking AI for an itinerary of things to do when his friends visited the upcoming weekend. I thought, is this what the world has come to? Asking AI for a comprehensive itinerary instead of bringing your friends to places that you personally enjoy so they see what your life here is like? Boring.
So, I figured I’d set out on a journey with the ultimate goal being that instead of people asking their AI girlfriends to give them an itinerary, they fire up The Boarding Pass Blog’s Perfect 2-Day Itinerary For A Weekend Trip To Colorado and have way more fun.
Day 1
This first day is pretty busy and jam-packed with mountain activities, but it’s a great way to get/give your visitors a taste of what life in Colorado is like. Plus, you only have two days here, so why not do as much as possible? You can also always switch the days up if you like.
Amano Coffee
First things first: the best coffee shop ever. Amano is the most picturesque coffee shop I’ve found thus far in Colorado, and it’s the perfect spot to get your first taste of the beauty of this state. It also has some of the best coffee I’ve ever had.
I left out breakfast here since you might want to be up and out the door pretty early, but there is a spot near Amano that I’d like to try called Blackbird Cafe if you’d like to stop for breakfast, otherwise Amano sells pastries.
Breckenridge
Next, head a bit further into the mountains to Breckenridge. It’s an amazing mountain town to explore and wander along the main street, and the views are awesome.
Lunch: RMU (Rocky Mountain Underground)
For lunch, I definitely recommend hitting RMU for some delicious food, great beer and/or cocktails, and excellent views. Order at the bar, then get a table up on their rooftop patio for lunch with an incredible view of the surrounding mountains. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Afternoon Hike
Once you’re done exploring Breckenridge, find a nice hike to truly immerse yourself in the beauty of the Colorado outdoors. You don’t want to overdo it and choose a super long and strenuous hike, since you or your visitors will likely be from somewhere closer to sea level, but a nice leisurely afternoon hike can really show off Colorado’s charm.
Here are some trail recommendations that I personally have experience with:
- B&B to Reiling Dredge to Minnie Mine
- St. Mary’s Glacier (a little bit more on the way back towards Denver but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.)
Otherwise you can check AllTrails for nearby hikes.
Idaho Springs
On the way back to Denver, I highly recommend stopping in Idaho Springs for a look at a charming old mining town. The main street is adorable, with historic storefronts and small town quietude, and it doesn’t take long to explore which is nice after the action-packed day you’ve had thus far.
Dinner: Beau Jo’s
On Idaho Springs’ historic main street you’ll find one of Colorado’s most famous pizza spots: Beau Jo’s. It’s famous for keeping bottles of honey at the tables for you to put on your pizza, and it’s delicious. It’s the perfect dinner after a solid hike. Some people hate on Beau Jo’s, but that’s just them attempting to bathe in the supposed glory of being a performative contrarian.
Night Out
If you somehow still have energy after this full day, Denver has a solid nightlife scene you can explore. If you’re interested, click here for my full breakdown of Denver’s nightlife and some ideas of where the night could take you.
Day 2
The second day is intended to be more of a relatively chill day especially after the busy first day, but you can always find more to do in Colorado.
Breakfast: Urban Egg
Urban Egg is a great spot for a hearty breakfast and the food is delicious. I always get the power bowl, but I’ve heard their biscuits and gravy is to die for.
Red Rocks
Even if you don’t see a concert there, you still need to feast your eyes on Red Rocks at some point in your life. It’s a jaw-dropping concert venue, the views are stunning, and if you want, you can go for a short hike on the nearby hiking trails.That is, if you aren’t too sore from the previous day’s hike.
Golden
From Red Rocks I recommend you drive 15-20 minutes to Golden, another beautiful yet rapidly growing town nestled up against the foothills. It has a great main street to explore, with plenty of shops and bars, and I definitely recommend you walk along the river at the north end of main street. In summer the river turns into somewhat of a watering hole, where everyone sets up camp and swims in the river all day.
I recommend grabbing lunch while you’re in Golden, as there are tons of great food options to choose from. Or, you could wait until you get to:
Boulder
Continuing the journey along the front range, Boulder is only about a 30 minute drive north of Golden, and it’s one of the most influential cities here in Colorado. As you get closer to Boulder you’ll get a better view of the famous Boulder Flatirons, and if you want an even better view, I suggest you check out Chautauqua Park.
While you’re in Boulder I recommend checking out Pearl Street which is essentially their popular main street, as well as just driving around and exploring. CU Boulder spans most of the city, so I always find it interesting to check out the campus along with the interesting ways that students have decorated their college houses.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
After Boulder, if you aren’t tired yet, I highly suggest you check out this incredible wildlife refuge just minutes from downtown Denver. It features bison, deer, eagles, groundhogs and more, and if you time it right, you could see all this as the sun sets over the Rockies. Pretty breathtaking stuff.
Dinner
Depending on where you’re staying you’re going to have different dinner options, but if you’re in or anywhere near the Highlands, boy oh boy do I have some dinner recommendations for you. Check out these posts considering what vibe you’re going for:
From there, whether you want to have a night out on the town or if you just want to chill out wherever you’re staying is entirely up to you. The world is your oyster.
I hope this itinerary gave you at least a few good ideas for a couple days in Colorado! Let me know in the comments if there’s anything that I missed, and drop a like if the post was helpful! Hit that subscribe button for a new post every Wednesday at 12pm MST, and click on the social media icons below for more travel content!
Have a great week!
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