Colorado is a gorgeous state with many spectacular outdoor features. From rivers, mountains, and canyons, to hiking and skiing, Colorado has a ton of outdoor adventures for all. It also has a history tied to Native Americans. This one week Colorado itinerary will feature some of the best outdoor sites and things to do on a Colorado vacation.
Since this trip includes a couple of National Parks, I highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful Pass. This pass covers admission into all US National Parks for a year.
US Ghost Adventures is an awesome company that offers a variety of guided tours and haunted experiences across different cities in the United States. Visitors can learn the compelling history and stories of the paranormal and the city’s darker side. Make sure to check out the variety of tours offered in Denver here. They are very affordable too!
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TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Colorado hotels here!
Table of Contents
History of Colorado
The Colorado region was once inhabited by Native Americans for 13,000 years. The Ancient Pueblo people, the Ute Nation, the Apache, and the Cheyenne, were some of the main groups that lived in the area during that time.
In the 1800s, the Spanish Empire took over a portion of Colorado while the United States controlled another part of it. The area switched hands between the US and Mexico a few times before the area officially all became part of the United States in the late 1800s.
Best Time to Visit Colorado
The best time to visit Colorado depends on what activities interest you. For this itinerary, it is best done in the summertime or early fall. Many of the roads are closed in the wintertime due to snow. However, if you are a skier, Colorado is best visited in the wintertime.
How to Get to Colorado
Colorado has several airports including Denver, Colorado Springs, Montrose, and Grand Junction. Denver is the cheapest airport to fly into and all major US airlines fly into Denver International Airport. You can frequently get some insane deals on certain airlines. For this one week Colorado itinerary, you will want to fly into Denver.
One Week Colorado Itinerary
Day 1: Denver to Estes Park, Colorado
Drive Time: 1.5 hours
Cost: $0 and up depending on activity
Hotel Option: Murphy’s River Lodge
Today, to start this one week Colorado itinerary, fly into Denver and begin to make your way to Estes Park. If you have time, you can use the morning to explore what Denver has to offer. Start the morning with breakfast at HashTAG, a fun and delicious place for brunch.
Then, head to the Colorado State Capitol to learn about the history of Colorado. Visitors can opt to go on a guided tour or do a self-guided tour. On the top floor is a museum where you can learn about the history of Colorado.
After the capitol, take a quick stop at the Denver Mint to see how US coins are made and drive by the RiNo District to see some murals. You can also make a quick stop at the Denver Central Market for some food if you are hungry.
Next, spend the afternoon exploring Boulder, Colorado. Boulder is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is a fun town to explore. There are several options of activities you can do this afternoon. If you are into hiking, head to El Dorado Canyon State Park with 885 acres to explore.
Another option is to wander around the shops on Pearl Street. Boulder is known for its breweries, so you can also opt to head over to one of the 150 breweries in town. Boulder Beer is a super popular option.
Tonight, grab dinner at Santo, a Northern New Mexican Cuisine Restaurant. They have a ton of fun salsas and margarita flavors. You can opt to split some small plates or order your own entree. No matter what, everything we tried was delicious. After dinner, drive the last hour to spend the night in Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Day 2: Rocky Mountain National Park
Cost: $25 or free with the America the Beautiful Pass
Today is all about exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. If you have more time to add to your one week Colorado itinerary, opt to spend two to three days exploring the park. If not, you can still get a good sampling of what the park has to offer.
Start the morning with the Emerald Lake trail, my personal favorite in the park. This 4.2-mile trail crosses four lakes throughout the hike. The trail has a bit of an elevation change throughout, but the views make it worth it! Plan to get here early to beat the crowds. The hike ends at Emerald Lake before you turn around a hike back.
In the afternoon, opt to hike to Alberta Falls. This 1.7-mile hike takes you to a gorgeous 30-foot waterfall. You could also opt to hike to Bierstadt Lake instead which provides you with 360-degree views of the park. This hike is a bit longer at 2.8-miles but it is worth the views.
Tonight, opt to grab dinner at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ and Brews. They have a ton of delicious barbeque options. I recommend getting a tray and sharing it. The pulled pork was my favorite. Make sure to rest up for a long drive tomorrow.
Day 3: Estes Park to Grand Junction, Colorado
Drive Time: 5 hours
Cost: $10 and up
Hotel Option: Tru by Hilton Grand Junction Downtown or Hampton Inn Montrose
Today, you have a bit of a drive on this one week Colorado itinerary. However, you have a few options on what to stop along the way.
First, you can opt to stop in Golden, home to the Coors Brewery. You can opt to take a tour or just try some samples. Visitors could also visit the history or railroad museum or go hiking on one of the many trails.
If those are not your thing, you can opt to stop in Vail or Breckenridge on the way as well. Both of these towns are popular winter sports areas in the wintertime but have plenty to do other times of the year as well.
You can also opt to add in some time in Steamboat Springs, a fun Colorado resort town. Steamboat Springs lies at 12,000 feet and has a ton of hiking options in the state parks as well as some hot springs.
Make sure to arrive in Grand Junction by the afternoon. This afternoon, you can opt to spend some time hiking at Colorado National Monument or choose to hit up some of the wineries in the area.
At Colorado National Monument, opt to hike the Canyon Rim Trail to the Window Rock Trail. These trails offer great views of the canyon. You can also opt to drive the 23-mile rim rock drive to take in some of the viewpoints.
After the National Monument, head to some wineries for some wine tasting. We really enjoyed Hermosa Vineyards and Restoration Vineyards. Both had some fun wines to try and wine tasting was only $10.
Then tonight, grab dinner at Peche Restaurant. The owner and the head chef had a lot of experiences at high-end restaurants around the world prior to opening his restaurant. You can opt to spend the night in Grand Junction, or drive another hour to spend an extra night in Montrose.
Day 4: Grand Junction to Montrose to Durango, Colorado
Drive Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cost: $20 or free with the America the Beautiful Pass
Hotel Option: Holiday Inn Express Durango Downtown or Hampton Inn Durango
For today in your one week Colorado itinerary, head to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a hidden gem in western Colorado. This park has a similar feel to the Grand Canyon but is much smaller. If you stayed in Grand Junction, you will have a little bit over an hours drive to the park. From Montrose, the park is about 20 minutes.
To start off, head to Gunnison Point to get your first view of the canyon, and check in on the conditions at the visitor’s center. Then, hike the Oak Flat Trail which offers more unique views of the canyon and takes you along the rim. If the Oak Flat trail is too strenuous for you, you can hike the Uplands trail or the Rim Rock trail.
After that, drive the 7-mile South Rim road for more viewpoints of the Black Canyon. In total, there are 11 different points you can stop at. If you have time, hike to warner point at the end of the trail to take in other views of the canyon.
Once you have had your fill of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, head to Durango where you will spend the night. If you want to eat dinner in Montrose, opt to eat at Fiesta Guadalajara or Horsefly Brewing Company.
Day 5: Durango to Colorado Springs, Colorado
Drive Time: 5.5 hours
Cost: $20+ of free with the America the Beautiful Pass
Hotel Option: Hampton Inn Colorado Springs Central
Today you have a few options on what you can do on this one week Colorado itinerary. It is a long drive to Colorado Springs but you can make a few stops to break things up.
First, opt to spend some time at Mesa Verde National Park. This park is famous for its infamous cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans.
At Mesa Verde, you can opt to go on a guided or self-guided tour of the dwellings. You can spend anywhere from a couple of hours to all day exploring the area. The Mesa Top Loop Road is one of the most popular roads to follow.
After getting your fill of Mesa Verde, you can opt to head straight to Colorado Springs or stop in Canon City for a ride on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. This train takes you through some of the scenic beauty of Colorado. You can even opt to add a meal to your ticket to fully experience the ride.
If you want to add to your one week Colorado itinerary, you could head to Great Sand Dunes National Park from Durango instead of going straight to Colorado Springs. Opt to spend at least one night in the area of the park.
Day 6: Colorado Springs to Denver, Colorado
Drive Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cost: Free and Up -Depends on Activities
Hotel Option: Hampton Inn West Federal Center or Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Thornton
Today, spend the day exploring what Colorado Springs has to offer. There are so many fun outdoorsy places to go to. Start the morning with a hike through the Garden of the Gods, known for its massive red rocks. It has six different trails you can take, so you will want to spend at least two hours here.
Afterward, head to Cave of the Winds, a massive cave in the Pikes Peak range. Visitors can opt to go on a cave tour or partake in one of the many other adventurous activities in the area such as the bat-a-pult or the TERROR-dactyl.
During the summertime, make sure to head up Pikes Peak on your one week Colorado itinerary. It is the highest summit in the Rocky Mountains and offers impressive views of the area. Note the tram usually runs from May to October.
This afternoon, head to visit the Air Force Academy where you can learn about what the Academy has to offer as well as the history of the Air Force. Make sure not to miss the gorgeous chapel and the exhibit in the visitor’s center.
You can also opt to visit the Olympic Training Center, where the Olympic athletes are often housed and trained prior to the Olympics. Inside is information about the Olympics, a gift shop, or you can take a tour of the complex.
This evening, spend time at the Broadmoor Hotel and eat at the Golden Bee. They have some yummy things on their menu and everyone leaves with a “golden bee!” After dinner, head to grab a drink at Ivywild School. An old public school building has been turned into a series of bars. They sometimes even have live music.
It is up to you if you want to spend another night in Colorado Springs or drive to Denver tonight.
Day 7: Denver, Colorado
Today, spend some time exploring the capital of Colorado, the mile-high city of Denver. There is so much to do in Denver, you could easily spend two days here as part of a one week Colorado itinerary. Depending on what you did the first day, opt to do the following things today in Denver.
Start the day with breakfast at the Denver Biscuit Company. They have the best breakfast sandwiches and they are huge! Then, opt to head to one of the many museums in Denver. The Clyfford Still Museum or the Denver Art Museum are two awesome options.
If art is not your thing, head to the Denver Botanical Gardens, a 23-acre park where you can admire various flora and fauna. Once hungry, grab lunch at the Denver Milk Market or the Denver Central Market. Both have a wide variety of food options.
After lunch, head to Denver’s Highest Bar, 54Thirty. They offer delicious cocktails with the best view in Denver. You could also opt to head to one of the many Denver breweries such as the Great Divide Barrel Bar. If it is baseball season, catch a Rockies game this afternoon.
Tonight, grab dinner at Safta, a small plates Israeli restaurant and one of my favorites in Denver. The food has lots of influences from North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranian. You will leave so full and it is the perfect way to end your one week Colorado itinerary.
Day 8: Fly Home
Today, opt to end your one week in Colorado and fly home. You could also opt to fly home the previous night if you want to save on a hotel room.
Total Costs for One Week Colorado Itinerary
Flights: $125/person
Hotels: ≈$700 total ($350/person)
Rental Car: ≈$268 total ($134/person)
Total: $1218 total or $609/person
More than One Week in Colorado?
If you have more than one week in Colorado, add these places to your itinerary or combine it with a week in one of the surrounding states such as Utah, New Mexico, or Arizona.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
The fourth National Park in Colorado not included in the above one week Colorado itinerary is Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but a good addition to the itinerary if you have the time and enjoy National Parks. At the park, you can sled down the sand dunes, go hiking, and wade in the water. It is truly a unique park.
Moab, Utah
If you have more than one week in Colorado, opt to add Moab, Utah to your itinerary. You can visit Arches and Canyonlands National Park as well as there are a ton of other outdoor activities to do. It is well worth a visit to Moab.
Day Trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming is such a fun and easy day trip from Denver. You can easily spend a day exploring the capital city of Wyoming. I also felt it was seriously underrated. You can opt to visit the capital and government buildings, visit one of the several museums, or head to the distillery. Make sure to grab a bite to eat at The Albany.
Final Thoughts on a One Week Colorado Itinerary
No matter what, there are a ton of fun things to do as part of a one week Colorado itinerary. Colorado has a ton of outdoorsy things to do and a great brewery scene. You can also always stay more days at any of the stops on this itinerary.
2 thoughts on “One Week Colorado Itinerary: 7 Days of Fabulous Hiking and the Gorgeous Outdoors”
Great itinerary and travel tips! Thank you
Thank you so much! Glad you could use them.