Things to Do in Denver: Best Attractions and a 3-Day Itinerary

Last Updated: 03/Nov/2026

The best things to do in Denver include a daytime visit to Red Rocks, a stop at the Denver Art Museum, and a walk through downtown. Add the Denver Botanic Gardens, Meow Wolf, or the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and you have a full trip. With one extra day, you can drive into Rocky Mountain National Park.

This guide shows what each stop costs, how to get there, and what can go wrong. Prices and rules were checked against official pages on November 3, 2026. Check them again before you go, because they change.

Things to Know Before You Visit Denver

Best Time to Visit

Summer works well for outdoor plans. Red Rocks hosts concerts from about March to November, so check its calendar if you want to see the amphitheatre in daylight. Rocky Mountain National Park used timed entry from May 22 to mid-October in 2026.

Mountain weather can differ from city weather. Check the forecast for each place you plan to visit.

Getting from Denver Airport to Downtown

The RTD A Line train runs between Denver International Airport and Union Station. RTD lists the trip at about 37 minutes.

An Airport Day Pass costs $10 and covers unlimited RTD rides that day. A standard 3-hour pass costs $2.75, and a standard day pass costs $5.50. If you ride to or from the airport on those, you must pay an upgrade. The upgrade is $7.25 from a 3-hour pass or $4.50 from a day pass. Discount fares already include the airport.

Best Things to Do in Denver

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

Red Rocks is a mountain park with a famous outdoor concert venue inside it. It sits in Morrison at 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, roughly 15 miles west of downtown. Admission and parking are free.

The park is open from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset every day. Concert days change the plan. The amphitheatre usually closes to the public after lunch, around 2 p.m., and it can close earlier. Closing times are set the week of the show, so call 720-865-2494 for the latest. The venue also says it may close on non-concert days for private events.

Go in the morning if you want to walk the seats and the park trails. Plan your ride home before you leave. One Reddit visitor asked how easy it is to get a rideshare back to Denver around 1 or 2 p.m. A rental car is the simplest answer.

Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is in the Golden Triangle neighborhood at 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. One ticket covers the Hamilton Building, the Martin Building, and The Kirkland. The Kirkland shows decorative arts, Colorado art, and the work of painter Vance Kirkland. Visit Denver also points to the museum’s Indigenous and Western American art.

Adults pay $22 or $25 if they live in Colorado. Everyone else pays $27 or $30. The higher price applies on peak days: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Youth 18 and younger get in free.

The museum is closed on Wednesdays. It stays open until 8 p.m. on Tuesdays. Special exhibits cost extra. DIVA, on view through January 31, 2027, adds $7. Ticket listings suggest two to three hours for a visit.

Denver Botanic Gardens

The York Street gardens are at 1007 York St. Ticket listings that repeat the Gardens’ own description say the site covers 24 acres. Adults pay $16. Seniors and military or veterans with ID pay $12.25. Children 3 to 15 and students with ID pay $11.75. Children 2 and under are free.

General admission does not cover special events, such as Glow at the Gardens or Blossoms of Light. Those need their own tickets. Parking in the Gardens’ garage is free.

The Gardens open in rain or snow. They refund or exchange tickets after a weather closure, but tickets are otherwise non-refundable. The Gardens sometimes close early for events, so check their early-closure list. Ticket listings suggest one to three hours.

Meow Wolf Convergence Station

Meow Wolf is an immersive art exhibit at 1338 1st St. You explore connected, interactive spaces instead of looking at art from a distance.

General admission starts at $39 and uses a date and entry time you pick. Anytime tickets start at $52 and let you arrive at any time that day. Meow Wolf says prices change by day and time, so check its calendar. Ticket listings suggest one to five hours.

A travel blog reports two RTD light rail stations within a 10-minute walk. Check RTD’s map to confirm the best stop.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

The museum is at 2001 Colorado Blvd. in City Park. Museum admission costs $27.95 for adults, $20.95 for youth ages 3 to 18, and $23.95 for seniors 65 and older.

Some experiences cost extra and need a separate timed ticket. The planetarium adds $7 for adults. The Sturm Theater adds $8, a promotional price through December 31, 2026. Laser shows add $14.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, and most Fridays until 9 p.m. It is closed on December 25 and August 26.

Save Money with a CityPASS

The Art Museum, the Nature & Science museum, and the Botanic Gardens all mention Denver CityPASS. It bundles several attractions, and the museums say it saves up to about 43% on admission. Compare the bundle with what you plan to visit before you buy.

Free Things to Do in Denver

• Red Rocks Park. The park is free, but the amphitheatre can close on event days.
• Colorado State Capitol. Free guided tours run Monday through Friday on the hour, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each tour holds 30 people on a first-come basis. The tour includes the dome.
• The mile-high steps. The Capitol’s west steps have three mile-high markers. A 2003 survey put the most accurate one on the 13th step, according to travel sources.
• Downtown walks. Union Station, Larimer Square, and the 16th Street pedestrian area cost nothing to explore.
• RiNo street art. The River North Art District is known for murals and creative spaces, and walking it is free.
• Museum free days. The Art Museum lists free days on November 7 and December 8, 2026. The Nature & Science museum lists November 7 (5 to 10 p.m.) and November 16, plus dates for 2027. Free general admission at the Art Museum does not cover ticketed exhibits. Dates can change, so check each museum.

Best Denver Neighborhoods to Explore

LoDo and Union Station. LoDo is the historic downtown area. It includes Union Station, a renovated 1914 train station, and Coors Field.

RiNo. This is the place for street art, studios, and creative spaces. It is a separate neighborhood, so check the distance on your map app.

Highlands and LoHi. Visit Denver lists this area as a neighborhood to explore. Many people come here for restaurants and shops.

Capitol Hill and the Golden Triangle. The Capitol and the Art Museum are in this area. They make a good pair for one day.

Washington Park. This park covers about 165 acres and has two lakes, according to the American Planning Association. It suits a slow morning outdoors.

A Practical 3-Day Denver Itinerary

This plan groups stops by area. It also tells you where you will need a car or a ride.

Day 1: Downtown History and Art

Pick a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday. The Capitol tours run only on weekdays, and the Art Museum is closed on Wednesdays.

• Morning: Eat breakfast at Union Station. Walk to Larimer Square and the 16th Street pedestrian area. A free MallRide shuttle runs on 16th Street, but check RTD for its current route.
• Midday: Take a Capitol tour and find the mile-high step.
• Afternoon: Visit the Denver Art Museum.
• Evening: See RiNo street art and eat dinner nearby.

Day 2: Red Rocks and Meow Wolf

You need a car or a ride for Red Rocks. The sources checked did not show a public transit route there.

• Morning: Arrive at Red Rocks before lunch. Walk the amphitheatre and a park trail. Call 720-865-2494 first if a concert is scheduled.
• Afternoon: Return to town. LoHi is one option for lunch.
• Evening: Visit Meow Wolf. Book your entry time ahead.

Day 3: Choose a City Day or a Mountain Day

Option A: Stay in Denver. Visit the Denver Botanic Gardens and the Museum of Nature & Science. Check each opening time and the Gardens’ early-closure list before you plan the order.

Option B: Go to Rocky Mountain National Park. Treat this as a full day. Expect about 1.5 to 2 hours each way, depending on traffic and your entrance. Do not add the Botanic Gardens afterward.

Best Day Trips from Denver

Rocky Mountain National Park

In 2026, the park required a timed entry reservation from May 22 to mid-October. Standard timed entry applied from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October 12. A Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road reservation applied from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 18. You could enter outside those hours without a reservation, except in the Bear Lake Road corridor.

The reservation cost a $2 processing fee on Recreation.gov. A reservation does not guarantee parking at a trailhead. The park had not posted 2027 rules in the sources checked, so read the National Park Service page before you plan a summer trip.

You also need an entrance pass. The Denver Gazette reported $30 per vehicle for one day or $35 for seven days. Non-US residents pay an extra $100 per person, according to the park’s fee page. For road conditions, call the Trail Ridge Road line at 970-586-1222.

Boulder

Boulder is about 30 miles from Denver, and the drive often takes 30 to 45 minutes. Visitors come for the Flatirons, trails at Chautauqua Park, and Pearl Street Mall. It fits in half a day.

Golden

Golden is a short drive west of Denver. It has Coors Brewery, the Clear Creek whitewater park, and trails on South Table Mountain. It also fits in half a day.

Getting Around Denver Without a Car

Downtown is walkable. This covers LoDo, the Golden Triangle, and the central business district. Use RTD for airport trips and longer rides across town.

The Art Museum, the Capitol, Union Station, and Larimer Square work well without a car. Meow Wolf may work by light rail, but check the route first. Red Rocks, Rocky Mountain National Park, and most day trips need a car, a tour, or a ride.

Book your return trip before you go. A rental car can make sense for just the days you leave the city.

Denver Travel Tips and Altitude Advice

Denver sits about one mile above sea level. The CDC says altitude illness can start with a headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting. Symptoms often show up two to twelve hours after you arrive. If they get worse while you rest, go to a lower elevation.

Take it easy on your first day. Drink water regularly. The CDC advises avoiding alcohol and heavy exercise for the first 48 hours at elevations above 8,000 feet. Denver is lower than that, but the mountain trips in this guide go higher.

The CDC notes that high places bring more ultraviolet light, low humidity, and cold. Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a warm layer. The National Park Service warns that Rocky Mountain weather can change quickly.

People with heart or lung disease should talk to a doctor before the trip. Anyone with a medical condition should do the same.

Bottom Line: How to Pick Your Denver Plan

• No rental car: Stay downtown for Day 1, add Meow Wolf, and use the Art Museum and the Capitol. Add a ride or tour for Red Rocks.
• Short on money: Combine Red Rocks, the Capitol, and downtown walks. Time your trip around museum free days.
• Traveling with kids: The Art Museum is free for youth 18 and younger. The Nature & Science museum has a youth price of $20.95.
• Love the outdoors: Spend one morning at Red Rocks and one day at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Frequently Asked Questions About Things to Do in Denver

What are the best free things to do in Denver?

Red Rocks Park, Capitol tours, downtown walking, and RiNo street art cost nothing. Museum free days add more options. Check each schedule, because event days and holidays can change access.

Is Denver walkable?

Downtown Denver is walkable, including LoDo and the Golden Triangle. Neighborhoods farther out, such as RiNo and Washington Park, need a short ride or transit. Check your map app for distances.

Do you need a car in Denver?

Not for downtown. You can use RTD and rideshares in the city center. For Red Rocks, Rocky Mountain National Park, and other mountain trips, a car, tour, or ride is needed.

Can you visit Red Rocks without going to a concert?

Yes. The park is free and open every day from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. On concert days the amphitheatre usually closes around 2 p.m., so go in the morning and call 720-865-2494.

Is Rocky Mountain National Park a day trip from Denver?

Yes, but plan a full day. The drive is about 1.5 to 2 hours each way. In 2026, a timed entry reservation was required in summer, and a reservation did not guarantee parking.

What can you do in Denver when the weather is bad?

Try the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Nature & Science, or Meow Wolf. All three are indoor options. Check hours and any timed tickets first.

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