TumbleMaker
The site is loading. If this screen stays here, tap refresh once to clear the old phone copy.
Denver Travel Guide
Denver is a budget mountain-town alternative that most travelers miss. Instead of $500 Aspen nights or $300 Vail rooms, you fly into DEN (Southwest and Frontier hub, cheap fares from everywhere), stay in downtown Denver for $130, and day-trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, Golden, Boulder, or Loveland Pass. Craft beer is a $6 pour, green chile is on everything, and the light rail from the airport to Union Station is $10.50. This guide covers the ski-shoulder weeks (November and April) when Denver is at its cheapest, the RiNo and LoDo neighborhoods to stay in, and the free hikes 30 minutes from downtown that beat most $200 mountain-town experiences.
Quick tips
- Fly in November or April — ski season shoulder weeks post the year's lowest rates.
- The A-Line train from DEN to downtown is $10.50; a rideshare is $50+.
- Stay in RiNo or LoDo for walkable food, breweries, and Union Station.
- Red Rocks concerts + hike is one of the great cheap Denver experiences.
- Rocky Mountain National Park is a 90-minute drive; entry is $25 per car.
Frequently asked
Is Denver a good budget base for the Rockies?
Yes — it's the cheapest way into Rocky Mountain National Park, Boulder, and Golden, and Denver hotels run 60% below Aspen or Vail.
When is Denver cheapest to visit?
November (before ski season) and mid-April to mid-May (after ski season) — hotels drop 30–40% and the weather is mild.
How is Denver's public transit?
The A-Line to the airport and the light rail through downtown are excellent; anywhere beyond that, use rideshare or a rental car.