How to Spend a Perfect 3-day Weekend in Denver

Say what you want about Denver of yesteryear—a cow town stuck in its gold mining roots, where tumbleweeds were more animated than its culture. But since the mid-1990s, an expanding tech industry and work-from-anywhere gig economy jobs have attracted new residents to this city at the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

Denver has emerged as a vibrant city where one can find legal marijuana, a welcoming LGBTQ+ scene, and a health-conscious populace that thrives on its “work hard, play hard” ethos. The city is known for having a sunny and dry climate, especially between May and October. As for those tumbleweeds, they’ve blown away, and the Mile High City’s streets are now lined with excellent restaurants, breweries and distilleries, museums, and professional sports stadiums. Here’s how to spend the perfect three-day weekend in Denver.

Day One

If you’re arriving at Denver International Airport, you can get downtown by hopping on the A Line, which costs around $10 per person and takes about 35 minutes. Get off at the 38th and Blake Street station, where you can walk or Uber to The Source Hotel. Located in the hip River North Art District (RiNo), the industrial-chic property is an ideal launchpad to explore the former manufacturing district. Within steps of your guest room, you’ll find street art, breweries, craft studios, dozens of art galleries, and live music venues like the Mission Ballroom.

You won’t have to go far from the hotel to dig into RiNo’s great shopping and food scene either. The property is also home to The Source Market, an 1870s foundry-turned-market hall with a wide variety of food and retail vendors across two buildings. At sunset, head to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Cimera, for drinks and shareables while taking in city views. For dinner, drop by Safta, a brilliant homage to the Middle East’s culinary landscape by James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya. Wood-fired pita (baked just a few steps away from the table) complements dishes inspired by the flavors of Middle Eastern, African, and Mediterranean countries like Israel, Yemen, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, and Greece.

Day Two

After a cappuccino and brûléed grapefruit or breakfast burrito at RiNo’s Crema Coffee House on Larimer, head downtown to shop some of the best independent and cult-favorite brands at Free Market, a collective of boutiques, bars, restaurants, and services. On the same block, you’ll find the celebrated Denver Milk Market food hall, where you can grab lunch from vendors offering everything from fried chicken to dumplings.

In the afternoon, do as Coloradans do and get moving. Denver has more than 850 miles of paved trails that can be explored by bike (Mile High Bike Tours offers rentals and guided rides). Try the Cherry Creek Bike Trail, a nearly 50-mile route that starts at Confluence Park and connects to Cherry Creek State Park, a popular spot for hiking, biking, and birding. End your adventure in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, home to Civic Center Park, the History Colorado Center, and the Denver Art Museum campus, which includes the Kirkland collection of fine and decorative art.

For dinner, head to Denver’s best Italian restaurant, Tavernetta, helmed by the James Beard Award-winning team behind Frasca Food and Wine (located in nearby Boulder). You can’t go wrong with anything on the seasonally changing menu, but if available, try the carpaccio alla Cipriani, any of the handmade pastas, and the branzino with roasted garlic, lemon, and delicata.

Day Three

Part of the beauty of Denver is its easy access to the mountains and nature. Travelers can rent an electric car and head west for about 20 minutes to Colorado’s landmark music venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which bills itself as “the only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre in the world.” Seeing a concert here is one of the best things to do in Denver, but you can also admire the iconic rock formations by hiking the 1.4-mile Trading Post Trail.

If you have time, head 71 miles north to Rocky Mountain National Park, one of Colorado’s best national parks. Here, you’ll find hundreds of miles of hiking trails as well as lakes, waterfalls, wildlife, and horseback riding.

Return to the city in time for a cozy and delicious dinner at Union Station, an exciting dining hub in downtown Denver’s revitalized landmark railway station. Inside, you’ll find Ultreia, a Spanish pintxos restaurant led by James Beard Award-winning chef Jennifer Jasinski, where you can cap off your Denver weekend with cocktails and sharing plates like bacon-wrapped dates, pan con tomate, blistered shishito peppers, and tinned fish.