Denver Colorado in the Winter: A 4-Day Itinerary
Imagine this… stunning mountain scenery, gourmet food in a dim-lit room, cozy hotel rooms, wildlife sightings, hikes to frozen waterfalls, and warm hot chocolate on a cold snowy night. Sound like the trip you’re looking for? That’s Denver Colorado in the Winter.
My husband & I got married on December 15 (I know, so close to Christmas!), and like to go on some type of trip to celebrate it. I let my husband decide this time and asked him if he was in the mood for a warm, beachy trip or a snowy, wintery getaway… and he chose winter, so here we are! I think there’s beauty in all types of trips, whether to a city or the country, on a beach or in the snow. Mix it up!
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What to Know Before Going to Denver, Colorado in the Winter
There are a few things that are important to know or consider bringing for your trip. I also want to show you the highlighted areas of this itinerary on a map so you have an idea of where everything is, if you haven’t been to the area.
***this itinerary is for the outdoorsy, budget-minded folks! we aren’t big skiiers either, so if you’re looking for things to do in denver colorado in the winter that don’t involve skiing, i got you!***
weather in the winter
Below, I included average winter temperatures in Denver. Keep in mind, the “high” can be much lower than the 40s. When we were there, temperatures were consistently in the 20s in December. You have to be prepared for snow, ice, slush, and the cold! But, cold can be so fun!
When my husband and I visited, we were fresh out of grad school and didn’t have a lot of money. So, we dealt with the cheapest gear, and what we already have. Which is OKAY, and I look back and enjoy those memories. BUT, if you are able, proper gear makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Back then, I didn’t even know base layers existed. To make it easy, I compiled a list of all my favorite winter gear for hiking and being in the outdoors.
budget!
Budget is important. I loved visiting in winter because crowds were much less (unless you’re in a ski town), and therefore prices were LOW! We spent under 750 for 2 for 4 days!
Flight
We flew Southwest from PHX-DEN nonstop, $45 one-way in December, $180 total
RENTAL CAR
We used Dollar rental car, through KAYAK, $25 per day, about $125 total (be aware of toll fees in Denver). We got a sedan without 4WD, but it worked perfectly for us. My current favorite AFFORDABLE rental car booking that allows you to pay at the time of pick up AND cancel and rebook for a lower price is Discount USA Car Rental.
HOTEL
We split our trip into two locations, so we had two separate hotels. We stayed in Hyatt Place Denver Downtown & Discovery Lodge Estes Park. See below for more hotel info!
DAY 1 (DOWNTOWN DENVER COLORADO)
For Day 1, we planned on checking into the hotel, getting some good food, and embracing the wintery city vibes. We arrived around 11 am to the airport. After getting our rental car, we headed to the highly regarded TORCHY’S TACOS. I highly recommend the breakfast burrito.
Christkindl Market
As we were driving around downtown exploring, we noticed THE DENVER CHRISTKINDL MARKET . This is one of the best things to do in Denver Colorado in the winter. It was sure popular, we waited in line for 1 hour in the cold to get in. We got a beautiful German ornament to bring home, some warm hot cocoa, and a delicious German pretzel that was well worth the wait. Highly recommend this DENVER CHRISTMAS MARKET.
Larimer Square
Denver Colorado in the Winter is SO MUCH FUN, and very festive. Once our hot pretzel warmed us up, we stopped by LARIMER SQUARE, a historic block in Downtown Denver, Colorado full of shops, restaurants, and overhanging lights. When we went, there was live music, dining in igloos, and free hot cocoa. How would you like to spend your evening here?
Hotel Check In
After a chilly afternoon downtown, we checked into our hotel, Hyatt Place Denver Downtown. We booked two nights for about $180. This hotel doesn’t have parking on-site, but we parked in a garage across the street for cheap (overnight).
For dinner, we walked from our hotel in snowfall to 5280 Burger Bar. We went on this trip during the COVID-19 pandemic, so dine-in wasn’t an option, but we had a lot of fun bringing it back to our hotel room.
DAY 2 (COLORADO SPRINGS)
For Day 2, we decided to head SOUTH to Colorado Springs. This area is full of so many adventures, we knew we wouldn’t be bored. NOTE- if you can get a car with 4WD- do it. I would have felt so much safer driving around in the snow!
Garden of the Gods
GARDEN OF THE GODS was our first stop. It is about an hour and 15 minutes south of Downtown Denver, Colorado. Admission is FREE + the park is open 8 am-7 pm daily. Things to do at the park include walking, biking, driving, shopping, and eating at the shops in the park.
We didn’t go with specific plans, we just enjoyed walking around the park as we pleased. This park is dog friendly (although we were visiting from out of state) and kid-friendly. I do highly recommend eating at the Garden of the Gods Market Cafe– there was plenty of options. I had warm tomato soup and grilled cheese, which was very satisfying on a cold day. They also have Starbucks & Ice Cream inside. This was one of my favorite things to do in Denver Colorado in the winter.
Pikes Peak
Up next is Pikes Peak- America’s Mountain, only a short 20-minute drive from Garden of the Gods. It costs $15 an adult to get in, and it’s a 19-mile drive to the summit that takes 2-3 hours round trip with numerous stops along the way. FYI- the National Parks pass does not work here. It’s open 7 30am- 8pm (last entry at 6 pm). It had just snowed the day prior to our visit, so we could only drive up a few miles, but we still loved it.
Little Man Ice Cream- Best Ice Cream in Denver
After a fun outdoorsy day, we headed back to Denver to grab a quick dinner, visit a Colorado REI, and stop by the BEST ICE CREAM SHOP you’ll ever visit- Little Man Ice Cream. I mean it. It’s cute, festive, and the ice cream is to die for, so it deserves it’s own place on this blog.
DAY 3 (ESTES PARK/ ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK)
But wait, there’s more fun to be had! On Day 3, we packed up our stuff (after watching a good sunrise out of our hotel window), and headed up north towards Rocky Mountain National Park.
RMNP is about 1.5 hrs away from Denver. There are different bases to the park- we chose Estes Park. We stayed at Discovery Lodge for only $65 per night (healthcare worker discount), and loved how cozy the hotel room was.
Winter Hike- Chasm Falls
We checked in, grabbed something to eat, and headed right to ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, which is just a short 15-20 minute drive. Make sure you have your annual parks pass.
To get to the trailhead, we came into the park through Fall River Visitor Center. From here, drive about 2 miles and turn right onto Endovalley Road. There are multiple small parking lots, the closest being Alluvian Fan. In the winter, the hike can become a bit longer due to snow closures. During warmer seasons, you can drive all the way through Old Fall River Road. The beauty of this waterfall should give you reason enough to do this hike. It is 4.7 miles and 400 ft gain and rated EASY.
PS- I used our Bluetooth Tripod to take the photo of us above!
After our snowy hike, we visited some of the shops downtown, grabbed a nice hot cocoa and some candy for the hotel room. We did stop in Estes Park Mountain Shop to get rentals for our adventure tomorrow….
DAY 4 (MORE RMNP)
So what’s the big adventure?? Snowshoeing (or microspikes) at sunrise! We picked our gear up late in the evening from Estes Park Mountain Shop for a 1-day rental- only $18 combined!! They were so friendly and informative about our rental. We headed out early and were the only ones in the trailhead parking lot besides the plow and the park rangers, haha.
If you didn’t know, RMNP is short for Rocky Mountain National Park. This is one of the coolest national parks in the country, so we had to visit another day on our trip to Denver Colorado in the Winter.
Frozen Lakes Winter Hike
THIS HIKE takes you past Bear Lake, Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Lake Haiyaha. I definitely recommend some type of snow equipment to hike this in the winter- whether snowshoes, spikes, or cross country skiis. It was very peaceful, quiet, beautiful, and also freezing cold. Please be careful if you choose to walk on the lakes.
Like hiking? Read More: How to Find Crystal Mill in Colorado
Most Important Gear!
We did intend on hiking Alberta Falls afterward, but we were so tired and cold that we decided to head up. After cleaning up and resting at our hotel, we decided to get massages for our anniversary. We chose Hands Down Best in Town Therapeutic Massage in Estes Park and loved it (fun fact- this was my husbands first massage). To finish off our anniversary + our trip, we took Mama Rose’s Italian food back to the hotel room for dinner.
I hope I’ve convinced you on why Denver Colorado in the winter is the coolest!
SUMMARY of visiting denver colorado in the winter
- It’s cold here in the winter- pack layers!
- We were able to keep this trip under $1000 for 4 nights, 5 days
- A perfect blend of city vibes & mountain towns
- If you’re hiking in the winter, make sure you have insulation for your water, microspikes, and hiking socks.
