Weekend: Denver

Denver is the perfect destination for a weekend getaway or a full week of exploration. As someone who grew up just an hour north of the city, I visit Colorado often—and usually spend at least a weekend in Denver before catching up with family.

Whether you’re planning a short trip or staying longer, these Denver travel tips should help you explore the city’s vibrant culture, nature escapes, architecture, museums, and LGBTQ-friendly nightlife. I tend to pack a lot into these excursions, so don’t feel pressured to do everything at once—use this list to build your own Denver itinerary, whether you’re visiting for a day, a weekend, or more.

Getting There

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the city’s primary airport and serves much of the rest of the state as well. It’s consistently one of the busiest airports in the U.S., and is the second largest in the world (in land area) behind King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. As you might expect for an airport this busy, it’s a direct flight from most North American destinations as well as many other international ones. And while it’s been under renovations for a while now, that’s resulted in a significantly better TSA PreCheck experience as of 2025 (with other security being still being improved). It’s a hub for United Airlines and a primary operating base for both Southwest and Frontier, so even if Denver isn’t your destination, there’s a decent chance you might pass through.

A new Admirals Lounge in the C Concourse is good news for American and Alaska flyers, since the old lounge was a little small and dreary. There’s also a Centurion Lounge in C Concourse for those with the appropriate AMEX cards, plus a couple United lounges for those flying the Friendly Skies.

Nervous flyers beware, the beautiful snow-capped mountains also make for bumpy air coming in and out of Denver. Depending on the day it can be minor or a bit of a roller coaster.

In addition to the info above, as one of the few new airports developed in my lifetime, from the notorious baggage transportation system to the eerie horse statue, there’s lots of trivia about the airport if you need a distraction for five or 30 minutes. Fun fact: I worked at the airport for most of the first year after it opened in 1995.

If you’re heading to or from the airport and downtown Denver, RTD’s airport light rail line opened in 2016 between Denver’s Union Station and the airport terminal (it was “coming any day” when the airport first opened in 1995…). Tickets can be purchased in RTD’s app or via vending machines at the station and while RTD hasn’t yet caught the bus regarding credit card tap-to-pay fares, it’s super easy to use ApplePay in the app, even without creating an RTD account. The $10 airport fare also includes rides across the entire RTD system for the remainder of the day. Passengers who have purchased a less expensive ticket for travel elsewhere on the system can upgrade their ticket onboard (with the app or cash) or at a ticket machine prior to heading to the airport.

Know Before You Go

At 5280 feet of elevation, Denver is pretty high up there. It’s generally not a big deal, but do take it easy if you’re sensitive to that type of things, or if you’re headed further up into the mountains on your visit. It’s also super dry here – drink lots of water and bring your favorite lotion to deal with it, not to mention dry sinus effects. Nothing catastrophic, but a little preparedness helps.

If all your activities are in downtown Denver, renting a car might not be necessary. Downtown is mostly flat for walking, there are scooters if you care to use one of those, and Lyft/Uber are pretty easy to snag as well. And if you’re staying in a downtown hotel, parking will likely be expensive (but see a few tips on that in the lodging section below). Many rental car outlets have facilities in downtown, so if your trip is a mix of downtown activities and those elsewhere, you might be able to skip the car when you don’t need it and just pick it up prior to heading out of downtown. Do pay attention to more limited hours at the downtown locations compared to the airport, though.

LGBTQ Safety

Denver gets a perfect 100 in HRC’s database of LGBTQ legal protections. Statewide, Colorado earns a B- grade from Safehome.org for LGBTQ safety—their rating is a mix of legal protections and reported hate crime statistics (both the quality and quantity of data available to them and the fact that it’s statewide mean the ranking is imperfect, but I still found it of interest since few other resources include hate crime statistics in their formulas). And Colorado is listed as one of the safer states in terms of transgender protections and a relative lack of anti-trans legislation.

As with my adopted home of Portland, walking around most parts of Denver, coming and leaving bars, and other activities, I’ve felt safe. Every once in a while, some type of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric pops up, so as with anywhere, be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. As well, be mindful in the areas around many of Denver’s LGBTQ nightlife. Many of the city’s bars and clubs are located in areas that can be less savory late at night.

Sightseeing Highlights

I’ve always found downtown to be one of those places where if you’re in Denver for a weekend, you can just walk around and enjoy some nature, find great places to stumble into, and with a small amount of planning (or good fortune) soak up some culture.

With the development of the area close to the South Platte River (and I-25) in the last couple decades, I think that’s even more true. The River North (RiNo) area has great parks, paths, and watering holes, and there’s more to see and do just on the other side of the river and freeway.

If you’ve read my prior posts, you know I also look to others to vet my ideas and come up with new ones. For Denver, I found a great Reddit thread, as well as a few other ideas linked with my suggestions including:

• The Denver Art Museum has lovely exhibits and collections (one of the largest between the west coast and Chicago, and especially well known for American Indian art), but let’s be honest: I’m coming here for the architecture. In particular, the Daniel Libeskind-designed Hamilton building opened in 2006 is exceptionally striking outside and in. But the original Gio Ponti-designed building that opened in 1971 is notable in its own right.
• Also in the museum category is the Museum of Contemporary Art. In addition to the exhibits, the museum also has a great rooftop patio that’s a great spot to recharge on a nice day. For both the Denver Art Museum and Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver offers free days at the museums. Check here for details.
• The Denver Botanic Gardens is also especially lovely. One of my favorite visits here was several years ago for an exhibition of Chihuly glass. The garden is beautiful and relaxing at any time, but check out their site for special exhibits which make it an even more fun visit.
• I didn’t realize until just recently that Denver’s 16th Street Mall area was originally designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei, but guess what? It was. Unlike the art museum, I’m not sure the architectural influence is as obvious here, but (at least in the sections where ongoing construction is now complete) the pedestrian mall, street entertainers, shops and restaurants are worth exploring just the same.
• It wasn’t so special when I was a kid, but lower downtown Denver—or LoDo—is pretty hip now. Adjacent to the RiNo area, LoDo is home to the arenas and stadiums for Denver’s many sports teams (so plan accordingly if you’re looking to join or avoid those events) which help sustain a myriad of fun restaurants, bars, and other nightlife.
• Civic Center Park, adjacent to Colorado’s state capitol, isn’t much to write home about in general, but is much more fun when the park is hosting an event. Denver’s LGBTQ pride festival is hosted here, as is the annual Cinco de Mayo festival, just to name a couple that I’ve attended (there was a very busy Bernie Sanders/AOC rally on my last trip, but I didn’t realize what it was until afterwards). Both pride and Cinco de Mayo are full of good music, food, and other activities; I can’t vouch for the Bernie rally. 😉

If you have the opportunity to venture out of Denver proper—and definitely if you have the chance to catch a concert—there’s Red Rocks Ampitheater. The outdoor amphitheater is beautiful and is a great spot to catch both nature’s show and an advertised one.

There are a few things I found when researching this post that I haven’t yet done, but am now keen to check out. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment to let me know how it was (if you’ve been) or stay tuned for updates when I make it back.

• Fairmount Cemetery is the second-oldest cemetery in Denver, but what might be a bigger draw for visitors is that it’s also the largest arboretum in Colorado. If you’re planning to go, there’s a map on their website.
• If you’re looking for a hike without the drive to the mountains, there’s the Denver Orbital Trail. You need not do the full 177-mile circle around Denver in one trip—it’s split up into 28 segments and (obviously) you can do all or part of any of those in whichever area of the city you find yourself.
• The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife refuge is just outside Denver. It’s run by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, so with current federal Trump/DOGE impacts, it might be good to check opening status before you go, but if you make it, you’ll likely be treated to all sorts of wildlife that has long made Colorado home.
• A little further (about 30 miles) outside of Denver is The Wild Animal Sanctuary. They actually have three locations with a little different focus than the above-mentioned wildlife refuge. Two locations are specialized sanctuary for captive born exotic animals (think lions and tigers) and one that specializes in saving Colorado Mustangs. For the two specializing in exotic animals, I’ve heard it’s particularly interesting if you can make it for early morning feeding time.

Eating and Drinking

Growing up in Northern Colorado, I often thought of other places as culinary hotspots, but Denver has spent the last several decades establishing its place on the map. The list below represents a few foodie destinations, and a few places worth going to, but maybe not for the food. Admittedly, my dining in Denver has been minimal in recent years, so if you’re looking to explore further, check out more info from Eater or Denver Insider.

First on the list of “not for the food” is Casa Bonita. It’s not so much dinner as it is an experience (check out the link if you’re not already familiar). There’s a good chance that kids who grew up in Colorado visited here in their youth (and it never was about the food, FYI). Others may know it from South Park fame—especially now that the creators of South Park own the place. Definitely get reservations and note that if you want to go for dinner, it’s probably booked out a month or so.

Beyond Casa Bonita, here are a few other favorites:

• Steuben’s, especially the “uptown” location in Capitol Hill is one of my favorites (and was an unsolicited suggestion from a friend recently when he heard I was headed to Denver). They’ve got hearty breakfasts and brunches, as well as good dinners and a nice patio.
• Rio Grande started out in my hometown of Fort Collins, but has since expanded across Colorado’s front range. The delicious and boozy margaritas are the real draw here, so try to make it for discounted ones during happy hour. I’ve historically found the food decent, but always felt it was there to absorb the tequila more than it was for its own culinary reward.
• Snooze has several locations and is a great place to load up on Belgian waffles, pancakes, omelettes, or other breakfast grub (of all varieties of healthy or not) to power your day.
• 54Thirty atop the Le Meredien Hotel in downtown is named for the elevation of “Denver’s highest open air rooftop bar,” according to their website. And while the rooftop here isn’t above everything around it, the space and views are pretty nice (P.S.: you’ll pay for this view; plan accordingly).
• Two Hands corndogs in the University Park neighborhood is really good. It’s not quite close enough to Denver’s LGBTQ nightlife to make it an easy post-drink snack (which is when I’d really want one), but it’s worth a Lyft ride (IMO), especially since there are plenty of other food and drink places to make an afternoon of it.

Colorado is well-known for a vibrant craft brew scene, and while not all of the breweries in Denver started out in this part of the state, Denver’s taprooms represent the entire state pretty well as evidenced in the Denver Beer Trail.

One of favorite areas for beer tourism is the Five Points area which (fortunately for the investment and improvement/unfortunately for the gentrification and displacement) has seen significant renewal in the last couple decades. There’s a wealth of great taprooms in just a few blocks here, a number of solid food joints, and when they close off the street to cars, the parking and traffic is replaced by fun outdoor makers markets and it all turns into a vibrant pedestrian area. Back to the breweries, though …

• O’Dells, which started in Fort Collins, has for decades had beers I’ve enjoyed. Their taproom and brewhouse in Five Points is solid, with outdoor seating along the street and on a rooftop patio.
• Ratio Beerworks is less than a block from O’Dells and has similarly good beers, and an equally good street-side patio.
• Our Mutual Friend (that’s the name of the establishment, for clarity) has a taproom a few steps from O’Dells and Ratio and also has a nice outdoor patio.
• Bierstadt is a few easily-walkable blocks from O’Dells and Ratio and is in an urban-industrial complex of repurposed cargo containers complimented by outdoor patios. Pick up your (lager only) beer and wander through to play a game of oversized corn hole, watch games, or grab a bite.

Not a brewery, but in the locally-made drinks category, I’d recommend Stranahan’s to bourbon and whiskey fans. Besides really enjoying their whiskey, I think the distillery does a nice job with their tours and tastings (of course, I’m especially partial to the tasting…). Denver—and Colorado generally—has a great distillery scene, but if I had to pick one place to stop, it would definitely be Stranahan’s.

Back to the didn’t-go-for-the-food category, there’s also drag brunch at Hamburger Mary’s. While you might not got for their culinary prowess, I was pleasantly surprised by the food here, having routinely been disappointed by drag brunch food, even with lowered expectations (the Hamburger Mary’s in Tampa was an especially low bar as food goes). As with most drag brunches, expect a fair number of straight women celebrating birthdays and bachelorette parties (nothing wrong with that, but respect the space you’re in, folks), but when we went last, there was some diversity among the crowd and the show was better than expected.

Nightlife

Denver has (what I think is) a pretty fun collection of LGBTQ bars and clubs, but while the Capitol Hill are has historically been the gayborhood, Denver’s bars aren’t especially close to one another. At best, they’re a several block walk from one to another, and some are definitely driving distance (or hopefully a Lyft/Uber ride if you’re drinking). With that advisory, here’s a shortlist:

• Buddies, located closest to the state capitol has a fun neighborhood feel despite the location on busy Colfax Avenue. On a recent Friday, the happy hour crowd trended a little older, but as the evening went on, the average age slowly got younger.
• X Bar is a few blocks away from Buddies, also on Colfax. Their inside bar area is smallish (but decent), but the outside patio is large and really nice on a sunny day. Happy hour drinks are 2-for-1; you’ll get a token with your first drink that you can redeem for a second one later. Check their site for events.
• Tight End is a few blocks away from X Bar (and a few blocks more from Buddies). I’d hoped to stop here on my last trip, but tapped out before we made it, so I can’t vouch for the vibe or crowd. But the location is handy, so check their site for regular events and other info.
• Tracks has been around for years and while it’s been a while since I’ve been, it sounds like they still have lots of music on tap as well as a mix of ages and events. Check their site for current goings on and more info.
• Charlie’s has been a fixture in Denver for decades. What was historically a country bar has broadened its horizons a bit over time (similar to the Phoenix outpost). I’ve typically found it a good time with a fun crowd, although the specifics of the crowd can vary pretty widely from one night to another.
• Denver’s Eagle is a bit further afield than the above bars and is one of the bars noted above that’s definitely a drive or Lyft/Uber ride. They have a small covered patio and a number of fun theme nights (check their site for details). A friend of mine used to DJ here, and while he’s moved out of state, I suspect the good times continue just the same.

Lodging

When I’ve stayed in Denver for a weekend, I’ve typically made a point to stick close to downtown to maximize the places I could walk to. But downtown parking is expensive, so a little extra research about location (if you’re not driving) or costs of parking (if you are) can make a big difference in how much you enjoy where you stay or how much it costs overall.

• The Hampton Inn and Suites Denver Downtown is where I’ve stayed most often. The hotel is what you’d expect for a Hampton (read: it’s fine, but not anything special), but the location is relatively walkable to most downtown places and Colfax bars. Plus, if you have a car but you’re only here for a weekend night or two, you can probably get buy using metered parking on the street or in one of the nearby lots instead of paying ridiculous rates to the hotel for parking (likely in the same nearby lot).
• Next to the Convention Center, there are about four (or more) Hilton properties, two Hyatts, the Le Meredien (mentioned above with the rooftop bar!), an aloft, and several Marriotts. If you’re planning to walk to LGBTQ nightlife on Colfax, these hotels near the convention center are a decent compromise proximity-wise, but you’ll likely get stuck paying for hotel parking here.
• If it’s points your after, the Populus Hotel probably isn’t on your list, but if you were paying close attention above regarding architecture it should be. The location right across from Civic Center Park is handy as well.
• For something totally different, there’s the Westin at Denver International Airport. To quote my mom: “look for a deal on points, because you’re probably not going to want to pay regular rates to stay here.” But if you find a deal—or just have a really early or late flight—my mom and brother tell me the airport locations and airfield views are pretty sweet here and it’s connected directly to the terminal, so no shuttle bus involved.

As with other posts, I’ll be sure to make updates in content and photos when I come back for future visits. In the meantime, feel free to drop a comment if you have a favorite I might have missed.