Denver, Colorado is a magical place that has a little of everything. From the excitement of a big city, to the peaceful mountain views, it has something for everyone. I landed a travel nursing contract in Denver in summer of 2018 and fell so in love with the city that I stayed for two years. It’s so hard to condense all the amazing things into one weekend, so I want to list some of my absolute favorite things and you can pick and choose what works for you based on what kind of weekend you’re feeling!
Where To Start Exploring Denver
No matter what you’re planning for your weekend, I highly recommend starting your trip with a visit to Union Station. Not only is it beautiful and full of great spots to grab a quick drink, but it’s in a perfect starting point to check out lots of other must-see spots in Denver!
After you grab a drink and a bite to eat at Union Station, you can walk to a ton of other great spots! You have to make the quick walk (less than 10 minutes) to the Dairy Block – an adorable little alley filled with little shops, restaurants, and some great insta-worthy photo spots. Here are some of my favorite shots from the Dairy Block!
Once you finish exploring this cute spot, head back towards Larimer Square/16th street mall area. If you’re up for some delicious mexican + margs, make a pit stop at Rio Grande. You will not regret it. As you walk through town, you’ll pass tons of shops, restaurants, hotels, and cool things to see. Don’t forget to look around and explore while you’re on your walk!
16th Street Mall is one of those places everyone hits up when they go to Denver. It’s an open air mall with basically any store you could want to shop, and of course tons of food options as well. Even if you don’t want to fill your bag with more stuff to take home, it’s a cool place to walk around!
Larimer Square is a great spot to grab dinner and end your day. It’s a cute little area that you can’t miss because there are white lights strung up all down the block creating a whimsical little canopy! It’s another great insta-worthy spot and it has some great bars and restaurants as well!
*Bonus – check out a bar called The Front Porch right in this area. They have a calendar with names for every night of the week (except Wednesdays, which are for “flip night”), and if your name is on the calendar, you drink for free all night! Check out the calendar here and see if anyone in your group can take advantage while you’re in town!
Whew! Day one in the books. Now that you’ve hit some of the must see spots in Denver, head back to your hotel or AirBNB and use the guide below to plan out the rest of your itinerary for the weekend!
Places To Eat In Denver
OMG, the food in Denver. I don’t even know where to start. There are so many great spots (I lived there for two years and didn’t get to try them all). I’ll share my list of a few favorites with you and you can pick what you’re feeling to fit into your weekend getaway!
Breakfast/Brunch
Luciles Creole Cafe – My absolute FAVORITE breakfast/brunch spot. The food is amazing. The mimosas are amazing (fresh squeezed OJ and a mini bottle of champagne OMG). The Bloody Mary’s are amazing. The Chickory coffee is amazing. And whatever you do, DO NOT skip the side order of beignets. You have to make time for Luciles on your trip.
Denver Biscuit Company – Another one of my favorites for great breakfast. If you weren’t sure if you needed a giant biscuit cinnamon bun, you do. You’re welcome. *Bonus – try the location that’s inside Stanley Marketplace! It’s an adorable spot with a bunch of cute small shops you can check out after you eat!
Officers Club – Another favorite brunch spot (and I highly recommend this place for dinner as well!) Their food is amazing and their cocktails are so good. If Bourbon is your thing, try the Burnt & Smoked. You can thank me later.
Sam’s No. 3 – This was my go-to post night shift breakfast spot. Good food, big portions, and good cocktails.
Lunch/Dinner
Machete Tequila + Tacos – Literally the best tacos and margs in Denver. You will die when you try the lobster tacos. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
El Five – This is a cute little spot for tapas style dinner and good cocktails. Make a reservation if you can, because the best thing about this place is the beautiful view!
Postino – This is a wine bar with delicious food! I highly recommend the bruschetta board. This is also a great lunch spot because they have happy hour every day until 5! Grab a $5 glass of wine and a bruschetta board for a delicious lunch! It’s definitely a great atmosphere for dinner as well.
Things To Do In Denver
As I mentioned before, you could live in Denver for years and still not have time to cover everything there is to do. It’s a city with so many different options it can be overwhelming! Fortunately, that means there’s a little something for everyone. These are some of my absolute faves so that you can pick and choose what makes sense for your Denver weekend adventure!
Visit A Brewery
There are about a million breweries in Denver to choose from, each with a bit different atmosphere, and all with some great beers to try! If you have some time, you can take a quick drive out to Golden, CO (about 30 minutes outside of town) to tour the Coors Brewery. The tour is self guided – you walk through and listen on a little audio device with prompts in each area. During the tour you get to sample a couple beers, and at the end you get three drinks in their tasting room! I think this is a really fun thing to experience, and you learn some cool stuff along the way! (Did you know Blue Moon is actually made by Coors and originated in a baseball stadium?!). Plus, who doesn’t love free beer?
Breckenridge Brewery is another great spot to check out! They have some great local beers and a great atmosphere. There is an indoor restaurant/tasting room, or you can hang out outside and enjoy the fire pit and lawn games. They also offer tours if you’re into that! Have a Nitro Vanilla Porter for me while you’re there (;
Dry Dock Brewing Co. is another great spot that I highly recommend. Sadly, I never got a chance to check out their location before Covid ruined all things good in the world, but they have REALLY good beer. Apricot Blonde is my go-to on a warm summer day. I did stop in to take advantage of their free beer for healthcare workers and the place seemed really cool, so once the world opens please go check it out and report back to me.
Get Outside
One of my favorite things about Denver is that it’s a big city surrounded by gorgeous mountains. You literally have it all in one place. If you’re there when the whether is nice, there are so many great outdoor things to do!
If you have about a half day to dedicate, you have to go visit Red Rocks Amphitheater. It is a concert/event venue, and if you can catch a show while you’re in town it will be the coolest place you’ve ever watched a concert. Luckily even if you can’t get there for a show, the park is open to the public every day. They host events like yoga on the rocks and movie nights, but you can also just take a picnic and hang out! There are some great little hiking trails as well. This is a must-see, bucket list kind of place so MAKE TIME.
You may not think of Denver as a place for water activities, but Colorado actually has some really beautiful state parks where you can camp, hike, and spend some time on the water. I used to spend a lot of time at Cherry Creek State Park – it’s like a little reservoir oasis in the middle of a city. You can fish, swim, boat, kayak, jet ski, paddle board, anything you want in the reservoir and then grill out for lunch. They have rentals if you didn’t pack your kayak for your weekend away 😝 – anything from paddle boards, to jet skis and even pontoon boats! They also have a cute little bar you can check out, but you can also opt to save some $$ and bring your own drinks in a cooler! My favorite thing about the park? Sitting by the water and looking out to the mountains and city skyline. Such a cool view.
Other Miscellaneous Denver Adventures
If you love antique shops and thrift stores, you have to hit up Broadway. I love this post from 303 mag that will give you some great recommendations on places to hit up. There are also plenty of bars and restaurants along the way for quick pit stops.
If you’re a crafty person, I highly recommend Upstairs Circus. This is a super fun concept where you choose from a wide range of fun craft projects to complete and sip on some cocktails while you work (think paint n sip on steroids). I love Upstairs Circus for the variety of projects – they have everything from painting to jewelry to cutting boards and beer carriers. It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours and have a cool souvenir to take home! There are two locations in Denver – I love the DTC location because there are a ton of great restaurants and bars nearby (highly recommend Jing or Pizza Republica if you’ll be hanging out in DTC for a meal).
If you love classic arcade games, you can’t miss The 1UP. It’s an arcade bar where you can grab a drink and play your favorite classic games. Anything you want from Galaga to ski ball to 4 person competition Pac Man. It’s amazing. They also have fun silly things like giant Jenga on the patio. It’s a blast every time.
So there you have it! It’s so hard to condense an amazing city like Denver into one weekend, but I hope this post will give you some great ideas for a fabulous weekend no matter what you’re looking for! If you check out any of these places, comment below and let me know what you thought! And if you have specific questions about Denver’s magic (including my favorite dispensaries), or just want to connect, DM me on my instagram! Let’s be friends (:
@AdventuresOfARealGirl 👇🏻
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