The Perfect Itinerary for a Weekend in Colorado
For those who don't know, Colorado it's one of my favorite states to visit all year around, but specially in winter, it's so magical. This year I visited Colorado at the beginning of November, 2025, my goal was to go skiing and visit all the snowy places as much as I could, but sadly I had to adapt my itinerary because there was no snow at the time I went, so I had to be flexible and adapt and try new things, which I ended loving it. Actually it became one of my favorite memories in Colorado. In this post I'm going to share with you some amazing things you can do in a weekend in Colorado, if you can't stay long.
1. STAY AT FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOT DENVER AIRPORT AT GATEWAY PARK
Honestly I loved staying at this hotel, it was so clean and beautifully simple and aesthetic. I wanted to stay somewhere close to the airport so that way it was easier to get there in case it snowed or anything. Something you should know it's that you have to pay the parking online. Once you get to the hotel you gonna see in the parking spot a sign with a QR code which it's gonna direct you to the website you can pay your parking during your stay there, it's really important you do it, if not your rental it's going to be towed. Also, the whole crew including the cleaning crew are so nice and humble, as a Spanish speaker I really appreciated most of the staff in the hotel spoke Spanish. And their continental breakfast was really vary, I loved it. Click here to book a stay at Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriot!
2. VISIT THE VILLAGE OF VAIL & STOP AT HARRY A. NOTTINGHAM PARK
The whole drive from Denver towards Vail, it's stunning, you are going to be stopping all the time to take stunning pictures of the scenic views, it's such a beautiful and comfortable drive. I loved Vail, it's a beautiful type of valley and town, perfect to ski if you are planning to do so when snowing, plus the architect structures in Vail are stunning. I also would recommend you to visit Breckenridge, it's magical when it's snows (this time I didn't went, but I love it every time I go). We also made a stop at the public park of Harry A. Nottingham and it was nice, the water was so clear and perfect spot to walk a bit and just breath.
To be able to do this drive I'll recommend you to rent a comfortable car and get a 4WD. As an advice it's really gonna be a need, specially in the snow, you won't regret it, plus you would avoid ant tickets. If you are going to rent a car and you want the process from picking it up to drop it off fast, I'll recommend you Hertz, it was so easy and fast and they offer shuttles. Click here to find some rental car options, including Hertz as well!
3. EAT AT CHINA TOWN IN GLEENWOOD SPRINGS & WALKS AROUND THE TOWN
After the drive I was starving and while googling I found this China town spot in Glenwood Springs and we loved it. The good was amazing and so tasty. This restaurant it's know for it's authentic dishes, generous portions, and reasonable prices. It offers a wide menu including classic Chinese-American fare like sesame chicken and lo-mein, as well as more traditional options like dim sum and various duck dishes. What we had was to tasty and flavorful, I loved it. After eating there, we walked through the town, it was nice, there was so small business and stores, including galleries as well. Something you should know, to get to Glenwood Springs coming from Denver you are going to have amazing views through the drive, including red canyons. Click here to see the menu and address of China Town!
4. VISIT GOLDEN, COLORADO
It's a really cute small town, with so much color, which I loved it. When I went, fall was still so noticeable so it was really pretty and cozy. I went early in the morning and it was really refreshing going for a walk besides the creek, took so many cute pictures with my family, and walked through the small town.
5. VISIT COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM
At first I was hesitating if going was going to be fun because it seemed it was more for kids. But honestly, I had so much fun and it was really nice and beautiful, there was a small museum that explained the history of railroads in Colorado, plus there was many trains to take picture with it and also some of them had the story about them explained, but my favorite part was the Denver HO Model Railroad Club Layout.
This layout features a full circus, a large city, mountains, trestles, tunnels, rivers, mining camps, and more, all replicating the various types of Colorado mountain railroading. Click here to get the tickets, it's $10.00 per person, and also there's other activities to do.
6. VISIT LILY LAKE AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
To be honest this was my favorite memory of the whole trip. I have visited Rocky Mountain National Park a few times but honestly one of my favorite places in the national park has become Lily Lake. When I got there it actually made me cry of how beautiful it was, it made meditate in the creation and how many beautiful things actually surround us but we sometimes don't even pay attention to it. This place it's breathtaking and the perfect place to go in a walk, a picnic, take pictures and just meditate and look at it. If I knew how to draw I would have probably just sit there and draw it while meditating. You can take the small trail or just park the car and walk a bit towards the lake, it's an easy plaace to visit if you want to hike. There's an entrance pass required, you can buy it through Rocky Mountain National Park website or just buy the pass right there when you arrive. Book here a beautiful Rocky Mountain Escape!
Hope this itinerary was helpful. I was able to book this trip from a Thursday until Sunday, the whole weekend, with flight, hotel accommodation and car rental included for $360.00 round-trip. For me to help you plan a trip to Colorado with everything included or to anywhere else, you can contact me, clicking here. To be able to see more about this trip and things to do in North Carolina, follow me on TikTok & Instagram.
Thank you for your time, have a great day.
Sincerely,
Stacey M.
(Travel Agent & Tourism Specialist)
