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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Denver
Denver, Colorado
Give Denver 3 nights: one for downtown and LoDo, one for a Red Rocks or foothills day, one for a museum-and-neighbourhood day. Add a car only for the mountains.
Denver is the Mile-High City at 1,609 m, where the High Plains meet the Rockies about 19 km west of the State Capitol. It is a driving city with a compact, walkable core: Union Station, LoDo, the 16th Street corridor and the museums around Civic Center. Most visitors use it as a 2–3 night city stop before or after a Colorado road trip, not as a mountain base.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Denver, Colorado
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug afternoon storms; Jan–Feb cold snaps
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $130–200 excl. bed · High $250+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Denver Police non-emergency 311 · Road conditions (CDOT) 511
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Craft beer, brewery taproom | $7–9 |
| Lunch, casual counter spot | $12–18 |
| Dinner, mid-range restaurant | $25–45 |
| RTD local fare | $3 |
| Rideshare, 5 km (3.1 mi) downtownRideshare, 3.1 mi (5 km) downtown | $12–20 |
| Museum entry (Art Museum, Clyfford Still) | $15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DEN · Denver International Airport
- About 40 km (25 mi) northeast of downtown; RTD A Line commuter rail to Union Station, roughly 37 min.About 25 mi (40 km) northeast of downtown; RTD A Line commuter rail to Union Station, roughly 37 min.
- APA · Centennial Airport
- General aviation, south metro off I-25.
- BJC · Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
- General aviation, Broomfield, off US-36.
Typical fares
- DEN → Union Station, RTD A Line
- about $10.50, roughly 37 min (check)
- Rideshare DEN → downtown
- $45–65, 35–50 min depending on traffic
- RTD day pass
- about $6 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Downtown is walkable and the free MallRide shuttle runs along 16th Street. RTD light rail and commuter rail (including the A Line to DEN) cover the core and some suburbs; buses fill the gaps. Outside the centre, a car or rideshare is usually faster. Parking meters run to 22:00 on weekdays and are free on Sundays; downtown meters take cards.Downtown is walkable and the free MallRide shuttle runs along 16th Street. RTD light rail and commuter rail (including the A Line to DEN) cover the core and some suburbs; buses fill the gaps. Outside the centre, a car or rideshare is usually faster. Parking meters run to 10:00 PM on weekdays and are free on Sundays; downtown meters take cards.
See and do
Known for
- Mile High City elevation (1,609 m)
- Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
- Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum
- Union Station and LoDo
- Craft breweries and the Great American Beer Festival
- Gateway to the Rocky Mountains
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Golden | RTD W Line light rail to Golden, or 20–25 min by car on US-6/I-70 | About 45 min |
| Boulder | US-36 by car, or RTD FF routes from Union Station area | About 1 h |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Car via US-36 and US-34 to Estes Park | 1.5–2 h |
| Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak | I-25 south by car, or Bustang from Union Station | 1.5–2 h |
| Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre | Car via I-70 and C-470, about 30 min; rideshare works for shows | About 45 min |
| Brighton | I-76 northeast by car, or RTD routes | About 30 min |
Sleep
- LoDo and Union Station
- Walkable to the ballpark, bars and the A Line to the airport; the easiest base without a car. Priciest.
- Downtown CBD and 16th Street
- Business hotels, close to the Colorado Convention Center and the free MallRide shuttle.
- Capitol Hill and Cheesman Park
- Quieter, older housing stock, cafés and bars on Colfax; 20–30 min walk or a short rideshare to downtown.
- RiNo (River North)
- Breweries, murals and food halls in converted warehouses; light rail and rideshare, few hotels.
- Cherry Creek
- Shopping and restaurants, upscale and car-friendly; 10–15 min drive from downtown.
- Airport area (Gateway Park, Peña Blvd)
- Only for early flights or one-night layovers; 30–40 min from downtown by train or car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the train station? | Where is the train station? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| The check, please | The check, please |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| I need help | I need help |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Elevation: 1,609 m. Take the first day easy, drink more water than usual and go easy on alcohol.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August; plan mountain hikes for the morning and be below treeline by early afternoon.
- Winter swings hard: snow and 15 °C sunshine can fall in the same week. Pack layers, not one heavy coat.
- Toll roads (E-470, Northwest Parkway, I-70 express lanes) are cashless or cash-only in places; check how your rental car bills tolls before you drive them.
- Crossing the double white lines out of an express lane can bring a fine of up to $250.
- Parking tickets are issued fast: $25, or $50 if unpaid after two weeks.
Downtown Denver is busy and generally safe in the day and early evening; the real risks are altitude, summer lightning above treeline and a few blocks east of downtown at night. Keep your wits about you around Colfax and the 16th Street corridor after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Denver yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mile High City elevation (1,609 m)
- Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre
- Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum
- Union Station and LoDo
- Craft breweries and the Great American Beer Festival
- Gateway to the Rocky Mountains
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- VISIT DENVER — official tourism site: www.denver.org/
- City and County of Denver: www.denvergov.org/
- RTD Denver — fares, A Line and schedules: www.rtd-denver.com/
- Denver International Airport (DEN): www.flydenver.com/
- Denver Union Station: www.denverunionstation.com/
- Amtrak — California Zephyr: www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train
- Colorado Department of Transportation — travel map and road conditions: www.codot.gov/travel
- Wikivoyage: Denver, revision 5330719 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5330719
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
DenverDenver, Colorado
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries keep consulates or embassies in Washington, DC; check your own country's list for a Denver consulate before you travel.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/denver). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.