The 10 Best Denver Tours

Note: Some tour providers on this list may have ceased operations due to COVID-19. Check with your tour operator about availability before you book.

There’s much more to Denver than its outdoor pursuits. The city offers everything from a rich history to fantastic mountain vistas to craft breweries to plentiful street art. Discover the best of the Mile High City on a guided tour, which take visitors by bus, bike or on foot to see Denver like a local. After consulting both expert input and traveler sentiment, U.S. News picked the best 10 tours to add to your itinerary.

On this three-hour, 9-mile bike tour, travelers see top sights in Denver, including Union Station, Coors Field and local street art in the River North (RiNo) district. Along the way, the guide will point out different Denver breweries you should try and will take you to their favorite one at the conclusion of the ride. Participants say the tour is a great way to spend an afternoon and praise their guides’ knowledge of the city (and their choice of brewery). Tickets start at $60, including the use of a bike and a helmet as well as a bottle of water. Beer and food at the brewery stop are not included in the cost of the tour. Participants must be 21 to drink alcohol, but minors are welcome to attend with an adult. Tours, which are limited to nine riders, start daily at 1 p.m. Mile High Bike Tours also operates a few other bike tours, including one that explores the downtown area.

Reviewers say the treats sampled along this tour are delicious and varied. Foodies also commend their insightful guides. For approximately three hours, guides will take curious travelers to different local restaurants for five tastings that could include pizza, hot dogs and empanadas. In between stops, you’ll walk less than a mile through downtown Denver and hear stories about the city’s history and architecture. Tickets start at about $70 for adults and $55 children 12 and younger. Adults have the option of purchasing three drink pairings for an additional fee. Tours, which require less than a mile of walking and are limited to 15 people, generally operate daily at 1 p.m. The company also runs beer and cocktail-themed tours of Denver.

See one of the most historic areas of Denver on this guided walking tour that’s limited to just 10 participants. Knowledgeable docents take you through the Capitol Hill neighborhood to see 19th-century mansions that were once the residences of prominent citizens like senators and heiresses, as well as the home of Molly Brown, an American philanthropist best known for surviving the sinking of the Titanic. Travelers recommend this tour, and particularly enjoy learning about local history from the expert guides. The tour lasts about 90 minutes and requires about a mile of walking. Tickets start at $18 per person. Trips are offered at 10:15 a.m. on Saturdays from May through October only; during the summmer months, additional Thursday morning tours may be available. The tour is not recommended for children due to its content and length. Historic Denver offers additional walking tours of LoDo and Larimer Square, among other options.

If you’d like to try your hand at whitewater rafting while in Denver, head about 35 miles west of the city to Clear Creek. The Colorado Adventure Centers offers a variety of rafting trips on Clear Creek, but its most popular is the half-day intermediate tour, which traverses Class III and IV rapids with names like “Nomad,” “Fall River” and “Deliverance.” Tourgoers say the tour is a convenient option for travelers based in Denver and also applaud the professional, fun guides. Rafting trips are available at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily during the season (generally May through September), though additional times may be available depending on the day. Tickets start at $66 per person. Colorado Adventure Center also offers a version of this tour for beginners, as well as a trip for advanced riders that traverses Class IV and V rapids.

Listen to spine-chilling tales of Denver’s haunted past on this 2 1/2-hour pub crawl of the LoDo neighborhood. You’ll follow your costumed guide though the old red-light district and hear stories about the city’s former brothels, its famous murders and general Denver history. Reviewers offer kudos to the informative, engaging guides and are also complimentary of the bar stops. Tours run Wednesday through Sunday at 7 or 7:30 p.m., with additional departure times on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets, which do not include any alcoholic beverages, start at $25 for adults (participants must be at least 21 years old to attend the tour). Tourgoers are welcome to purchase drinks at any of the pub stops. Nightly Spirits also offers a walking food tour, as well as a haunted pub crawl through the South Broadway (SoBo) neighborhood.

Spend a full day inside Rocky Mountain National Park on this eight-hour guided excursion. After departing from Union Station at 9 a.m., you’ll drive through Boulder and up to Estes Park before entering the national park. Along the way, you’ll be treated to stunning alpine views from the 14-passenger van’s panoramic windows. The trip includes opportunities for short hikes, wildlife viewing and photo-ops along with a picnic lunch. Reviewers describe this tour as the best part of their Denver trip and say the memories will last a lifetime. They particularly appreciate the ample photo opportunities and their well-versed guides. Tickets start at $139 per person and participants must be 8 or older. Tours are available daily. Aspire Tours also operates a daylong hiking tour of Rocky Mountain National Park, a fly-fishing tour and whitewater rafting, among other adventures.

Learn why Denver is considered the “Napa Valley of beer” on this 2 1/2-hour tour that strolls through downtown Denver, LoDo and the Ballpark neighborhood. During the 1 1/2-mile walk, you’ll make four stops to learn about the brewing process, the history of beer and Denver history. Tourgoers call the guides amazing and applaud the variety of beers sampled at each brewery. Tours are available Friday through Sunday at 3:15 p.m. Tickets, which include beer samples at each stop, plus a $1 pint of your choice at the tour’s end, cost approximately $50 per person. If you can’t get enough of the city’s beer scene, consider signing up for the company’s beer and street art tour through the River North Art District (RiNo).

Prepare to be spooked on this two-hour ghost tour that passes by some of Denver’s most haunted sites, including the Grant Street Mansion, Poets Row and the Molly Brown House Museum. Reviewers are complimentary of the entertaining guides and say that even travelers who don’t believe in the paranormal will enjoy this tour thanks to the wealth of historical information shared. Tours, which are capped at 20 participants, are generally offered Friday through Sunday at 8 p.m., though daily tours and an additional 8:30 p.m. time slot may be available during the summer months. Tickets start at $22 for participants ages 13 to 64, with discounts for seniors and kids. This tour is not recommended for children 5 and younger. The company also runs ghost tours of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, as well as a historical walking tour of downtown Denver.

Reviewers recommend this tour for travelers who want a taste of Colorado’s wild side or for those who are short on time, as the tour stops at plenty of sites in just half a day. In five hours, you’ll visit Red Rocks Park, Echo Lake, the charming town of Evergreen and much more as you marvel at spectacular mountain vistas along the way. Travelers are also complimentary of the enthusiastic, friendly guides. Tickets cost approximately $70 per person; tours are generally available daily at 8:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The company offers several outdoor tours near Denver, including trips to Rocky Mountain National Park and a Breckenridge.

Discover the best spots to eat and drink on this 90-minute guided walking tour of Denver’s oldest neighborhood, LoDo. While walking about 1 1/2 miles, travelers learn about the city’s history, passing top sights like Union Station, Coors Field, the 16th Street Mall and Larimer Square. Participants say the guide is friendly and the tour gives a good overview of local spots to visit later on your own. Reviewers are also impressed with the amount of local history shared. Tickets cost approximately $25 for those 16 and older, $10 for youths ages 11 to 15 and are free for children 10 and younger. Tours begin at 11 a.m. daily. The company also runs a whiskey, history and outlaws tour in Downtown Denver, among other tour options.