Welcome To Colorado

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Denver, Colorado. Upon arrival, transfer independently to Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Centre. Denver is the ideal place to relax and acclimatise before you meet the rest of your tour group and start your Trafalgar escorted tour tomorrow evening.

Today you have a free day in Denver before meeting your Travel Director and mingling with guests at around 6pm followed by a Welcome Dinner.  Denver is a pedestrian-friendly city with 300 days of sunshine, offering spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains. It features farm-to-table cuisine, diverse neighbourhoods, and abundant shopping opportunities.

The Rocky Mountains may seem larger than life, but your journey to Rocky Mountain National Park will see you come face to face with this extraordinary mountain landscape which snakes along western North America. Drive along the Trail Ridge Road, a designated national scenic byway and the highest continuous paved highway in America. Spend some time at lunch on your own in Estes Park, a small western town situated at the foothills of Rocky Mountain National Park. This evening you will have free time to explore Boulder on your own.

Start the day with a guided MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and visit a local urban community farm that is using organic and sustainable farming practices. The one-hour tour will dive into topics including regenerative agriculture, land conservation, and food access. Then walk along the cobblestone streets of the picturesque Vail Mountain Resort and feel the fresh mountain air in your lungs. Continue to Glenwood Springs, a resort city known for its hot springs, sitting in the rugged Rocky Mountains, surrounded by the vast White River National Forest. This evening, your overnight is at the historic and iconic Hotel Colorado in the heart of Glenwood Springs. Built in 1893 during the mining boom, Hotel Colorado has undergone a complete renovation, bringing it back to its former glory as the Grande Dame of Glenwood Springs having hosted historical figures including Teddy Roosevelt, William Taft, Molly Brown and now, you.

Head up Colorado’s Rocky Mountains to Aspen, known for its high-end boutiques, bars and restaurants. Join your Travel Director for a walk through town. Then, dive into the culture as 4WD jeeps take you from Aspen up Snowmass Mountain for an exciting wilderness excursion. As you climb Snowmass, you will venture off the road, through Aspen groves, past small waterfalls and open meadows overlooking amazing views of the surrounding valleys. Your local experts will explain the history and geology of the area, including how ice-age mammal bones, including Saber-toothed Tigers and Woolly Mammoths, were found in the reservoir below. Arrive at the historic Burlingmane Cabin, and try your hand at horseshoes, and corn hole, or relax and admire the breathtaking views of the mountain ranges while the staff tends to all your needs. Enjoy a delicious lunch hot off the grill with wine and beer, a campfire, live music, and s’mores. Back in Glenwood Springs, the rest of the day is yours to do as you please. Perhaps, visit the renowned Glenwood Hot Springs, the world’s largest mineral hot springs pool.

Head for Palisade, known as the ‘Peach and Wine Capital of Colorado,’ perfectly nestled along the Colorado River. Stop at Clark Family Orchards (seasonal) and Connect with Locals as you meet with Clark family members and learn about the history of this farming family. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage tour of the orchards before sampling fresh in-season produce. You’ll have the chance to bring home some unique salsas, jams and preserves, pickled veggies, grilling sauces and salad dressings. After, you head on to the Colorado National Monument, preserving one of the grandest landscapes of the American West. But this treasure is much more than a monument. Towering monoliths exist within a vast plateau and canyon panorama. Experience sheer-walled, red rock canyons along the twists and turns of Rim Rock Drive, where you may spy bighorn sheep and soaring eagles. This evening, stay in the heart of wine country and enjoy a Be My Guest experience dinner at the Maison La Belle Vie Winery. You will be hosted by the owner for an exclusive evening, starting with a tour of the winery and tasting the flavours of their lovingly blended estate-grown reds. Then sit down for a three-course dinner paired with wines adjacent to the 4.5-acre vineyard and al fresco under the Colorado Sky!

Head up the Western Slopes along the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway and stop in the must-see town of Ouray, nestled in some of the most rugged and towering peaks of the Rockies, and often referred to as the “Switzerland of America.” From Ouray, ride along the famous “Million Dollar Highway,” a designated All-American Byway and one of the state’s most scenic drives with some of Colorado’s most spectacular views as it spirals over Coal Bank Summit, Molas Pass, and Red Mountain Pass. Arrive in the mining town of Silverton, once a bawdy mining town, to board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Durango. Take a trip back in time as this coal-fired, steam-powered train chugs along rails that were originally laid at the end of the 19th century, winding through a wilderness which would be inaccessible by car. This evening, you’ll enjoy a night at The Strater Hotel, one of the West’s first iconic hotels and the centrepiece of Durango, your Stays with Story.

Admire the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people, carved out of the sandstone of the canyon walls, at the UNESCO-listed Mesa Verde National Park. Several hundred of these dwellings, in addition to thousands of known archaeological sites, are preserved in this protected area and you’ll have an opportunity to see several during your visit to the park. Later, indulge in free time in Durango with options of activities, including a fun rafting excursion on the Animas River. This evening, join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant.

Today’s highlight is the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, a sandbox of epic proportions- 101 square kilometres with the tallest dune towering 229 meters high, making it the largest sand dune in North America. First up, set the scene for the adventure ahead with a start at the excellent Visitor Centre with a short film and various exhibits. Your Travel Director will then take you to the best place for picture taking from the bottom of High Dune, a towering sand dune about 198 meters from base to top.  Then learn about this unique geographical phenomenon before heading for Colorado Springs.

This morning, head to Olympic City USA, Colorado Springs Visit the brand-new US Olympic and Paralympic Museum and Hall of Fame. You will be guided through the museum gaining unique insight into the daily lives and regimen of Team USA highlighting the origins of the ancient and modern Olympic and Paralympic Games, the legacy of U.S. Olympic & Paralympic athletes, and the stories behind the artefacts. Enjoy the magical town of Manitou Springs before boarding the historic Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the world’s highest cog railroad, for an unforgettable trip to the 4,302 meters summit of Pikes Peak. Ride past cascading streams and forests of aspen and pine, enjoy the striking panoramas and learn of Pikes Peak connection with the patriotic song “America the Beautiful.” Your trip through the Colorado Rockies comes to an end with a local Farewell Dinner where you’ll have the chance to raise a glass and celebrate the adventures you’ve had in Colorado.

Your journey through Colorado and the Rocky Mountains concludes today. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have time for last-minute shopping or sightseeing in Denver before transferring to Denver International Airport for your return flight to the UK.