Enjoy a scenic 11-night self-drive holiday through the state of Colorado, taking in scenic mountain vistas, wonderful wildlife, historic mining towns, exciting cities and famous ski resorts. Starting in the state capital Denver you’ll take in Rocky Mountain National Park, Glenwood Springs, Snowmass / Aspen before finishing in Colorado Springs, home to the fabulous Garden of the Gods.
A Free Personalised Road Book is included as standard with our Self Drive itineraries.
Please note: – This is a suggested itinerary only and is intended to give an overview of what is possible. All of our holiday itineraries are fully customisable and can be tailor-made to suit your own individual requirements. If you would like to start in a different destination, use specific hotel accommodation, include an extra night here, a side-trip there and/or include tickets to an event please let your Discover North America travel specialist know.
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Fly from the UK to Denver. Pick up your rental car and make your way to Denver, the Mile High City.
A full day to explore Denver’s walkable Lower Downtwon including the shops and dining in the 16th Street Mall and Larimer Square. Visit Denver Art Museum and have a drink in one of Denver’s many craft breweries.
Estes Park is the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Take the scenic Trail Ridge Road with many spectacular views of the Rockies and wildlife.
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the USA. With majestic peaks in every direction, wildlife roaming the valleys and some of the most incredible outdoor adventures on the planet it’s easy to understand why.
Today take Highway 70, one of the most scenic Highways in the United States. Drive via Georgetown and the Eisenhower Tunnel to Vail, one of Colorado's flourishing resort centres. Follow Highway 70 all the way into Glenwood Springs, which has the world's largest outdoor hot springs pool.
Enjoy Glenwood Springs with the hot springs pools and Glenwood Cavern Adventure Park featuring several scream-worthy thrill rides, along with a variety of kid-friendly attractions and activities for the whole family.
Enjoy the short drive to the famous resort towns of Snowmass / Aspen where you will find a combination of outdoor adventure, Arts & Culture, restaurants and a way of life like nowhere else on Earth.
Explore the area, one of the world’s best ski areas, which in summer becomes a playground of a different sort. Skiing gives way to mountain biking, hiking and rafting plus a variety of other activities.
This morning leave Snowmass / Aspen and head east towards Colorado Springs, driving via the scenic and spectacular Independence Pass (originally known as Hunter Pass). Arrive in the state’s second largest city of Colorado Springs, a resort surrounded by breath- taking natural landscapes.
Enjoy a day at leisure visiting some of Colorado Springs’ famous attractions. The Garden of the Gods Park is certainly not to be missed; here visitors can view the dramatic red sandstone formations in the 1,300 acre ‘garden’. From the charming artist’s colony and spa town of Manitou Springs ride the Pikes Peak cog railway – the highest in the USA – to the top of the 14,000 feet mountain. Afterwards relax in the airy resort town of Colorado Springs.
After a short drive up the highway you will arrive back in Denver. You may choose to stay longer in Denver, or head to the Cherry Creek shopping mall before returning your rental car and taking your flight home.