Captivating  Colorado Guided Tours

We've been creating effortless adventures for more than 45 years - and our holidays to Colorado are no exception. Our travel experts have cherry-picked the best things to see and do, to ensure you make the most of your time away. On tour, you'll be accompanied by an experienced and knowledgeable tour manager, who will be by your side every step of the way to ensure everything runs smoothly. Local guides will enhance excursions with extra insight into history, culture, landscape and wildlife. And as with all our holidays, our Colorado tours start the moment you leave your front door, with our VIP door-to-door travel service.

Colorado is more expensive than the average US state to visit, and if you’re planning to ski in one of the most popular resorts, the costs can quickly add up. However, if you’re visiting in shoulder season, outside the summer and winter peak months, it’s certainly possible to visit Colorado without a huge budget, especially if you’re focused on exploring the great outdoors. Joining Colorado escorted tours is another option, with many activities including, there’s less to spend in addition to the trip cost.

The best time of year to visit Colorado depends on what you’re planning to do. If you’re hoping to hike or visit the National Parks, then March to May and September to October have great weather and fewer crowds. If you’re looking for some of Colorado’s famously good skiing and winter sports, then time your trip for the winter months. December and January have the best conditions but are also the busiest, while temperatures drop to around -12C in midwinter, so February is often a more enjoyable month to ski. Colorado is a huge state, so you can also expect the climate to vary if you’re travelling around, although sun is almost guaranteed with around 300 sunny days each year. Summer is very hot and dry in many areas, with temperatures reaching 32-37C, although there’s also the chance of summer thunderstorms. 

There’s everything from spectacular mountains to modern cities to explore as part of Colorado holidays, plus impressive ski resorts, giant sand dunes and Native American archaeology, not to mention some fabulous scenery and Wild West history. If you visit nowhere else, head to Rocky Mountain National Park with its soaring peaks and flower-filled valleys, plus hundreds of miles of hikes to try. That’s not the only national park in the Centennial State either, including the soaring dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park, plus the cliff dwellings and other archaeological sites of the Ancient Pueblo People in Mesa Verde National Park. Skiiers are spoiled for choice with everything from big-name resorts and pistes around Aspen, Vail and Boulder, along with quieter slopes. Or head to Glenwood Springs in the Rockies, famous for its hot springs as well as its wildlife, lakes and caves. Don’t miss a few days in Denver either, the cultural heart of Colorado with public art and museums such as the Denver Art Museum.

Home to over 30 ski resorts big and small, you’ll find some of the best ski resorts in the US in Colorado, whether you’re a beginner or a black run aficionado. The pistes around Aspen have everything from world-class black diamond runs to easy slopes for novices but the big-name resort is only the first of Colorado’s unmissable ski slopes. Steamboat Resort is another tempting option for quieter slopes and a genuine Western feel, while Copper Mountain and Breckenridge have something for all levels. Keystone is a great destination for intermediate skiers, especially if you’re looking to avoid the busiest slopes. Or Vail is famously more high-end, but it’s also one of the biggest ski areas to discover on your Colorado holidays, which ensures you’ll never get bored once you get your bearings. 

In Colorado, the great outdoors truly is great! Quite apart from winter sports, there’s some amazing walking and hiking, plus rafting and kayaking, and even the chance to spot bald eagles. Home to the highest dunes in North America, in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, there’s the chance to live out some cowboy fantasies by riding at one of the many ranches, as well as rock climbing and cycling. With four national parks, you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the different trails, including treks for all levels. 

There are four national parks in Colorado, all giving visitors their own unique experience. The best-known is Rocky Mountain National Park, an unmissable part of all Colorado holidays. With around 600km of trails for all levels, and more than 70 high peaks, the park crosses the Continental Divide, so you can see the changing landscape. If you don’t fancy walking, the Trail Ridge Road is a fantastic way to get a taste of the scenery. Sand dunes probably aren’t what you expect from Colorado but the state is also home to Great Sand Dunes National Park, with the highest dunes in North America, picked up millennia ago by the Rio Grande river to be left in their present home far from the sea. Or Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park has its own dramatic scenery, with trails around the rims overlooking the 600m sheer drop to the river. Colorado is also home to one of the most unusual US National Parks, Mesa Verde, the only one to receive its designation because of the ‘works of man’. Home to the Ancient Pueblo people, the park contains over 4,000 archaeological sites and more than 600 cliff dwellings which you can visit on guided tours.

Yes, Colorado holidays are fantastic for families. Along with all the tempting activities and places to get outdoors, you’ve got all the usual infrastructure and amenities of a holiday in the US. As well as walking, cycling and horse riding, you could zoom along the longest zipline course in the US or sandboard down the huge dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park. And in winter, there are some fantastic snow sports to enjoy including skiing. It’s worth remembering that there are some high altitudes in Colorado, so it’s best for all ages to acclimatise slowly. 

The eighth biggest state in the US, Colorado is larger than Great Britain, so with big distances to cover, the easiest way to get around Colorado is usually by road. As well as two major interstates, there are a string of scenic highways which may be slower but which are often quieter and more interesting to drive. However, snaking mountain roads in winter aren’t ideal if you’re not used to these conditions, so it’s a good plan to join Colorado guided tours or plan alternative transportation if you’re not comfortable behind the wheel. Denver is also well connected to other US cities by trains, buses and internal flights, and has its own bus network and light rail system within the city. The ski resorts also have their own bus networks, often free, plus hotel shuttle buses to help you get to the slopes. And while the rail network is limited, the California Zephyr train from Chicago to San Francisco passes through Denver and Glenwood Springs, while the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer train company has its own route from Denver to Utah, with a stop in Glenwood Springs.

There are 26 official scenic and historic byways in Colorado, including dramatic drives like the Alpine loop which takes you past abandoned mines, ghost towns and meadows bursting with wildflowers as you head up to high elevations – 4x4 essential. But you could also drive the old stagecoach route of Collegiate Peaks, passing through canyons, or hunt for dinosaur fossils and rock art along the Dinosaur Diamond byway. Mount Blue Sky is the highest paved road in North America, or Trail Ridge Road takes you up into the peaks at Rocky Mountains National Park, as well as routes with Wild West history, links to Spanish conquistadors, gold and silver mining and more. There are also some other scenic drives to consider for your Colorado holidays which don’t make the official list, such as the route up Pike’s Peak mountain. 

Colorado holidays are usually about enjoying the great outdoors, so casual layers are best, tailored to the activities you’re planning. Good walking boots or shoes are essential if you’re hiking, along with walking socks, and waterproof sandals for rafting in the summer months. Otherwise, fast-drying layers are the best approach for Colorado’s mix of temperatures, with weather conditions often changing rapidly in a single day. Even in summer, it can be cooler in the mountains, while sunny days can seem warmer than expected during spring and autumn. A warm fleece and jacket, long sleeved tops, T-shirts and walking trousers are all good options. Zip-off walking trousers are good for warmer weather, when you may still want to protect your skin while hiking. Activewear is another good option, such as leggings and quick drying tops.

You’ll also need a comfortable daypack with room for all your essentials and a reusable water bottle. With 300 days of sun year-round, high factor SPF, sunglasses and hat are essential, plus protective lip balm and hand cream against the dry conditions at high altitude. Swimwear is also a good plan if you’re heading to Colorado’s hot springs or planning to go rafting or kayaking. In winter, you’ll need thermal layers, gloves and woolly hat, as well as ski trousers, jacket and socks if you’re heading to the slopes. If you’re planning a few evenings out, or spending time in Denver, save space for a few slightly smarter outfits, although you won’t need to dress up too much if you don’t want to. For more tips, check out our packing guide.