Self-Launched Colorado Rockies: National Parks & Historic Trains

Fly into Denver International Airport and pick up your hire car — essential for this road-trip-style itinerary. Check into a well-reviewed hostel or budget hotel in the lively RiNo or Capitol Hill neighbourhoods. Spend your first evening exploring Denver's 16th Street Mall, grab a craft beer on Larimer Square, and prep your route for the days ahead. Budget supermarkets like King Soopers are perfect for stocking a cooler with road-trip snacks.

🚌Hire car pickup at DEN airport — budget ~£45–55/day including insurance. Self-drive throughout the itinerary.

🛏11th Avenue Hotel & Hostel or Ember Hostel Denver — private rooms from ~£55/night, dorm beds from ~£25/night

• →Pick up hire car at Denver International Airport (pre-book via AutoEurope or Rentalcars.com for best rates)
• →Explore Denver's 16th Street Mall and LoDo district on foot
• →Grab a welcome craft beer at a local tap room (Denver is Colorado's craft beer capital)
• →Plan your Rocky Mountain route for the next day

Drive west from Denver to Boulder (45 mins) to see the iconic Flatirons — park at the Chautauqua Trailhead and take a short hike up for panoramic views. Continue north to Estes Park (1 hr), walk around the charming town and admire the historic Stanley Hotel from the outside (it inspired Stephen King's The Shining). Enter Rocky Mountain National Park — a $35 per vehicle entry fee covers 7 days. Drive the breathtaking Trail Ridge Road, stopping at Rainbow Curve and Forest Canyon Overlook. Return to Denver for the night.

🚌Self-drive: Denver → Boulder → Estes Park → Rocky Mountain National Park → Denver (~160 miles round trip). Fuel ~£20.

🛏11th Avenue Hotel & Hostel or Ember Hostel Denver — private rooms from ~£55/night

• →Hike to Flatirons viewpoint from Chautauqua Trailhead, Boulder (free)
• →Visit Estes Park and view the Stanley Hotel from outside (free)
• →Drive Trail Ridge Road — the highest continuous paved road in the USA
• →Stop at Rainbow Curve overlook for canyon and mountain views (included in park entry)
• →Rocky Mountain National Park vehicle entry fee: ~£28 (valid 7 days — keep your receipt!)

Today's drive takes you west across Colorado on I-70, passing through spectacular mountain scenery and ski resort towns like Vail and Glenwood Springs — stop for a coffee or a dip in the famous Glenwood Hot Springs if time allows. Arrive at Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction and drive the stunning 23-mile Rim Rock Drive yourself — no tour bus needed. Stop at Independence Monument, Coke Ovens Overlook, and Ute Canyon viewpoints. Check into a budget motel in Grand Junction and grab dinner at a local spot on Main Street.

🚌Self-drive Denver to Grand Junction via I-70 (~245 miles, ~4 hrs). Fuel ~£30.

🛏Clarion Inn Grand Junction or Mesa Inn — budget-friendly rooms from ~£60–75/night

• →Scenic drive west on I-70 past Vail and Glenwood Canyon
• →Optional: Glenwood Hot Springs pool stop (~£20 entry)
• →Self-drive Rim Rock Drive through Colorado National Monument (vehicle entry ~£20, valid 7 days)
• →Stop at Independence Monument and Ute Canyon Overlook (included in park entry)
• →Dinner at Bin 707 Foodbar or Main Street Brewery in Grand Junction (~£15–20)

Drive south from Grand Junction (1.5 hrs) to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park — one of the USA's most dramatic and underrated parks. Drive the South Rim Road yourself, stopping at all the overlooks including Gunnison Point, Chasm View, and Painted Wall View. Pack a picnic lunch from a Grand Junction supermarket and enjoy it with an unbeatable canyon backdrop — just like the Collette tour, but free! Optional: visit the Museum of the Mountain West in Montrose on the way back for a taste of the American West.

🚌Self-drive Grand Junction → Black Canyon of the Gunnison → Grand Junction (~150 miles round trip). Fuel ~£18.

🛏Clarion Inn Grand Junction or Mesa Inn (~£60–75/night)

• →Self-drive South Rim Road, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (vehicle entry ~£20)
• →Stop at Gunnison Point, Chasm View, Pulpit Rock, and Painted Wall overlooks
• →Picnic lunch overlooking the canyon — pack supplies from Grand Junction
• →Optional: Museum of the Mountain West, Montrose (~£8 entry)
• →Optional: Research local craft breweries or hop farms near Montrose for tastings

Today is a highlight of the whole trip. Drive south to Silverton (a gorgeous former silver-mining town and National Historic Landmark) and board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad — a UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate that winds through the stunning Animas River Canyon. Book your ticket directly on the D&SNG Railroad website well in advance (especially in summer). The round trip or one-way train to Durango takes around 3.5 hours through pure wilderness. Check into the characterful Strater Hotel or a nearby budget guesthouse in Durango.

🚌Self-drive Grand Junction → Silverton via the Million Dollar Highway (US-550) (~120 miles, ~2.5 hrs). Train Silverton → Durango (~£90–100). Fuel ~£15.

🛏Strater Hotel (the original — book directly for best rates, from ~£100/night) or Durango Hostel from ~£28/dorm

• →Drive Grand Junction to Silverton (~2.5 hrs via US-550 — the scenic Million Dollar Highway)
• →Explore Silverton's historic mining-era main street (free)
• →Board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad — book direct at durangotrain.com (~£90–100 one-way)
• →Arrive in Durango and explore the historic downtown area
• →Dinner at Steamworks Brewing or Serious Texas BBQ (~£15–20)

Drive west from Durango to Mesa Verde National Park (45 mins) — home to the most remarkable Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in North America. Buy your park entry and book a ranger-led Cliff Palace tour at the visitor centre (essential — you cannot enter the dwellings without a ranger). Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America and absolutely unmissable. Also stop at Spruce Tree House viewpoint. For a farm-to-table evening experience, book dinner at a local Durango ranch restaurant — Kennebec Café or the Restaurant at Glacial Melt come well recommended.

🚌Self-drive Durango → Mesa Verde → Durango (~90 miles round trip). Fuel ~£11.

🛏Strater Hotel or Durango Hostel (~£28–100/night)

• →Drive to Mesa Verde National Park from Durango (~45 mins)
• →Park entry fee (~£20 per vehicle)
• →Ranger-led Cliff Palace tour — book at the visitor centre on arrival (~£5 per person, very limited — arrive early!)
• →Self-guided drive to Spruce Tree House viewpoint (free with park entry)
• →Farm-to-table dinner at a local Durango area restaurant (~£25–35)

Today is a beautiful long driving day — one of the best scenic drives in the American West. Head east from Durango through the San Juan National Forest on US-160, crossing the Continental Divide at Wolf Creek Pass (10,857 ft) with stunning alpine scenery. Continue through the Rio Grande National Forest and the wide San Luis Valley before climbing back up through the mountains to Colorado Springs. The drive takes around 5–6 hours but there's plenty to stop for. Check into your Colorado Springs accommodation and rest up.

🚌Self-drive Durango → Colorado Springs via US-160 and US-24 (~310 miles, ~5.5 hrs). Fuel ~£35.

🛏Cheyenne Mountain Resort (budget rooms) or The Mining Exchange Hotel — alternatively Airbnb from ~£55/night. Camping at Garden of the Gods Campground from ~£35/night.

• →Scenic self-drive through San Juan National Forest on US-160
• →Cross Wolf Creek Pass on the Continental Divide (10,857 ft) — stop for photos
• →Drive through the sweeping Rio Grande National Forest and San Luis Valley
• →Stop at Alamosa for lunch — try Calvillo's Mexican Restaurant (~£10–12)
• →Arrive in Colorado Springs and explore the Old Colorado City neighbourhood in the evening

An epic final full day. Start early with the Pikes Peak Cog Railway — the world's highest cog railway, ascending to 14,115 ft with incredible views. Book tickets directly at cograilway.com well in advance as this is extremely popular. After descending, drive to Garden of the Gods — a stunning public park with towering red sandstone formations — entry is completely free. Walk the Main Loop Trail (~3.5 miles) or take shorter viewpoint walks. End the trip with a well-deserved farewell dinner at The Airplane Restaurant or a Colorado Springs steakhouse.

🚌Short local drives in Colorado Springs. Fuel ~£5.

🛏Same as Day 7 (~£55–80/night)

• →Pikes Peak Cog Railway — book direct at cograilway.com (~£38–45 per person round trip)
• →Walk the summit of Pikes Peak at 14,115 ft (summit house café available)
• →Self-guided visit to Garden of the Gods Park — completely free entry
• →Walk the Main Loop Trail through the red rock formations (~3.5 miles, 1.5 hrs)
• →Farewell dinner in Colorado Springs — try The Rabbit Hole or Phantom Canyon Brewing (~£20–30)

Your trip ends in Colorado Springs. If your flight departs from Denver, allow around 1.5 hours driving north on I-25 — a straightforward and scenic journey. Return your hire car at Denver International Airport. Alternatively, Colorado Springs Airport has direct flights to several US hubs. Grab a final Colorado breakfast at a local café — try The Egg & I or Poor Richard's — and hit the road.

🚌Self-drive Colorado Springs → Denver Airport on I-25 (~70 miles, ~1.5 hrs). Return hire car. Fuel ~£8.

• →Final breakfast at a local Colorado Springs café
• →Optional: quick morning walk in Garden of the Gods if you haven't had your fill
• →Drive north to Denver International Airport on I-25 (~1.5 hrs) or fly direct from Colorado Springs Airport
• →Return hire car at airport