Booking choice: The summer tour from Denver, from $169 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The park's east entrances are about 1.5 to 2 hours from Denver by road, through Boulder and Estes Park. That makes a Denver tour an 8 to 10 hour day with roughly four to six hours inside the park.
The Denver tours differ mainly in three things: whether they climb Trail Ridge Road above the trees, whether lunch is included, and how many people share the van.
The quick answer
For a full summer day, take the 10-hour summer tour from Denver ($169, rated 4.9): Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center, a picnic in the park and time in Estes Park, with park fees and timed entry handled. Pickup is 8:15 a.m. at Union Station. Non-US residents pay an extra $100 each at the gate on every tour.
Can you visit Rocky Mountain National Park as a day trip from Denver?
Yes. Plan on 1.5 to 2 hours each way, which is why Denver tours run 8 to 10 hours and give you about four to six hours in the park.
That is enough for the highlights: a lake or a waterfall, the elk meadows and, in summer, the drive over Trail Ridge Road. It is not enough for a long hike and the high road on the same day, so pick one focus.
Want the high road without the hairpins? The summer tour handles the drive, the park fees and timed entry.
Check dates for the summer tour from DenverWhich Rocky Mountain tours leave from Denver?
Four Denver day trips run in summer, from a picnic day over Trail Ridge Road to a guided hike, plus a shorter day in spring and autumn.
All of them include park entry for US residents and cancel free up to 24 hours before on Viator.
| Tour | Length | Trail Ridge Road | Lunch | Rating | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer tour from Denver | 10 h | Yes, about 2 h | Picnic included | 4.9 (908) | $169 |
| Small-group day with picnic | 8 h | Depends on the day | Picnic included | 4.9 (3,506) | $215 |
| Denver day trip with lunch | 8 h | Yes, about 1 h | Picnic included | 4.9 (472) | $179 |
| Guided hiking day | 8 h | No, a 4-mile hike | Picnic included | 4.9 (674) | $215 |
| Rocky Mountain and Estes Park | 8 h | No (runs outside summer) | Own expense in Estes Park | 4.9 (610) | $149 |
What do you see on the summer tour from Denver?
The Alluvial Fan waterfall, Horseshoe Park, about two hours on Trail Ridge Road with Rock Cut, the Alpine Visitor Center, Milner Pass, Forest Canyon and Many Parks Curve, then Estes Park and the Stanley Hotel.
The listing gives about 40 minutes at the Alpine Visitor Center and 35 minutes in downtown Estes Park. Guides change the order for weather, traffic and wildlife. The picnic is a sandwich you choose at booking (turkey, ham, roast beef, tuna salad or veggie), with snacks and water refills.
Want the full summer day? Small group of 12 or fewer, Trail Ridge Road and a picnic, back in Denver around 6 p.m.
Explore the summer tour from DenverWhere do Denver tours pick you up?
Most meet at the flagpole outside Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St; the Denver day trip with lunch meets at the Blue Bear outside the Colorado Convention Center.
- Summer tour: Union Station flagpole, 8:15 a.m.
- Small-group day with picnic and hiking day: Union Station or Boulder.
- Denver day trip with lunch: Colorado Convention Center, 9 a.m.
Union Station is on the A Line train from Denver Airport, so you do not need a car at all.
Is the $149 Rocky Mountain and Estes Park tour available in summer?
Not in peak summer: the operator says it stops after Memorial Day, once Trail Ridge Road opens, and runs its summer tour instead.
So from late May the cheapest guided Denver option with Trail Ridge Road is the summer tour at $169. The $149 day, with Bear or Sprague Lake, Many Parks Curve and Estes Park, is a good choice in spring and after the high road closes.
Should you drive yourself from Denver instead?
Driving yourself is cheaper for a group, but in summer you need a timed entry reservation between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and you drive the mountain roads yourself.
A car costs $30 a day to enter, plus the $2 reservation fee. Arrive before 9 a.m. and you need no reservation outside the Bear Lake corridor. If you drive, the self-guided audio tour ($20) plays stories by GPS. See how timed entry works.
Would rather not chase a reservation? The Denver tours hold their own park entry.
Check dates for the small-group day with picnicIs a Denver tour worth it if you can stay in Estes Park?
If you can sleep in Estes Park, a 3 to 4 hour tour from there gives you more park per hour, because the gate is about 10 minutes away.
The open-air jeep tour ($130, 3 hours) climbs to the Alpine Visitor Center with park pass and timed entry included. The Denver tours make sense when you are based in the city or have only one day.
Which Denver tour should you pick?
Pick by what you want most from the day: the high road, a hike, or the most reviewed guides.
- Trail Ridge Road and a picnic: the summer tour from Denver.
- Pickup in Boulder: the small-group day with picnic.
- A real walk: the guided hiking day (moderate, about 4 miles at altitude).
- Lower budget, spring or autumn: the Rocky Mountain and Estes Park day.
- Children under 8: the summer tour, which takes guests from age 5; several others start at 8.
Decided on the high road? The summer tour includes the picnic and park fees.
Check dates for the summer tour from DenverFrequently asked questions
How far is Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver?
About 1.5 to 2 hours each way by road, via Boulder and Estes Park.
How long is a Rocky Mountain National Park tour from Denver?
8 to 10 hours. The summer tour leaves Union Station at 8:15 a.m. and is back around 6 p.m.
Do Denver tours include the park entrance fee?
Yes for US residents. Visitors who are not US residents pay an extra $100 each (aged 16 and over) at the gate on every tour.
Can I get to Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver without a car?
Yes: the Denver tours start at Union Station or the Convention Center, both reachable by train from the airport.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Rocky Mountain Summer Tour from Denver
- Small group of 12 or fewer in a touring van, local driver-guide
- Trail Ridge Road, Alpine Visitor Center, Many Parks Curve, Alluvial Fan
- Picnic lunch in the park, snacks and water refills
Rocky Mountain Small-Group Tour & Picnic
- Small-group tour in a premium 14-seat van
- Pickup at Denver Union Station or in Boulder
- Fresh picnic lunch (tell them about diets at checkout)
