The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

Does it cover points and miles?

Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

Can I get every guide instead?

Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.

Denver and Boulder: A 4-Day Adventure

Denver and Boulder: A 4-Day Adventure: free sample chapter

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Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. Transit schedules, museum hours, trail and parking rules and concert dates in the Denver area shift with the season and the weather. We stamp every price and hour we confirmed on an official page. Where a page would not open, we label what we know as "typically" or "last we checked" and name the page to check before you go.

Cover block

Promise: Four days of mountains-meet-city travel that you can do with transit, a few ride-hails and one bus ride to Boulder, with enough rest built in for the altitude.
Trip length: 4 days / 4 nights (3 days if you skip day 4).
Best months: May-June and September-October for hiking and patios; July-August for concerts (and afternoon storms); winter for lower crowds.
Budget band: You choose the hotel; we price what we verified (transit, museum, garages). Build your own total on the cost sheet in chapter 8.
Best for: First-time visitors who want a city, a mountain amphitheatre and a college town without a rental car.

At a glance

Airport: DEN. A Line commuter rail runs to Union Station; the airport page showed trains every 30 minutes Sept. 29-Oct. 11, 2026 (temporary), leaving DEN at :27 and :57 and Union Station on the hour and half hour. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Airport fare: an Airport Day Pass is $10; upgrade from a 3-Hour Pass is $7.25 and from a Day Pass $4.50. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Local fares: 3-Hour Pass $2.75; Day Pass $5.50; youth 19 and under and active-duty military ride free. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Art museum: open Sun, Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat 10-5; Tue 10-8; closed Wed, Thanksgiving, Christmas. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Red Rocks Visitor Center: open daily, 7 AM-7 PM March-October. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Boulder downtown garages: free on weekends and city-observed holidays; $1.75/hour weekdays for hours 1-6. (checked Oct 10, 2026)
Altitude: treat day 1 as an acclimatization day (see chapter 6).
Day 4 choice: Botanic Gardens + Capitol Hill + Washington Park, or Rocky Mountain National Park (see /guides/rocky-mountain-denver/).