8 days in Colorado Itinerary

More than just a convenient resting place for travelers on their way to the national park encompassing the Front Range of the Rockies, Estes Park is a popular place to visit in its own right.

Start off your visit on the 2nd (Tue): get a dose of the wild on a nature and wildlife tour, then look for gifts at Laura's Fine Candy, and then take in the dramatic scenery at Alberta Falls. Keep things going the next day: contemplate the waterfront views at Lily Lake, have some family-friendly fun at Tiny Town Miniature Golf, and then explore the activities along Sprague Lake.

To find maps, photos, traveler tips, and tourist information, read our Estes Park trip itinerary planning tool .

Saint Louis to Estes Park is an approximately 10.5-hour combination of flight and car. You can also drive; or do a combination of bus and taxi. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 1 hour traveling from Saint Louis to Estes Park. Traveling from Saint Louis in July, you can expect nighttime temperatures to be slightly colder in Estes Park, with lows of 59°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 3rd (Wed) early enough to drive to Breckenridge.

Founded in 1859 as part of the Gold Rush in the Rockies, Breckenridge boasts a main street lined with colorful wooden storefronts housing cafes and shops, giving the effect of a thriving western town from the 19th century.

Kick off your visit on the 4th (Thu): contemplate the waterfront views at Dillon Reservoir, then stroll through Lily Pad Lake, and then hit the slopes at Frisco Adventure Park. Keep things going the next day: test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms, get outside with Quandary Peak, and then tour the pleasant surroundings at McCullough Gulch.

To see reviews, more things to do, maps, and other tourist information, use the Breckenridge tour itinerary website .

You can drive from Estes Park to Breckenridge in 3 hours. Another option is to do a combination of taxi, bus, and shuttle. When traveling from Estes Park in July, plan for cooler days and little chillier nights in Breckenridge: temperatures range from 65°F by day to 49°F at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 6th (Sat) to allow enough time to drive to Colorado Springs.

Stunning Garden of the Gods Park scenery, blue skies and the glory of Pikes Peak-America’s Mountain have attracted visitors to Colorado Springs for more than a century.

Kick off your visit on the 6th (Sat): admire the majestic nature at Mueller State Park and then explore the striking landscape at Garden of the Gods. On your second day here, let the river carry you with a rafting and tubing tour and then have some family-friendly fun at Battlefield Colorado.

To see reviews, traveler tips, photos, and tourist information, read Colorado Springs trip itinerary builder tool .

Traveling by car from Breckenridge to Colorado Springs takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of shuttle and flight; or take a shuttle. While traveling from Breckenridge, expect much warmer days and somewhat warmer nights in Colorado Springs, ranging from highs of 86°F to lows of 58°F. On the 8th (Mon), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can travel back home.