Colorado: Gateway to the Rockies Driving Tour

Your tour begins at the starting point of your choice in Denver. From there, your private tour guide will whisk you away to the Rocky Mountains to explore the towns that have each vied for the nickname “Gateway to the Rockies”!

If there’s any interest in hiking among the group, you’ve got a wealth of choices in Evergreen, which is surrounded by thousands of acres of Open Space park systems. Your tour guide can help you pick the trail that’s best suited to the group’s abilities. Popular parks with hiking trails include O’Fallon, Dillon, Three Sisters, and Lair O’ the Bear.

If you love dinosaurs, you’ve come to the right state. Morrison is just one of several locations in Colorado where you can see ancient fossils up close. We’ll be happy to make a stop at Dinosaur Ridge to see footprints and fossils dating back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods! We’ll pass through the I-70 “cut”, where you’ll see exposed layers of sediment, colorfully illustrating millions of years of geological history.

Take a stroll back in time in this small mountain town and imagine its glory days during the height of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. With your guide, you’ll embark on a Central City history tour, passing notable buildings like the Central City Opera House and the 1872 Teller House. While no longer an active mining town, you’ll quickly discover the enterprise that has propped up Central City’s economy in more recent times.

Welcome to Golden! You’ll be greeted with these words on the town’s iconic sign, inviting you to explore its historic Gold Rush–era buildings, excellent restaurants and microbreweries, and the beautiful campus of the Colorado School of Mines. We may end up passing by one of the most internationally recognized breweries, Coors, founded here in 1873!

Like many towns throughout Colorado, Idaho Springs was founded by prospectors during the 1850s Gold Rush. We can still experience its mining history by arranging a tour at Argo Gold Mine and Mill. We can also take a short walk to see the town’s iconic highway-side waterwheel or simply wander down the main street to enjoy its charm and dine at one of several recommended restaurants.

Another mining town, but this time with a bit of quirk. While among the “sleepier” towns of the Rockies, you might enjoy hearing from your tour guide what sets Nederland apart from the others, including a backstory on its name, curious recent history, and a historic carousel.

A college town set in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is a top place to visit in Colorado, known for its striking juxtaposition next to the “Flatirons”, the popular Pearl Street Mall, and its proximity to thousands of acres of open space.

We’ll pass by this historic opera house once renowned for its beauty and stage performances which drew concert goers including one of the U.S. presidents!

Step back in time to Colorado’s gold mining days at this museum preserving the history of Central City and some ghostly stories of the town.

Among the top places to visit in Colorado, Georgetown never fails to charm with its small main street filled with interesting shops, some highlighting the immigrant history of the town’s Gold Rush days. Here, we can enjoy a leisurely stroll through downtown, stop for some ice cream or fudge, and then head up the hill to enjoy pre-arranged tickets to board the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

A short ride on the Georgetown Loop is bound to delight anyone in the group, regardless of age. Learn a little about the area’s railroad days as you cross over high trestle and enjoy sweeping views of Colorado’s majestic mountains. Let our team know in advance if you would like to add this inclusion to your private driving tour excursion!

Arrange for a gold mining tour in advance at this popular gold mine and learn what life was like for thousands of migrants looking to strike it rich on the journey out West.

Add a hiking tour to your experience to see this beautiful snowfield just outside Idaho Springs. Your tour guide will help you navigate this moderately difficult 1.5-mile trail that ends with gorgeous Colorado mountain views.

In the town of Boulder, CO, we can hop out of our private tour vehicle to walk down this street that is home to many excellent restaurants, bars, and shops. Street performers can also be found along this stretch, and we can stop to enjoy live music and help support local musicians!

We don’t have to venture too far out of the city to find nature – we can stop for a short, easy walk along this popular mixed-use trail in Boulder, CO.

Prospective students and even architecture lovers will appreciate a short university tour to see this beautiful Boulder campus, home to the University of Colorado Boulder.

Our Colorado driving tour from Denver can make a quick stop to pay our respects to the gravesite of William Frederick Cody, more popularly known as "Buffalo Bill". Learn all about this American soldier, bison hunter, and showman at the museum and visit the gift shop for the perfect souvenir.

We can make sure to include a drive by this massive production facility of one of the most famous beer brands in America. Brewery tours may be available if booked in advance.

During our Golden, CO tour, we’re bound to cross over or catch sight of this river popular with kayakers, rafters, and other water-based sports enthusiasts.

Among Colorado state’s beautiful byways, Lariat Loop is one of the best! As we drive along this route that passes by such places as Golden, Lookout Mountain Park, Red Rocks Park, and Dinosaur Ridge, you’ll be in awe of the Colorado landscape from the comfort of your private tour vehicle.

Originally considered one of the finest hotels west of the Mississippi, your tour guide will explain how this building helps tell the story of Central City's boom and bust which impacted so many Colorado towns during the early days of the Gold Rush. Today, this building acts as a restaurant/bar. Be sure to stop in during opera season to see the mysterious "face on the barroom floor"!

While we’re out on foot exploring the town of Central City, we can pop into this visitor center and museum dedicated to preserving the town’s history, with many old-timey photographs to imagine life during Colorado’s early mining days.

This lake, located in, aptly, Evergreen, is a great place for us to take a break from the driving and enjoy the peace and quiet or go for an easy nature hike.

This 1893 relic no longer powers the stamp mill it was manufactured for but provides an interesting focal point for the backdrop of the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls.

While we’re passing through the mountain town of Nederland, we can stop to marvel at the hand-carved wooden animals of this restored carousel, which began operating in 1910!