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Denver travel guide: A Line airport rail, Union Station bases and Foothills pacing

Sitting a mile high (1,609 metres) where the South Platte River valley meets the High Plains in view of the Rocky Mountain Front Range, Denver has one of the best airport-to-downtown rail links in the American West. Once you step off the train at Union Station, historic brick warehouses, river confluence trails and street-art districts unfold on a flat, walkable grid.

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  1. Denver (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: Denver.

Arrival and getting around in Denver

Denver International Airport (DEN) lies 37 km northeast of downtown, and the RTD University of Colorado A Line commuter train runs directly from the terminal transit center to Denver Union Station every 15 minutes during the day in exactly 37 minutes.

  • An RTD Airport Day Pass covers your A Line journey plus unlimited transfers onto local light rail lines and buses for the rest of the service day.
  • From Union Station, the free 16th Street shuttle (MallRide) connects across the downtown core toward Civic Center Station, while the paved Cherry Creek Trail drops straight to Confluence Park.
  • Skip a rental car for your first two days in the city; pick up a car only when heading west into the Foothills (Red Rocks Park in Morrison is 25 minutes away) or Rocky Mountain National Park.

Sources: Denver Union Station: The History & Legacy Of Union Station, Visit Denver: Denver's Best Photo Opportunities

Where to stay in Denver

Staying within a ten-minute walk of Union Station lets you drop your bags straight off the airport train and cover Lower Downtown and the riverfront on foot.

  • LoDo (Lower Downtown) and Union Station: restored Victorian brick buildings, direct airport rail access and immediate proximity to Larimer Square and Confluence Park.
  • RiNo (River North Art District) and LoHi (Lower Highland): RiNo along Larimer and Blake streets suits travellers focused on murals, breweries and warehouse markets, while LoHi across the Highland Pedestrian Bridge offers quieter hillside dining with skyline views.
  • Avoid staying out near the airport along Tower Road during a city visit, as it sits 30 km across open plains from downtown.

Sources: Visit Denver: Denver's Best Photo Opportunities, Visit Denver: Denver Highland to Sloan's Lake Walking Tour

Two-day route for Denver

Spend your first day in the historic Lower Downtown basin and South Platte confluence, then split day two between the northern street-art warehouses and the eastern lake park.

  • Day 1: start inside the Beaux-Arts Great Hall of Denver Union Station, walk down the Cherry Creek path to where two rivers meet at Confluence Park, stroll beneath the string lights and historic brick facades of Larimer Square and continue to the Colorado Convention Center to see Lawrence Argent's 12-metre blue sculpture I See What You Mean (Blue Bear) peering through the glass.
  • Day 2: spend the morning walking Larimer Street and the alleyways between 25th and 35th streets to photograph RiNo Street Art and have lunch at Denver Central Market, then head east in the afternoon to City Park and Ferril Lake for the classic postcard reflection of the downtown skyline framed against the snow-capped Front Range.
  • Rainy or snowy-day alternative: pair the architecturally striking Denver Art Museum and Clyfford Still Museum near Civic Center Park with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science inside City Park.

Sources: Denver Union Station: The History & Legacy Of Union Station, Visit Denver: Denver's Best Photo Opportunities, Visit Denver: Denver Highland to Sloan's Lake Walking Tour, Denver Public Art: I See What You Mean

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Denver's semi-arid mile-high climate brings bright sun in every season, wide day-to-night temperature swings, dry air and hot mid-July afternoons often exceeding 33 degrees Celsius.

  • May through June and September through October offer mild 20 to 26 degree Celsius afternoons, clear mountain visibility from City Park and autumn cottonwood colour along Cherry Creek.
  • Take the 1,609-metre elevation seriously on day one by drinking extra water and moderating alcohol before attempting higher Foothills hikes or Red Rocks steps.

Sources