Breathtaking views from the top of the Rockies.

5-Day Tour. You’ll see the Top of the Rocky Mountains from TWO different peaks, cross the Continental Divide almost every day, visit the highest incorporated town in North America and travel the highest continuous highway in the world. And you can even try your hand at Blackjack in the historic mining town of Central City.

Tour Highlights

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5

DAY 1

DEPART 8am (Please note early departure time)

Park Entrance Fee INCLUDED

SUMMIT of PIKES PEAK

On your first day you'll gain nearly 10-thousand feet in elevation! You'll stand on the very peak where Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to write the words to "America the Beautiful." This is the first of two "Fourteeners" you'll experience. Make sure you have a sweater and wind-breaker jacket!

Park Entrance Fee INCLUDED

See Accommodations Info

STAY IN BUENA VISTA

Your first night is in full view of the spectacular Collegiate Peaks. Buena Vista is at the foot of a range of 19 of Colorado's tallest peaks, half of which are above 14,000 feet in elevation. Each of the Collegiate Peaks is named after a prominent university.

See Accommodations Info

DAY 2

INDEPENDENCE PASS

Keep your camera handy today. You'll cross the Continental Divide a few times. We start on Independence Pass on our way to the famous town of Aspen, Colorado. This is where John Denver was inspired to write many of his biggest hits, including "Rocky Mountain High."

GLENWOOD SPRINGS

From Aspen, you'll travel north to the beautiful town of Glenwood Springs, Several US Presidents came here to stay at Hotel Colorado and soak in the hot springs, including Teddy Roosevelt, Wm. Howard Taft and Herbert Hoover.

TENNESSEE PASS to LEADVILLE

You'll head over the Continental Divide again, following the roadbed of what was once a busy narrow-gauge railroad taking ore to Leadville. This is highest incorporated town in the US. Leadville was the home of the famous Baby-Doe Tabor and the Matchless Mine - that brought wealth and culture to the Rockies. You'll see the Tabor Opera House where Oscar Wilde even made an appearance.

FREMONT PASS

One more time you'll cross over the Continental Divide over one of the highest passes in Colorado. It's named for John Fremont, the explorer who discovered the pass in the 1840s.

See Accommodations Info

STAY IN GEORGETOWN

Your second night is nestled in the little Victorian-styled mining town of Georgetown. All of the electricity for the town is generated by a hydro-turbine designed and installed by Nicola Tesla. It still runs today!

See Accommodations Info

DAY 3

DEPART 8am (Please note early departure time)

Park Entrance Fee INCLUDED

SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVANS

The first stop today is to the top of the Rocky Mountains. This is the second time you'll stand on the top of one of Colorado's famous "Fourteeners." The view at 14-thousand feet above sea level is unforgettable!

Park Entrance Fee INCLUDED

BERTHOUD PASS

After lunch, you'll head north over Berthoud Pass (crossing the Continental Divide yet again!) toward some of Colorado's oldest mountains. Grand County is home to several massive ranges, distinctive for their more rounded shape.

Ticket Fees

ALPINE SLIDE (Optional Excursion)

Winter Park is just as active in the summer, and here you can the plunge on Colorado's longest Alpine Slide, a vertical descent of over 600 feet on a track that's over a half-mile long.

Ticket Fees

See Accommodations Info

STAY IN GRAND LAKE

Grand Lake is Colorado's largest natural lake, and is the headwaters of the mighty Colorado River. This lovely little mountain town is where Colorado Highland Tours owner grew up!

See Accommodations Info

DAY 4

Rental Fees

BOAT RIDE ON GRAND LAKE (Optional Excursion)

Begin the day with a lovely boat or paddle-boat ride on Grand Lake, in full view of Mt. Craig (known to the locals as Mt. Baldy). Or you can choose to shop and walk along the famous boardwalks of the town of Grand Lake.

Rental Fees

Park Entrance Fees INCLUDED

TRAIL RIDGE ROAD

You'll spend the afternoon traversing the Continental Divide one last time on the highest continuous paved road in the world. Trail Ridge road takes you through Rocky Mountain National Park, well above timberline for views of the Never-Summer Range and Long's Peak. You'll even be able see Mount Evans - where you stood earlier on the tour!

Park Entrance Fees INCLUDED

See Accommodations Info

STAY IN ESTES PARK

Your final night on the Mountain Vistas tour is in Estes Park, established in 1859, but for centuries before was already a summer destination for the Arapaho Tribe. You might want to stay at the Stanley Hotel, famous as the location used for Stephen King's "The Shining."

See Accommodations Info

DAY 5

MORNING IN ESTES PARK

Spend the morning strolling through Estes Park.

PEAK TO PEAK HIGHWAY

Your final day may not cross the Continental Divide, but you'll have some of the best views of it from the Eastern Slope. This route is so beautiful, it was the first to be designated as a Colorado Scenic Byway.

CENTRAL CITY

Try your hand in a game of Poker or play a little Blackjack in one of Colorado's most famous mining towns. Central City was built in the Gold Rush of 1859, and you'll marvel how over 10,000 people once lived in this tiny town!

OH MY GAWD ROAD

The final leg of the journey begins with the aptly named Oh My Gawd Road, taking you over Argentine Pass down into Idaho Springs. From there you'll make the final descent back to the Mile High City of Denver.

RETURN TO DENVER

Details

Departs: 8:00am - Union Station in Denver, CO
Returns: 7:00pm - Union Station in Denver, CO
Inclusions:
- Transport in an air-conditioned 15-passenger mini-coach
- Insight and stories from an expert tour guide/driver.
- Snacks & Non-Alcohol Beverages on Bus
- Optional: Lodging & Breakfasts
Exclusions:
- Lunch and Dinners
- In-town activities/excursions