Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park, Aspen and the Durango and Silverton train
8 days from Denver: two nights by Rocky Mountain National Park, two in Aspen for the Maroon Bells, the Million Dollar Highway, the narrow-gauge train to Durango and a night by the Great Sand Dunes.
8 days · Round trip from Denver · up to 12 guests
The Maroon Bells above Maroon Lake, near Aspen Photo: Chris Abney chrisabney, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maroon_Bells_peaks_and_a_lake_(Unsplash).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Denver
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 5 h on day 3
- Activity level
Moderate
Easy to moderate walks of 2 to 6 km on mountain trails, most days between 2,300 and 3,700 m above sea level, with up to about 300 m of climbing on the longer options. Every walk has a shorter version, and the train, passes and viewpoints need no hiking at all.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches
- Room of your own
- + CAD 940 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Trail Ridge Road above the treeline in the morning, to the Alpine Visitor Center at about 3,595 m
- Bear Lake, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake on foot, with Emerald Lake for those who want more
- Independence Pass at 3,687 m on the way into Aspen
- The Maroon Bells reflected in Maroon Lake on an early shuttle, with an easy lake walk or the climb to Crater Lake
- The Black Canyon of the Gunnison from the South Rim, and an evening soak in Ouray's hot springs pool
- The Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass, then the steam train from Silverton down the Animas River to Durango
- Sunset and sunrise on the Great Sand Dunes, the tallest dunes in North America at about 230 m
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5 h, on day 3.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 940 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Denver to Estes Park
Denver International Airport to Estes Park
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Estes Park
- Drive about 2 h
Afternoon
Fly into Denver International Airport (DEN), where your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at a set pick-up time in the early afternoon; the exact time and the latest arrival that makes it are confirmed with your final itinerary. If you would rather land the day before, book a Denver hotel and we collect you at the airport. From the plains we drive about an hour and three quarters north-west, past Boulder and up the North St Vrain valley from Lyons to Estes Park, the town at the eastern gate of Rocky Mountain National Park, at about 2,290 m.
Evening
Arriving this high, the first evening is kept gentle: check in, take a short walk along the Riverwalk in the town centre, and drink more water than you think you need. In the evening we sit down together for a welcome dinner and a briefing on the week, the altitude and the weather.
Included
- Pick-up at Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Drive to Estes Park with your guide
- Welcome briefing and welcome dinner
Free time: Free time in Estes Park before dinner
Activity: Estes Park sits at about 2,290 m. Take the first evening easy.
Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake
Estes Park over Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center, back to Estes Park, then the Bear Lake corridor
- Breakfast
- Stay in Estes Park
- Drive about 2.5 h
We enter Rocky Mountain National Park early, when elk graze in the meadows of Moraine Park and Horseshoe Park and the road is quiet. Trail Ridge Road climbs above the treeline to its high point of about 3,713 m, the highest stretch of continuous paved road in any US national park. We stop at Many Parks Curve and the Forest Canyon Overlook, then walk the short Tundra Communities Trail among alpine flowers before reaching the Alpine Visitor Center.
Afternoon
We are back down before the usual afternoon storms, with lunch in Estes Park on your own. In the afternoon we drive Bear Lake Road on the group's timed entry and walk from Bear Lake to Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, with Hallett Peak above the water.
Evening
The evening is free in town.
Included
- Rocky Mountain National Park entry and timed entry reservation
- Trail Ridge Road with your guide: Many Parks Curve, Forest Canyon Overlook, the Tundra Communities Trail and the Alpine Visitor Center
- Bear Lake, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake on foot
Easier option: Walk the flat loop around Bear Lake, about 1 km, and wait at the lakeshore while others go on.
More active option: Carry on past Dream Lake to Emerald Lake, about 5.8 km return from the trailhead with about 185 m of climbing.
Free time: Lunch and evening free in Estes Park
Activity: The tundra walk is at about 3,650 m and short but breathless; walk slowly.
Over Independence Pass to Aspen
Estes Park on the Peak to Peak Highway to I-70, Leadville, then Independence Pass to Aspen
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aspen
- Drive about 5 h
This is the longest drive on the trip, about 320 km and five hours at the wheel, because the mountains between the park and Aspen have no shorter summer road; we break it into three parts. First the Peak to Peak Highway south along the foothills to I-70, then west through the Eisenhower Tunnel under the Continental Divide.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of about an hour and a quarter in Leadville, roughly halfway, an old silver-mining town at about 3,094 m with a long main street of Victorian brick. In the afternoon we pass the Twin Lakes and climb Highway 82 to Independence Pass, at about 3,687 m on the Divide, where a short paved path leads to views over the Sawatch Range. From the summit it is a winding descent beside the Roaring Fork River into Aspen, where we stay two nights.
Evening
Arrive in the late afternoon with the evening free in town.
Included
- Peak to Peak Highway and the Eisenhower Tunnel
- Sit-down lunch in Leadville
- Twin Lakes viewpoint
- Independence Pass summit walk
Free time: Evening free in Aspen
Activity: About five hours of driving, broken by a long lunch and several stops. Independence Pass is high and windy; bring a warm layer.
The Maroon Bells
Aspen to Aspen Highlands, then the shuttle to Maroon Lake and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Aspen
- Drive about 30 min
We take one of the early shuttle buses from Aspen Highlands up Maroon Creek Road, which is closed to most private cars in daytime during the season, so the valley stays quiet.
Morning
At Maroon Lake, at about 2,900 m, the two peaks of the Maroon Bells, both over 4,200 m, rise straight from the end of the valley, their dark red rock reflected in the water when the morning is still. The easy walk is the Maroon Lake Scenic Trail along the shore and up through the aspens. Those who want more climb to Crater Lake, right under the peaks. We return to Aspen by lunchtime.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are yours: ride the Silver Queen Gondola up Aspen Mountain, walk the John Denver Sanctuary by the river, or sit on a terrace in the town centre.
Included
- Maroon Bells shuttle reservation from Aspen Highlands
- Maroon Lake with your guide
- The Maroon Lake Scenic Trail
Optional experiences
- Silver Queen Gondola up Aspen Mountain
Easier option: Stay by Maroon Lake on the scenic trail, about 2 km on gentle ground.
More active option: Climb to Crater Lake under the Maroon Bells, about 5.8 km return with about 200 m of climbing.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Aspen
McClure Pass, the Black Canyon and Ouray
Aspen over McClure Pass to Delta and Montrose, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, then Ridgway and Ouray
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ouray
- Drive about 4.5 h
We leave Aspen down the Roaring Fork Valley to Carbondale, then take Highway 133 over McClure Pass, through aspen forest and past the ranching town of Paonia among its orchards.
Afternoon
From Delta we drive to Montrose for a sit-down lunch, then up to the South Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The canyon is narrow and deep enough that parts of its walls get only minutes of sun a day; we walk out to Gunnison Point and the Painted Wall viewpoint, where the cliff drops about 700 m to the river. Late in the afternoon we drive south through Ridgway into Ouray, a Victorian mining town at about 2,350 m, boxed in by peaks.
Evening
Before dinner, soak in the Ouray Hot Springs Pool or walk to Box Canyon Falls. About four and a half hours of driving today, a little over our usual cap because the Black Canyon sits between the two towns; lunch in Montrose and the rim walks break it up.
Included
- McClure Pass
- Sit-down lunch in Montrose
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park entry: Gunnison Point and the Painted Wall
- Ouray Hot Springs Pool entry
Optional experiences
- Box Canyon Falls, a short walk from town
Free time: Evening free in Ouray
Activity: The Black Canyon viewpoints are short walks on rim trails with fenced overlooks.
The Million Dollar Highway and the train to Durango
Ouray over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton by van, then the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Durango
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Durango
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A short morning drive on the Million Dollar Highway, US 550, which climbs out of Ouray on ledges cut into the Uncompahgre Gorge and crosses Red Mountain Pass at about 3,358 m, past old mine buildings on slopes stained red and orange. We stop at the viewpoints and are in Silverton by late morning, a former mining town of about 600 people at the head of the Animas River.
Afternoon
Walk Greene Street and Blair Street and have a sit-down lunch before the afternoon train. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has run this line since 1882; it takes about three and a half hours to follow the Animas River down its gorge, high on narrow ledges, into Durango. We ride it one way, down only. The van takes your bags ahead, so you step off the train and walk to the hotel.
Evening
Evening free in Durango.
Included
- The Million Dollar Highway and Red Mountain Pass with your guide
- Silverton on foot and a sit-down lunch
- Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Silverton to Durango
- Luggage taken ahead by van
Free time: Evening free in Durango
Activity: Open-sided cars can be cold and sooty; bring a layer and sunglasses.
Wolf Creek Pass to the Great Sand Dunes
Durango to Pagosa Springs, over Wolf Creek Pass to the San Luis Valley, then Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Great Sand Dunes
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
We leave Durango after breakfast and drive east on US 160 to Pagosa Springs, where the San Juan River runs past steaming hot-spring pools, then climb to Wolf Creek Pass on the Continental Divide at about 3,307 m. Down the other side the road follows the Rio Grande into the San Luis Valley, wide and flat, ringed by mountains.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Alamosa, the valley's main town, and we check in before driving out to Great Sand Dunes National Park in the late afternoon, when the sand has started to cool after the summer midday, which can be too hot to walk on. The dunes, the tallest in North America, rise to about 230 m in front of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Evening
We walk out across Medano Creek, which flows in early summer and is often dry by July, and climb onto the dune ridges for sunset. About four hours and 300 km of driving, with stops at Wolf Creek Pass and lunch in Alamosa breaking it up.
Included
- Wolf Creek Pass
- Sit-down lunch in Alamosa
- Great Sand Dunes National Park entry
- Sunset walk on the dunes with your guide
Easier option: Stay on the flat sand by Medano Creek and watch the light change on the dunes from below.
More active option: Climb to High Dune on the first ridge, about 4 km return in soft sand with about 210 m of climbing.
Activity: Walking in soft sand is hard work at about 2,500 m. Bring closed shoes, water and a headlamp for the walk back.
Dune sunrise and back to Denver
Great Sand Dunes to Walsenburg and north on I-25 to Denver International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
For those who want it, an early walk onto the dunes at sunrise, when the sand is cool, the ridges are sharp with shadow and the valley is still. After breakfast we leave the San Luis Valley over North La Veta Pass and drop to Walsenburg and the plains, then head north on I-25 along the Front Range, past Pueblo and Colorado Springs, with Pikes Peak to the west.
Afternoon
The drive is about 410 km and four and a half hours of driving, slightly over our usual cap because the dunes have no shorter road to Denver; we break it with a stop for coffee and a lunch stop; lunch today is not included. We reach Denver International Airport in the early afternoon, and your guide sees you to the terminal before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm.
Included
- Sunrise walk on the Great Sand Dunes
- Drive to Denver with your guide
- Drop-off at Denver International Airport (DEN)
Easier option: Skip the sunrise walk and watch from the edge of the dunes.
Activity: Book a flight leaving Denver after about 4 pm.
- Denverstart
- Estes Park2 nights
- Aspen2 nights
- Ouray1 night
- Durango1 night
- Great Sand Dunes1 night
- Denverend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June can still have snow at the passes and Medano Creek running at the dunes; July and August are warmest with afternoon storms; September brings golden aspens late in the month and elk starting their rut in Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Colorado Rockies with time on foot, not just at viewpoints
- Rail fans who want the Silverton line as part of a journey
- Couples and solo travellers who like free afternoons in mountain towns
- First visits to Colorado that want the big names and the quieter Black Canyon
Not for you if you want
- Anyone with heart or lung conditions that make altitude above 3,000 m unsafe
- Travellers who want long backcountry hikes or summit climbs
- A city break in Denver
- Winter or ski travel: the passes and shuttles run in summer only
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Estes Park2 nights
- Aspen2 nights
- Ouray1 night
- Durango1 night
- Great Sand Dunes1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels: 2 in Estes Park, 2 in Aspen, 1 in Ouray, 1 in Durango, 1 near Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, sized for up to 12 guests with luggage
- The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Silverton to Durango, one way, with luggage taken ahead by van
- Maroon Bells shuttle from Aspen Highlands
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
Activities
- Rocky Mountain National Park entry and timed entry
- Trail Ridge Road and the Alpine Visitor Center
- Bear Lake, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake
- Independence Pass
- Maroon Lake and the Maroon Bells, Aspen
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Ouray Hot Springs Pool
- The Million Dollar Highway and Silverton
- Great Sand Dunes National Park, with a sunset and a sunrise walk
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 sit-down lunches: Leadville, Montrose, Silverton and Alamosa
- Welcome dinner in Estes Park
- Lunch on day 8 and dinners after day 1 are not included
Not included
- International flights to and from Denver
- US entry documents (ESTA or visa) where needed
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed, including most dinners
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities such as the Silver Queen Gondola
- Personal expenses
- A hotel night in Denver before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 940 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, four sit-down lunches (Leadville, Montrose, Silverton, Alamosa) and a welcome dinner, airport transfers in Denver, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including national park entries and timed entry, the Maroon Bells shuttle, the Silverton to Durango train and the Ouray hot springs.
Who leads the trip, and how big is the group?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with 7 to 12 guests in one vehicle, from the Denver airport pick-up to the drop-off on day 8, leads the walks and handles the park reservations, shuttles and train tickets. Everyone gets a window seat on the passes. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be, and will the altitude affect me?
Moderately fit is enough: walks are 2 to 6 km with shorter versions every day. Altitude is the bigger factor, since you sleep at 2,000 to 2,450 m and cross passes near 3,700 m. Most people feel short of breath at first; drink water, go slowly, and tell us about heart or lung conditions.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
You pay the same twin-share price plus a single supplement of CAD 940 for a room of your own, shown before you request to book. Nothing is added later, and you join the same group, table and walks as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
June to September. Trail Ridge Road and Independence Pass usually open in late May, and the Maroon Bells shuttle season usually starts in mid-June. July and August are warmest, with afternoon storms in the mountains. Late September brings golden aspens and colder mornings.
Do we ride the train both ways?
No, one way, from Silverton down to Durango in the afternoon. We drive the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray to Silverton in the morning and the van takes your bags ahead, so you see both road and railway. We confirm the one-way ticket with the railroad for each season; if only a full fare is sold, we buy it and still ride down only.
Why is there no night in Denver?
Because a Denver night at each end would add a day of driving. Estes Park is only about 1 h 45 from Denver International Airport, and the dunes, our last night, are four and a half hours from it, so we go straight between the airport and the mountains. If you want a Denver night, book it yourself and we meet you at DEN.
How long are the drives?
Five of the eight days have four hours of driving or less. Day 3, Estes Park to Aspen over Independence Pass, is about five hours with a long lunch in Leadville; day 5, with the Black Canyon, and day 8, the dunes to Denver, are about four and a half hours with stops.
Do I need my own reservation for the Maroon Bells or Rocky Mountain National Park?
No. We book the Maroon Bells shuttle seats from Aspen Highlands and the Rocky Mountain National Park entry and timed entry for the whole group, and they are in the price. Both need reservations in summer, which is one reason we go early: the mornings are quieter and the afternoon thunderstorms have not yet built.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Prices are per person sharing, taxes included, from CAD 5,200 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 9,360 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the hotels, train and reservations for you.
Do I need a visa for the US?
Canadian citizens need only a valid passport. Most other visitors need an approved ESTA under the Visa Waiver Program or a US visa. Check your own requirement before you book flights; we do not arrange entry documents.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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