Colorado

Welcome to the Mile High City, perched at 1,600 meters (5,280 feet) above sea level and bathed in sunshine more than 300 days a year. Denver combines historic neighborhoods, street art, and sweeping views of the Rockies, along with a thriving craft beer scene: with more than 150 microbreweries, the city has earned the nickname Napa Valley of Beer. Group and guide meeting in the evening to kick off the adventure.

Head toward Colorado’s high valleys, crossing Summit County, a region of alpine resorts and high-elevation lakes. The journey continues to Buena Vista, dominated by the Collegiate Peaks—a series of summits over 4,200 meters (13,800 feet) named after American universities. Part of the Sawatch Range, they form the highest concentration of “fourteeners” in the country, a true playground for high-mountain enthusiasts.

The Arkansas River Valley is shaped by the peaks of the Sawatch Range and the whitewaters of the Arkansas River, which winds between granite cliffs and pine forests. The area is renowned for its rapids, attracting whitewater enthusiasts each year. It is also home to several natural hot springs, geothermal remnants of Colorado’s ancient volcanic activity, perfect for relaxing after a day at altitude.

Travel north toward Rocky Mountain National Park, an iconic Rocky Mountain landscape where ridgelines, glacial lakes, and subalpine forests create spectacular scenery. Along the way, a stop in Nederland offers a glimpse of this small, bohemian mountain town, known for its artistic community and its quirky Frozen Dead Guy Days festival—an event that perfectly reflects the local offbeat sense of humor.

The park reveals the full diversity of its high-altitude environments. Beyond the treeline, the scenery changes dramatically: vast wind-sculpted alpine plateaus, steep walls dropping toward emerald-colored glacial lakes, and iconic summits such as Longs Peak, the highest in the park. This region protects one of the largest alpine expanses in the United States—an exceptionally rare ecosystem where only low grasses, lichens, and a few hardy flowers survive the extreme conditions.

Boulder is a pioneer of active living and outdoor culture. With its cafés, specialty shops, and trailheads accessible directly from downtown, it embodies the spirit of modern Colorado. The city is also known for its environmental commitment: it was one of the first in the United States to introduce a tax dedicated to the protection of natural areas, helping preserve more than 18,000 hectares (45,000 acres) of hills, meadows, and wilderness around the city. An exceptional setting to end the journey at a relaxed pace.