The Best of Boulder, Colorado: A Travel Guide For the Books

Boulder is a beautiful city nestled in the Flatiron foothills of the Rocky Mountains with more than enough substance to keep you occupied for days! The variety of food, brewery and tea tours, shopping, amazing views, and hiking opportunities are what Boulder is known for. Here is the best of Boulder, Colorado!

What to See & Do in Boulder, Colorado

Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour

This free tour provides endless samples of Celestial Seasoning tea and provides a great inside tour of the tea-making process. I guarantee you’ll learn something new about tea and probably discover a new favorite flavor or two. Did I mention that this tour is free? The gift shop also has many different teas including organic varieties for sale at a reduced price.

Avery Brewing Tour

With a newly opened facility and some truly unique flavored brews like chai and raspberry sour beer, Avery Brewing is not to miss. Don’t forget to take a tour to learn about the beer-making process.

Boulder Brew Tours

This is a website devoted solely to brewery tours, just in Boulder.

Redstone Meadery

If you enjoy sweet wine, give Readstone Meadery a try. Their meade or honey wine, which is natural and sulfite-free, is available at their tasting room.

Boulder Farmer’s Market

The Boulder farmer’s market is one of the best in Colorado, offering a beautiful view, fresh fruits and vegetables, and is lined with food trucks and local goods. The market is setup on Saturdays from 8am-2pm and Wednesday evenings from 4pm-8pm. Wednesdays tend to have more food trucks and meal options.

If it’s your first time abroad, check out these travel tips.

The Best Hiking & Mountain Views in Boulder, Colorado

There are so many places to hike in and around Boulder to capture a view of the majestic mountains and for a great cityscape of Boulder and Denver.

Chautauqua Park

Chautauqua is a free park with a variety of trails at all difficulty levels. The Royal Arch is a more difficult hike at 3.4 miles of primarily steps increasing in elevation. The view overlooks Boulder and Denver, so don’t expect a snow-capped mountain view with this one, rather a stone arch as seen below.

Mount Sanitas

For Mount Sanitas, there are only a few parking spots located at the trailhead alongside the road, near the hospital. If it’s busy you may need to park a bit further away. This hike is again all uphill but much shorter and easier than Royal Arch.

For additional hikes near Boulder check out this link.

Flagstaff Mountain – top attraction in Boulder

This is the perfect western view of the mountains for all of you non-hikers, and those that simply want a beautiful view. On Baseline Road you continue to drive past Chautauqua Park heading up along the winding road with many switchbacks as you climb in elevation. You might feel as if you’ve missed it, but keep going and the parking lot will be on your right. Once you maneuver your way across a few boulders, be prepared for a spectacular view as pictured in the article cover photo.

Tastiest Restaurants in Boulder

Boulder is full of amazing restaurants that offer quite a variety of food options.

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

The teahouse has amazing architecture and definitely requires a stop. Since it is located right in the center of the Boulder Farmer’s Market, I’d recommend stopping into the walk-up bar for tea to go.

Lindsay’s Boulder Deli

This deli is located right on Pearl St. and is a favorite stop for a quick lunch, full of healthy homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches made by Lindsay herself.

Oak

Oak is a great stop for dinner, offering a variety of fun cocktails and menu options with impeccable service.

Shine

For another dinner option, visiting Shine restaurant is definitely an experience, full of unique elixirs, cocktails, and many food options that can also be made vegan.

The Yellow Deli

This location is very quaint and rustic, where you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. The menu has quite a variety of healthy dishes and homemade treats.

Shopping in Boulder

There are many shopping options in Boulder, and here are a few to start.

Pearl Street Mall

Pearl St is a pedestrian-only strip of shops and restaurants, also full of artists and street performers. Be sure to stop at Savory Spice Shop and Jackalope
for souvenirs.

Twenty Ninth Street

Twenty Ninth Street is another outdoor shopping mall full of some of the top brands.

Nightlife & Shows in Boulder

Bands on the Bricks

If attending the Wednesday farmer’s market, Bands on the Bricks is a short walk to on Pearl St. with weekly performances every Wednesday night in summer.

Boulder Theater

To catch a show or music performance be sure to check out the schedule at the Boulder Theater.

St Julian Hotel

This location has a great terrace to enjoy the nightlife in Boulder. They also host weekly Samba, Swing, and Salsa nights.

Lastly, after planning out all of the amazing things to see and do, here are some tips for transportation to and from Boulder. The city is only a short drive from Denver and the DIA airport.

Transportation to and from Boulder

If you are renting a car, as a suggestion, take I-70 to I-270 to US36, which will take you right into Boulder. If you take the E-470 toll road exit all the way to Boulder, you’ll be charged an almost $10 toll fee (it can be quicker though if traffic is heavy). There is no stopping at these tolls, as they’ll send you a bill in the mail later. If you are driving, be sure to keep an eye on traffic if on a time schedule.

Here are some other alternatives:

RTD Bus $9 each way
Green Ride Boulder $28 (additional passengers only $12 ea)
Lyft

Enjoy your time in Boulder and be sure to visit some of the mentioned sights to ensure you’ll have a great trip! Stephanie Krubsack, also known as SK Parfait, recently left her IT management position to travel the world as a travel writer and chef. Her main focus is researching the culture and cuisine of each country she visits, sharing travel tips via articles on her website and creating children’s books on healthy eating and cultures of the world. She is also known for creating vegan dishes, cooking her way through over 30 different countries!