Explore Denver with a hire car

Sitting constantly under the gaze of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is a city that will amaze and invigorate the senses of visitors of all backgrounds and tastes thanks to the wide array of activities and things to see in this culturally diverse and modern metropolis. Essential sightseeing can be done during a two or three day visit, however, with the amount of green space, shopping opportunities, arts and culture about, you could easily spend more than a week in the city and not run out of things to do.

A good starting point is the 16th Street Mall, where you will find a seemingly endless walkway flanked by innumerable shops and cafes where you can catch a spot of breakfast and do some people watching before starting your exploration of the city. A particular shop of note to visit here is Rockmount Ranchwear, famous for its collection of original west American clothing such as cowboy hats, shirts, boots and jeans. Customers include former U.S presidents and celebrities such as Bruce Springsteen, who were all keen to snap up the authentic Ranchwear made famous in this part of America.

Car hire Denver

Denver, Colorado

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Next, look to explore The LoDo – a simply unavoidable part of any visit. Here you will find 28 blocks of beautifully restored Victorian buildings that bring together Denver’s entertainment hotspots. Bars, nightclubs, restaurants and shops make up the majority of the complex, which by night is a vibrant focal point where you can either catch a live band or simply enjoy a spot of fine dining. The LoDo also incorporates Coors Field, home to the Colorado Rockies baseball team (www.rockies.mlb.com for fixtures, stadium tours and tickets).  Alternatively by night you could take in a show at the Denver Performing Arts Centre on 13th Street, where you can normally expect a world class performance by some of the biggest names in opera, theatre, stage or music.

Another important focal point in Denver is Larimer Square. The square is Denver’s oldest area where you will now find countless fashion boutiques set in a trendy and upmarket environment boasting restaurants and also nightclubs.

If you are in Denver and are more in tune with outdoor pursuits, the city is famous for its biking trails that run from the heart of the city out to the South Platte and Cherry Creek. Visit REI (www.rei.com) on Platte Street where you can hire a bike – the perfect way to take in the iconic Capitol Hill area. Here you will find two great museums; The Kirkland Museum and the Molly Brown House. The Kirkland Museum houses a formidable collection of 20th century decorative arts, where you will find almost 3500 works of many varieties by both local artists and internationally famous names. Next door, the Molly Brown House celebrates Denver’s most famous resident. After making her fortune during the gold rush, she became a respected political figure and an icon for women across America. Her historic mansion shows artefacts of the incredible life of this lady who survived the sinking of the Titanic (earning her the name “Unsinkable Molly”) including personal items, furniture, artwork, photographs and more.

Although you will probably find yourself gravitating towards the LoDo, Larimer Square or the 16th Street Mall for something to eat, you should also consider visiting City Park nearby, where you will find a great array of restaurants serving excellent cuisine from around the world.

If you’re still feeling energetic, take a trip right out to the aforementioned Cherry Creek, where shoppers again are treated to a large-scale retail and leisure area. Here you will find almost 350 shops as well as more bars and restaurants.

With the benefit of car hire, you should definitely take a drive out to the internationally recognised Red Rocks Amphitheatre 15 miles west of the city. People may have seen performances on television by the likes of U2 and even The Beatles here, however being there is a totally different experience. The amphitheatre is formed by 70 million year-old rocks which rise up 500 feet, looking down onto the stage allowing for a truly spectacular setting. If coming here by day, outdoor pursuit enthusiasts will find some awesome biking and hiking trails as well as guided tours of the geological sites that have encouraged continuous research into the area to this day.

If making the effort to drive out to Red Rocks, also take in the town of Golden to visit the Buffalo Bill Museum and Gravesite. William F. ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody is a true icon of the Wild West – starting as a cattle herder from childhood before riding in the Pony Express and then on to the Buffalo Bill Wild West shows that brought him fame around the world. This captivating museum opened in 1921 contains famous exhibits from the Buffalo Bill shows, his life and many interesting Native Indian artefacts such as bows and arrows.

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