DEN · Layover Guide
Denver
Stop in Denver.
Best layover: 5–24h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in Denver for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
Planning a stop in Denver?
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Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 76 · Discover 53 · Ease 5
Why Denver scores 76
Getting there
A Line Commuter Rail $10.5 · Uber/Lyft $42
min to center
metro- 01A Line train to Union Station (37 min, $10.50)
- 02Uber/Lyft to downtown (35-45 min, $35-50)
- 03RTD SkyRide bus routes (45-60 min, $10.50)
78 min by Union Station to Denver Airport Station
- 01Union Station's Great Hall with craft cocktails and local restaurants
- 02Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park hiking trails
- 03RiNo Art District murals and breweries along Larimer Street
- 04Denver Art Museum's Western American art collection
- 05Coors Field rooftop with Rocky Mountain views
Experiences in Denver
Timed tours and tickets for Denver are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
- Jacques Cafe~60 min1 min walk
- Stellar Jay~60 min2 min walk
- 9 News Parade of Lights~75 min1 min walk
- Resolution Denver New Years Eve~75 min1 min walk
- Big Sweep~90 min2 min walk
- Denver Art Museum~90 min2 min walk
- Coors Field4.7
- Denver Zoo4.6
- Denver Botanic Gardens4.8
- Denver Museum of Nature & Science4.7
- Meow Wolf Denver's Convergence Station4.5
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Bounce Luggage Storage - Union Station
Union Station area
$8/bag
2 min walk
The Crawford Hotel
Union Station
$150/day
0 min walk
LuggageHero Denver
Multiple downtown locations
$6/bag
5 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
A Line Commuter Rail
to Union Station
Runs every 15 min, free WiFi
37 min
$10.50
Uber/Lyft
to downtown
Peak hours can exceed 60 min due to I-70 traffic
40 min
$42.00
Uber to Red Rocks
to Red Rocks Park
Direct route, no public transit option
35 min
$55.00
Mile High Culture Pass
Denver Art Museum, History Colorado, Botanic Gardens
Valid 3 days, good for art-focused layovers
$32
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Tattered Cover bookstore in Concourse B
- 02New Belgium Hub craft beer bar
- 03Elway's steakhouse in Concourse B
- 04Root Down DIA farm-to-table dining
- 05Blue Mustang sculpture and conspiracy-theory architecture tour
Read more about Denver
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