3 Days in Denver for $91: My Real Work-Trip Budget Itinerary

I spent three days in Denver during a work trip and used my free time to explore the city and the mountains. My company provided my Marriott stay, my local Uber rides cost me $0 through a work benefit, the return flight to San Francisco was covered, and breakfast, lunch and coffee were available at the office. That left me with just $91 in confirmed out-of-pocket spending for three paid attractions.

My Denver budget at a glance

Where I stayed

I stayed at a Marriott provided by my company. I do not have the exact property name recorded here, so I am not presenting a specific Denver Marriott as the hotel I used. My personal accommodation cost was $0.

How I got around

I used Uber for all of my local transport, including the sightseeing days. My personal cost was $0 because of a work benefit. A normal visitor should add their own local transport costs when using this itinerary.

Day 1 — Larimer Square, Denver Art Museum and Union Station

My first day focused on central Denver: a historic downtown area, one major paid museum and the city's railway landmark.

Larimer Square

I visited Larimer Square and recorded $0 sightseeing spend for this stop.

Denver Art Museum

I went to the Denver Art Museum and paid $22 on my trip.

Denver Union Station

I finished the day at Denver Union Station. My recorded sightseeing cost: $0.

Day 1 paid attraction spend: $22.

Day 2 — Red Rocks, Meow Wolf and RiNo

Day 2 mixed Colorado scenery, an immersive art experience and Denver street art.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

I visited Red Rocks and recorded $0 admission spend for this stop.

Meow Wolf Denver: Convergence Station

I paid $39 for my visit.

RiNo Art District

I explored RiNo and recorded $0 sightseeing spend there.

Day 2 paid attraction spend: $39.

Day 3 — Rocky Mountain National Park, then back to San Francisco

Rocky Mountain National Park was the main activity on my third day. I then headed back to San Francisco that evening.

Rocky Mountain National Park

I paid $30 for my visit. I am recording the amount exactly as I remember paying it, rather than presenting it as today's standard entry price.

Return to San Francisco

I travelled back to San Francisco on the evening of Day 3. The flight was covered, so my personal flight cost was $0.

Day 3 paid attraction spend: $30.

What I ate in Denver

During this short stay, I personally found vegetarian food difficult to get in the situations I was in. Breakfast, lunch and coffee were provided at the office, and for dinner I relied on Maggi I had brought from India. I therefore recorded $0 food spend during the Denver trip. That is my own trip experience, not a claim that Denver generally lacks vegetarian restaurants.

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Price note: The prices in this article are the amounts I paid or recorded for my own trip. Work benefits made this trip unusually inexpensive. Always check current attraction prices, transport costs, opening hours and park requirements before travelling.

Image credits: Denver skyline © Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0; Larimer Square © Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0; Denver Union Station photo released to the public domain by Darkshark0159. Other Denver images on this page are and are not presented as my own travel photographs.