Colorado Springs
At the foot of Pikes Peak, the 4,302-metre summit that inspired the anthem America the Beautiful, Colorado Springs lines up red sandstone spires, mineral springs you drink from fountains and a staircase of 2,768 steps cut into the slope. You reach the summit by car or by cog railway, then come back down for dinner in the Victorian streets of Manitou Springs.
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Colorado Springs · Photo Alfo Medeiros / Pexels
Things to do in Colorado Springs in 4 days
Day 1
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A free city park of more than 500 hectares where red sandstone blades tilted upright by the Rockies rise before snowy Pikes Peak, with a paved loop past Kissing Camels and Sentinel Rock.
💡 Park at sunrise in the central car park, full by 9 a.m. in summer, and walk the loop as the rock glows red. The free visitor centre has the best terrace over the rocks, with Pikes Peak behind. Climbing is allowed with a free registration. Price: free.
OkieInCOS / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
A spa town founded in 1872 at the foot of Pikes Peak, with eight free mineral springs in stone fountains, Victorian villas, 1930s penny arcades and cafés in a large historic district.
💡 Take a water bottle and taste the springs one after another as you walk up Manitou Avenue; the water is free and safe to drink. Parking is paid everywhere in town: leave the car in a municipal car park and take the route 33 shuttle, free from late March to late October, to Ruxton Avenue. Price: free.
JOHN LLOYD from Concrete, Washington, United States / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The former track of a 1907 funicular, now a staircase of 2,768 railway sleepers climbing 610 metres in under 1.6 km, with gradients over 60%, free but booked online by half-hour slot.
💡 A free online reservation and a signed waiver are compulsory, in half-hour slots, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. from May to October and from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. from November to April. Park in a municipal car park in Manitou and take the route 33 shuttle, free from late March to late October. Set off at dawn in summer, carry at least a litre of water, and do not attempt it on the day you arrive if you are coming from sea level. Price: free, paid parking.
Ahodges7 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 2
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A spiralling aluminium museum opened in 2020 telling the Games through Olympic and Paralympic athletes in equal measure, with sprint-start, archery and ski simulators, fully accessible by wheelchair.
💡 Outside the summer season, the museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and opens from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Monday. Buy your ticket online and allow two hours to try the simulators. Price: from $21.95, about €19, per adult on Mondays and Thursdays, $23.95, about €21, Friday to Sunday; more expensive in summer.
Visitcos / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The highest zoo in the United States, on the slopes of Cheyenne Mountain, famous for its reticulated giraffes that eat from visitors' hands, with entry to the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun included.
💡 Tickets are only sold online in advance, by time slot, at a price that varies with the day: buy them a few days ahead in summer. Bring cash to feed the giraffes, $3, about €2.60, for a bunch of lettuce. The Will Rogers tower is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Price: varies with the date, check on the zoo's website.
Greg Goebel from Loveland CO, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 3
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Seven waterfalls tumbling down a granite canyon in South Cheyenne Cañon, climbed by a 224-step staircase alongside the falls, with a restaurant and a lift cut into the rock to a viewing platform.
💡 There is no parking on site: park for free at the Norris Penrose Event Center, from where a free shuttle takes you to the entrance. Online tickets are cheaper in the afternoon. Price: $25, about €22, per adult online in the morning, $21, about €18, in the afternoon; $19, about €16, for ages 2 to 12 in the morning.
John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)Learn moreMore
The 4,302-metre summit that inspired America the Beautiful, reached by a 31 km toll road with unguarded hairpins or by the rebuilt cog railway from Manitou, with high-altitude doughnuts at the top.
💡 By road, allow $18, about €15, per adult and $8, about €7, per child aged 6 to 15, or $65, about €56, per car of up to five people; from late May to late September, a $2 timed permit per vehicle is required beyond the seventh mile. The train is booked online, at a price that varies with the date, for a 3 h 30 round trip with 40 minutes at the summit. Go up in the morning, as storms break after noon in summer, and come down in first gear to spare your brakes.
Dough4872 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 4
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Prairie ravines east of the city where erosion has carved hoodoos and clay cliffs striped white, pink, ochre and purple, once a source of paint for Native peoples, with marked trails and no crowds.
💡 Come in the late afternoon, when the low light brings out the colours, and stay on the trails: walking or climbing on the very fragile formations is forbidden. There is no water or shade, so bring something to drink. The park opens from dawn to dusk. Price: free.
Robert M. Russell / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
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Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Colorado Springs.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
Have you thought of…?
The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
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📄 See the full guide: Colorado Springs, detailed month-by-month weather, budget, what to avoid and FAQ.