Denver | A Layover Tour of Colorado’s Capital

On a flight to Las Vegas with a layover in Denver, I had half a day to explore this high-altitude city. Right after landing, I looked up some tips and learned that Denver is actually Colorado’s capital 🏛️, nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains at 1,600 meters elevation. It’s a strong economic hub in the Midwest — kind of like Xi’an in China. Denver’s downtown isn’t packed with attractions, so I’d only recommend it if you’re already passing through.😀 Without a car and just sticking to downtown, I wouldn’t make a special trip. I took my time hitting the popular spots and wandering nearby — total exploring time was just 3–4 hours. 🛤️ Transport: From the airport, take Track A to Union Station via the train. Use the Transit app to buy tickets — $10 round-trip (the airport and Union Station are 28 miles apart). The ride takes about 40 minutes. First, my top recommendation: the Colorado State Capitol (Point G on my route). Gold-domed outside, stunningly grand inside — you can even visit the Senate chamber, all for free! The top floor shares Colorado’s history, and the building is super photogenic inside and out 📸✨. My walking route — all in one smooth loop: Start: Union Station A: University of Colorado Denver B: Clock Tower Tours C: Big Blue Bear (It’s popular here for some reason — apparently the same designer did Chengdu’s giant panda? 🐼) D: Populus Hotel E: Denver City Council — really impressive architecture F: Civic Center Park G: Colorado State Capitol 🏛️💛 H: Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception ⛪ Then walk back to Union Station and take the train back to the airport. Total walking distance: around 6 miles. With stops and photos, it took less than half a day 🚶‍♂️📸. #Denver #Colorado #UnionStation #USATravel #DenverAirportLayover #CityWalk #ExploreDenver #CapitalCity #TravelOnATimeCrunch 🏔️✈️