Get Around Denver Without a Car

Visiting Denver but don’t want to rent a car?

No problem. While Denver is a walkable city, there are a variety of transportation options to get you around the city via rail, bus, bike, rideshare, and more.

Airport Rail

It's easy to get from Denver International Airport (DEN) to downtown Denver. At a cost of $10 each way, travelers can take the airport rail from DEN to Denver Union Station and vice versa. It takes only 37 minutes.

Known as the A Line, trains leave every 15 minutes between 4:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. from Union Station and every 30 minutes outside of those hours. The A Line serves eight total stations along a 23-mile stretch, including the 38th and Blake station that accesses Denver’s vibrant River North Art District (RiNo). The colorful murals are your clue that you are approaching RiNo.

Light Rail

The light rail network covers 113 miles across 10 rail lines and has more than 75 stations along Denver's north, east, southeast, southwest and west rail corridors. From as far south as Parker and Lone Tree, the trains follow I-225 and I-25 into downtown and beyond, with stops at Empower Field at Mile High, Ball Arena/Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park and Denver Union Station (a short walk to Coors Field, if you're headed to a Rockies game). Other lines will deliver you out west to Golden, south to Littleton, north to places like Westminster, Arvada and Thornton. The best part, the fare is only $2.75 for three hours and $5.50 for all-day service (youth 19 and under and active-duty military ride free).

The train cars are clean, cool and comfortable, and many stations have Park-n-Ride lots (free or paid) that often connect to bus stops and FlexRide services. Bikes can ride, too. Visit Regional Transportation District (RTD) for information on fares, zones, schedules, special services and much more. The best way is to look at the map and see where the rail system goes.

Bus

In addition to regular bus service around metro Denver, the RTD bus fleet offers a slew of special rides, services for people with limited mobility, free rides for active-duty military and more. A slick SkyRide makes hourly runs to Denver International Airport from Park-n-Rides around the city. The fee is $10 from anywhere in the RTD service area, and drivers assist with luggage. All RTD services, maps, routes, Park-n-Rides and fares are detailed on RTD’s bilingual website.

Downtown Wayfinding

Whether you're visiting iconic attractions or exploring vibrant neighborhoods, our detailed guide will help you navigate the city's bustling downtown area.

Download Downtown Wayfinding Guide

Denver Union Station

Free shuttle buses

Denver’s 16th Street Pedestrian Promenade

Free electric-powered buses cruise up and down the 16-block tree-lined retail core of downtown Denver, also home to hotels, restaurants, office buildings, residences and public spaces. Hop on at any intersection on 16th Street between Civic Center Station at Broadway near the Colorado State Capitol and Denver Union Station on the west end. A few short blocks from the mall get you to the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Colorado Convention Center, Larimer Square, Coors Field and LoDo (Lower Downtown). You can also access light rail and make connections for buses throughout the metro area and to Boulder, Golden, Longmont and Denver International Airport.

Bike

With a robust population of outdoor enthusiasts, it’s no surprise that a web of dedicated bike paths weaves through Denver and its edges. You can, for example, ride from Cherry Creek State Park in southeast Denver to Cuernavaca Park on the northwest side of downtown. The 15-mile paved path follows along Cherry Creek to where it meets the South Platte River at Confluence Park. In fact, there are approximately 85 miles of paved urban bike trails in metro Denver.

Denver has a popular bike, scooter and glider (a scooter-bike hybrid) rental program with Bird and Lime, which riders can pick up through the company's respective apps (versus docking stations). The city has designated parking corrals and marked-out pavement areas for shared bikes and scooters, in partnership with operators.

Some hotels like Kimpton Hotel Monaco Denver, Halcyon Hotel Cherry Creek and Catbird Hotel provide complimentary bicycles to guests. For those who want to try out an electric bike, connect with outfitters like Pedego Denver Electric Bike Sales & Tours or SloHi Bike Co.

If your preference is doing all of the pedaling on your own, Mile High Bike Tours offers a downtown Denver tour that follows riverside paths, city bike lanes and neighborhood streets over a distance of about 10 miles. This guided 2.5-hour tour highlights historic and public buildings, architecture, professional sports stadiums, public art installations, parks and outdoor venues. The Bike and Brew Tour includes all the same sights and attractions as the Denver City Tour as well RiNo at the end, where guides take cyclists past numerous breweries and through colorful alleys adorned with murals and graffiti. This excursion ends with craft beer sampling at one of the breweries.

Pedicabs

Pedal-cabs, bike-taxis … no matter what you call them, these pedal-powered taxis are a slick way to get around. Or make it a tour and learn about the city with guides from Denver Pedicabs who will pedal you to some of downtown's most photogenic spots or to the location of your choice.

Denver Trolley

From late May to early August, the vintage Denver Trolley departs from REI/Confluence Park every 30 minutes with stops at Downtown Aquarium and Children's Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During football season, the trolley also shuttles riders from REI/Confluence Park to Empower Field on Denver Broncos home game days (check for schedule updates online).

Horse & Carriage

It's a fun adventure for the family, a classy way to arrive at the theater or a quintessential romantic ride. In any case, it's a delight to sit up high snuggled under a blanket in a carriage drawn by magnificent draft horses. As you slowly clip-clop along the streets, get a completely different perspective of the sights and lights of downtown Denver. Customize your tour with any number of carriage drivers found parked along the 16th Street Pedestrian Promenade or book online with companies such as Irish Rose Drafts and Blue Moon Carriages online.

Walk

Sometimes the most pleasant and easy way to explore a place is on foot, and Denver is a delightfully walkable place. Many city venues can be reached on foot, from the historic Brown Palace Hotel & Spay by Marriott to the Denver Art Museum to Ball Arena. City dwellers can hoof it over the Millennium Bridge connecting bustling 16th Sreet Pedestrian Promenade with the relaxing Riverfront Park in the Central Platte Valley neighborhood.

Walkers can share the paths and parks that bikers use; just remember to stay to the right and listen for riders coming up behind you.

Taxis and Rideshares

Major rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft operate out of Denver, and you can find dedicated pick-up areas at Denver International Airport, Denver Union Station and other major attractions. Metro Taxi and zTrip also offer taxicab services throughout the Denver area and beyond.