Frequently Asked Questions
All group tours meet in front of Denver’s Union Station at 1701 Wynkoop Street. You will find your Aspire Tour Guide, waiting to greet you by the large American flag pole—closest to the curb. Delays are possible due to traffic or weather conditions. The following tours also have an optional pick-up at Walnut Café on Walnut Street in Boulder, Co.: (You must note Boulder pick up during booking): Rocky Mountain National Park Tour, Rocky Mountain National Park Hike, Boulder Hike & Beer.
Please look at the weather for the day you are traveling. For tours with high elevation (Rocky Mountain National Park, Mount Evans) please be aware that it gets much colder in the mountains. For hiking tours bring layers, as it can get cold in the mountains, but you may want to shed layers following your hike.
- Footwear: light hiking shoes or sneakers with good tread are recommended.
- Outerwear: Windbreakers / rain jackets are recommended for our Full-Day tours. In the winter, warm jackets, hats and base layers are needed.
- 7:30am: Garden of the Gods and COG Railway Tour
- 8:00am : Foothills of the Rocky Mountains & Red Rocks, Rocky Mountain Escape, Rocky Mountain National Park Hike, Half-Day Hike
- 9:00am : Rocky Mountain National Park Tour
- 9:00am: Scenic Mount Evans, Breckenridge Mountain Explorer, Seeing Denver
- 1:00pm : Foothills of the Rocky Mountains & Red Rocks, Rocky Mountain Escape, Half-Day Hike, Brews and Views
*Please note that check-in begins 10 minutes prior to each tour departure time*
Pickups for Private Outings are planned during booking and can be confirmed after speaking with a Guest Specialist.
Our Half-Day and Full-Day Daily Public Tours are open to the public and happen on a daily schedule (we don’t like to let a day go by without guiding people to enjoy Colorado’s Outdoors). Private and Company Tours are not open to the public and only happen when you book them. Outings are far more custom and planned around you—any Experience, any Destination in Colorado. Contact us to speak with a Guest Specialist to plan your perfect outing.
There are several parking garages in the area, including a garage located at 1899 Wynkoop St. The Crawford Hotel, located at Union Station, offers valet parking for $25. We'd highly recommend you download the app, SpotHero, to help you find your preferred parking accommodations.
In the summer, we provide a picnic lunch for all full day tours except Pikes Peak COG Railway & Garden of the Gods Tour. If you have any dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc.) please make a notation in your order or give us a call. For serious dietary needs you might consider bringing your own food. In the winter, we only provide lunch on the Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Adventure.
Please call the office at 720-583-0654 if you are running more than 5 minutes late. We have the phone number you provided at booking on file—we will call you if we can’t locate you by the time of departure. However, we will leave no later than 10 minutes after the scheduled time in the event you are late. We must prioritize the experience of our guests who were able to meet at the departure point at the agreed upon time.
If the weather is expected to be unreasonable to proceed with your tour, we will notify you the night before, or the morning of, to confirm your tour’s cancellation. That said, it is rare for us to cancel. It is your responsibility to monitor the weather and cancel accordingly if you don’t feel comfortable with conditions like clouds, rain, snow, etc. Colorado weather can be very unpredictable and we cannot guarantee visiting all sights or points of interest along the tour, if we think it is not safe to drive.
If you are concerned with getting sick at higher altitude, we recommend having one day in Denver before joining one of our tours that visit a much higher elevation (Mount Evans, Pikes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Breckenridge). If you feel fine and are staying more hydrated than normal, then you should be good to tour with us at these higher elevations! The key is to continue drinking water before, during, and after your tour to higher elevation. Our guides will remind you and are also supportive in helping guests feel comfortable while traveling at higher elevations. There is always a gradual drive up to these higher elevations, and we often spend 30 minutes or less at the highest point on tour. Exact elevations depend on the tour. Please look through the specific tour page or this FAQ to see those details.
At Aspire, we do grant full refunds for you / your group if we are notified 24-hours (firm) prior to our public tours (COG Rail tour exempt). You can also transfer your purchase to someone else at any time. Please, notify us by e-mail or /phone with this request. If you have booked a tour through an online travel company, please check their policy for cancellation details. For Private or Corporate Outings we require a 72-hour (firm) notice of cancellation.
For our COG Railway and Garden of the Gods Tour we require a 7-days notice for a full refund due to our partner's cancellation policy for their train tickets.
- Full-Day Tours: Temperatures can be up to 10-20 degrees colder than experienced in Denver that day, due to change in altitude.
- Half-Day Tours: Temperatures are typically no more than 5-10 degrees cooler than Denver that day.
- Bring one reusable container of water per person, as we have refills in the car. Colorado is a very dry state and altitude can amplify hydration needs.
- Any required medications.
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- A Backpack if you are taking a Hiking Tour / Outing
We give each of our Tours 1 of 3 ratings: Easy, Moderate or Advanced. Our Sightseeing Tours are the easiest—including the opportunity to do some walking if you choose—we call it “Active Sightseeing.” We always offer photo ops during our tours—our Guides encourage you to get out and snap a shot or take a stroll, but always feel free to stay seated and take in the views. Most Hiking Tours are rated Moderate. Advanced ratings are typically reserved for custom / Private Outings:
- Boulder Hike & Beer 2-3 miles
- Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Tour 4-5 miles
- Half-Day Rocky Mountain Hike 2-3 miles
During the summer months, conditions permitting, we will reach up to 12,000 feet for our Rocky Mountain National Park Tours. We go up to 14,000 feet on our Scenic Mount Evans Tour. Red Rocks Amphitheater: 6,500 feet, Breckenridge: 9,500 feet, Boulder: 5,300 feet, Pikes Peak: 14,115 feet, Squaw Pass: 9,790 feet. Due to the elevation, we always encourage our guests to drink lots of water and stay hydrated.
The following tours also have an optional pick-up at Boulder’s Walnut Cafe at 3073 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80301 : (You must note Boulder pick up during booking):- Rocky Mountain National Park Tour, Rocky Mountain National Park Hike, Boulder Hike & Beer
Our Daily Tours do not exceed 13 passengers.
All our tours are run with upscale 14-passenger vehicles, but we restrict our public tours to 13 travelers for comfort.
Daily Half-Day Tours last four (4) hours. Daily Full-Day tours last from seven (7) to eight (8) Hours. All of our routes are subject to traffic and / or weather conditions.
We have a minimum age requirement of eight (8) years old, which is related to state laws regarding the safe transportation of persons under that age. Our Brews & Views and Boulder Brew Hike have an age requirement of eighteen (18) years old to participate and twenty-one (21) years old to drink alcoholic beverages. We have more flexibility with our minimum age requirement for Private Outings—please contact one of our Guest Specialists to learn more.
We have a 4 guest minimum for our tours to depart on schedule.
We follow local health guidelines for Covid-19. If you have specific questions or needs, please call us at +1-720-583-0654 to discuss.