From historic landmarks along mountain bike trails and even deep into the underground tunnels of our favorite cities, there’s plenty to see here in Northern Colorado. Whether you’re a native or a transplant, we’re willing to bet you haven’t seen it all.
To prove it, we rounded up the best guided tours available in Northern Colorado. These take place both in our neighborhoods, throughout our surrounding landscapes, and inside some of our favorite local businesses. So, if you’ve always wanted to meet the ghosts of Estes Park, tour the areas beneath Greeley, or see how the milk is made at a local dairy farm, keep reading!
Beer & Bike Tours
Fort Collins | Facebook
Beer & Bike Tours is a Fort Collins-based and family-run company that offers guided bike tours along the Front Range, throughout the state, and even beyond our state and country in places like Belgium, Portugal, Germany and Japan. Their single-day adventures include the four-hour Fort Collins Brew Cruise, the six-hour Fort Collins Day Tour, the Estes Park Brew Cruise and more. To see all the Day Tours, click here.
Estes Park Trolleys
Estes Park | Facebook
Photo courtesy of Adore Photography via Estes Park Trolleys
If you want to tour the landscape of Rocky Mountain National Park or the history of Estes Park, we think a charming and historic trolley is one of the best ways to travel. Estes Park Trolleys takes their vehicles into the 100-year-old park for tours and offers daily tours around the Estes Valley, too. Additional adventures include the three-hour Brewery Distillery Tour, the seasonal Rocky Mountain National Park Alpine Photo Tour with a sunset option, and an Elk Rut Viewing Tour which includes complimentary wine and cheese. To learn more, click here.
Front Range Ride Guides
Fort Collins and Boulder | Facebook
If outdoor adventure is more your style, but you’re not sure where to go, choose Front Range Ride Guides. This local team puts together guided mountain biking adventures in Boulder and Fort Collins locations, including half-day, full-day, multi-day and brewery excursions. Suitable for all ages and ability levels, these customizable trips are great ways to see the incredible mountain biking, scenery and mountain culture that Colorado has to offer.
G Town Tours
Greeley | Facebook
Image courtesy of City of Greeley
Organized by the City of Greeley, G Town Tours are free tours designed to acquaint residents and visitors with the most interesting aspects of our community. Scheduled on specific dates throughout the year, these can explore the local eateries of Downtown Greeley, the historic architecture of the University of Northern Colorado, a backstage look at city facilities, and even a haunted tour of the city’s underground spaces. To see the upcoming dates, click here.
Green Jeep Tours
Estes Park | Facebook
Photo courtesy of Green Jeep Tours
Based right in Estes Park, the Green Jeep Tours team uses their famous bright green jeeps to take guests on off-road wilderness adventures, elk viewing tours, hiking tours, brewery tours and so much more. You can explore all their year-round tour options here.
Magic Bus Tours
Fort Collins | Facebook
Photo courtesy of Mark Creery Photography via Magic Bus Tours
Magic Bus Tours is a small, local, Fort Collins business born from the desire to show off all the spectacular things in our hometown. Aboard the painted bus—decked out with loads of audiovisual equipment—you can tour the city’s restaurants, breweries, historic landmarks and more. Options include guided riding and walking tours like the Fort Collins Brew Walkabout through Old Town, the Fort Collins Sightseeing and History Bus Tour, the haunting Fort Collins Ghost Bus Tour, and even the Fort Collins Farm-to-Table Tour.
Morning Fresh Dairy Farm
Bellvue | Facebook
Photo courtesy of Morning Fresh Dairy Farm
Owned and operated by the Graves family since 1894, the Morning Fresh Dairy Farm is a fifth-generation farm located in the beautiful Pleasant Valley of Bellvue. Through the years, they’ve grown into a large operation still true to their hometown roots, and they even produce Noosa Yoghurt on site. When you take a farm tour, you can sample all the Morning Fresh milk products and you’ll receive a free yogurt! For information on the free 1.5-hour tours, click here.
New Belgium Brewing Company
Fort Collins | Facebook
New Belgium may be famous across the country today, but they started brewing craft beer right here in Fort Collins in 1991. When you sign up for a free tour of the facility, you get to step inside the production areas and learn all about the history, the barrel program, environmental sustainability, employee ownership and more. We mentioned these are free tours, right? You can sign up in advance here, and be ready to get plenty of samples!
Odell Brewing Co.
Fort Collins | Facebook
Odell may have a large following within the U.S. (and even across the pond in the UK) but over the years, the brewery has stayed true to its family roots right here in Fort Collins. Their beers are developed from British styles, where innovation and creativity meet balance, consistency and quality. When you sign up for a free brewery tour here, you can find out all about what goes into each flagship and experimental brew.
The Stanley
Estes Park | Facebook
The Stanley Hotel is much more than just a luxury hotel. In addition to its historic rooms, legendary grounds and destination dining services, its storied and haunted past reaches back more than 100 years and has made it one of the most famous hotels in the country. Guided explorations of those legends include The Historic Stanley Day Tour, the F.O. and Friends Family History Tour for children 8 and under, and The Historic Stanley Night Tour which will take you through the hotel and grounds in the dead of night.
Sweet Heart Winery
Loveland | Facebook
Photo courtesy of Sweet Heart Winery
Sweet Heart Winery is an intimate winery headquartered in the Sweetheart City on eight acres of beautiful Northern Colorado land. This family team kicked off their garage hobby in 2010 and has grown the operation into one of the state’s best. When you schedule a paid, private tasting, you can enjoy a wine flight, a special barrel tasting and a guided tour through the grounds and facility. Any tour that comes with wine is a great idea, right?
Wild Side 4×4 Tours
Estes Park | Facebook
Previously known as Rocky Mountain Rush Tours, this locally owned company has won multiple awards as the best tour company in Estes Park. Offering year-round adventures, their options include mild, medium and wild off-road tours like the Top of the World Tour, which is their most popular Rocky Mountain National Park photo tour, the four-hour Not So Mellow Marshmallow & Hot Dog Roast, which takes place in the evening, and the Rock’n Roller Coaster Tour for off-road thrills. To view all the available tours, click here.
Do you have a favorite?
If you have a favorite guided tour in Northern Colorado—even if it’s not on our list—tell us about it in the comments below!
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