Top 12 Romantic Things To Do In Aspen, Colorado

romantic things to do in aspen
Maria Cristina
Maria Cristina 
Updated
| 7 min read

Aspen is one of the best places to go for a winter wonderland vacation. It’s Pitkin County’s most populated municipality, beside the Roaring Fork River surrounded by the Elk Mountains and the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. Named after the Aspen Trees that abound in this mountainous area, the former mining camp was reborn as a posh ski destination after the nearby Aspen Mountain became a ski resort. Today, it is frequented by celebrities who want an all-year winter hiatus at the top luxury rentals, with skiing opportunities and a fascinating apres-ski lifestyle. Experience going out on a dinner date and living in the best vacation rentals right after a whole day of skiing up the mountains. Savor the picturesque landscape while you float down from the sky, or while sliding your snowboard down the slopes. Here’s a rundown of the top romantic things to do in Aspen, Colorado.

1. Take a jeep tour of Canon City and Royal Gorge Bridge & Park (from USD 149.0)

This breathtaking jeep ride is not for the faint of heart for it will take you to the highest heights! With a professional guide, you will be riding a customized open type jeep that is modified for your comfort. The awesome three-and-a-half-hour ride will take you to the highest suspension bridge in America, over the historical Canon City and world-famous Royal Gorge southern edge. The jeep will climb higher to Fremont Peak, so you can see the entire stretch of Colorado’s mountains. Kids will enjoy seeing Canon City’s centuries-old dinosaur tracks on your return trip down the mountains.

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Canon City Royal Gorge Park Jeep 3.5-Hour Guided Tour

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

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2. Enjoy a romantic sunset dinner

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Have a dinner like no other – up in the mountains, watching the sunset, and under the stars! You start your journey riding a jeep up along the Snowmass Mountain to reach the Burlingame Cabin. Enjoy the picturesque scenery of the overlook and play some cowboy games like horseshoe tossing and calf roping. Relax by the warm bonfire with a cold beer in hand right before the dinner bell rings. Have some s’mores with live guitar music playing as you watch the sun go down at Mount Daly. A sumptuous dinner, Cowboy barbecue-style, is served thereafter. You have to book a reservation for your family and friends at least two days before the event. Bring a camera and an extra jacket or change of clothes as the weather is unpredictable outdoors. Have some extra cash for giving tips to your guides.

Backcountry Sunset Dinner

Address: Blazing Adventures, 555 E Durant Avenue Aspen, Colorado 81611

Website: Backcountry Sunset Dinner

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3. Explore Snowmass Mountain on a guided horseback adventure (from USD 45.0)

Feel like a real cowboy by joining this Horseback Riding Tour on Snowmass Mountain. Choose between an hour, two, or three hours of scenic tours that will accommodate all types of riders. You don’t need to be an expert to ride the horse. You will be given a short demonstration of how to ride safely before starting the tour. The riders will be matched up with the horses and the tour is led by professional guides. Bring your camera and take lots of pictures of the diverse wildlife and picturesque landscape as you go up the mountain trail. They also offer the Cattle Drive activity, where guests can participate in herding cattle to the grazing ground. The activity starts as early as 8 am and finishes after 3 or 5 hours. You can take photos, but you’re not allowed to stop the group during the Cattle Drive.

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Colorado Horseback Riding Tour, All-Levels

Duration: 1 to 5 hours

4. Explore John Denver Sanctuary

Rocky Mountain High, John Denver Sanctuary in Aspen Colorado
Source: Photo by Flickr user Lorie Shaull used under CC BY-SA 2.0

As a naturally rich ski resort town, Aspen provides its visitors with countless of opportunities to be one with nature. One of the many ways to enjoy the scenery is exploring John Denver Sanctuary. This open space park offers free admission and is cozied up next to Roaring Fork River. Engraved rocks with stories about the park are scattered all around, adding to the overall ethereal appeal of the sanctuary. If you’re on a budget but itching to go on a nature trip, this popular tourist attraction is your friend. Take your loved one to see some of Aspen’s finest!

John Denver Sanctuary

Address: 470 Rio Grande Pl, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

Website: John Denver Sanctuary

Opening hours: 6am - 9pm (daily)

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5. Geek out at Aspen Art Museum

Aspen Art Museum by Shigeru Ban
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bkthomson16 used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Aspen isn’t all about winter sports. Art enthusiasts will enjoy their trip to the town as well. If you and your partner are the artsy types, make your way to Aspen Art Museum. This contemporary art museum features paintings, multimedia installations, sculptures, electronic media, and many others. As a non-collecting institution, Aspen Art Museum displays significant evolutions in modern international art, with the purpose of educating and engaging the public in current social issues. Take a break from all the winter activities and pay a visit to this modern museum.

Aspen Art Museum

Address: 637 E Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

Website: Aspen Art Museum

Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 10am - 6pm (closed on Mon)

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6. Go ice skating

Tincup, Colorado
Source: Photo by Flickr user Larry Lamsa used under CC BY 2.0

Your Aspen romantic getaway isn’t complete without ice skating. For over five decades, the Aspen Ice Garden has been the center of all ice skating related activities. Set in Aspen’s downtown, it has a large floor with a seating capacity of nearly 150 people. Special events like Rare Aspen art exhibits are held here during the summer. It draws in a bigger crowd during winter, when its icy surface is best for ice sports and activities. It is home to famous local and national teams for figure skating, curling, and junior and adult hockey. It is also open for public skating and playing drop-in hockey.

Aspen Ice Garden

Address: 233 W Hyman Ave, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

Website: Aspen Ice Garden

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7. Have a dinner date up in the mountains at Snowcat Dinners

Lift 1A on Aspen Mountain
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user AspenSkiingCompany used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Bring your family or your date for a one-of-a-kind dinner date at the top of the mountain. You’ll have to take an exciting Snowcat ride to reach the restaurant in a cabin at the apex. Snowcat Dinners at Lynn Britt Cabin, a romantic cabin restaurant in Aspen, Colorado, is one of the famous events that’s part of the apres-ski lifestyle. After skiing all day, people just have a quick change of clothes so they are properly dressed for a romantic dinner with a view of the snow-covered slopes. A gourmet chef serves a four-course dinner of New American cuisine, while a live band serenades the guests for the entire night. Do note that the dinner is by reservation only.

Snowcat Dinners at Lynn Britt Cabin

Address: Lynn Britt Trail, Snowmass Village, CO 81615, United States

Website: Snowcat Dinners at Lynn Britt Cabin

Opening hours: 11:30am - 4pm (daily)

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8. Ride a snowmobile around the mountains

Snowmobile Best Trick Practice - Winter X Games 14
Source: Photo by Flickr user Philip Nelson used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Explore the beautiful winter wonderland surroundings of the White River National forest by joining a snowmobile tour offered at the T-Lazy-7 Ranch. The ranch also offers other outdoorsy activities like fly fishing at their exclusive beaver ponds and horseback riding around the Maroon Bells during the summer. Owned by the Deane family, the first settlers in Aspen, they have been operating the ranch for over eight decades and through five generations. It is located in Maroon Creek Valley and is home to Maroon Bells, North America’s most picturesque mountains. If you want to stay on the ranch to experience working farm life, then rent a cabin for a minimum of six months or more. The ranch is also a lovely place for memorable events like weddings.

T-Lazy-7 Ranch and Snowmobiles

Address: 3129 Maroon Creek Rd, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

Website: T-Lazy-7 Ranch and Snowmobiles

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm (closed on Sun)

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9. See the world below from a hot air balloon

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Go high up in the sky in a hot air balloon and see the world from a different perspective. Above It All Balloon Company has been providing guided hot air balloon rides to the Aspen and Snowmass areas for more than 28 years. Their rides and tours start early in the morning so that you will be floating above the mountains and Snowmass brush Creek Valley just as the sun starts to rise. The breathtaking trip takes an hour and ends with a delicious brunch with free Champagne once you land. If riding a hot air balloon is on your bucket list, then this is the perfect time to check it out.

Above It All Balloon Company, Inc

Address: 2835 Brush Creek Rd, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

Website: Above It All Balloon Company, Inc

Opening hours: 8am - 8pm (daily)

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10. Try an exciting gondola ride

Aspen Mountain
Source: Photo by Flickr user Éamonn Ó Muirí used under CC BY 2.0

Just taking a gondola up the ski mountain is already an exciting journey in itself. For first-timers, a gondola is an enclosed ski lift that can transport passengers up the ski mountain. In Aspen, the Silver Queen Gondola is the largest gondola that can transport up to several passengers at one time to the Ajax (top of Aspen Mountain) in not more than 20 minutes. Enjoy the lovely snow-covered terrain along the way. Once you get to the top, you can ski down the slopes or you can stay and relish the scenery by taking guided nature walks, hikes, and exclusive dining opportunities.

Silver Queen Gondola

Address: 601 E Dean St., Aspen, CO 81611

Website: Silver Queen Gondola

Opening hours: 10am - 4pm (daily)

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11. Go paragliding

Aspen, Colorado Activities - Paragliding (3.5)
Source: Photo by Flickr user Rich Pearce used under CC BY 2.0

For a different kind of adventure, try paragliding and feel like a bird as you float down the mountains. Each rider is assisted by a USHPA certified pilot and you are both harnessed in one glider. With a private tandem paragliding lesson, you learn the proper take-off technique and enjoy the view of the mountains from heights as high as 18,000 feet (5,486.40 meters) before landing in the valley below. This two-hour trip creates a memory that lasts a lifetime. Have your first paragliding experience with Aspen Paragliding, the country’s first paragliding school and full-service provider of paragliding equipment located near the Aspen Mountain Ski Resort.

Aspen Paragliding

Address: Summer Location, 426 S Spring St, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

Website: Aspen Paragliding

Opening hours: 6am - 6pm (daily)

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12. Learn to cook your own dinner

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Spice up your love life and cook a romantic dinner for your significant other! If you don’t know how to cook, you can either take cooking lessons or take your partner with you and learn together. That sweet alternative can be achieved if you enroll in the cooking classes offered at the Aspen Science Center. The center collaborated with The Cooking School of Aspen, to come up with a learning program, where the students are taught the fine art of preparing food while indulging in a three-course meal with wine pairings. You learn new skills, techniques, the hows and whys of cooking, and additional knowledge about food preparation in an ultra-modern kitchen setup. The classes are limited to only 24 attendees, so sign up asap!

Science of Cooking

Address: Aspen Science Center, 520 South Third Street Carbondale, Colorado

Website: Science of Cooking

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The Après-ski lifestyle

Though most of these tours are pricey, they’re worth every cent for the memories they create. Experience the breathtaking Apres-ski lifestyle while having dinner at the top of the slopes or high up in a hot air balloon, or riding a jeep or a horse while exploring the mountains. All these activities can definitely spark romance because they are all exciting and engaging. Book one of these top romantic activities in Aspen, Colorado.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
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Tina is a free-spirited writer and traveler. She likes to experience unfamiliar places, cuisines, and scenery. She prefers beaches to mountains though as she is afraid of heights. Visiting museums,...Read more

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