Planning a quick weekend trip to Colorado Springs and want to make the most of it? Look no further for the perfect weekend of both nature and the city! I’m sharing my own itinerary from my trip to Colorado Springs ◡̈

This was my second time visiting Colorado Springs, but other than visiting Garden of the Gods, everything I did on this trip was something new which I love! I even saw a mama bear with her two cubs! My friends and I kept joking that we’ve seen more bears in Colorado than rats in New York City (at the time I had only seen 1 rat in NYC, but now the count is up to 2).

DAY 1

So normally I would share the Airbnb with you that we stayed at, however, this Airbnb was definitely not my favorite. The host was nice, however the actual place was not exactly what we expected. However, I liked our location near downtown Colorado Springs because it was convenient to most places, so I’d recommend looking into staying in that area!

DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS

We started off our trip by taking a walk through downtown Colorado Springs. There’s tons of cute little shops, but as a dietitian/foodie, my personal favorite was the Savory Spice Shop. And genuinely as I’m writing this I just realized that the spice shop that I was obsessed with in Nashville is the same as this one. I didn’t realize it was a chain haha. I literally told my friend when we were at the one in Nashville that it “reminded me of this cute spice shop I went to in Colorado Springs”…well now I know why it brought back memories lol

But truly, this store is every baker/foodie/cook’s dream. It has every spice you could think of and has some unique products such as honey powder and cookies and cream popcorn seasoning. I wish that I didn’t overpack so much so that I’d have room to pack up the whole store and bring it home with me

DINNER

Unfortunately the place we had our first dinner of the trip is now closed (rip Lucky Dumpling). However, I found some other restaurants owned by the same owner/chef! I didn’t realize it until I did a deep dive to write this post, but the owner is Brother Luck, who was on Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, and Top Chef!

• Four – Four popped up a few times when I was researching restaurants in Colorado Springs, so it seems to be a fan favorite!
• Tipperary Cocktail Parlor– One thing about the Lucky Dumpling that stood out was how good their cocktails were, so I’d say this place is worth checking out!
• Cooking Classes with Brother Luck– if you’re looking for both an activity and somewhere to eat, this may be the perfect item to add to the itinerary!

Another restaurant I’ve heard good things about is The Rabbit Hole. The concept of the restaurant fun with its homage to Alice in Wonderland and the fact that you’re literally going underground like an actual rabbit hole seems like a really cool experience. It’s definitely on my bucket list for my next trip!

DRINKS AT BRASS BREWING COMPANY

As a non-beer girlie, I actually enjoyed this brewery! The friend I was visiting said that this was one of her favorites! There were also a good amount of dogs there which was a plus ◡̈

NIGHT OUT AT COWBOYS

This place genuinely had every from karaoke to pool to a mechanical bull! I had the best time, but I may be biased because I was making a Tiktok by handing out pieces of Poptarts to people there, which was a blast!! But the vibes were good and even without my Poptarts, I’d absolutely go again  😉

DAY 2

BRUNCH AT URBAN EGG

There’s multiple locations, but we went to the one downtown and I’d say it’s like your typical brunch restaurant. I feel like you can’t go wrong with hashbrowns and eggs, but I did like that they had toppings for the hashbrowns- I got mine with avocado and I think spinach (I don’t remember, so I’m just studying the picture I took). My friends and I also decided to split the stuffed french toast and I’d hands down 10/10 recommend it!! The infused cream cheese paired with the fresh brioche and caramel drizzle is incredible!!

SHOPPING IN MANITOU SPRINGS

Manitou is such a cute little town to walk around! It’s about a 10 minute drive outside of Colorado Springs and their downtown is filled with tons of little mom and pop shops. Definitely a good spot for souvenirs if you’re looking for some! The entire downtown has so much charm and it’s fun to go in and out of each shop! There’s even a Christmas store called Christmas in Manitou that truly made it Christmas in July for us since we were visiting in the summer.

QUICK BITE AT THE PERK DOWNTOWN

It felt that we kept ending back up in downtown Colorado Springs, but it’s such a cute area that I didn’t mind going back! If you’re looking for a quick coffee, The Perk Downtown is going to be your spot! We just grabbed a quick snack- I got a croissant and I didn’t try the coffee, but my friends liked it!

DINNER AT PARAVICINI’S

I’m not sure if it’s because I always love the Italian food in New York, but eating here made me feel less like I was in Colorado and more like I was dining in NYC! All of our food and drinks were AMAZING!! For drinks I got The Pink Squirrel and my friends got an espresso martini and the spiked Italian lemonade which I tried and they were all super good! I had such a hard time deciding on a dish but landed on the pesto pasta and I definitely made a good choice there!! And of course we had to end our meal with some tiramisu!

DRINKS AT SHRUNKEN HEAD TIKI

This place definitely committed to the theme!! It was new-ish when we went so there was a little bit of a line to get in, but hopefully it’s calmed down a bit since then. But y’all. The tiki theme went so hard- the swing seats at the bar, the different tiki themed mugs, and the water feature mixed in with the red lighting made this place feel unreal! And the drinks were good and strong! I got the dragon water which was really good and one of my friends got the zombie which was just a little too strong for me (they have a limit of 2 per guest for this drink if that tells you anything). There’s something about tiki bars in random places that makes them so fun- I even went to one in Rome!

DAY 3

MORNING WALK AROUND GARDEN OF THE GODS

It was my second time at the Garden of the Gods and it was still stunning! As someone who is not the most outdoorsy person and known in the friend group as not the best hiker, I liked it because a lot of the park is paved and it’s an easy walk! For reference, I wore an exercise dress and air forces, so at least the parts we walked through weren’t the most strenuous. There were a few areas we wanted to see where we had to veer off the paved pathway that made me a little nervous with the uneven rocks, but it wasn’t the worst I’ve done and you can definitely take in the beauty of the park and get some great pictures without having to leave the pavement too much if you’re also not the best hiker!

BRUNCH AT DENVER BISCUIT COMPANY

If you’re looking for a breakfast place that isn’t just pancakes and waffles, I’d check this place out! As the name implies, they’re known for their biscuits! They have tons of options for biscuit sandwiches, but I landed on the winona and loved it! This breakfast is definitely on the heavier side, but was perfect as a brunch after our walk around the Garden of the Gods and before traveling back home!

SOME PLACES I’D LIKE TO SEE NEXT TIME

I wanted to include some places that I found while doing my research for this trip/passed by while I was in Colorado Springs that I didn’t get a chance to see this time around, but definitely want to check out next time!

Restaurants: The Rabbit Hole, Four, Garden of the Gods Market and Cafe, Streetcar 520

Drinks: Mansion Night club, Lumen8 Rooftop Social, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co, Bristol Brewing Company, The Tipperary Cocktail Parlor

Outdoor Attractions: Pikes Peak, Manitou Incline (definitely would need to train a little bit for this one)

Attractions: US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, The US Air Force Academy (I went when I was in middle school- the Cadet Chapel is beautiful, but it’s closed for repairs until 2027)

Hotel: The Broadmoor