how to spend 24 hours in boulder, Colorado: travel guide

Visiting Boulder, Colorado? You’ve made a great choice. Boulder is a beautiful city and quickly became one of my favorite places in Colorado. A city I could actually see myself living in. (That’s saying a lot because I’m not a fan of the cold).

Let’s get into this Colorado Travel Guide: 24 hours in Boulder, Colorado

Here are my top recommendations of what to do and where to eat in Boulder, Colorado:

Best Brunch in Boulder

Let’s start the day with Brunch at The Buff. This place has great reviews and there’s a reason for that. It is worth the hype. Now, with only 24 hours in Boulder, you’re going to want to get an early start in the day and get here right when they open (especially if you want to avoid a long wait).

For brunch, we ordered the Pecan Caramel Quesadilla (A MUST!) It’s a $5 breakfast appetizer and absolutely delicious. Whoever came up with appetizers for breakfast, I applaud you. For my entree, I went with the Eggs Benedict and substituted fruit instead of potatoes. Don’t do that, get the potatoes!! They are amazing as is the Eggs Benedict.

Pearl Street – Downtown Boulder

After that delicious breakfast, you’re going to want to walk off that food so head on over to Pearl Street in the heart of Boulder for a stroll down this pedestrian mall. Pearl Street is closed off to thru traffic for four blocks but opens up to car traffic before and after those four blocks still filled with plenty of shops.

Pearl Street has something to offer everyone from coffee shops, restaurants, souvenir shops and lots of good shopping from well known brands to local shops. Don’t miss out on watching the street performers either, they’re really talented. And for my fellow foodie lovers like myself, Pearl Street Boulder was named one of the Top Ten Foodie Streets in America by Food & Wine magazine.

Avanti Food & Beverage – Boulder

Avanti Food & Beverage is a collective eatery with 2 bars, 1 coffee shop and several restaurants with plenty of seating on multiple floors including a rooftop with spectacular views. While walking Pearl Street, you won’t have to go anywhere because conveniently enough, Avanti F&B is located on Pearl Street.

Grab what you’re feeling and enjoy the views their rooftop has to offer. We opted to try a local cider with a server from the rooftop bar. If you’re wanting a coffee, you’ll need to grab that yourself from downstairs.

The photo shown overlooking Pearl Street was taken from the Avanti rooftop.

Lost Gulch Lookout

After enjoying the views, you’ll want to make your way over to Chautauqua park area which leads to many trails and look out points. From my initial research, people made it seem like there were several different hikes/lookout points but Chautauqua was the base for them all. This is a heavily trafficked area with locals and tourists. From here, you can choose to hike or take a drive and enjoy the views. Since it was in the middle of winter, and we didn’t have proper hiking shoes we took a drive up to Lost Gulch Lookout.

This lookout has a bench and several picnic areas as well as some rocks you can enjoy a lunch if you wanted to pack sandwiches and have a great view of Boulder. If you’re heading out in the winter, be careful as the snow is slippery around the outer rocks.

It would be fun to hike this during the summer when the weather is warmer.

Rayback Collective – Beer Garden

After a scenic drive or hike, you’re in Colorado and it’s time to check out a beer garden. If you’re not a beer drinker like myself, don’t worry. They also serve mixed drinks, ciders, wine and kombucha! Aside from drinks, they offer lawn games, music, food trucks and an incredible hangout spot indoors and out. This was definitely a fun little spot.

My Neighbor Felix – Pearl Street Boulder

It’s time to head back down to Pearl Street for some dinner. Pearl Street during the day and at night are two completely different vibes. As I mentioned earlier, Pearl Street is a Foodie lover’s dream so pick your choice of restaurants. I went to My Neighbor Felix which had recently opened it’s second location in Boulder, and it was delicious.

I opted for the enchiladas and a spicy margarita and let me tell you it was one of the best spicy margaritas I’ve had. They have a great tequila selection (as shown above) if that’s your sort of thing.

I hope you found this article on how to spend 24 hours in Boulder, Colorado Travel Guide helpful and can use these personal recommendations on your next trip to Boulder, Colorado!

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Make sure to check out my other Colorado blog posts: 10 Denver Brunch Spots you need to try and Best places to eat in Crested Butte!