Know that person who’s just hard to buy for? Want to create memories that will last much longer than another sweater — and make your holiday shopping easier? This is the year to give the gift of experience. After all, we live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a city and state where people flock to check off their bucket list dreams. So what are you waiting for? Forget the stuff. Give the Colorado experience, no matter what your giftee is into! Here are 50 ideas for Colorado gift experiences to make someone’s holiday season — maybe their entire year.
We’ve broken down these gift experiences by category, so scroll the entire list for inspiration — we’ve got to say, these are some amazing holiday gifts! — or skip ahead for your favorite categories. You’ll find…
Gift Experiences for the Outdoor Lover
1. Go Dog Sledding in Breckenridge
Head into the backcountry around Breckenridge behind a team of Siberian huskies. Good Times Adventures will take you on a 6-mile tour around the Swan River Valley that rotates you through mushing the dogs, riding in the sled and riding in a snowmobile sled in front of the pack (perfect for pictures). Get there early to cuddle with the dogs. Expect to pay $180 per person.
goodtimesadventures.com
2. Learn to Fly Fish
No matter your skill level, you can find a class at Angler’s Covey. Start with a $10 introductory Fly Fishing 101 or get intermediate or advanced instruction in a streamside class for $30-$90. Private lessons are available too. Get some do and what-not-to-do tips in our Getting Hooked: First-Timer Fly Fishing article.
anglerscovey.com
3. Snowshoe or Ski to Dinner
Strap on Nordic skis or snowshoes. Flip on your headlamp, and follow the 1-mile trail through the woods to your gourmet dinner in a cozy off-the-grid yurt with Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, Cookhouse & Sleep Yurts. You’ll find it right by Ski Cooper outside of Leadville. The dinner experience costs $125 per person, including skis or snowshoes and a headlamp. If you love it, take a deeper dive into a backcountry yurt trip in our How to Take Your First Colorado Hut Trip.
tennesseepass.com
4. Rock Climb and Rock On
Head to a climbing gym for fitness and fun. From the downtown epicenter CityRock to the Westside bouldering hub, Pure Bouldering, you can try a day pass, a multi-session punch card that includes gear rental or a membership. Each climbing gym offers a variety of classes. On the north-side, the 21,000-square-foot Gripstone Climbing and Fitness includes a 50-foot Olympic speed climbing wall. Read our article about CityRock’s unique cave simulation.
climbcityrock.com
pureboulderinggym.com
gripstonecs.com
5. Give Them Confidence with Ski or Snowboard Lessons
So you never learned to ski or snowboard? Or you want to sharpen your skills? Ski lessons are the perfect way to build confidence — especially when you can start indoors right here at home. The Lemon Lodge features a Olympic-caliber indoor ski and snowboard simulator that will get you shredding in no time. And there’s apres drinks and food all day. When you’re ready to hit the real slopes, lessons can do wonders. Read about our experience in Get Snow Schooled with Ski and Snowboard Lessons.
lemonlodge.com
6. Catch a Big One on the Ice
Head out on a guided ice fishing expedition with IceFish Colorado, and you might just land a trophy northern pike or kokanee salmon from 11 Mile Reservoir or Blue Mesa Reservoir. Half or whole day trips for up to five people cost $300-$600.
icefishcolorado.com
Gift Experiences for the Adventurous
7. Skip the Lift and Go Heli-Skiing
You have a few options in Colorado to live out your epic heli-skiing fantasy. Silverton Mountain offers single runs with or without a guide ($184), six-run tickets ($1,290), or a fully private heli-ski day (starting at $12,990) on its lift-accessible backcountry. silvertonmountain.com
Helitrax Telluride offers a full day of guided skiing or snowboarding in 200 square miles in the backcountry around Telluride, including avalanche safety gear, lunch, snacks and aprés (starting at $1,875). A private, custom tour will run you $10,500 per hour that the helicopter is in the air.
helitrax.com
8. Snowmobile the Continental Divide
Choose from family-friendly to performance tours outside of Leadville with White Mountain Snowmobile Tours. You can even combine a zip line course at 11,200, with side-by-side zips and 14er views. Tours range from snowmobile only to adventure combos for about $200-$600.
whitemountainsnowmobiletours.com
9. Zip Line Colorado Springs
Want to feel like you’re flying? Zip lining will give you the sensation while being safely harnessed into suspended steel cables. The Broadmoor Soaring Adventure will send you soaring above the spectacular Seven Falls and the South Cheyenne Canyon. Read about the bucket list worthy experience in Soaring on the Broadmoor Zip Lines. Or clip-in and zip 100 feet above the cliffs and canyons surrounding Manitou Springs with Adventures Out West. Ride upside down or Superman-style, or create your own adrenaline-inducing pose. The hour-long Colo-rad Tour is $109 per person.
broadmoor.com
advoutwest.com
10. Stay Chill and Go Ice Climbing
The expert guides at Pikes Peak Alpine School will lead you on an intro to advanced ice climbing classes around Colorado Springs, or guided ice and mixed climbs on Pikes Peak or Long’s Peak. A half-day ice climbing trip costs $150-$299 for one to four climbers, and a four- to five-pitch ice and mixed climbing on Pikes Peak costs $359-$569.
pikespeakalpineschool.com
11. Swing Over the Royal Gorge
Soar Superman-style 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River on the Royal Rush Skycoaster. The massive bungee swing sends you on 50 mph free fall and pendulum arc out over the rim of the Royal Gorge. Park admission is $27 per adult. The Skycoaster is an additional $38-$87 for one to three tandem riders.
royalgorgebridge.com
12. Race the Track
Want to see how fast that sports car will really go? Head to Pikes Peak International Raceway to own the track for a few hours and burn some rubber to your heart’s content. Reservations are required and start at $60 per hour for track sprints. If you’ve got some high-speed experience, watch the summer schedule for Open Drift, Off the Street Drags and other high-speed experiences. Or you can get the real NASCAR experience by driving a Cup car or doing a ride-along with the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience.
ppir.com
13. Climb the Cave of the Winds Via Ferrata
Follow the via ferrata, or iron way, at Cave of the Winds. You’ll raverse the ladder steps, steel balance beam and zip lines high above Williams Canyon on Cave of the Winds via ferrata. Nervous? So was our writer of Climbing Over Fear on the Springs’ Via Ferrata — but she loved the experience.
caveofthewinds.com
Colorado Gift Experiences for Foodies
14. Take a Food Tour
You can always get out and try one of our 30 Best Restaurants in Colorado Springs, but sometimes it’s nice to have a guide. Let the experts at Rocky Mountain Food Tours take you on a three hour progressive dinner, eating and drinking at local hot spots. Choose from options, including the Original Colorado Springs Food Tour, the Signature Cocktail Tour or the Holiday Lights and Bites Seasonal Tour. Prices range from $69 to $99 per person.
rockymountainfoodtours.com
15. Join a Supper Club
New supper clubs have been popping up around the Springs, providing just the kind of insider experience your foodie will love. Chef Brother Luck’s Four Supper Club will get you a monthly at-home dinner by the award-winning chef. Skip the reservations; just follow the reheating instructions. Dinner for two costs $95. Dinner for four is $180. If you’d still prefer to go out, make your reservation for the Stellina Supper Club. The five-course Italian dinners regularly sell out each month, with reservations opening early each month.
table22.com/four-brother-luck
stellinapizza.co
16. Take High Tea in a Castle
Head to Glen Eyrie for formal tea service in Queen Palmer’s former manor. The abundant menu changes seasonally, and. it’s always an elegant experience. Tea service costs $36 per person. Read about Tea Time in Colorado Springs here.
gleneyrie.org
17. Blend Your Own Custom Wine
Want a heavily-oaked chardonnay with an apricot finish? D’Vine Wine will create a 28-bottle batch, complete with a bottling party for you and your friends. Half batches start at $200, and price options go up to $525.
winerymsprings.com
18. Learn to Cook Like a Chef
So you want to cook a legit Indian chana massala, Vietnamese beef pho or Cajun jambalaya? Or is baking bread or puff pastries more your style? Chef Blandine Mazéran and the team at the French Kitchen will teach you how in a full array of classes. Kids too. Hmmm, maybe the kids could make you dinner! Class prices vary but typically span $59-$258.
tfkcc.com
19. Create Craft Cocktails
Learn the art and history of mixology with local favorite bartender Montana Horsfall and Craft Cocktail, Inc. Watch for her small classes or schedule your own private mixology session based on your favorite flavors. Read what it’s like and get some of Montana’s tips in Cocktails 101: How to Mix Your Own Craft Libations.
montanahorsfall.com
20. Sip an Artistic Wine Tasting
On a cold Wednesday night, the windows of the Kreuser Gallery downtown glow onto Boulder Street. I’m sitting among original art with two dozen new friends, five glasses of Bordeaux wines set before me, learning from a certified local sommelier about the namesake wines of the region.
My previous skillset has hinged more on which box is cheaper at Weber Street Liquors: Bota or Black Box. But a glamorous gallery-owning friend has given me the gift experience with the Curious Palate Tasting Club, and I’m relishing the opportunity to learn more about wine.
Our sommelier-teacher Michaela Hightower radiates knowledge and deep enjoyment as she teaches us how to sniff, swirl, sip, swish and savor our wines. In addition to the full-bodied reds I knew I loved, there was a (new-to-me) white Bordeaux, a sweet dessert Bordeaux and paired food bites for each course. All of Hightower’s selections are from smaller vineyards and are available in local wine shops. As we taste, ask questions and share our impressions, I find wine more accessible than ever before. Now I’m ready to sniff-swirl-savor my way through the holiday season. —Heather Powell Browne
Watch for Curious Palette wine classes for $35 per person or find other wine and spirits classes at pouringparlor.com.
Wellness Gift Experiences for the Ones You Want to Pamper
21. Take a Spa Staycation
Sure you could just do a single massage or spa day at the Strata Spa at Garden of the Gods Resort & Club. But make it a true escape with an overnight and enjoy breakfast on your patio savoring those spectacular Garden of the Gods views. Choose your pampering of choice at Strata, whether it’s an individual or couple’s massage or any type of manicure, pedicure or other luxurious treatment. Ladies, don’t miss the Himalayan salt-inhalation room (halotherapy) with infrared deep-heat therapy for stress management and detoxification in the women’s locker room. Read about the experience in Garden of the Gods Club and Resort: Colorado Springs Staycations. Watch for winter rates starting at $215 per night, double occupancy.
gardenofthegodsclub.com
22. Soak for a Day or Realign on a Yoga Retreat
Escape to the SunMountain Center where you’ll stay in a historic bed and breakfast, practice consciousness and discover renewal through yoga. Join a yoga class at the SunWater Spa or ask about special yoga retreats at the SunMountain Center. Rooms rates start at $175 a night. Soaking rates begin at $45, with a drop-in yoga class rate starting at $17. Of course, the SunWater Spa has a full menu of luxurious massage and skin treatments. Read about the experience in Soaking at SunWater Spa: Colorado Springs Hot Spring.
sunwaterspa.com
airbnb.com
23. Pamper Yourself with a Special Treatment
Why wait for a special occasion? Choose an updo or hair braiding, plus makeup application and lashes for a whole new level of style from Veda Salon & Spa ($20-$65 each). Or indulge with a signature facial or massage, starting at $82 or $110. Explore other spas in our guide to finding the perfect spa in Colorado Springs.
coloradoveda.com
24. Savor a Private Hot Springs Soak
Colorado is rich in natural hot springs with options like these 14 Hot Springs Closest to Colorado Springs. But a private hot springs soak will take it to the relaxing or romantic next level. Mount Princeton Hot SpringsResort offers private rentals of its Infinity Pool, Spa Pools or Creekside Pools at select times of year, starting at $150 for two. Or stay at the Antero Hot Springs Cabins for a cozy historic cabin getaway and private hot spring pool.
mtprinceton.com
anterohotsprings.com
Colorado Gift Experiences for the Traveler
25. Ride the Rails
Book a ticket in the Royal Gorge Railroad’s glass-topped Vista Dome car for the best views of those towering Gorge walls. Take the whole fam for the Santa Express Train, or make it a romantic ride with your S.O. on on a First Class Dinner Train. To ring in the new year, catch a New Year’s Eve Dinner Train. Fares start at $89 and vary by coach class and type of event train.
royalgorgeroute.com
26. Explore All the State Parks
Discover the 41 Colorado State Parks all year long, including the 6 State Parks Near Colorado Springs. An annual pass delivers access to hiking, biking, fishing, boating, camping, snowshoeing, horseback riding and more. An annual vehicle pass costs $80, but you can get the Keep Colorado Wild pass for $29 as part of your vehicle registration.
cpw.state.co.us
27. Rise Above It All at Cloud Camp
You won’t be roughing it during an all-inclusive stay at The Broadmoor’s Cloud Camp, but you can choose to ride a mule to your luxe lodge accommodations perched atop Cheyenne Mountain. Enjoy spectacular 360-degree views, 3,000 feet above the city, and luxe Broadmoor service in the grand, historic lodge. The annual Cloud Camp season opens around the end of April, and all-inclusive rates start at $1,045 for double occupancy.
broadmoor.com
28. Ranch and Spa
Get out there without leaving any luxury behind at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, near Winter Park. The signature Ranch Relax & Play Getaway package includes Colorado mountain-style lodging, all-day farm-to-fork dining and adventure activities including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, yoga and more. Be sure to add a therapeutic soak, wrap or massage in the 18,000 square-foot spa. Room-only rates start at $374 nightly average for double occupancy in the Main Lodge. Prices vary for the many package options depending on activities.
devilsthumbranch.com
Gift Experiences for the Artsy
29. Go Dancing or Take Dance Lessons
Put your feet in rhythm, and feel at home on the dance floor. If swing sounds like your thing, head to The Loft where $9 includes a beginner lesson to start the Wednesday Night Swing Dances, or $30 gets you access to four consecutive Wednesday classes. The Broadmoor Waltz Club offers free weekly waltz lessons. What’s it like? Find out in our Ballroom Dance in the Springs: Waltz Away. And if you want to try private lessons, Springs Rhythm has a new student special: one group lesson, one private lesson and one social dance for $45.
loftmusicvenue.com
broadmoorwaltzclub.com
springsrhythm.com
30. Take an Art Class
Learn to draw, paint or throw pottery. Or take your photography or mixed media to the next level. Bemis School of Art at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College has a broad menu of classes for adults and children. Most classes cost $60-$160. Read about the FAC’s rich history of art classes and collection in FAC 100th Anniversary: A Century of Significant Art.
fac.coloradocollege.edu
31. Appreciate the Arts with Season Tickets
Be inspired by concerts and theater, and support the arts with subscriptions and season ticket packages from Theatreworks, the Fine Arts Center Theatre or the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Each organization offers a variety of flexible ticket packages, starting collectively as low as $83.
entcenterforthearts.org
fac.coloradocollege.edu
csphilharmonic.org
32. Sip and Paint
Get instruction and toast your take-home masterpiece with a beer or glass of wine at Sip and Paint. Choose your class online by the project you want to create. Prices start around $40 depending on your creation and its size.
paintingwithatwist.com
33. Get Crafty Together
Make some custom stylish home decor at Anders Ruff Workshop. Choose your project, such as wood signs, chunky knit blankets or canvas pillows; then get all the supplies and instructions in the workshop. Typical projects range $29-$89 depending on difficulty.
arworkshop.com
Gift Experiences for the Whole Family
34. Take a Cozy Hot Cocoa Sleigh Ride
Get cozy in Frisco’s winter wonderland as the draft-mules from Two Below Zero pull you on a hot cocoa sleigh ride. It’s like stepping into a Colorado Christmas card scene, complete with musical entertainment, fresh-baked cookies, hot chocolate (with peppermint schnapps for adults), and picturesque views of the snowy mountainscape. Read about the experience in our Snow Globe Moments in Frisco. A dinner sleigh ride costs $119 per adult, $79 for kids 4-12. A hot cocoa ride is $59 and $49 for adults and kids.
dinnersleighrides.com
35. Believe in Magic
Step into the Roaring ’20s ambiance of Cosmo’s Magic Theater, and be wowed by the sleight of hand, mind reading and magic history of Cosmo Solano. Read about the unique experience in The Magical World of Cosmo Solano. Standard show tickets cost $35-$40; kids shows are $14.
cosmosmagictheater.com
36. Skate in the Park
Bring the whole family or make it a date night as you Skate in the Park beneath the twinkling downtown holiday lights. There’s good reason it’s one of our Top 12 Holiday Traditions in the Springs. Tickets are $10, including skates.
downtowncs.com/skate
37. Howl With the Wolves
As I stand near the fence at Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center at the end of a tour, I gaze upon three of the rescue’s residents: Keyni, a Tundra wolf with intense yellow eyes and graying fur; and Raksha and Isha, white Arctic wolf brothers. Our guide quiets the group to silence, then opens her mouth. She howls. We howl. The three wolves howl, as do wolves in their enclosures all across the 35-acre Divide property.
In that moment, I don’t contemplate the many individual animals we’ve met over the hour, or what I learned about the nonprofit’s conservation and preservation work. I simply become a part of a pack of wild creatures, joined through primordial sound.
I don’t want to leave. But I know I’ll return soon — perhaps in the dead of winter when our guide says the wolves are often even more active because they’re most at home in the cold and snow.
Standard tours start at $20 per adult, and various VIP interactive tours will get you even closer to the wolves, foxes and coyotes for a range of prices up to $600. There are several encounters in the $150 range. —Kirsten Akens
wolfeducation.org
38. Saddle Up and Horseback Ride
Enjoy the unique beauty of Garden of the Gods in a unique way: on a horseback ride. Academy Riding Stables has been leading trail rides in Garden of the Gods since the 1950s, and they’ll take you on a horseback ride for $95-$115. Check out our video of the experience in Roll With It: Bicycles, Horseback Rides, Art & Culture. You can also ride the forests and mountains above Cheyenne Cañon at Old Stage Riding Stables. One- to two-hour trail rides vary by ability and explore trails and views overlooking the Springs and range in price $75-$150.
academyridingstables.com
comtnadventure.com
39. Cheer for Your Team With Season Tickets
Your favorite sports fan doesn’t have to miss a game, whether their team is the Switchbacks FC, the Rocky Mountain Vibes, Colorado College hockey, Air Force football or hockey or any of the other local collegiate sports teams. Read up on the teams and game experiences in our recent interview with Switchbacks Head Coach Stephen Hogan, insider’s pov of Rocky Mountain Vibes games, or a list of things we love about Air Force football. Season ticket packages vary by team.
switchbacksfc.com
cctigers.com
goairforcefalcons.com
vibesbaseball.com
40. Spend a Night at the Zoo
Make it a sleepover, and watch the wild animals beneath the moonlight with WildNights at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Make it a family adventure, kids party or unique group gathering, complete with pizza dinner, s’mores, animal encounters and more. The zoo’s Wild Nights can accommodate groups of 10 to 150 people, with prices $51-$91 per person,
cmzoo.org
Gift Experiences for the Water Lover
41. Get Scuba Certified in Colorado Springs or Cozumel
Start at home, then complete your dive certification in Cozumel or the Florida Keys with Underwater Connection. You’ll get boat dives and shore dives in warm, crystal-clear waters teeming with sea life for five days in the Caribbean starting at $999). Not sure if scuba is for you? Anyone, even kids as young as 8, can give it a trial in Underwater Connection’s heated pool for, $45.
uwcscuba.com
42. Swim With the Sharks
Plunge into the Sunken Shipwreck at Denver’s Downtown Aquarium, where you’ll swim with sand tiger, brown and zebra sharks, plus sawfish, barracuda and sea turtles — if you’re dive certified. If not, you can go down in a glass shark cage. The experience costs $155-$235.
a1scuba.com
43. Splash Into a Water Park in Colorado Springs
Take the family to Great Wolf Lodge to splash and slide in the 84-degree indoor water park. Make it an overnight or weekend for the full howlin’ good experience. Or snag a half- or full-day pass for $32-$82. Get the inside scoop on the family staycation experience in Great Wolf Lodge: A Howlin’ Good Time.
greatwolf.com/colorado-springs
Gift Experiences to Help Them Fly
44. Watch the Sunrise From a Hot Air Balloon
Float up, up and away with Adventures Out West as the winds carry you aloft for spectacular Front Range views. No two flight patterns are the same, but you can count on a champagne toast after landing. A four-hour flight costs $275 per person.
advoutwest.com
45. Tour Colorado Springs by Helicopter
Get a real bird’s-eye view of Pikes Peak, the Royal Gorge, Cripple Creek or Big Horn Sheep Canyon with Colorado Vertical. Or board the jet-powered Robinson R66 chopper in December for a private Christmas lights tour of Colorado Springs ($114-399/person). Regular tours are $184-$479 per person, and Christmas light tour options span $114-$399. Ask about group or family rates.
coloradovertical.com
46. Ride a Glider Over the Springs
Want to know what those Air Force cadets feel like — or birds? Ride along in a glider, aka sailplane, with High Flights Soaring. A single flights costs $175, or you can get three flights for $500.
highflights.com
47. Skydive Indoors
Not sure about actually leaping out of an airplane? Take your flight inside a giant wind tunnel at iFly Colorado Springs, located at Northgate. Prices start at two flights for $85, with options up to a 10-flight friends and family package for $400.
iflyworld.com
Gift Experiences for the Music Lover
48. Jam All Weekend at MeadowGrass
It’s easy to argue that MeadowGrass Music Festival is the best festival in the Springs. Each year on Memorial Day Weekend, the gathering features an excellent and eclectic lineup of national, regional and local artists to play among the pines of Black Forest. MeadowGrass 2024 will be May 24-26. Put it on the calendar and give an IOU if tickets aren’t on sale before the end of the year.
meadowgrass.org
49. See an Epic Concert
There are some iconic bands and epic tours coming to Colorado this year, and tickets for many are already on sale. The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Kenny Chesney, Zach Bryan and Morgan Wallen are playing Empower Field at Mile High. Drake and Olivia Rodrigo will be at Ball Arena. Already announced at Red Rocks are Wiz Khalifa, Sublime, Mt. Joy, the Head and the Heart, Gregory Alan Isakov and more. Closer to home, Jason Aldean will play Weidner Field, and the Broadmoor World Arena has comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Tickets fit nicely in a stocking.
50. Get Lifetime VIP Seats at Sunset Amphitheater
The $40 million Sunset Amphitheater will bring a new level of entertainment to the Springs with big-name concerts and big views of Pikes Peak. The 8,000-seat venue is underway at Northgate, but you can still own a piece of it. Along with your sizable investment, you’ll receive two tickets for life in the Owner’s Club Suite for every single show. It’s a music lover’s dream gift — one that comes with a 14% annual rate of return if the business model goes to plan.
noteslive.vip
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