The Vail Valley is one of our favorite places in the world, we fell in love skiing and hiking here! Below are a list of our favorite places and activities, along with recommendations for endless outdoor activities. We hope you take in and enjoy all that the valley has to offer!

DINING

Vail is known for its fine dining, but there is a wide variety of places to choose from! If you have time, we suggest you take advantage of some of the wonderful restaurants the area has to offer.

Your hotel concierge is happy to make reservations for you at any of these restaurants. Below are some of the more popular restaurants including some of our personal favorites. Bon Appetit!

Lionshead Village

Moe’s Original BBQ 970.479.7888

$ BBQ Pork, Ribs, Chicken, lunch and dinner

675 W. Lionshead Circle

Montauk Seafood Grill 970.476.2601

Excellent nicer dinner option in Lionshead

$$$ Seafood, dinner

549 E. Lionshead Circle

Vail Village

Vendettas 970.476.5070

$ The best pizza in the Valley - the Snow Pig is our favorite for any carnivores!

291 Bridge St.

Vail Brewing Company

$ About a 15 min drive from Vail Village, this is our favorite local brewery with the best street tacos you can get in CO (there is also a small tap house in Vail Village).

41290 US. Hwy. 6 Unit B2/B3

The Red Lion 970.476.7676

Casual, afternoon happy hour or informal dinner. Local’s spot and great for late night and music.

$$ Bridge Street’s historic, bar, apre and nightclub. American Cuisine.

304 Bridge Street

Bully Ranch, Sonnenalp Hotel 970.479.5429

$$ An American~Southwestern menu and fun atmosphere.

You can’t miss a Bully burger and mudslide during your stay!

20 Vail Road

La Bottega 970.476.0280

$$$ Northern Italian cuisine created with love. Our favorite for Italian!

100 East Meadow Drive

The Left Bank 970.476.3696

For a very special night out. Incredible food!

$$$$ Authentic French Cuisine paired with an outstanding wine list.

183 Gore Creek Drive

Los Amigos 970.476.5847

Casual Mexican at the base of the Vail Mountain.

$$ Located right at the base of Gondola One. A Vail local apres favorite.

400 Bridge Street

Mountain Standard 970.476.0123

Very Popular and right on the creek in Vail!

$$$ One of our very favorite’s! Open wood fire cooking with rustic and bold flavors.

193 Gore Creek Drive

Pazzo’s 970.476.9026

Casual, family fun- great for lunch in Vail

$ Famous with Vail Locals for Pizza, Pasta and Salads, breakfast, lunch and dinner

122 E. Meadow Drive

Sweet Basil 970.476.0125

$$$$ Any local’s favorite place for a special occasion. Lunch and dinner.

Colorado fare with fresh fish with Asian influences, dinner

193 E. Gore Creek Drive

NIGHTLIFE

Vail has everything from dive bars with live music to high end cocktail bars. A few of our favorites are listed below!

The Shakedown

Red Lion

Chasing Rabbits

EXPLORE

If you’d like to venture out on your own, here are some other suggestions. Also visit the Vail Website

4 Eagle Ranch

4 Eagle Ranch offers kids of all ages quintessential Colorado outdoor activities. Check out their website for the most up to date info, but guests can expect a choice of Hayrides, Horseback Riding, 4 X 4 rides, western family nights, cattle round ups and rodeos! 970.926.3372

Adventure Ridge, Vail Mountain

Located at the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, Adventure Ridge has fun activities for all ages at over 10,000 ft! Enjoy activities like climbing, the alpine coaster, zip lining, disc golf, tubing, or just take in the views while eating BBQ on Talon's Deck. (Please note summer link for adventure ridge will change in the spring, right now they have their winter activities online)

970.476.9090

Biking

Enjoy the spectacular views and extensive network of mountain bike trails on Vail Mountain. A wide variety of guided tours and instruction are available, or just cruise the mountain on your own. There are many shops within Vail to rent bikes from, we suggest asking your hotel concierge.

Bike Tours, Shuttles and Delivery

Venture Sports features the finest fleet of bikes available for demo and rental, both road and mountain. All ready for the hills. Rentals are available for the whole family. And if you would like an ambassador to show you the best trails, hire a Venture guide or simply hire a shuttle to take you UP the hill…so you can just ride down!

Venture Sports 970.949.1318

Tubing

This is one of our favorite things to do with a group! Experience nature’s water park and slow down the pace of the day with a relaxing tube down the river! It’s an unforgettable experience for all ages (+ BYOB for 21+).

Turtle Tubing 970.471.0547 or http://turtletubing.com/

Fly Fishing

Guided wade and float trips on the Eagle, Colorado or Roaring Fork Rivers offer breathtaking views, abundance of wild trout, expert guidance and lunch on all full day trips.

Gore Creek Fly Fisherman 970.476.3296

Fly Fishing Outfitters 970.845.8090

Golf

Did you know golf balls travel farther at altitude? This should be great for your game! Golf is huge in Vail, so if you have any questions on specific courses, just ask your concierge.

Vail Golf Course http://www.vailrec.com/vail-golf-club

Eagle Vail Golf Club www.eaglevailgolfclub.com

Hiking

Experience the mountains in a whole new light. Whether hiking Vail Mountain to a pristine alpine lake, through a field of wildflowers or summiting one of Colorado’s coveted 14,000ft peaks - hiking offers something for everyone. The Lions Square Lodge provides guests with a list of a dozen hikes just outside the back door!

Hot Air Balloon

Soar into the skies above the Vail Valley and enjoy breathtaking views from a hot air balloon. The hot air balloons ascend just after sunrise, with the flight lasting from one to two hours. Transportation to/from Vail is provided.

Camelot Balloons 800.785.4743

Jeep, Hummer and ATV Tours

Explore the Colorado Rockies in a rugged four-wheel Jeep with your own tour guide. Enjoy day tours of old ghost towns, mining towns, scenic panoramas and flower-filled meadows.

Timberline Tours 970.476.1414 or www.timberlinetours.com

Nova Guides 719.486.2656 or http://novaguides.com/

Rafting

There is nothing like the thrill of whitewater rafting! The Vail Valley offers a range of rivers that offer a rush of adrenaline and incredible scenery. August is a mild time of year for the water, and makes it a great time of year for kids of all ages.

Timberline Tours 970.476.1414 or www.timberlinetours.com

Scenic Drives and Side Trips

If you are driving to Vail from Denver, you will understand why the term “purple mountain majesties” came about. The driving tours in Colorado are beautiful! There are several drives from Vail, to name a few:

Glenwood Canyon and Glenwood Springs (~ 2.5 hours RT drive time):

The canyon sits on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, and is reminiscent of Ansel Adams photographs. The drive is spectacular with picnic area, a recreation path following the Colorado river and a prize at the end… the Glenwood Hot Springs (don’t forget your bathing suit!). Also Iron Mountain Hot Springs are popular!

From Vail, take I-70 W toward Eagle

Exit #117 at Glenwood Springs, 61 miles

http://www.hotspringspool.com/

http://www.glenwoodcaverns.com/

https://www.ironmountainhotsprings.com/

The “Leadville Loop”, Minturn, RedCliffe and Leadville (~ 3 hours drive time)

A designated Colorado scenic drive through three mountain passes and quaint Colorado mining towns.

This drive starts at the town of Minturn (an old mining town tourist vibe due to its proximity to Vail) and travels up Battle Mountain Pass. As you pass the abandoned town of Gilman and drive over the historic green bridge, a quick right will bring you to the small mining town of Red Cliff, now serving as a small gateway to Shrine Pass recreational activities. Continue on highway 24 to visit Camp Hale, the old training facility for the infamous 10th Mountain Division, the U.S.Army’s mountain and arctic infantry. After passing through the open skies of Tennessee Pass, you will find yourself at highest town in America, Leadville! After grabbing some lunch, a coffee or ice cream on Harrison Avenue, catch your breath and hop back in the car to travel over Freemont Pass, taking a left at Copper Mountain Ski Resort and make your way back to vail via Vail Pass.

Directions:

From Vail, I-70 West

Exit #171, US 24 East toward Minturn/Leadville, drive 32 miles

L on CO-91 North toward Copper Mountain, drive 22 miles

L on I-70 W toward Vail, drive 19 miles

Independence Pass and Aspen (~6 hours drive time)

This scenic drive crosses 12,095-foot Independence Pass, Colorado’s highest paved pass, perched atop the Sawatch Range in central Colorado. The Sawatch Range, crested by the twisting Continental Divide, is one of the state’s main mountain ranges. The views are amazing!

From Vail, take I-70 W toward Minturn

Take R off exit 171 Minturn/Leadville

Drive 32 miles bearing R staying on US 24

Turn slight L on Harrison Ave.US 24 for 15 miles

Turn R on CO 82 for 44 miles into Aspen!

After checking out the shopping and enjoying lunch in Aspen, you can loop back around to Vail via Glenwood Canyon. Follow CO 82 for 40 miles and take I-70 back to Vail.

Shopping and Art Galleries

You can find world-class shopping and art galleries around every corner in Vail Village. From one-of-a-kind artwork to elegant jewelry to the newest skis and snowboards.

web.vail.net/business/shopping.cfm

Spas

Unwind and cleanse in the tranquility of a Vail spa. It is the perfect place to relax and rejuvenate after an active or leisurely day in the mountains.

Sonnenalp Spa 970.479.5404

Four Seasons Spa 970.477.8600

Lodge at Vail Spa 970.754.7828

SUP – Stand Up PaddleBoarding

Alpine Quest Sports in nearby Edwards offers stand up paddle board lessons, rentals and sales. Learn the fundamentals of SUP in a two hour lake class on Nottingham Lake or learn to navigate the rivers in a full day class. The AQS instructors are highly qualified with years of SUP experience.

970.423.7031

Zipline

Enjoy a soaring zipline adventure within the mountains, above the trees, and across Colorado streams. 6 unique ground to ground zip lines give you a graduating progression of excitement and adventure!

Zip Adventures

970.926.9470 or http://www.zipadventures.com/