30 Experience Gifts in Colorado to Suit Anyone’s Desires

Send Them Flying High: Scenic Glider Ride – Boulder

When it comes to flying, there’s no better way to do it than on a motorless glider plane. It’s quiet and serene, and the views are absolutely stunning. A scenic glide over the gorgeous Colorado landscape is even better.

You can purchase one of several different flights for your friends, starting at a ten to 15 minute flight and ranging to a full hour. The hour-long ride is, of course, the one that’ll take them to the highest reaches and show them all the best scenery, but the shorter rides are beautiful too.

With these flights, your friends will get to see the Continental Divide, the Flatirons, the University of Colorado, the entirety of the city of Boulder and more, depending on the length of the flight.

It’s truly an unforgettable experience, and your friends won’t be able to thank you enough for it.

Feed His Need for Speed: Race a Porsche – Fountain

If your loved one cares less about heights and more about speed, get him this fantastic, high-speed package that allows him to race a Porsche. He’ll start his day with a 30-minute classroom experience showing him exactly how to drive the Porsche and getting him familiar with all the safety features.

Then, he’ll actually get behind the wheel of a sleek, speedy Porsche 911 GT3 RS and drive anywhere between three and six laps around the track at speeds that will blow his mind.

Although the experience isn’t entirely risk-free, it’s safe enough thanks to the safety equipment he’ll be wearing.

His instructor will also be right there in the passenger seat giving him tips and guiding his performance. If you want to give him the entire package, you can also add in the High-Speed Ride Along feature that lets him crawl into the passenger side with a professional race car driver, where they’ll truly reach maximum speeds.

A Relaxed, Beautiful Day in the Snow: Leadville Guided Snowmobile Tour – Leadville

One thing that keeps people flocking back to Colorado year after year is the snow. Colorado is known for its snowy peaks and skiing and snowboarding opportunities. Snowmobiles are also popular. With this package, your friend will be able to explore some of Colorado’s most beautiful back country while heading up the mountain to over 11,300 feet with certified guides.

She’ll take her snowmobile over 25 miles of amazing, snow-covered trails up, around and through both Mount Elbert and Mount Massive. It’s the up-close-and-personal way to experience Colorado’s amazing mountain scenery, and it’s safe enough that it can even be experienced by families with children as young as four years old.

Making a Murderer: Denver Murder Mystery Dinner Show – Denver

If your loved one is more of a “dinner and a show” kind of person, help give him an evening he’ll never forget with the Denver Murder Mystery Show. The evening will start just like any other night at an elegant restaurant.

Delicious food will be served, and everyone will be enjoying the company around them. Then your loved one will hear a gunshot and a terrified scream.

Suddenly, someone is dead, and detectives show up to get to the root of this murder mystery, and they’ll need your loved one’s help! This is a great interactive theater show in which everyone – including your loved one – is a suspect.

All the while, he’ll be enjoying a delightful four-course meal that’ll make his mouth water just remembering it later. It’s the ultimate night of mayhem and mystery.

Get Her Adrenaline Pumping: Clear Creek Rafting Advanced Full Day Trip – Idaho Springs

This is another great option for the more outdoorsy, adrenaline junkie-type of friend. It’s a day-long whitewater rafting trip down Colorado’s famous Clear Creek. She’ll start the morning by meeting her guides, who were voted “Best of Summit County” for three years straight and who have over 14 years of whitewater experience, and the other rafters.

Then they’ll spend the day rafting down 20 miles of Class V rapids and non-stop thrills. A tasty barbecue lunch will be served at midday, and then they’ll pile back into the raft to finish out the most challenging half of the trip.

Make Him Feel Like He’s in Camelot: Beginner Falconry Lessons – Colorado Springs

This is the perfect gift for those friends who feel like they were born in the wrong time. If your friend feels like he should’ve been sharpening swords in a blacksmith’s shop, standing on a hill getting ready to lead his Viking brothers into battle or shoeing horses and tending to birds, this is the gift for him.

This experience will give him a look into the 4,000-year-old art of falconry. He’ll meet the birds and the professional falconer, see a flight demonstration and then hold the birds himself. He’ll lose himself in time and finally feel like he’s exactly where he belongs.

For the True Beginner: Beginner River Kayaking – Littleton

If your friend has always wanted to learn to kayak, you can help him make that dream come true. This is a great, full-day course for beginners that’ll teach him all the basics starting with the kinds of equipment he’ll need and moving into more advanced topics such as different kayaking techniques like hip snaps, bracing, rolling and more.

He’ll spend the day on the water in the gorgeous Chatfield Reservoir with a gorgeous view of the Rocky Mountains all around him. He’ll learn a lot and have a ton of fun playing on the water all day.

For the Wannabe Pilot: Learn to Fly! – Boulder

Buying your friend a package that allows her to board a helicopter or plane and enjoy stunning views of Colorado is a great experience. However, giving her the opportunity to learn to fly the plane herself is even better.

With this gift, she’ll work with an FAA-certified flight instructor to learn to fly a two-person plane.

Her instructor will take her through the pre-flight inspection on the ground and then on a flight to introduce her to the controls and give her a basic overview of flying.

She’ll have two hours with the instructor, and the day will culminate with her getting to fly the plane over the Rocky Mountains.

Zip A Dee Doo Dah, Zip A Dee Ay: Zipline Adventure – Canon City

This is a nice experience gift for anyone, but it’s particularly great for families with kids. This package is fulfilled through Colorado’s #1 rated zipline company and will take your friends and their kids over nine different lines above the rolling hillsides of Colorado.

They’ll travel over a mile across the Royal Gorge Plateau and see the sights unhindered by anything between them and nature. The whole course takes about two hours to complete and will take them over 100 acres of Colorado’s hillside.

A Night Under the Stars: Overnight River Rafting Adventure – Kremmling

This is another great option for the loved one who loves rafting. It’s a 24-hour trip that combines an energetic rafting trip down the Upper Colorado River with an unbeatable evening camping under the beautiful Colorado stars.

The rafting trip is a good one for people with little to no experience because the rapids don’t get higher than a Class II.

It’s just challenging enough to be fun, but not so challenging that your loved one will miss out on the local flora and fauna as she passes by them.

That evening, she can relax in her tent, hike, go fishing, swim in the river or just lie out under the stars. The guides will prepare a delicious dinner, and she’ll wake up to the sounds of the Colorado River the next morning.

For a More Relaxed Experience: Wine and Painting Class – Westminster

If you’re looking for a great experience to have with your friend – or a group of friends – consider booking this night of wine, laughter, art and joy. A notable artist will take your group step-by-step through creating a gorgeous canvas painting, and you and your friends will drink your favorite beers or wine while laughing, enjoying each other’s company and creating something beautiful.

At the end of the night, you’ll get to take your masterpiece home.

The Best of Both Worlds: Zipline & Bighorn Whitewater Adventure – Canon City

If you just can’t decide on whether to send your friend rafting or ziplining, don’t! Send him to do both instead. The first leg of his journey will take place on a two-hour zipline course, where he’ll zip faster and faster through nine different ziplines over 100 acres in the middle of some of Colorado’s best scenery.

Afterwards, he’ll have lunch at a nearby restaurant before crawling into his raft and pushing off from the banks of the river in Bighorn Sheep Canyon. He’ll get a good mixture of peaceful river and heart-pounding rapids on his trip down the Arkansas River, and he’ll end the day exhausted but ecstatic and thanking you for the wonderful experience.

For the Foodies: Downtown Food Tour – Denver

This is a great option for your couple friends. It sends them on a tour through Denver, sampling food from some of the best five-star rated restaurants in the city. They’ll make six stops at the best, most celebrated restaurants in Denver to try some of the most widely recognized foods the city has to offer.

In between stops, they’ll get to learn a lot about Denver from their competent, knowledgeable tour guide who’ll tell them all about the city’s history and culture.

Another One for the Speed Demon: Race a Lamborghini, Pikes Peak International Gateway – Denver

If your friend loves speed but Porsches aren’t his thing, give him the chance to race a Lamborghini instead. He’ll head out to Pikes Peak International Gateway to learn about the track and the car he’ll be driving.

Then he’ll get to experience between three and six laps around the famous track in a Lamborghini Huracan. He’ll reach speeds he’s never before dreamed of reaching and have you to thank for it!

Lazily Drifting through the Sky: Front Range Balloon Ride – Lafayette

According to just about anyone who’s ever tried it, there’s nothing quite as serenely beautiful and breathtaking as riding in a hot air balloon. This balloon ride will start out at the base of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder.

Your friend can enjoy the lush scenery, which is full of wildlife and beautiful flowers and trees, before drifting higher and catching a glimpse of the snow-capped Rockies. The ride lasts between an hour to an hour and a half, and upon landing, she’ll get to partake in the traditional champagne toast to finish off the day.

She’ll even get to take home some goodies in the form of a personal photo, t-shirt and commemorative pin.

For the Hardcore Fisherman: Guided Fly Fishing Tour – Evergreen

If your friend’s into fishing, he’ll love this chance to go straight to the best fly fishing spots in Colorado with his personal guide leading the way. The two of them will fish some of the best spots in both public and private waters throughout the Rocky Mountains and in Cheesman Canyon.

They’ll see some great sights, and even better, they’ll catch some great fish.

For the Master Detectives: Escape Room – Denver

This is another great activity you could do with your friends rather than simply buying the experience for them. Take your group into Denver’s most esteemed escape room, and choose from one of the following scenarios: Mission Improbable (take a time machine into prehistoric times and find out why the dinosaurs died) or Weekend Get-AWAY (you’re stranded in an old hotel, and things start going very badly).

Whichever room your group chooses, you and your friends will have one hour to follow the clues, solve the mystery and find your way out… or else!

Chasing that Buzz: Craft Cocktail Tour – Denver

This one is for that friend who loves a good stiff drink. It’s a two-hour tour through the heart of Denver, and your friend will make four different stops and enjoy five signature cocktails that have been paired with delectable appetizers.

In between stops, he’ll get to see such sights as Union Station and the Maven Hotel, and he’ll get a lot of great history from his talented tour guide. The food and drinks are some of the city’s best and may include rum cocktails, olives and roasted nuts, blood orange and thyme cocktails, yuzu aioli pork bellies, Venetian-style Aperol spritzes, fried mozzarella bites and more.

Up and Away: Helicopter Skiing in Telluride – Telluride

This is definitely not an experience for the faint of heart, but it is the experience of a lifetime. Your friends will start by flying in a helicopter over the San Juan Mountains before landing and gearing up to ski or snowboard up to 13,500 vertical feet! Some experience is required, and this isn’t recommended for anyone with less than intermediate skills on skis or boards.

For the Rugged Outdoorsperson: Blair Ranch Private Jeep Tour – Glenwood Springs

There’s just something about riding in a Jeep that’s just plain fun. This three-hour-long, private Jeep tour through Blair Ranch in the famous Glenwood Canyon takes advantage of that fact and will make sure your friend has the time of his life.

He’ll be paired with an experienced driver/guide who’ll take him to some of the most gorgeous overlooks, which are only accessible via a Jeep.

He’ll learn about the history, folklore and environment/geology of all the areas they visit.

He’ll also get to see some local wildlife in the form of mule deer, red foxes, big-horned sheep and maybe even a few black bears. The Jeep can accommodate up to five people, or your pal can choose to hike a while instead.

Climbing High: Beginner Rocky Mountain Climbing Adventure – Denver

Whether your friend is an experienced climber or has never even climbed a tree, he can enjoy this amazing rock climbing adventure with the help of a friendly, knowledgeable guide. The cost of this package includes everything he’ll need to gear up – helmet, harness, ropes, shoes, etc.

– and he’ll spend a solid amount of time going over safety precautions and learning to tie knots. The second half of the day, though, he’ll be scaling rock walls like a pro!

A Safer, Easier Way to Learn: Kayaking “Learn to Roll” – Denver

If your friend wants to learn to kayak but isn’t sold on the idea of doing it out on the river, this is a good, safe way to learn. She’ll learn in an indoor, controlled environment with only four other students in the class.

Not only can she learn about kayaking, but she’ll also learn the elusive “kayak roll.” This is a great class not only for beginners but also for experienced kayakers who want to learn to roll or who are looking to improve their rolling techniques.

After this two-hour course, your friend will leave feeling like a pro.

For the Aspiring Photographers: A Day with Tyler Stableford – Aspen

Tyler Stableford has been called one of “the world’s greatest adventure photographers,” and being able to spend the day with him is an amazing gift for anyone who loves the art of digital photography. It’s a private, one-on-one experience, and Tyler will tailor the course to meet your friend’s needs, whether he’s a beginner or an advanced photographer.

Together, your friend and Tyler will travel to some of the most scenic spots in Aspen to take some gorgeous shots, and they’ll finish the day at his studio, processing your friend’s work. After he picks his favorite image, he and Tyler will print a large format, gallery-quality print for him to bring home.

Tickle Her Funny Bone: Improv Comedy Class – Denver

This is the perfect gift for that friend who’s always keeping you and your girls in fits of laughter. Give her a chance to build on that and become a true entertainer with an exciting, educational improvisational class taught by instructors who’ve trained over 700 comedy professionals.

It’s an eight-week course that’ll provide her with 20 total hours of instruction, and by the end of the course, you guys may never be able to sit down and have a serious conversation with her again. This is a good class for comedians at any level, whether they’re near-pros or have never had any actual training.

He Should Have Been a Cowboy: Bull Riding School – Larkspur

This is an immersive, two-day, intensive bull riding experience. It’s well-structured and geared towards teaching anyone – from total beginners to experienced riders – more about how to ride bulls. Your friend will take part in classroom sessions, training exercises, drills and actual bull riding in order to master the art.

For friends already experienced in the sport, this class will teach them to improve their techniques in order to move into the competitive skill level zone. All equipment will be provided for the duration of the class, and riders will get to watch recorded instant replays of their rides to analyze their performances.

For the Golf Enthusiasts: Playing Lesson with a PGA Pro – Littleton

This experience is pretty straightforward and needs little explanation. Give your golf-loving friend the opportunity of a lifetime by setting him up with a one-hour, private lesson with PGA Pro Joe Herbert.

Together, he and Herbert will work on his technique including grip, alignment, posture, swing mechanics and more.

A Safe Alternative to Skydiving: ifly Indoor Skydiving – Lone Tree

This is a great option for the friend who’s always wanted to skydive but can’t bring herself to actually try it. This skydiving experience happens indoors in a totally safe vertical wind tunnel. She’ll learn from an experienced instructor, and then she’ll enter the wind tunnel and literally be blown off her feet.

This experience will truly allow your friend to “defy gravity” and “fly like an eagle.”

For the Wannabe Brew Master: Virtual Homebrew Lesson – Your Friend’s Own Home

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for your introverted friend who never really wants to leave the house, no problem! Get him this virtual homebrew lesson so that he can learn to make quality craft beer right in his own home.

The homebrew kit will be delivered right to his doorstep, and he’ll be able to login to the online portal for a three-hour virtual homebrewing session from award-winning beer guides. It’s a live experience, and honestly, it’s a lot of fun for the whole family.

Afterwards, maybe he’ll share his delicious brew with you!

Taking the Train: Leadville Railway & Zip line Tour – Leadville

This experience combines a relaxing train ride through the gorgeous Rocky Mountains with an exciting zip line trip back down again. The train ride will provide your friends with some of the most beautiful sights as it climbs 1,000 feet up the Rocky Mountains.

Once she hits 11,000 feet of altitude, she’ll disembark the train and suit up in the zip line harness. Then she’ll zip back down the mountain again, enjoying between 450-800 feet of non-stop thrills, sometimes passing over the moving train.

It’s a thrilling, heart-pounding and unforgettable experience.

A Picture Perfect Day: Arkansas River Photo Safari – Leadville

This is another great option for the lover of photography in your life. Send her off with professional photographer Jon Sheppard to see historic Leadville and the beautiful Arkansas River. Along the way, they’ll travel into snow-capped mountains, abandoned mines and some gorgeous valleys.

They’ll explore historic ghost towns and look for wildlife and the most scenic flowers and landscapes. The whole time, Jon will be helping her perfect her photography techniques and skills, and hopefully she’ll end the day with some of the most beautiful pictures she’s ever taken.