Denver Broncos Travel Guide for Fans

Demand for Broncos tickets and Denver hotels increases sharply for division matchups against the Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers, plus high-profile primetime games and trips that overlap with major Denver events. Hotels in the downtown core and the LoDo district tighten quickly once the schedule is released, and ticket pricing shifts based on opponent and seat location, which is why Travel Packages remove the guesswork. Aligning hotels with tickets early is the difference between a smooth Denver trip and one built around compromises. Denver Broncos Travel Packages bundle tickets, hotels, and optional flights into a single booking, which is the most efficient way to lock in the right combination before availability tightens.

This Denver Broncos travel guide breaks down how to plan the trip properly. Where to stay near Empower Field at Mile High and across downtown, how to get to the venue from Denver International Airport, where to eat across the green-chile, steakhouse, and craft-brewery scene, what tailgating actually looks like in the lots around the building, the best Broncos tickets at every price tier, and how to bundle tickets, hotels, and flights into a single Travel Package through Elite Sports Tours.

Table of Contents

• Why Every Broncos Fan Should Travel for Games
• The Best Hotels Near Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games
• How to Get to Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games
• Top Restaurants Near Empower Field at Mile High
• Tailgating at Denver Broncos Games
• Best Seats and Ticket Options at Denver Broncos Games
• Denver Broncos Stadium Tours at Empower Field at Mile High
• Where the Denver Broncos Stay on the Road
• FAQs About Denver Broncos Travel Packages and Tickets

Why Every Broncos Fan Should Travel for Games

Denver is one of the most underrated NFL travel markets, and that has more to do with what surrounds the venue than the venue itself. The Broncos have one of the most consistent fanbases in the league, with a season-ticket waiting list that has run for decades, and home games at Empower Field at Mile High reflect that energy from the moment the gates open. The orange sea fills the parking lots by mid-morning, the crowd noise during a primetime Denver Broncos game can match any AFC West venue, and the Rocky Mountain views from the upper bowl separate the building from most NFL destinations.

What separates a Broncos trip from other NFL markets is the combination of altitude and outdoor access. The Empower experience starts with the Mile High elevation, which is real on the field and in the seats, and travelers from sea level should plan on extra hydration and lighter activity on the day of arrival. Beyond the venue, Denver delivers Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre 15 miles west of the city for travelers who want to add a Saturday-night concert or hike, the Front Range foothills 30 minutes from downtown Denver for ski runs in late season, and a craft-beverage scene that has made the city one of the most-visited destinations in the Mountain West. For division matchups against Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, those home dates fill quickly, and Denver Broncos Travel Packages clients tend to book six months in advance for those games.

The downtown-to-venue layout is also a real factor. Empower Field at Mile High sits a mile west of downtown across Interstate 25, and travelers who book downtown hotels can take the RTD light rail or a short rideshare directly to the venue area. Travelers building Travel Packages get more out of the trip when they treat the Denver weekend as a Front Range getaway rather than a single Sunday outing.

The Best Hotels Near Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games

Where you stay sets the tone for the entire Denver Broncos trip. The strongest options for a Broncos weekend are clustered in downtown and the LoDo district, with a second pocket along Cherry Creek a short rideshare away. The Crawford Hotel at Union Station, the JW Marriott Cherry Creek, the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, the Brown Palace Hotel, the Sheraton Denver Downtown, the Magnolia Hotel Denver, the Westin Denver Downtown, and the Kimpton Hotel Born all sit within a short walk to the RTD light rail or a 10-minute rideshare to the gates. That proximity removes the parking decision entirely for travelers staying in the core.

The decision usually comes down to whether you want a downtown anchor at Union Station, a high-end Cherry Creek base, or a value tier near the Convention Center. The Crawford Hotel at Union Station and the Brown Palace sit at the upper end with historic Denver character and pair well with travelers building a multi-day Travel Package with a Red Rocks add-on. The JW Marriott Cherry Creek handles the upscale residential-neighborhood angle. The Hyatt Regency Denver and the Westin handle the upper-mid tier with strong walking access to LoDo. The Magnolia Hotel Denver and the Kimpton Hotel Born handle the value-to-mid tier without sacrificing the walking-distance advantage. Denver Broncos Travel Packages through Elite Sports Tours feature these hotels selected for proximity, light-rail access, and fit on a Broncos home weekend.

For the complete breakdown of every property near the venue with distances, loyalty programs, and fan-specific notes, read the Best Hotels Near Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games guide.

How to Get to Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games

Getting to Empower Field at Mile High is straightforward once travelers plan around Denver traffic patterns on game day. Denver International Airport (DEN) sits about 25 miles northeast of downtown and connects to the core via the RTD A Line train in about 37 minutes, which is unusually clean for a major NFL market. From most downtown hotels, the route to the gates runs via the RTD W Line or D Line light rail to the Mile High Station, which drops travelers a five-minute walk from the venue.

For Broncos fans driving in for a home game, parking lots and garages around the building require a pre-purchased pass for proximity, with options ranging from the closest lots along Bryant Street to overflow lots along Federal Boulevard and across the Auraria Campus. RTD bus and rail routes serve the venue area heavily on Denver Broncos Sundays, and most travelers find the light rail faster than driving and parking. Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft operate throughout the city with designated drop-off zones near the venue, though pickup after the game can take longer due to road closures and demand. Travel Packages through Elite Sports Tours include hotels close enough to the light rail that many travelers skip driving entirely and ride directly to the gates.

For the complete breakdown of driving routes, parking locations, RTD timing, and walking access, read the How to Get to Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games guide.

Top Restaurants Near Empower Field at Mile High for Broncos Fans

Denver has one of the most underrated food scenes in the Mountain West, and the strongest restaurants for a Broncos weekend are concentrated in LoDo, RiNo, downtown, and Cherry Creek. These are the spots the Elite Sports Tours team recommends to Travel Packages clients first.

The Buckhorn Exchange on Osage Street is the Denver institution every traveler needs to hit at least once. It is the oldest restaurant in the city, holds Colorado liquor license number one, and serves a wild-game menu of elk, buffalo, and rattlesnake that defines old-Denver dining. The location sits a 10-minute walk from Empower Field at Mile High via the light-rail station, which makes it one of the most convenient pre-game dinners in the AFC West. Reservations are essential on Broncos Sundays and typically need to be booked weeks in advance for division games.

Tamayo on Larimer Street handles the upscale Mexican angle with a rooftop view of the Front Range and a tequila list that runs deep. Sushi Den in Platt Park is widely considered the best sushi in the Mountain West for travelers willing to take a short rideshare from downtown Denver. Snooze A.M. Eatery is the Denver brunch institution that handles the morning before kickoff, with multiple downtown locations including one at Union Station that fits the Crawford Hotel crowd cleanly.

Acorn in The Source food hall in RiNo handles the upper-mid tier with a wood-fired American menu that pairs cleanly with a Saturday-night setup before a Sunday home game. Avanti Food and Beverage on Tejon Street delivers a rooftop food-hall setup with views back to the venue across the river, which makes it a strong pre-game stop after the walk down 16th Street Mall. Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs on Larimer Street is the casual quick-bite institution for travelers who want elk-jalapeno and reindeer sausages without a sit-down commitment.

Linger in LoHi handles the design-forward rooftop angle with a globally inflected menu and views of the downtown Denver skyline back across the river. None of these restaurants require staying near the venue if your Travel Package places you in any downtown hotel, since the rideshare distances are manageable across the core.

Tailgating at Denver Broncos Games

Tailgating around Empower Field at Mile High is one of the strongest tailgating scenes in the AFC West, and the cool, dry Denver weather window from September through December gives the Empower lots a different feel than humid or rainy NFL markets. The lots immediately around the building open hours before kickoff and fill with Denver Broncos fans running grills, tents, and full setups in the available spaces. The atmosphere on a Broncos Sunday is louder than first-time visitors expect, especially for division matchups, and travelers who want the full Travel Packages experience need to plan around it rather than show up at kickoff.

Access to the surface lots is tied directly to a pre-purchased parking pass, and demand increases significantly for division matchups against Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Without a pass, lot access for traveling Broncos fans is limited to walking through and observing rather than setting up. The lots immediately around the venue along Bryant Street and 17th Avenue are the primary tailgating destinations, with overflow gathering at the Auraria Campus parking structures across the river. Operational rules apply across all lots: open-flame grills are permitted in surface lots but not in garages, alcohol consumption is allowed within private setups in permitted areas, and security presence increases closer to kickoff.

For travelers without a parking setup, walking through the active lots before heading inside is the simplest way to experience the Broncos tailgating culture. The 16th Street Mall and the LoDo bars across the river also operate as pre-game gathering zones with food and beverage on Denver Broncos Sundays. For travelers staying in nearby downtown hotels, taking the light rail to the venue eliminates the parking decision entirely.

Best Seats and Tickets at Denver Broncos Games

The seating geography inside Empower Field at Mile High is straightforward, and that makes the ticket-buying decision cleaner than at most NFL venues. The lower bowl along the sidelines delivers the closest connection to the field, with sections in the lower 100s offering the strongest sightlines for actual football. Lower-end-zone tickets in sections behind the goalposts give a different angle, with views that work best when the Broncos are driving toward your section. These tickets sit at the higher end of the price tier and are usually the first to tighten when Travel Packages clients book division games.

Club-level tickets in the 200s sit above the lower bowl and combine elevated sightlines with indoor concourse access, shorter concession lines, and the United Club lounge access that matters in late-season Denver cold. For travelers who want premium experiences, suite tickets and club tickets are bundled into Travel Packages and pair cleanly with the Crawford Hotel at Union Station or the JW Marriott. Upper deck tickets in the 500s remain the value pick at the building, and the elevation provides a full-field perspective plus the Rocky Mountain skyline view to the west that many fans prefer over closer angles. The open-air, mile-high design means weather is part of every Broncos seat selection from October onward.

For section-by-section seating analysis with ticket recommendations by budget, read the Best Seats and Ticket Options at Denver Broncos Games guide.

Denver Broncos Stadium Tours at Empower Field at Mile High

Behind-the-scenes tours of Empower Field at Mile High have historically run on non-game weekdays and can be a strong half-day add-on for Broncos travelers in town for a long weekend. Tour routes inside the building typically include the sideline-level walkthrough, the home locker room area, the press box, and the suite level overlooking the playing surface and the Rocky Mountain skyline. Tour availability does change with the home schedule, the Pat Bowlen Ring of Fame ceremonies, and other events, so confirming dates with the team organization directly is the right move when planning a Denver trip. Travel Packages can be timed around tour availability when fans flag the request at booking.

For tour schedules, route details, and bookable Denver Broncos travel add-ons, read the Denver Broncos Stadium Tours at Empower Field at Mile High guide.

Game Day Planning for Denver Broncos Games

A clean Broncos gameday comes down to preparation. Tickets need to be loaded onto phones the night before, not at the gate at 12:55 p.m. when the Wi-Fi is overloaded. Pre-purchased parking permits also matter on Bryant Street and around the venue. Lots fill early on Denver Broncos home Sundays, and walking up without a confirmation is how travelers end up parking several blocks from the venue. Fans on Travel Packages with a downtown stay typically take the RTD light rail from Union Station to Empower and skip the parking decision entirely.

Denver weather and altitude are the other variables that catch first-time travelers off guard. September games can hit the 80s with intense sun, while late-November and December games regularly drop into the 20s and 30s with high-elevation wind. The Mile High altitude itself can leave visitors short of breath on the day of arrival, especially after long flights, so hydration and lighter activity on Saturday matter more here than in any other NFL market. The open-air design means there is no roof, so layered clothing and sun protection both belong in the bag from early-season games onward.

Round it out with team gear, a pre-game tailgate plan if you have a parking pass, and a confirmed Travel Package through Elite Sports Tours. That eliminates the three biggest variables on any Denver Broncos trip: tickets in the right section, a property within walking distance of light rail, and flights into DEN. Travel Packages fold all three into a single booking.

Where the Denver Broncos Stay on the Road

For Broncos fans curious about the team's road logistics, NFL franchises typically use full-floor takeovers at four-and-five-star downtown properties with secure ballroom space for team meetings. The Denver Broncos are no different, and the team's road choices in cities like Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles follow the standard NFL pattern.

For the complete breakdown of where the Denver Broncos stay on the road and how travelers can book the same properties for road-game trips, read the Where the Denver Broncos Stay on the Road guide.

Plan Your Denver Broncos Trip With Elite Sports Tours

Denver is a real travel city, and a home game at Empower Field at Mile High belongs on any serious NFL fan's list, especially given the unique Mile High altitude factor that separates the trip from any other NFL market. The hard part is logistics. Finding the right property near the light rail, locking in seats in the section that matters, and building flights, a hotel room, and tickets into a single schedule that works on a Broncos home weekend.

That is what Elite Sports Tours does. The company bundles tickets with downtown rooms and optional flights into Travel Packages, and has been booking these trips for years. Travel Packages cover every Broncos home game on the calendar, and the travel team handles the moving pieces so fans do not have to manage four different vendors for one weekend. Every Travel Package includes tickets and a stay near light rail at minimum, with optional flights and premium ticket upgrades available.

Browse current Denver Broncos Travel Packages and individual Travel Packages at the Denver Broncos Travel Packages page. For a customized Travel Package that includes a specific hotel preference, suite tickets, or flights from a particular city, the Elite Sports Tours travel team will build it.

FAQs About Denver Broncos Travel Packages and Tickets

How do I book Denver Broncos Travel Packages through Elite Sports Tours?

Visit the Denver Broncos Travel Packages page and select the home game to attend. The Elite Sports Tours travel team can bundle tickets, a downtown stay, and optional flights into a single booking. For custom Travel Packages with specific hotel or ticket requests, contact the Elite Sports Tours team directly.

What is the closest hotel to the venue?

The Crawford Hotel at Union Station sits roughly a 10-minute light-rail ride from the gates and is one of the closest major options when factoring transit time. The JW Marriott Cherry Creek, the Hyatt Regency Denver, the Brown Palace, the Westin Denver Downtown, the Sheraton Denver Downtown, and the Magnolia Hotel Denver are all within a short rideshare or light-rail run to the venue. All of these are common picks on Travel Packages.

When should I book Denver Broncos Travel Packages and tickets?

For premium home games like division rivals against Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, plus marquee primetime matchups, Travel Packages and tickets should be booked four to six months in advance. Demand for the Chiefs game in particular tightens earliest of any home date on the calendar. Travel Packages lock in tickets and a hotel together, which simplifies the timeline.

How do you get to Empower Field at Mile High on game day?

The simplest option is taking the RTD W Line or D Line light rail from any downtown hotel, which drops travelers a five-minute walk from the gates and avoids traffic entirely. Driving requires a pre-purchased parking pass near the building, while rideshare services like Uber and Lyft operate with designated drop-off zones. Fans on Travel Packages with a downtown property typically take light rail to the venue.

How long do I need for a Denver travel weekend?

Most travelers book a two-night stay, arriving Saturday and departing Monday. That gives fans a Saturday for Red Rocks Park, the Denver Art Museum, a Larimer Square dinner reservation, and a 16th Street Mall walk, then a full Sunday at the venue. Three nights works well for fans who want to add a Front Range day trip to Boulder or a foothills hike. Travel Packages are flexible on the number of nights.

What is the weather like at Empower Field at Mile High?

Broncos home games run from September through early January. Denver weather ranges from the 80s with intense sun in September to the 20s with wind off the Front Range in December. The open-air, Mile High design means there is no roof, so layered clothing and sun protection from the early season onward both matter. Snow at late-season home games is common but rarely disrupts the schedule.

Is tailgating allowed at Denver Broncos games?

Yes. Tailgating is allowed in designated surface lots around the venue with a pre-purchased parking pass. The lots along Bryant Street and 17th Avenue adjacent to the building are the primary tailgating destinations on Broncos Sundays. Without a parking pass, traveling fans can still walk through active lots or gather along the 16th Street Mall and at LoDo bars. Travel Packages can include parking add-ons on request.

Does the Mile High altitude really affect visiting fans?

Yes. Denver sits at 5,280 feet, and travelers from sea level often feel the elevation in the form of shortness of breath, mild headaches, and faster fatigue, especially on the day of arrival. Hydration, lighter activity on Saturday, and limiting alcohol intake all help. The altitude is also part of why opposing kickers and quarterbacks have historically struggled at the venue compared to sea-level NFL buildings.

Explore More Denver Broncos Travel Resources

Planning a trip to see the Denver Broncos? These guides break down each part of the process so you can align tickets, hotels, and travel into one structured plan:

Best Hotels Near Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games: The full hotel breakdown near the venue for travelers with tickets and Denver Broncos Travel Packages.

How to Get to Empower Field at Mile High for Denver Broncos Games: Driving routes, parking, walking access, and RTD light-rail timing for Empower Field at Mile High.

Best Seats and Ticket Options at Denver Broncos Games: Section-by-section seat analysis and tickets guide at Empower Field at Mile High.

Where the Denver Broncos Stay on the Road: Team hotel notes for road-game travelers.

Denver Broncos Stadium Tours at Empower Field at Mile High: Behind-the-scenes venue tour details.

Denver Broncos Travel Packages: Browse all current Denver Broncos Travel Packages with tickets and accommodations from Elite Sports Tours.

Editorial Note

This guide was written by the Elite Sports Tours team because Denver is one of the strongest dual-purpose NFL trips in the company's catalog. The Mile High altitude factor, the Rocky Mountain views from inside Empower, the depth of the Front Range food and music scenes, and the proximity to Red Rocks make it a higher-priority weekend than most travelers realize. Everything in this guide reflects what Elite Sports Tours is actively booking for Denver Broncos fans on Travel Packages.

Travel Disclaimer

Denver Broncos home schedules, venue policies, RTD light-rail routes, hotel availability, and ticket pricing all change throughout the season. Always confirm specific gameday details with the team organization, the hotel, and transport provider directly before traveling. Elite Sports Tours updates Travel Packages and tickets as the schedule and venue policies change.

Updated April 2026