You already know the satisfaction of collecting passport stamps while traveling abroad. But as it turns out, you don’t have to leave Colorado to experience a similar thrill.
Across the state, a growing number of “passport” programs are encouraging locals to venture beyond their usual haunts, whether that means trying a new restaurant or bar, sipping a beer at a brewery you’ve never visited, or daytripping to some small, lesser-known Colorado towns.
Along the way, many passports reward participants with buy-one-get-one deals, discounts, and even prizes. Think of them as part savings program, part scavenger hunt.
If you’re looking for a fun excuse to play tourist in your own backyard (or if you’re an out-of-town visitor who wants help with a curated itinerary), these Colorado passport programs are a great way to do just that.
Explore Littleton’s Dining Scene
One of the newest additions to the Colorado passport scene is the Littleton Food & Beverage Passport that the Littleton Business Chamber launched this year.
The passport highlights 20 restaurants, bars, coffee shops and even the Colorado Pinball Pub, where you can enjoy a buy one, get one free deal on Michter’s Old Fashioneds while playing arcade games.
Popular passport deals include buy-one-get-one beers at Denver Beer Co. and ViewHouse, complimentary cocktails at Mesa Latin Kitchen, buy-one-get-one glasses of wine at Kate’s Wine Bar and 50% off a second four-course dining experience at The Melting Pot.
The passport costs $25 when purchased with cash or $30 with a credit card and is available at several participating businesses throughout Littleton.
Find more information here.
Wine and Dine Your Way Through The Front Range (And Beyond)
If your food adventures extend well beyond one city, the Eat+Drink Colorado Passport casts a much wider net.
The statewide digital membership includes more than 450 participating restaurants, breweries, wineries, coffee shops and distilleries. Many are along the Front Range, but there’s even some mountain town deals in the passport program.
Some popular Denver outposts featured in the passport include Schoolyard Beer Garden, Tamayo on Larimer Square, Ultreia in Union Station, and Woodie Fisher, which opened a rooftop recently.
Several Boulder County spots are also part of the passport, including Efrain’s of Boulder, Vinnie Fera Winery, pôr/ wine house in Louisville, Ghost Box Pizza in Lafayette, and St. Vrain Cidery in Longmont.
Passport holders receive perks like two-for-one entrees, buy-one-get-one drinks and other discounts, with most offers redeemable once each year.
Standard pricing is $39.99 per year, but late-season deals drop it down to $19.99.
Find more information here.
Toast to Colorado’s Brewery Scene with the ‘Hop Passport’
Colorado’s renowned craft beer scene stretches from mountain towns to the Front Range, and the Hop Passport gives brewery lovers a fun way to explore it and, perhaps, find their next favorite local beer.
The annual passport includes participating breweries, cideries, distilleries and meaderies across the state. Members receive 50% off their first two drinks at each participating location, making brewery hopping more affordable.
Some popular breweries on the passport include: Odell Brewing, Westbound and Down, Prost Brewing Co. & Biergarten, Crooked Stave Friends & Family Taproom, and many more.
Annual memberships start at $40.
Find more information here.
Collect Curated Experiences Throughout Colorado
Not every local passport revolves around food and drinks.
The Colorado Passport Program, offered through the Colorado Tourism Office, features free seasonal digital passports that encourage travelers to discover different corners of the state.
Depending on the passport, participants can check in at destinations, unlock discounts and become eligible for prizes, making them a fun companion for weekend road trips or staycations.
What’s to love about this program is that it can help you discover some of Colorado’s lesser-known experiences and pair them with more popular stops. For example, as part of the Wildlife & the Great Outdoors passport, passport stops include everything from the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies in Brighton to Mission: Wolf, a solar-powered nature center and sanctuary in Westcliffe, Colorado to some of the most-visited state parks as well as rafting along the Colorado and Arkansas River.
Or, concert-goers can check off iconic venues from the “Live Music” passport while the Water Adventures stitches together whitewater rafting, paddleboarding, hot springs, water parks including Water World in Federal Heights, which opened the new Summit Canyon section this summer with everything from thrill rides like a drop capsule slide to an umbrella-shaded adults-only pool, and slides and a play for little ones.
New passports coming later this summer and fall cover Mountain Towns, Fall Adventures, Western Heritage.
It’s truly a choose-your-own Colorado adventure with these passports!
Find more information here.
