Denver Food Tour: Historic Lower Downtown with Tastings

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Free cancellation

1/12

Duration3h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Taste five neighborhoods' worth of Denver food history in three hours on foot.

A guided food tour through Denver's Ballpark District and Lower Downtown (LoDo) where you taste five dishes—elk sausage, green chili, pizza, a secret dish and cannoli—while a live guide walks you past the architectural landmarks and Wild West stories that shaped the Mile High City. The tour runs three hours and suits all fitness levels, though comfortable shoes matter because there's a fair amount of walking involved.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Denver's Ballpark and LoDo District

Start in Denver's Ballpark District
Taste gourmet elk smoked sausage
Learn about green chili
Walk through historic Lower Downtown
See classiest bordello building
Discover Denver's top pizza slice
Explore Ice House, Union Station, Oxford Hotel
Visit Rockmount Ranch Wear store
Enjoy traditional cannoli dessert
Try secret dish revealed on tour

The Experience

You start in the Ballpark District, where Coors Field anchors a neighborhood of brewpubs and rooftop bars with mountain views. The first stop lands you a gourmet smoked sausage made with locally-sourced elk—a dish Anthony Bourdain favored—and your guide explains what makes Denver's food scene worth the detour. From there, the walking tour moves into Lower Downtown, where you'll taste what green chili actually is and why Denverites put it on nearly everything. The guide walks you past the building that was once the classiest bordello in the Rocky Mountain West, operated by Mattie Silks from 1911 until federal closure around 1915, and points out how the same structure later became a Buddhist temple and warehouse before its modern revival.

As you move deeper into LoDo—Denver's oldest neighborhood, founded in 1858 at the confluence of two rivers—you'll stop for a slice at a pizzeria that helped earn Denver its recent ranking as America's top pizza city. The route takes you past Union Station, originally built as a railway depot in 1881 and now the cultural heart of the city; the Oxford Hotel, Denver's oldest surviving hotel from 1891; and the Ice House, a former dairy turned micro-district packed with restaurants and shops. Each stop carries the guide's account of how these buildings and blocks shaped the city's character.

The tour wraps with a traditional cannoli filled with creamy ricotta and pistachios, and you'll also taste a secret dish revealed only on the day of your tour. The whole experience runs three hours and involves steady walking through historic blocks, so wear shoes you're comfortable in. If you have dietary requirements, contact the operator in advance so they can adjust the menu. Public transportation options sit nearby if you need them, and the itinerary can shift based on restaurant availability or weather.

What’s included

Five tastings—smoky Colorado elk sausage, pork green chili, Colorado bison burger, award-winning Denver pizza, and a traditional cannoli with ricotta and pistachios.
a secret sixth dish revealed on the day of your tour.
a live English-speaking guide leading the route through Ballpark District and Lower Downtown.
walking access to historic landmarks including Union Station, the Oxford Hotel, and the Ice House.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book the small group option if you're comfortable meeting other food travelers and want a social experience; choose the private tour upgrade if you prefer to explore Denver's food history with just your own group and want flexibility in pacing and conversation with the guide.