Telluride Itinerary: What You Need to Know for Your Next Summer Trip

Telluride CO is one of mine and Will's favorite places to visit. We always come during the winter months for ski season, but decided to come during the summer this year. Will used to live here and said summer is his favorite time of year, which I'm now understanding why! Its such an incredible town and the summer seasons with the beautiful trees and nature just makes it that much better! I'm actually having a hard time deciding which season I prefer, winter or summer.

Below I'm recapping everything we did, where we ate, where to stay, what to wear, etc. There are so many summer activities in Telluride, I included some that we didn't do this trip, but have in the past and are worth mentioning! If you're planning a Telluride vacation soon, definitely save this post for ideas. I also have a full post on what to pack for a ski vacation if you plan to visit Telluride in the winter and a Telluride Travel Guide.

Fashion Jackson Telluride Sunset See Forever Trail

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

There Bar

There is a must if you like good food, drinks, ambiance, and a relaxed/casual vibe. This tiny restaurant seats just 30 people at a time and reservations are required. Here, dinner is not a moment in time each day; it is a creative, dynamic experience. From their menu to the handcrafted cocktails, fun and adventure are at their core. The brussels, shiitake buns, patatas bravas, tuna tostadas, waygu and greens are a few of my favorites. Make sure to try a jam drink, but the diablo is my favorite.

Siam

We came to Siam (in town, not Mountain Village), our first night in Telluride. Sadly, they only offer to-go food and a fraction of the menu they had before, which was incredible. It's still SO good, but we missed out on a lot of our favorites. We ordered to-go and just sat on the patio and ate about 30 min later. The spring rolls and tofu Pad Thai are my personal favorite.

Rustico

I ate here my first visit to Telluride years ago and not again until this trip. Rustico is an Italian restaurant which is normally pretty busy. Since we eat a lot of pasta at home, it;s not normally top of our list, especially since there are so many other amazing restaurants in town. However, we had dinner here late Saturday night and it was SO good. We sat on the patio, split two pastas and a pizza and had to crawl home (kidding), but it was worth it and I'm so glad we gave it another shot! Will had the ravioli and I had the mushroom fettuccini special. We also got the white pizza and added mushrooms and peppers. Very good!

Allred's

If you're visiting Telluride for the first time, Allred's should be on your list of places to stop by whether for a drink, dinner, dessert, or just to enjoy the sunset. Take the gondola to the top of the mountain and enjoy the elegant rustic ambiance. We have been a handful of times so we usually don't go anymore because there are so many places we want to visit, but it's still a great experience with great food!

The Butcher & The Baker

Another local & popular favorite for breakfast/brunch. The Butcher & The Baker specializes in handcrafted, fresh and local cuisine offering a farm-to-table approach. You really can't go wrong with anything you order here. The pastries are incredible and breakfast sandwiches are savory. Try to get there early to miss the weekend rush or you'll wait about 30-45 min before ordering.

What to Do

What to Wear

Telluride is definitely a casual mountain town, and everyone is VERY relaxed in what they wear. Mostly activewear, t-shirts, denim shorts, jeans, Birkenstocks etc. I still like to dress true to my style, so during the day its a white t-shirt & denim shorts, but at night, I'll opt for something a little nicer, but maybe pair with sneakers instead of heels. You definitely don't need fancy heels. Boots/Booties would be the fanciest shoes I would wear. I lived in my Birkenstocks during the day and Hermès sandals at night.

Before we left the weather said highs of 75 and lows of 55 (roughly). So I packed like I was ready for fall. I normally run cold, so I packed lots of layers to transition from day to night. However, it was HOT during the day and only mildly chilly at night. Below are the outfits I wore during my summer vacation in Telluride.

Check out my Telluride summer packing guide here!

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  1. Hannah said:
    Posted 8.16.21 · Reply

    Great guide! Just an FYI – Camel’s Garden Hotel in town is also ski in/ski out (it’s next to the gondola station and the Oak St lift) and very dog friendly. Have stayed there numerous times and have always had a great experience!

  2. Susie Nguyen said:
    Posted 8.26.21 · Reply

    Hey there! If I remember correctly a friend of mine told me you use to work at JCPenney…as did I! Anyway that’s irrelevant but that’s how I started following you. I was super excited when you did this Telluride post since we will be visiting that area at the end of September to meet with architects since we are building a house 25 mins from Telluride! I’m super excited to try the restaurants you’ve suggested! A little nervous to be moving from Dallas where the food is amazing to small town. And once we move out there…will eventually start by checking out the activities you guys did while you were there!