The practical first-time visitor's guide to Aspen — what to know before you arrive. Airport options, the altitude, what to wear, what to tip, where to park, and the small details that make the difference between feeling lost and feeling like you've been here before.
Aspen rewards people who arrive prepared. The town is small, the airport is small, the parking is limited, and the altitude is real — and most of the friction first-time visitors hit comes from not knowing five or six specific things ahead of time. This page is those five or six things, plus a few more. Read it once before you board.
Getting Here.
You have three realistic options for flying into Aspen. They cost different amounts and take different amounts of time. Which one is right depends on your budget, your patience, and where you are flying from.
- Aspen / Pitkin County Airport (ASE) Three miles from downtown. The convenient option. United and American fly direct from Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Small airport — you walk off the plane and you are essentially in Aspen. Flights here are weather-dependent and get diverted in heavy storms. Pay 30–50% more than other options for the convenience.
- Eagle County Regional (EGE) Vail's airport. 70 miles from Aspen — about 90 minutes by car or shuttle. Bigger airport, more flight options, more reliable in winter. Cheaper flights. The trade is the drive.
- Denver International (DEN) 220 miles from Aspen — about 4 hours by car in good weather, longer in winter. Cheapest flights, most options, slowest arrival. Take the Colorado Mountain Express shuttle ($90–130 one-way) or rent a car. Through I-70 in winter, leave a buffer.
The Altitude Is Real.
Aspen sits at 7,908 feet (2,410 meters) above sea level. If you are arriving from sea level — most of the United States — your body is going to notice. This is not optional, and it does not depend on whether you are fit. Marathon runners get altitude sickness. So do people in their twenties.
Locals will tell you about the Aspen Crud — vanilla ice cream and bourbon at the J-Bar. Skip it your first day. You can have one on day two.
Getting Around Town.
Downtown Aspen is small. Six blocks by four blocks. You can walk it in fifteen minutes end to end. If you are staying downtown, you do not need a car for most of your trip — and a car is a hassle, because parking is expensive and limited.
- RFTA (the local bus) Free within the city of Aspen and between Aspen and Snowmass Village. Reliable, frequent, runs late. The locals' option. Routes downloadable on the RFTA app.
- Downtowner Free door-to-door electric vehicle service within downtown Aspen. Operates 8 AM to 11 PM. Download the app, request a ride, picked up in 5–10 minutes. Tipping is appreciated.
- Uber and Lyft Available, but supply is thin during peak hours. Expect 10–20 minute waits in season. Surge pricing during après ski and after dinner.
- High Mountain Taxi Local taxi service. (970) 925-8294. Reliable for late-night rides home and airport runs. Worth saving the number.
- Walking Genuinely your best option for downtown. Streets are flat, sidewalks are clean, distances are short.
When you do need a car: Maroon Bells, Independence Pass, hiking trails outside town, day trips to Glenwood Springs. For these, rent a car for one or two days rather than the whole trip. Hertz, Avis, Budget all have desks at ASE.
Parking.
Aspen parking is a system. Take five minutes now and you save yourself an hour of confusion later.
Tipping.
This is a service-economy town. People who work at the restaurants, hotels, and shops often live downvalley because they cannot afford to live in Aspen — they commute in. Their tips matter to them. The Aspen standard is generous, but the math is the same as anywhere else.
- Restaurants 20% on the pre-tax total is standard. 25% for exceptional service. 18% for adequate. Look at the bill — some restaurants automatically add an 18–20% service charge for parties of 6+, do not double-tip.
- Bartenders $1–2 per drink, or 20% on the tab.
- Hotel Bellman / Doorman $2–5 per bag carried. $5 for hailing a cab in bad weather.
- Housekeeping $5–10 per night, left daily (not at the end of the stay — different person may clean each day).
- Ski Instructor 15–20% of the lesson cost, day of.
- Shuttle Driver / Airport Driver 15–20% of the fare, or $5–10 minimum.
- Concierge $10–20 for hard-to-get reservations or special arrangements. Optional but appreciated.
- Downtowner Driver Free service, but a $2–5 tip on a longer ride is appreciated.
What to Wear.
The Aspen mountain dress code is "intentionally casual" — and that intent is closer to quiet expensive than weekend at the lake. Patagonia and Loro Piana, not Adidas and Old Navy. You will fit in if you look comfortable, warm, and not new.
For dinner: Most restaurants are smart-casual. Jeans are fine almost everywhere. Sneakers are mostly fine. Shorts are fine in summer at lunch — questionable at dinner. Avoid: athletic wear at dinner, flip-flops past 6 PM, ski boots inside fine dining rooms.
For weather: Mornings are cool year-round. Afternoons can be hot in summer. A jacket in your bag is the answer most of the year. In winter, layers are the answer always.
Cash, Cards, and Phones.
Restaurant Reservations.
If you have specific restaurants you want to try, book at least one week ahead in summer, two weeks ahead during peak winter or Food & Wine Classic. The smaller rooms — Cache Cache, Ellina, Matsuhisa — fill up fast. Open Table covers most of them. The Caribou Club is members-only; do not waste time trying to book.
If you arrive without reservations, you have not lost. There are 50+ restaurants in town and most have walk-in bar seats. Pizza places, ramen, the late-night spots — these are mostly walk-in. Read our restaurant guide and our after-ten guide for the spots that take you without a reservation.
Weather, Briefly.
The Aspen Pronunciation Cheat Sheet.
- Cache Cache Pronounced "cash cash." Not "cosh cosh," not "ka-shay ka-shay." The French restaurant. You'll be ordering there.
- Aspen Highlands One of the four mountains. Not a downtown neighborhood — a ski area five minutes from town.
- Ajax Aspen Mountain itself. The locals call it "Ajax." If someone says "Ajax," they mean the mountain.
- Maroon Bells Pronounced like "ma-ROON." The two peaks. Plural — Bells, not Bell.
- The Nell The Little Nell Hotel. When locals say "the Nell," they mean the Little Nell. "Going to Ajax Tavern" = "going to the Nell."
- RFTA The bus. Pronounced "RIFF-ta." The free local transit. You'll hear it constantly.
The Few Real Rules.
Don't honk. Aspen has a small-town traffic flow. If someone is loading bags into a car in front of the hotel, wait thirty seconds. They'll move. Honking marks you as a tourist instantly.
Walk to dinner, take a ride home. The walk to dinner is part of the experience — small streets, fairy lights, the mountains in the background. The walk home after wine is less fun. Save Downtowner's number.
Don't try to talk the bartender's ear off about wine. The sommeliers in Aspen are some of the best in the country. They are happy to recommend something. They are less happy explaining the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux to a customer at 9 PM.
The mountain is not flat. Distances on the map look short. The walking from Hyman to the gondola is uphill. Wear comfortable shoes. Take your time.
Plan for the afternoon storm. In summer, build outdoor plans around the morning. Build indoor plans (museums, cafés, the rec center) into the 2 PM to 5 PM block. Then go back outside for sunset.
Aspen is a town that has heard everything before. Arrive prepared, slow down, and the town will treat you like you've been here longer than you have. That is the entire point.