Vail Travel Guide: The Best Snowy Fall Itinerary

Hello Darling!

I am so excited to finally share our Vail Travel Guide and itinerary. You may have seen on Instagram, a few weeks ago Hunter and I headed to Vail, Colorado for a fun fall getaway and to celebrate his birthday. I had never visited Vail before and had no idea what an incredible trip it would be. From the snow, the food, shopping, and the beauty scenery it will is a trip we will forever remember.

Vail Travel Guide

Day One:

Traveling To Vail

We flew out of Houston to Denver early Thursday morning. We wanted to make sure to arrive as early as we could since we would had a 2 1/2 drive to Vail after that. Upon arriving we picked up our gorgeous Lexus NX and headed straight to one of our favorite breakfast spots in Denver, Snooze! Our favorite location is in Union Station which is such a fun area in downtown Denver. Most of my family is originally from Colorado so I grew up spending my Christmas’ and summers in Denver. It was so sweet to spend a little bit of time there before heading to Vail.

After enjoying a delicious breakfast with lots of green chilli included (the best), we jumped in the car and headed to Vail. As soon as we entered into the mountains the snow began to come down. It was such a gorgeous drive and was the perfect way to start out trip. The drive was very easy and before we knew it we were entering Vail Valley.

Arriving In Vail

We went straight to check into Hotel Talisa. As soon as you arrive this stunning property takes your breath away. From the surrounding mountains, and beautiful trees lining the entrance we were absolutely blown away. As you walk into the hotel you spot the floors to ceiling windows showing off the gorgeous scenery and chandelier hanging right in front. Since the slopes were not open yet in Vail and they had just finished their buys summer season, the hotel was little quiet but it made for a very relaxing stay! During the ski season this is the prime spot to be as it has an on property chairlift proving the best ski-in and ski-out experience.

The views just kept getting better and better. Our mountain view room was newly renovated and extremely spacious. Hunters favorite spot during our stay was definitely the gorgeous balcony. After unpacking we quickly bundled up and headed out to explore the hotels property. There is a trail right behind the hotel that takes you directly to Vail Village. We loved using this trail to run on in the mornings.

After exploring a bit we headed up to the room to get ready for dinner and most important the champagne sabering. Hotel Talisa does a champagne hour every day at 4:30pm. They pass around glasses of champagne as you watch one of the staff member saber a champagne bottle. They had several fun activities during the day for the guests but this of course was our favorite. We then ended our evening with dinner Gessner, the restaurant located in Hotel Talisa. We truly enjoyed this meal and our favorite dishes by far were the butternut squash soup, and cherry cobbler.

Day Two

Skiing At A-Basin

We woke up early that next morning and headed to Arapahoe Basin to ski. Since we went at the beginning of November most of the slopes were not open at this point. However, Arapahoe Basin is north facing so it always one of the first slopes to open each year. It was only a 45min drive away from Vail and we knew we had to spend at least one day on slopes.

We has such a blast skiing! The views were absolutely amazing and if you ever go skiing at A-Basin you have to stop at the top to grab their famous Bacon Bloody Marys. It had been a few years since either of us had skied and it truly was one of our favorite parts of the trip!

Dinner at Matsuhisa

We made reservations that evening at Matsuhisa per Amanda’s ( Glitter & Spice) recommendations. Hunter and I made the decision to make this Hunters early birthday dinner and words cannot describe how amazing it was! As a Nobu owned restaurant, it did not disappoint. Our favorite dishes were the yellowtail jalapeño sashimi ( we could have eaten this like candy), the spicy tuna roll, and the homemade mocha! If you are ever in the Vail this is a must stop!

Day Three:

Exploring Vail Village

We woke up our our second morning in Vail to the most beautiful snow covered mountains. It had snowed all through the night and continued to show all day long. As we got ready for the day we took some time to enjoy the views on the balcony with a cup of coffee.

For our Saturday plans, we decide to explore around Vail Village. We had head so many great places to visit and thought it would be fun to spend the the day exploring them all. We started our day with brunch at Vintage, the cutest French brasserie-style restaurant. I recommend requesting a table by the window so you can watch the snow fall.

After brunch we began to explore through the falling snow. We of course, had to stop at the iconic covered bridge to snap a few photos. It is truly a breathtaking spot. Right around the corner from the bridge is Loaded Joes. We had heard such fun things about it and stopped in for a baileys and coffee for me and hot toddy for Hunter. After warming up we continued on exploring. A few of our favorite spots that we stopped at at, Root & Flower for a glass of wine, The Gilded Spruce for some Christmas ornaments and Gorsuch for the most magical shopping experience.

Champagne At The Four Season

Our last stop of the day before heading back to the hotel was the Remedy Bar at the Four Seasons. We went in to warm up by the fire and enjoy a cheese board and glass of Veuve. We absolutely fell in love with it there and had so much fun reading the different coasters with all kinds of cures and remedies.

Our last dinner in Vail was at Sweet Basil. This is another iconic spot that we had heard so much about and it did not disappoint. Some of our favorite dishes included the Waygu Tartar, and the Colorado Lamb Shank. I recommend making a reservation as it fills up fast.

The next morning we enjoyed one last run on the trail and ordered room service while we packed up to before heading to Bachelor Gulch for our last night in Colorado. We truly had the best time in Vail, especially staying at Hotel Talisa.

I hope you enjoy this Vail Guide and that it inspires you to take a trip of your own! Make sure to stay tuned for the second part of our trip at Bachelor Gulch. More coming soon!

YOU ARE SO LOVED!