Oh my goodness! We did not get even have the tour we paid for. There were 8 of us, two in my party, and the driver was Artie, he was a little late to begin with, and made bad jokes along the way. Our tour went to Red Rocks amphitheater, but only for a 20 minute stop. We could take a look at the view or go to the museum, no time for both. It was bsolutely breathtaking - and we listened to an A cappella choir for a few minutes before we had to leave. Next step was a small town where we could buy a cup of coffee, visit a saloon or a gift shop, and be back in 25minutes. Saw a beautiful lake just as we drove off, would have enjoyed a walk ther, but Artie does not tell us about the area. Next we drove up a mountain in the falling snow. As it got heavier and was sticking to the road, Artie said he didnt think was going to snow today no weather app on his phone? but the vehicle has new studded tires didnt see that we when stopped. So he took us out to walk around a partially frozen Echo lake, saying we could have 45 minutes, then when we balked, said 30 minutes. There was noting to do but stand there, and I made a small snowman. He kept asking about shopping for souvineers, and none of us wanted that! Sensing we were unhappy really?, he continued the drive through Idaho Springs, where we drove through the parking lot for a cemetery. You cant make this stuff up! The women in front of us asked about the Coors tour, would we see the town or the brewery or what? He said thats not part of the tour. Didnt he read the brochure? So he gave us the options of visiting an old mine or going to a railroad museum. No one voted for either - by now is it past 12noon, he has passed out water and potato chips, but there has. It been a restroom stop at all!!! Then he said something about this not going very well, how could he make it up to us? We all wanted to see more of Red Rocks, if possible. He said nothing, but went back on I-70 again, this time hitting the rumble strips 3 times as we was driving too close to the right side of the expressway. We were again allowed 20minutes at Red Rock. All the restrooms were closed, no running water yet, but we did find an open one at the Trading Post. That was a mini-museum in its self. Six of us stayed there at least an extra 15-20 minutes, making it about a 40 minute stop. We arrived back in Denver after 2pm, but Artie wasnt done yet! He drove us around and showed us Larimer Square where we come come back for shopping or dinner that evening. Finally we pulled over at Union Station about 2:20pm.then Artie, poor Artie, actually asked for tips! I know that 6 of us did not tip him not sure about the couple from Chicago in the back of the van.
I have taken hundreds of tours throughout the US, Canada, Asia, Tanzania, Europe, Japan and Russia. I rely on the reviews from other travelers. This should have been a wonderful experience. Instaed, it was the worst tour ever. No stop for lunch, no restroom breaks, no relevant information about what we saw, minimal time at Red Rocks, and totally not what was in the tour description. If Artie is new, he needs training. If Artie was substituted for another guide, he was a poor choice.
TOUR OPERATOR COMMENT: Hi Sherry! Unfortunately, this was one of those days that we wish we could take back. However, we have listened to your feedback and addressed your concerns to ensure this does not happen again in the future. We now believe we have the best tour guides around! Please consider traveling with us again and we'd be glad to prove this to you. -Aspire Tours Team