Small Group Tour of Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods from Denver

My husband and I booked the Small Group Tour of Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods as an activity for our vacation in Colorado. The tour was a perfect addition to our itinerary. While you can visit both sites on your own, the tour guide does all the driving (a bigger bonus than you may think) and adds some local history and flavor to the trip. The Garden of the Gods visit was a bit short; it might be nice to eliminate the stop at the Balanced Rock and extend the time for the rest of the "Garden." There are so many trails and things to see, and the scenery (especially in early October) is nothing short of amazing. While the Balanced Rock is interesting, the tour only stays there for a few minutes, not enough time to wait for the prime photo location. We were fortunate enough to see a big-horned sheep and a small lizard as a bonus. The stop in Manitou Springs was perfect! Such a lovely little town with great food options and unique shopping opportunities. The town has several mineral water wells scattered throughout, allowing you to experience one of the key reasons people settled in the area. The locals are friendly and helpful! It was a great stop before moving on to the tour's highlight...Pikes Peak. The weather at the peak prevented us from going to the summit. Still, we stopped at the 13-mile mark, and our intrepid tour guide, Monica, did an excellent job of navigating the road, stopping at great photo spots, and sharing tidbits about the area, its history, as well as its flora and fauna. We were lucky enough to see three moose on our journey on the mountain. Finally, I would like to call out Monica specifically. She was knowledgeable, professional, helpful, and most importantly, engaging! One of the most essential characteristics of a good tour guide is enthusiasm for their work, and Monica had an abundance of it. I would highly recommend her and the Ilimo Tour Company’s tour services. The day was well-planned and well-paced.