Vail's romantic options change with the season. A couples spa treatment, a wine bar and a reserved dinner work all year. Sleigh-ride dinners, a private gondola table and outdoor skating are winter plans, and Piney Lake is a summer one. The table sorts them by when they run.
| Idea | When | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Couples spa treatment | Year-round | Couples rooms at the RockResorts spas at The Arrabelle and the Lodge at Vail; couples' massages at the Four Seasons |
| Wine bar in Vail Village | Daily from 4 p.m. | Root & Flower; wine tasting classes cost $85 to $125 per person |
| Dinner for two | Year-round | Reserve ahead; La Nonna closes for part of each spring |
| Sleigh ride with dinner | Late November to mid-March | Advance reservation required; ranches in Wolcott and Edwards |
| Private gondola dinner | Winter | Alpenrose, Vail Village; a table on the ground, not a ride up the mountain |
| Piney Lake by canoe | Summer, typically June 21 to late September | About 12 miles from Vail on an unpaved road |
Year-round: spa, wine and dinner
A couples treatment
Three Vail resort spas have a room built for two:
- The RockResorts Spa at The Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead has 11 treatment rooms, one of them a couples room, and locker rooms with a whirlpool, steam room and dry sauna.
- The RockResorts Spa at The Lodge at Vail has 11 treatment rooms, including a couples room with a soaking tub for two.
- The spa at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail has 13 treatment rooms and signature couples' massages.
The two RockResorts spas take booking requests on Vail's spa page. Bloom Spa at The Sebastian is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and schedules couples massages by phone at 970-477-8060. The wellness and spas directory lists more.
Wine in Vail Village
Root & Flower, at 288 Bridge Street, has poured wine, cocktails and beer in Vail Village since 2015. It is open every day from 4 p.m. until around midnight, with a happy hour from 4 to 6. The list has more than 20 wines by the glass, split into "Roots" (classics) and "Flowers" (more adventurous bottles), and glasses on the current menu run from $12 for a non-alcoholic sparkling to $20 for an Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir. Walk-ins are welcome for any party size, and reservations are for groups of five or more.
For something more structured, the bar runs tasting classes. The Art of Tasting pours four wines in 60 to 75 minutes for $85 per person, and Around the World in Six Glasses pours six wines from six countries in 75 to 90 minutes for $125. Old World vs. New World, at $95, sets Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from both sides against each other. Groups can also book a hands-on cocktail class at $110 per person.
Where to book dinner
The Left Bank, at 183 Gore Creek Drive in Sitzmark Lodge, has served traditional French dishes such as escargots à la Bourguignonne to guests for more than 50 years. La Nonna, at 100 E. Meadow Drive, sits above the street and makes its pasta fresh daily; it serves dinner Monday to Saturday and closes for part of each spring, so check its dates for an April or May trip. Tavernetta Vail, the Italian restaurant at the Four Seasons, has wooden beams and a stone fireplace, and a wine list built around Italian bottles and French champagnes.
Tables at all three are hard to get on busy weekends, so reserve before you arrive. More choices are in the guide to the best restaurants in Vail.
Above the villages: the gondolas
Gondola One from Vail Village and the Eagle Bahn from Lionshead run in summer and winter, and rides start mid-morning, so this is a daytime plan rather than a sunrise one. Summer service is limited: for 2026 the gondolas run Friday to Sunday from September 11 to 27. Winter service begins with the ski season, planned for November 13, 2026, weather permitting, and typically runs from about 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets are not free; the price guide is how much it costs to ride the gondola in Vail.
Winter: sleigh rides, a gondola table and the rinks
Sleigh ride with dinner
Horse-drawn sleigh rides run from late November to mid-March, conditions permitting, and need advance reservations. Two ranches serve dinner after the ride, both a drive from the villages:
- 4 Eagle Ranch, 4098 Highway 131, Wolcott: the sleigh goes to the historic Nelson Cabin, dating to 1890, for roasted chicken thighs and apple cobbler. On clear nights the ranch's distance from city lights shows constellations and shooting stars, which makes it the best-supported choice for stargazing.
- Bearcat Stables, 2701 Squaw Creek Road, Edwards: dinner rides include a four-course meal, and early-evening après rides come with drinks.
Dinner in a private gondola
Alpenrose, at 100 E. Meadow Drive, serves winter dinners in a private gondola cabin parked on the ground in Vail Village. Each cabin has a small heater, a Bluetooth speaker and a dimmer switch, and the table runs about two hours. The gondola menu is a raclette grill and fondue combination. The cabin does not travel up the mountain.
Skating, snowshoes and a picnic
- Ice skating: outdoor rinks at The Arrabelle in Lionshead and at Solaris Plaza in Vail Village, both with skate rentals and skating-assist devices, from November to April. The Arrabelle plaza also has fire pits.
- Snowshoes and a picnic: the Vail Nordic Center rents snowshoes and has 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails. Picnic Vail sets up a picnic where you choose, with a low table, rugs, pillows, blankets, glassware and food from The Grazing Fox, and offers a heated bubble tent in winter. Book it in advance.
- Holiday lights: Kringle Crossing, a holiday village in both Vail Village and Lionshead, runs November 14 to January 4 in 2026–27.
Summer: Piney Lake
Piney River Ranch sits on Piney Lake about 12 miles north of Vail Village, at the end of Red Sandstone Road, an unpaved Forest Service road that does not need four-wheel drive. Allow about 45 minutes for the drive. The ranch is open seasonally, typically from June 21 through the last weekend of September, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Canoes and stand-up paddleboards rent first come, first served, with no reservations, and the rental includes paddles, life vests and basic instruction. The Lodge Restaurant & Bar serves barbecue on a patio, and the Upper Piney River Trail begins just outside the entrance.
Where to stay for two
The guide to the best hotels in Vail compares the resort hotels. For a romantic trip, Sonnenalp Vail has the Swiss Chalet for fondue and raclette on the property, and the Lodge at Vail and The Arrabelle have their spas on site. Smaller lodges such as Tivoli Lodge, family-run since 1968, have fireplaces in many of their 65 rooms. For other ideas by season, see the best things to do in Vail.
Check availability for Tivoli Lodge on Expedia
Check availability for Sonnenalp Vail on Expedia
As an Expedia affiliate, VailVacay may earn a commission on bookings made through Check Availability links, at no extra cost to you.
