Non-skiers in Vail have three kinds of options: places that cost nothing, activities that are sold by the ticket or the hour, and things that only happen in one season. The gardens, the ski museum and the town buses are free all year, and the scenic gondola, spa days and guided walks fill in the paid side. Winter adds outdoor ice skating and snowshoe tours, and summer adds a Sunday market and free concerts.
Free stops
| Stop | Cost and hours | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Betty Ford Alpine Gardens | Free; $20 donation suggested. Outdoor gardens open daily, dawn to dusk | 522 S. Frontage Rd. E., in Ford Park |
| Colorado Snowsports Museum | Free; $10 donation appreciated. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Third level of the Vail Village Parking Structure, beside the Covered Bridge |
| Gore Creek Path | Free. 1.8 miles with 209 feet of elevation gain, about 40 minutes | Less than half a mile from the resort |
| Town of Vail buses | Free, year-round | Throughout town, including Vail Village and Lionshead |
The gardens sit at 8,200 feet, which makes them the highest-elevation botanical garden in North America, and they hold more than 3,000 species of high-altitude plants across four sections that include a Children's Garden. The paths are ADA accessible but can be uneven, so wear sturdy shoes. In summer you can add a guided tour: a 10:30 a.m. tour on Mondays and Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day costs $25, and Ten @ Ten, a 30 to 40 minute walk pointing out the ten best blooms of the moment, runs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. for $10 per family. See the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens listing.
The Colorado Snowsports Museum is worth an hour even for people who have never skied, because its exhibits cover the evolution of skiing, the 10th Mountain Division and Colorado's Olympic champions. A one-hour walking tour of Vail Village leaves the museum on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. for $10 per person. For more no-cost ideas, including trails and concerts, see free things to do in Vail.
Worth paying for
Scenic gondola
A scenic ride is sold separately from lift tickets, so a non-skier pays for the ride and not for a ski day. Two lifts run: Gondola One from Vail Village and the Eagle Bahn Gondola from Lionshead. In summer 2026 an adult ride cost $67, a child aged 5 to 12 $46, and seniors and military $56; Gondola One ran daily from June 12 and Eagle Bahn from June 19, both through September 7, then Friday to Sunday until September 27. Vail also sells a winter scenic ride on either lift with an optional Lift & Lunch add-on: $25 buys a $30 voucher for food and drink at Mid Vail or Eagle's Nest Marketplace. Prices and dates change by season, and what it costs to ride the gondola has the detail.
Spas
Access differs by hotel. The Sonnenalp Spa is open to hotel guests, and an outside guest who books a treatment gets the pools, whirlpools and other facilities for that visit; it may also sell $50 weekday day passes, depending on availability and subject to change. The pools are heated, indoors and out, with whirlpools that have views of Gore Creek. The Four Seasons Resort Vail spa has 13 treatment rooms after a renovation, with a hot tub, cold plunge, sauna and steam room open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and treatments from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; ask the spa whether non-guests can use the facilities. More spas are collected in the wellness and spas directory and the spa guide, with listings for Sonnenalp Spa and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail.
Winter
Two outdoor rinks operate in town: the Alderhof Ice Rink at Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead, near the Eagle Bahn Gondola, and the Solaris Plaza rink in Vail Village, where tickets and skate rentals are at the nearby Deca + Bol. Both typically open around Thanksgiving and close at the end of ski season, and both rent skates. Dobson Ice Arena in Lionshead, the indoor rink, is reopening after a renovation, and the Vail Recreation District says programming begins in November 2026; its calendar will show public skating times. See the Dobson Ice Arena listing and The Arrabelle at Vail Square.
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Snowshoeing is the other winter staple, and the Vail Nordic Center, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and guided outfitters all offer it. Where to snowshoe in Vail covers routes, rentals and prices, and what to do in Vail if you do not ski goes into the rest of the winter list: sleigh rides, snowmobile tours, tubing and sledding.
Summer
The Vail Farmers Market and Art Show fills Meadow Drive in Vail Village every Sunday from mid-June to early October (June 14 to October 4 in 2026), with more than 155 vendors, and the same organizers run a smaller Thursday Meadow Market and a Kris Kringle Holiday Market; see the Vail Farmers Market listing. Hot Summer Nights brings free concerts to the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on select nights; the 2026 series ran June 16 to September 15. The Bravo! Vail Music Festival has scheduled its 2027 season, its 40th anniversary, for June 25 to July 28, with the orchestral series at the amphitheater and dates subject to change. The Gerald Ford Amphitheater listing covers the venue. The 32nd Vail Jazz Festival ran over Labor Day weekend, September 4 to 6, 2026. Things to do in Vail in summer has the full calendar.
Walking and hiking
Trails start from both the Vail Village and Lionshead parking structures, and the Gore Creek Path in the table above is the easiest. For a longer outing, the Booth Lake trail climbs the Booth Creek valley through aspen groves past the 60-foot Booth Falls, with the trees thinning above 10,000 feet. There is no parking at the Booth Lake trailhead or anywhere in the surrounding neighborhood, and violators are towed. Hikers are directed to park at the Vail Village or Lionshead garage and take the East Vail bus, which starts at 6 a.m., runs about every 15 minutes and has a Booth Falls stop. See the Booth Lake trail listing and where to hike in Vail.
Lunch, dinner and day trips
Sweet Basil, open in Vail since 1977, serves New American cooking at lunch, après and dinner; see the Sweet Basil listing or browse the Vail restaurants directory. Leaving town does not require a car: Core Transit runs to Avon, Beaver Creek, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum, Minturn, Red Cliff and Leadville, and most routes are free. On a wet day, things to do in Vail when it rains collects indoor options.
