If You Know, You Know: Hidden Vail Village

Vail Village looks like a picture-perfect alpine retreat – all Bavarian chalets and polished luxury – but the real stories are hidden in plain sight.

On this walking tour, you’ll hear about the soldiers, ski legends, and local quirks that shaped this mountain town into something far more interesting than its postcard image suggests.

You’ll start at the Vail Village Welcome Center near the Colorado Snowsports Museum, and make your way through the cobblestone streets of the village center. You’ll cross the iconic Covered Bridge and walk heated streets designed to melt snow year-round. You’ll pass Pepi’s Bar, the legendary après-ski hangout founded by an Austrian Olympian who coached presidents, and stand before Gondola One, where the original 1962 lift that cost five dollars to ride has evolved into a $7 million climate-controlled marvel.

As you walk, you’ll hear stories about the 10th Mountain Division soldiers who fought in World War II and returned to build Vail from scratch. The tour ends at a second covered bridge over Gore Creek, surrounded by sculpture gardens and mountain views.

On this 60-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• See a statue of the James Bond-style skiing soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division
• Explore Solaris Plaza, Vail’s modern gathering space with ice skating in the winter
• Spy the tiny Popcorn Wagon that’s been fueling late nights since the 1960s
• Discover Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, the highest altitude botanical garden in the country, dedicated a first lady who made Vail her home
• Stand where Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin trained on their way to Olympic glory
• Sit next to Albert Einstein on your way to getting the best photo in all of Vail
• Learn how this town produces more Olympic skiers than almost anywhere in the country, and understand why real estate here averages $4 million
• Breathe the freshest air Colorado has to offer while following quieter paths along the babbling Gore Creek, which most visitors miss entirely

This tour reveals the Vail that locals whisper about, where billion-dollar homes sit beside creekside trails and world-class athletes still line up for first chair.