Grand Canyon Railway Tour

Grand Canyon Railway tour options offer an incredible way to see one of the most magnificent and impressive of all United States attractions. Mighty, vintage locomotives, some diesel and others steam, pull antique train cars through the Grand Canyon, affording views unattainable by any other means of transportation. The railroad tour in the Grand Canyon reveals intense landscape changes, from pine forests to high-reaching deserts to vast prairies. The intensity of a kaleidoscope of colors seems to reach beyond the windows and permeate the train cars with a canyon glow.

A Grand Canyon Railway tour starts off in original, and painstakingly restored train cars, each with rich history and interesting tales behind them. An enthusiastic crew lead a railroad tour in the Grand Canyon, pointing out things only seen after hundreds of rides. Onboard musicians perform tunes from long ago to set the perfect mood. Recreations of train robberies and heist shoot-outs make the atmosphere feel even more authentic. Luxury Parlor Class and Observation Dome cars are the two top ways to enjoy luxurious tours with many perks, the most important being the view. First Class comes down in price while bench-style train seats in Coach are the most affordable.

A Grand Canyon Railway tour travels more than 125 miles round-trip from Williams to the canyon’s South Rim and back. Trains leave the historic Williams Depot at 9:30 a.m. and return just before 6 p.m. The depot is roughly 28 miles from Flagstaff to the west. Each way, train travel via a Grand Canyon Railway tour lasts just over two hours, almost an hour faster than the very first train in 1901. The railroad tour in the Grand Canyon departs the canyon depot at 3:30 p.m. for an ideal dinnertime arrival.

A glimpse into local native tribes is afforded as the train passes by reservations of the Navajo, Paiute, Hopi, and Havasupai during a Grand Canyon Railway tour. Train riders can also see mountain lions, pronghorn, elk, and mule deer along with abundant small mammals throughout all elevations. Grama grass, Juniper trees, aspen and spruce forests, mountain, ash, live oak, and many more plant varieties paint the landscape in color and beauty, finishing off sublime scenery all along the way.