Verde Canyon Railroad Adventure

Overview

Hop aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad for a 3.5-hour rail journey through the untouched and unspoiled Verde Valley. With luxury class seating, you will enjoy appetizers, Champagne and unobstructed views of Arizona’s geological wonders, wildlife and archaeological finds of the ancient Sinagua people who once lived in the area.

City: Sedona

Thu 14 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $111.55

Make a reservation

Thu 14 Nov

Starting at $111.55

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Appetizers

Bottled water

Beginning in 2023, all tickets include Cafe Voucher

Restroom on board

Champagne toast

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please Note: Special dietary options are unable to be accommodated
Infant age is 0-1 year. Any guest aged 1 and over will be charged an adult rate. Guests cannot board the train without a paid ticket
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
All complimentary first-class appetizers will be individually-packaged for customers.

What To Expect

Verde Canyon Railroad

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey! Enjoy a luxurious train ride through a 20-mile wilderness area, along a wild and scenic river, only accessible by rail. For 3.5-hours, enjoy comfort and style, exceptional amenities and outstanding service in vintage rail cars on a century-old route. Wind your way through a red rock paradise, with tracks that hug the curves of the Verde River. Every season offers a different reason to ride! Astonishing views of a wild and vibrant frontier, historic trestles, bridges and a 7000-foot tunnel are just a few of the highlights tucked into unusual rock formations, red rock pinnacles and towering crimson cliffs. Majestic bald eagles and hawks float effortlessly on the breeze above Javelina, wild burros, jackrabbits and many other Canyon creatures, peacefully coexisting with this heritage railroad for more than 100 years.

John Bell Railroad Museum

At the depot, be sure to visit the John Bell Museum, home to the railroad's history and artifacts from its early days, as well as a wealth of information on Clarkdale, Jerome and the Yavapai-Apache Nation.

Verde River

The train runs on the same tracks that were created following the Verde River back in 1911. The river is visible for most of your journey.

Perkinsville Ghost Town

Discover the history of Perkinsville Ghost Town through on-board commentary on your train journey. This is the turn-around point of your trip.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (1000)

VoyageuseToronto

Dec 2018

The cost for this train ride is approximately $90 USD per person (First Class). It was the longest 4 hours I have ever spent doing anything. It is boring; you see a creek, a few rocks that look like various animals -- turtle, dinosaur, etc. -- and you move at about 20 mph. We went First Class and got a small glass of champagne, a small bowl of chips for the both of us, sandwiches and chicken wings. Every now and then, the bartender yells to look out the window to see the different rock formations but other than that it is the longest 4 hours you will spend on the most uncomfortable seats.

Response from Host

Dec 2018

We are sorry to hear that your experience was not what you expected. We do understand that our train ride is not for everyone. We offer a unique and slow-paced way to see an untouched, protected, area of Arizona. We are proud to know this Canyon, the wildlife within its walls, and this historic track will never be disrupted because of our efforts. We are happy to consider your comments regarding the onboard experience and will look at possible changes to improve the amenities we offer.

RalphRR

Dec 2018

I struggled with giving this "Arizona treasure" an average review . . Once past the very nice gift shop and outdoor patio area, expectations began to diminish. The locomotives were in serious need of paint or wash/polish. They didn't look nearly like the bright and shiny units pictured on the nicely done brochure or magazine. As we walked the length of the train to our First Class coach (near the rear of the train) I couldn't help but notice the severely faded paint on all of the older coaches and the dull, stained, aluminum sides of the more modern "Budd" cars. Those cars were desperately in need of a thorough cleaning and polish - these jewels were not shining. Sad to say once inside our First Class coach, the furnishings were not what one would expect - perhaps they are more luxurious in the caboose, as stated in the brochure. The "oversized windows" were filthy - not great for taking pictures of the scenery . . . The railroad staff had to shout their commentary because there was no sound system except to play "railroad songs" through very poor speakers. Sadly our coach was full of a boisterous group of passengers and we weren't able to hear much of the live or recorded commentary. Snacks were good, drink prices average - if I remember correctly all were served in plastic cups. At the end of the line I do not recall an announcement of where we were or what we were doing - again maybe because of the other passengers being too loud. We sat in the train - with no opportunity to get out / off. Then - the locos came rolling by on their way to hook up to the other end of the train and pull us back to the station. Overall the trip could have been much better, especially considering it's distance from the Phoenix area and how it's promoted. We would also recommend if you are taking the trip to do it in the spring - hopefully it would be much greener and the cactus may be blooming. Sadly the undergrowth and trees may make it difficult to see the river which I'm sure can be beautiful at the right time of year. If the Verde Canyon Railroad wants to live up to what they promise they have a lot of work to do. Right now - they are an average operation at best.

Response from Host

Dec 2018

Good morning Ralph, and thank you for your candid review. Please know that we take these comments very seriously and will consider all of them as we go in to 2019. We hope we have the opportunity to see you again and impress you with the experience you, and we, expect our train ride to offer.

wivoyager

Dec 2018

We had first class seating because of an arrangement with our hotel. The seating was very comfortable, but we chose to stand in the open air car for the entire ride so that we could take better photos and get closer to the environment.It was a delightful half day that I would recommend to anyone.

Response from Host

Dec 2018

Thank you so much for your review. We all agree, the open-air cars are definitely where you want to be.