Heading to the Grand Canyon and looking for something different? The Grand Canyon Railway is iconic to the Grand Canyon and is one of the most popular things to do.
The Grand Canyon Railway transports hundreds of guests every day from the town of Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon Village of the South Rim. The train ride travels 63 miles and lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes each way, allowing guests just a little under 4 hours to view the Grand Canyon. The price of round-trip tickets begins at ~$70 per adult and goes up from there.
I’m Cheryl and my husband and I write travel guides. We actually wrote one for the Grand Canyon and have visited it several times. I’ve also gone on many train rides in the West, including the Grand Canyon Railway.
Read on for my completely honest review and handy tips to help you decide if riding the Grand Canyon Railway is right for you. If you want the Cliff’s Notes version, check out the table below!
| Ride the Grand Canyon Railway if… | Don’t Ride the Grand Canyon Railway if… |
| You want to make planning your trip to the Grand Canyon really easy | You are hoping to get special views of the Grand Canyon on the ride |
| You love riding trains | Are on a tight budget |
| You want more of a luxury experience | Want more time to spend at the Grand Canyon Village and rim |
| You value fun entertainment | If you want to see a sunrise or sunset at the Grand Canyon |
Something really special about the Grand Canyon Railway is that they have worked hard to give guests the experience that upper-class travelers had when the Grand Canyon first became a national park and the only way for guests to see it was to ride the train.
The conductors and tour guides wear classic uniforms, down to the white gloves! Each train cart has been restored to look original including velvet seats in some cars and claw-footed furnishings.
Each car has its own tour guide. The sound system is the best I’ve ever heard on a train and I loved listening to the stories about the beginning of the Grand Canyon Railway as well as about the animals that live there and the geology of the land. Our guide was very sweet and gave us ideas of what we could do once we arrived at the Grand Canyon Village. She also answered several questions of ours and other passengers on the train.
HANDY TIP: Each car has its own bathroom! There are also mini elevators at each train station that allow guests who can’t do stairs to board the train.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared the Grand Canyon a national park. But, people had been visiting several years before that. In fact, the Santa Fe Railroad had seen the opportunity for tourism dollars about 20 years earlier and had started building tracks and hotels to accommodate visitors. We have the railway to thank for the very cool El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel Lodge at the Grand Canyon Village.
On Sept 17th of 1901, the Grand Canyon Railway made its maiden run, saving guests from having to make an 8-10 hour horse and buggy ride from Flagstaff, AZ. It ran for over 50 years until paved roads were established and guests started driving their own cars into the park.
In June of 1968, the passenger railroad completely closed down due to a lack of demand. The Route 66 town of Williams, AZ was finally diverted by I-40 in 1984 and things were looking dim for their livelihood. But, a wealthy investor believed the Grand Canyon Railway still offered a nostalgic value for people visiting the Grand Canyon and had it all restored. Trains began running again on Sept 17th, 1989.
Today, the Grand Canyon Railway transports over 250,000 guests a year!
Don’t Miss: Grand Canyon Beginner’s Guide: Itinerary + Lodging & Tips
The views are by far the most disappointing thing about riding the Grand Canyon Railway. Although the gentle rocking of the train paired with views of Ponderosa, Pinyon Pines, and Juniper trees is nice, there are no views of the Grand Canyon on the train ride.
You get to see a train graveyard filled with carts no longer in use and wide open fields of the west. There are even people who like to wait for the train to pass by and wave to the passengers. But the truth is that what you see from the train is very similar to what you would see driving into the Grand Canyon in your own vehicle. The tracks follow a similar path as the main road.
The good news is that this is a wonderful train ride anyway. Unless you live in the West (like I do) these views are a novelty and very beautiful. Plus, there is a lot more to do on the Grand Canyon Railway than look out the window.
Even though I don’t find the views too exciting, the Grand Canyon Railway is the best train ride I’ve ever done.
Check out other areas of the Grand Canyon: Grand Canyon’s Peaceful North Rim: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go and the Complete Guide to Grand Canyon West (Skywalk, Las Vegas Road Trip & Tips).
Before you even board the train, the entertainment begins. You can look at some older train cars as you walk along the platform at the train station to the outdoor theater, which is your first stop.
There, you are treated to a 20-minute cowboy shoot-out that is appropriate for all ages. It’s a really fun way to start your day. The show includes “dad jokes”, cowboys doing tricks with a lasso, audience participation, and even someone falling face-first into a pile of horse manure. You will get to see the outlaws that you just might encounter a little later that day on your train ride.
Once you get riding the train, a musical performer will go between each cart and play a few songs. We got a guy who was amazing at playing the fiddle. He was funny and energetic, but he also played a couple of slow songs that were really nice to listen to as we watched the landscape go by. It was really a special experience.
SPOILER ALERT: On the train ride back, those stinker outlaws ride their horses next to the train (which is really cool because they are riding so fast!) and then rob everyone.
They are funny and will keep anything they take. Make sure you only let them rob you of things you don’t want back. This is a great way to leave a tip.
I tried to get them to steal my candy but they said they don’t take candy from strangers. It was pretty funny.
Every December, the Grand Canyon Railway is turned into the Polar Express. It is very popular with children. They ride in their pajamas, are served hot chocolate, and make the journey to the North Pole.
This is a much shorter ride than the one to the Grand Canyon. It’s 90 minutes total, done in the evening, and every child gets a gift from Santa. I haven’t done this but it sounds really fun. Learn more about it here.
Download our Free Quick and Easy Guide to the Grand Canyon’s 4 Areas!
When you go to book your tickets to the Grand Canyon Railway, you will notice that there are 6 options of cars for you to ride in (with varying price points of course!) Guests have the option to ride in one class on the way there and then switch the class for the return trip.
We chose to ride coach class on the way there and the luxury dome on the way back. Guests are allowed to check out any class of car that is below the class of their ticket so I was able to check out all of them! For a round-trip train ticket, prices range from $70 adults/$36 children to $239 (only adults are allowed on the nicest cars). You can book your tickets at the Grand Canyon Railway.
HANDY TIP: You don’t need to purchase the most expensive ticket to have a great experience. We loved riding in coach! We had great views, comfy seats, and most important of all… air conditioning. AC is in all the cars except the Pullman.
There is only 1 Pullman car on the train and it’s over 100 years old! I thought this car looked very old and authentic in a good way. It was neat that the bench-style seats could face forward or back and I thought the lighting on it was neat too.
Don’t let the wording on the website fool you..”windows that open to let in the fresh mountain air.” Translation: no air conditioning in this car! Be wise about the time of year you are traveling.
We loved riding in coach class. It was roomy and comfortable. The cars were large and tall and offered lots of space. We even had overhead bins to store our bags so we had even more space. These cars were made in the 1950s and have great viewing windows.
The bench seats were large and had a lot of cushion. We were very comfortable.
People have their own seats in first class instead of sharing a bench. Guests in this car also get complimentary snacks. There are great viewing windows and bar service is also available.
The observation dome is on the 2nd floor of a train car with a glass ceiling. Although this sounds awesome, I didn’t like how close the ceiling was when riding in a car like this. It almost felt claustrophobic. I preferred being in my coach car where the ceiling was really tall. I didn’t feel like the glass ceiling and being high up increased my views much.
Complimentary snacks are provided and bar service is available.
The Mary Coulter car has a luxury dome. Like the observation dome cars, the 2nd level is close to the ceiling. We also found that the rows faced each other and were pretty close together. Luckily we were sitting across from some very nice people, but we talked to others who couldn’t stand who they were sitting by.
One thing that we loved about riding in this car, was that below the observation area was an amazing parlor that no one was sitting in. It still had great views because the windows were big and had so much space. It was wonderful.
The complimentary snacks were great. They serve breakfast fare on the morning ride and vegetables, cheese, crackers, and brownies on the way back. They also do a complimentary champagne toast (sparkling cider is available for those who don’t drink). Specialty drinks are also available.
The luxury parlor was similar to the parlor in the Mary Coulter car. People love the snacks, champagne toast, bar service, and specialty drinks. From these cars (as well as the Mary Coulter) a few guests can stand outdoors on the caboose and watch the landscape pass by. We loved doing this and it was our favorite part of the ride.
Although no one sits in the dining car, there is one available with ala cart snacks and drinks. Since people who ride in a car first class and up get complimentary snacks, the dining car is toward the front of the train near the Pullman and coach cars.
Because the train doesn’t arrive until 11:45 am and guests need to board by 3:30 pm, it leaves less than 4 hours to explore the Grand Canyon Village and rim of the canyon. There are lots of things you can do, but we chose to do a walking tour of the Grand Canyon Village.
Many guests choose to charter a motor coach that will pick them up at the train station, take them to popular viewpoints in the Grand Canyon, and have them back to the train by departure time.
If this is your chance to see the Grand Canyon, I would recommend trying to visit a 2nd day so that you have more time to see the very best of the Grand Canyon.
One option guests have when they book train tickets is to include a stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and meals at the Fred Harvey Restaurant. Because we wanted the full Grand Canyon Railway experience, this is exactly what we did. Our stay included dinner, a one-night stay, breakfast the next morning, and our train ride (with the luxury dome car) on the way back. It cost about $600. We talked to several passengers on the train who had done the same thing. They liked only having to pay for it once and not having to worry about anything once they got there.
Even though the hotel is decorated to look like it was built in the early 1900s, it was actually built in 1995 and has amenities that guests are used to like a fitness center, indoor pool and spa, mini-fridges and microwaves in the rooms, and a full counter in the bathroom (pedestal sinks are the worst!)
Our room was clean and our bed was comfortable. I would stay here again.
The lobby was incredible with a huge chandelier, flower arrangement, and 2 giant couches that sat next to a large fireplace. It’s a wonderful atmosphere and we loved sitting there and meeting other guests.
There are other nice and more affordable places to stay in Williams, AZ, but we enjoyed our stay.
Meals at the Fred Harvey Restaurant are currently all buffet style. The salad bar is ok, featuring typical things to build a salad and the the made-to-order pasta bar was a nice touch. It included a few choices of pasta, sauces, and meats ( I ordered the penne, Alfredo, shrimp, and veggies- sauce made from scratch!)
My husband’s favorite was the chicken and the pork. He also liked the chocolate cake. I liked the wild rice, roll, and potatoes.
The best part of the Fred Harvey Restaurant is the atmosphere. It’s large with lots of tables but isn’t too loud and has a warm, inviting feeling. It felt classy and was a nice way to end a long day.
Every night from spring to fall they have live music 5:30-8:30 pm. We even got a private serenade at our table. It was magical!
For breakfast the next morning, I loved the Harvey Girl pancakes, hollandaise asparagus, and eggs benedict. My husband preferred the Sante Fe French Toast.
Discover: The Best Places to Eat at the Grand Canyon: Your Food Guide for the South Rim.
FUN FACT: You’ll see the name Fred Harvey around the Grand Canyon a lot. When the trains to the Grand Canyon started running, he noticed that the passengers only had access to terrible food when their train made stops. He created the Fred Harvey Company that served high-quality food to the railroad’s upscale tourists! It’s now called Xanterra and is one of the largest concessionaires to the national parks.
Visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a magical experience. There is nowhere in the world like it. Riding the Grand Canyon Railway to get there could enhance your experience. However, it’s a bit on the pricier side, doesn’t offer any special views, and you get less than 4 hours to explore the Grand Canyon.
I recommend riding it because it’s the best train ride I’ve ever done, I thought the entertainment was great, and I thought it was fun to travel in luxury like people did in the past.
| Ride the Grand Canyon Railway if… | Don’t Ride the Grand Canyon Railway if… |
| You want to make planning your trip to the Grand Canyon really easy | You are hoping to get special views of the Grand Canyon on the ride |
| You love riding trains | Are on a tight budget |
| You want more of a luxury experience | Want more time to spend at the Grand Canyon Village and rim |
| You value fun entertainment | If you want to see a sunrise or sunset at the Grand Canyon |
The Grand Canyon is incredible! Need a game plan so you don’t miss out on the best things to do? Check out our itinerary.
Most travelers want to visit the most popular sites and still avoid the crowds. We have a detailed itinerary that gives you a step-by-step game plan so you can get to the best places at the right times!
Not only that, but we’ll tell you about the park while you drive with our audio guide! Stop planning and start having the vacation of your dreams now!
GRAND CANYON GUIDE: To read or watch all of our content about the Grand Canyon, Check out our Grand Canyon Homepage
AREAS: The Grand Canyon is divided into 4 areas: The South Rim, North Rim, Grand Canyon West, and the East Side of the Grand Canyon (Page, AZ). Learn about the 4 areas of the Grand Canyon with our Free Printable.
THINGS TO DO: There is much more to do than hike and look at viewpoints. Explore Antelope Canyon or ride a mule.
WHERE TO STAY: Learn all about where to camp or stay when visiting the Grand Canyon.
WHERE TO EAT: Check out the best places to eat and get groceries at the South Rim
WATCH: Enjoy videos of the beautiful Grand Canyon while learning our best tips by watching our Grand Canyon YouTube Playlist
This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.
Receive weekly newsletters updating you on the Best of the West including: essential travel tips, park updates, stories, and our favorite things to see and do.
