This exciting and scenic ride begins at the historic 1908 Williams Depot where you will be entertained by a Wild West shootout featuring the Cataract Creek Gang in an outdoor theater. Shop in one of two gift shops, or enjoy a hearty buffet breakfast (not included) before departure at the Grand Depot Cafe next to the depot.
Then, hear the train whistle pierce the fresh morning air, beckoning passengers for a trip on the old iron horse to the Grand Canyon. Uniformed coach attendants provide you with white-gloved courtesy and service. Aboard the train, enjoy the tunes of strolling musicians who conduct sing-a-longs, an Old West train robbery, and the antics of western characters as they recreate train travel as it was back in 1901.
This train will arrive into the historic 1910 Grand Canyon Depot, the only remaining log depot still in operation in the United States. Buildings like the El Tovar Hotel, Hopi House and Bright Angel Lodge salute arriving guests as you pull into the station and disembark from the train.
Choose between coach class seating which are streamline era coaches built in the 1950's and are air-conditioned and heated in the cooler months. Soft drinks and bottled water are available for purchase on board. Upgrade to first class and enjoy the opulence of oversized, reclining seats with extra-large viewing windows and at-seat cocktail service (no host bar) aboard First Class. Cars are air-conditioned and you can help yourself to complimentary morning refreshments of fresh fruits, pastries, juices, teas and coffee. Enjoy snacks from the buffet on the afternoon trip.
Please note: adult prices include a USD15 National Park Fee.
See Availability.
Grand Canyon Railway Depot, 280 N Grand Canyon Blvd, Williams, AZ 86046, USA
8 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Infants must sit on laps
The train can accommodate a motorized scooter if it is no wider than 25 inches. There is a special lift to lift the scooter onto the train.
Please note: Arizona doesn't observe Day Light Savings and switches between MST (Mountain Standard Time) and PST (Pacific Standard Time) depending on the season.
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Most travelers can participate
Post COVID-19 Safety Updates - We politely request that you refrain from taking this tour should you start displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or if you are at a high risk of contracting the disease. Please ensure 1 person per group wait in line for ticket exchange. Face masks will be highly recommended. Social distancing will be practiced on train platform and on the train. Seating on board the train will be limited to maximize social distancing, and guests will be asked to promptly take their seat keeping aisles clear and to remain seated except to use restrooms.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Posted By : Z8227TYrobinb
Fun, historical and entertaining train ride to the Grand Canyon. The car attendant was well informed and fun. The musicians were corny and not very good. The “robbery” was stupid and just a tip hoax. Saw elk and prairie dogs.
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Posted On : 2024-04-28
Posted By : minnieanderson16
Railway was so much fun. The coach kept you busy with activities and giving you information on the mile markers. There was music, train robbery, made the trip fast. We tipped our Dennis was our service attendant in our train bus. Very nice. Only Recommendation I have is. Pack a lunch and drinks . They serve in the train but is pricey. If you plan on eating at the Grand Canyon good luck. Hard to find a place to eat, and if you do you’re waiting. You can pack a bag and store it above your seat. Train is locked while you are at the Grand Canyon so you can leave it on the train. I would definitely go again.
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Posted On : 2024-04-25
Posted By : nickamc80
We boarded the Grand Canyon Railway train at the station in Williams and it took us into the Grand Canyon Village where we walked around seeing parts of the Grand Canyon.
This was in early October so the weather was nice.
Train ride I believe was just over 45 minutes to reach the Grand Canyon Village.
Cafe/Snack car is on the train for drinks and snacks.
They had the professional photographers walking around snapping tourist pics if interested.
Fun for the entire family.
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Posted On : 2024-04-13
Posted By : CloudSwing
Kids and kids at heart will love this experience on the rails. They did a great job creating a wholesome, old-timey feel of a great western adventure, including a scuffle at the saloon, a "shoot out," and bandits who come aboard via horseback to "rob" willing participants who hide dollar bills on themselves and agree to play along by screaming and holding their hands up.
Even if all of that is not for you, the ride itself was beautiful and the attendant (we had Craig who was awesome!) and the entertainment was wonderful. Just the right amount of information and some quiet to just relax and enjoy the ride.
Great way to day trip or short overnight to the canyon. You get about 3.5 hours so it's enough time to see the south rim views, grab and ice cream, and head back.
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Posted On : 2024-04-09
Posted By : E7664DHsams
The trip was.
fine. We did not have an issue with the trip. It was memorable. One of the couples was unable to make the trip period as they received a phone about an emergency just as we were boarding the train. I have requested a refund and hope you can help me on it.
Confirmation #1483936539
Reference #1098248765
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Posted On : 2024-04-04
Posted By : Rainy232
I cannot recommend this enough. We took the train and were entertained throughout the 2 hour 15 minute journey. The canyon is amazing enough but our train journey to there was the icing on the cake. Lovely staff and original ideas to keep the kids and adults interest.
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Posted On : 2024-04-03
Posted By : jpap14
We took the this trip based on a recommendation from my in-laws and really enjoyed it. Our host Taryl was an excellent story teller and helped pass the time quickly. She offered some tips to see a heart shaped rock from one of her stories and we found it! Butch the rock and roll cowboy sung us some cool tunes. We took the early tour and had about three hours to rome around and explore. On the train ride back, we got "robbed" by the cowboys . The kids loved it! It worked out to be a good amount of time for the one we had. If you have more time, try to spend the night at one of the hotels overnight and take the train back the next day.
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Posted On : 2024-04-03
Posted By : F2080RUchriss
A friend recommended this and it was a fantastic addition to our AZ trip. Our family (of big kids) loved the train experience. No stress, we just enjoyed the ride to see one of our national treasures.
It snowed on our train ride (in mid March) which made is a magical experience. We were confortable in the coach car, the big windows were awesome for viewing the landscape, our car host was GREAT(friendly, informative and funny).
The availability and recommendation of grabbing a homemade turkey sandwich in the Cafe car was super! What a nice option to have, it was tasty and allowed us to explore rather than waiting in line for a restaurant.
The staff was excellent from start to finish from booking to boarding to onboard experience. Our host in the Coach car was an older gentleman who was jolly and informative.
Such a unique experience that one we will never forget, we highly recommend this trip for anyone who's ready to relax and enjoy the ride. When we got the Grand Canyon south rim it was raining/snowing so it was a challenge to hike or get too far from the main area (so the 3 hours was a little long) but no one can control the weather.
We probably wouldn't do it again (because after you do it once) but maybe in the future when we grandkids. The only thing I would do differently is get a car with tables so we could play cards and face each other while snacking; however we loved sitting in the cafe car when it wasn't full of people.
Our only regret is that we didn't stay at the train hotel. Our Embassy Suite hotel in Flagstaff was disappointing, and in the end it would have saved us $ and given us a much better experience had we stayed at the Railway's hotel. Lesson learned.
Thank you for maintaining this unique throwback to years passed!
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Posted On : 2024-04-01
Posted By : Jaskel08
We took the railway with our kids to the Grand Canyon for the day and loved it. The attendant, Rob, was awesome. He was very entertaining, engaging, and made a special point of making it fun for the kids. One can tell me loved doing his job.
It is worth it to upgrade to first class. It is not that much more. The seats are comfortable and face each other. There were snacks on the way there and on the return. The train even stopped briefly on the way home so that “bandits” can board the train.
One thing to be aware of is that we had only four and a half hours before the train left for Williams. We knew this in advance and were ok with it. If anything, it worked to our advantage since it was snowing and cold, we weren’t interested in hiking or exploring too far away from the village. Something to consider is taking the train, along with your luggage, and staying a night or two in the El Tovar hotel.
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Posted On : 2024-03-31
Posted By : Robert_H
The train trip was great. The staff in Williams was very. We loved the atmosphere and Rob our guide Conchino car guide was excellent.
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Posted On : 2024-03-31
