Verde Canyon Railroad

"Wife booked this didn't know what to expect, station was spacious great food before boarding nice facility with very clean bathrooms etc. The ride was absolutely gorgeous, the setting was unbelievably comfortable and the outside train car deck was amazing. Our bartender/host SHAY was an ABSOLUTE TREAT. I can't stress enough that this is a must do if you want to escape the valley and witness some absolutely amazing arizona landscape."

"This wasn't exactly the experience we expected for the amount of money we paid. We thought we'd see historical buildings, and houses or something along those lines, but it was mostly traveling through just the canyon. The wait time between when they asked you to get there and the time you boarded the train was way too long (about an hour and a half). We made the best of it and ate the lunch they provided which wasn't bad, and then we visited the museum and walked around a bit. Once on the train, we were lucky to have been assigned a two-seater on the side of the train where you see the most. That's also the side that the sun was blasting in the windows making it very hot to the point that I had to strip down to my tank top and I was still very hot. The tray of food they gave us was a good amount to snack on, however it consisted of grapes, little brownie bites, crackers, cheese and rolled up turkey, which was on the table with the sun hitting it which made me a bit weary about eating the meat and cheese. It was fine, but it was still iffy. Be aware .... if you'd like an alcoholic drink from the bar, you're going to pay for it ($18 for a small glass of sangria and a bottle of Corona). But after paying the steep ticket price of around $390 for both of us to ride the train, you'd think that at least the first 2 drinks would be included, but they're not. The conductor was great, he was very funny. We celebrated his 750th ride with a champagne toast. Overall it was a nice experience. My husband and I enjoyed each other's conversation. We're glad we can say we did it, but one time was enough."

"Arrived to find a nice complimentary snack tray with crackers, meat and fruit with two waters. I sat in the Yuma car. Before departure there is a champagne toast which was a nice touch. Once the ride start you are allowed to go outside where where we Had Andy the outside guide explain on the history of the railway and along the region. He did an awesome job. Overall the ride lasted about 3 hours 45 minutes and was well worth every penny. The weather was perfect for the time of year which made it that much more enjoyable. If you get a chance I wouldn't hesitate to try this out at least for a one-time experience. Andy you are awesome thanks again."

"Once in a lifetime experience!!! Very good trip through the canyon. My favorite part is in the outside train cart listening to the tour guide say facts about the area’s history… it was really neat. Good food/drinks at the bar (there is a bar on every indoor train cart) the luxury seating is nice with tons of space! Everyone gets a large welcome snack when you first sit at your seat. I recommend this experience for ALL age groups!"

"We had thought about doing the Grand Canyon Railroad but had heard the Verde Canyon Railroad was more scenic and they were right on. I would recommend this trip as a must see and travel when coming to Arizona. The train cars are vintage with assigned seats, so you can leave you seat and know you can go back to it. When we arrived at our seats there was a small bottle of water, a plastic cup for doing a champagne toast when the rain leaves the station, and each passenger had a snack box. It included slices of turkey, salami, various cheeses, grapes, crackers, and a brownie cut in 4 little cubes. It was very good!! You could order drinks while on the train, each car had its own bartender and he gave a narrated history and pointed out Rock formations and things to see along the route. Between our car and the next one was an open air car where you could go out and stand or sit under a canopy and watch the scenery go by. The train was pulled by 2 engines and you go out 22 miles before they move the engines to the back of the train to pull us back to the station. It was exciting and memorable and we hope to do it again one day. They do have a holiday train that runs in December, goes out an hour to a Christmas village, stops for the kids to visit Santa, and goes back. It runs at night after 4pm. I recommend buying your tickets in advance as the train sells out fast. There were 6 tickets left when we got ours for a Wednesday and the two days around it were already sold out."