So much fun! I look my parents when we were in the area, and as someone who doesn't like to rave, my mom won't stop talking about it! You're in for a surprise on the trip down, and it'll definitely keep everyone, kids and adults alike, very entertained. read more

Absolutely amazing experiences. We take out-of-towners here and they have a blast! (Even for adults / no kids lol) Under an hour away from Elk Grove. We have been 3 times and did the golden hour ones in the spring, but our most recent was the morning one in the fall. It was foggy and overcast which provided some cool spooky vibes! The staff here are all amazing from the shop, to the crossing guards, to the crew that rides on the carts. They are all very professional, knowledgeable, and I have felt very safe on all of our trips! It's a 4 mile trip out and then 4 back for a total of 8 through the countryside over the course of 2 hours. You'll pass some currently used streets which is where crossing guards will lower the gates for safe passage. On the way back you go especially fast which is so fun to fly along the railway tracks. A very unique experience! read more

See all

Excellent experience! The staff was fun, informative and accommodating. We enjoyed every moment and will come back with grandkids and husband! As long as your mindful of the rules anyone can enjoy this!!! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - After the lunch stop a quick pic before we head back. - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

Beautiful views of the scenic countryside. ! The staff is top-notch, even if the price point is a little high. Just a heads-up for future riders: it's not a passive ride. Expect at least one person to be pedaling continuously to keep moving. read more

What a fun afternoon riding the rails. We enjoyed a two-person rail car although a number of four-person "car" were available as well. They are easy to us: you just pedal, although the motor takes all the effort out of it. The "driver" just needs to use the break and some hand signals to alert who is behind you. It's easy and fun! The track goes for about 4 miles, where you then stop and take a break while staff turn the rail cars around. It's then about 4 miles back, although it's downhill so even more fun. Staff is fun, helpful, and making sure it's a fun ride for all. Great way to spend a couple of hours out in the Foothills. read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

See all

What a fantastic day! If you're looking for a thrill ride with adventure along with a beautiful nature journey you signed up for the best experience in the west! The crew are phenomenal and they are super cautious about safety! There are three railroad stops to cross the business highway! There is a 15 minute stop to take a break from pedaling before you return back! The bikes take you uphill on your way there and then you cruise downhill on your way back! Pedaling is effortless. They opened in March of 2024! It's well organized and there are 4 tours a day! Two in the morning and two in the evening. They have many sister companies back east, but this is the only one in the west! It's for all age groups! The person in right side pedals but they are electric bikes. If you're 2 people you get your own bike but if more than two you get a 4 seater! They assign your bike by your last name, so it's a hunt to find it!!! We were in the front then in the back on the way back which was a beautiful thing. We got to see the cows charging down the hill and stop and feed their young on the tracks. It was a great day and I would encourage you to come out and give this a try! They even have Posh bathrooms and a gift shop to take home a memory! I bought a T-shirt it came in a cute little brown box for easy packing. read more

See all

Family of five visited 03/28/26 for the twilight tour. The staff is incredible! Facilities were clean. The waiting and midway picnic areas are adorable. Felt very welcomed and safe. Great Adventure! read more

See all

WHAT A SPECTACULAR ACTIVITY! Today was my husband's birthday and frankly a lot of others celebrating as well, and this rail pedal activity is definitely the way to go about it. Throughout the week I was planning out the logistics because we're not from California, I originally wanted to plan the one in Sacramento but it was a different company but they were all booked out and found Rail Express as I continued to search. From all the reviews I've read I went ahead and called to place my booking. The sweet lady mentioned over the phone they also have one in a few states so now that I experienced this one here, I am definitely looking into trying out the one in the East Coast when I visit family there. She told me the views are captivating and the young woman (name is Makenzie) who worked for Rail Express here in Amador recommended to check the one in Iowa. Love that it's all good and positive talk about this. It was really cute they wrote a note saying Happy Birthday when they assign you where to sit with your group/partner. I didn't even mention it was his birthday, I assumed they paid attention to his birthdate and knew it's on the actual day so that was awesome of them to do that. When going over the rules and expectations, all of the staff were so sweet, kind, clear, and funny! The humor is needed during rule time. And they checked up on you and constantly asked if you needed help taking pictures, my gosh they were the best group of staff! The restrooms were clean and it was very organized, had you in and out type of deal. The ride was such a sweet ride and awesome workout I personally think. Being close to the cows was quite interesting too. My favorite part of this was going over this little bridge where the route is below you, it gave me a happy and exciting feeling when you can see cars down below, I thought that was cool. My hometown Reno peeps, come and join this experience here in Amador, CA! If you're having a day trip, make sure to add this to your to-do list! It's one thrill of a ride! read more

See all

Booked the seasonal "Ghosts of Gold Country" evening tour. My boyfriend & I were celebrating our anniversary and we have wanted to ride the rail cars for quite some time. It was such an amazing experience, we rode at our own pace in between other cars, a lead and follow car with their staff surrounded all the riders as well as they would go around to all the road crossings making sure we were safe when crossing the 3 road sections on the tour. The Ghost of Gold Country tour begins at 6pm, so you start the ride just before Sundown. You get to ride through the country side with an amazing view of the sunset. It takes about an hour to get to the turn around point, where there were tables and chairs to sit while they turn all the rail cars around, and one of the staff members tells you a ghost story about the ghost train in that area back in the mining days. You ride back in the dark and all of their Halloween decorations are on along the trail. They have chairs and fire pits at the check in and end points, a small gift shop, restrooms and they offer water and coffee before and after your trip. You can also purchase smore kits at the gift shops to roast marshmallows on the fire. Over all it was an amazing experience and we had a blast. I would definitely do it again. read more

See all

Great experience! This is my family first time and will not be our last. The crew was amazing and very accommodating to everyone. excellent customer service and safety was their priority! The entire time / i felt that my family was safe and were guided to enjoy the beautiful outdoors on their great quad car! Here are some pictures and videos for your viewing pleasures! read more

See all

We took our 2 young granddaughters (7,8yo) to try something new and different. The experience far exceeded our expectations. My wife and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Our granddaughters had so much fun that they were still talking about it for days after. The crew of young gals and guys were so professional and organized. All were very friendly and knowledgeable. The entire experience from website ticket purchase, tour prep, actual tour, and even the gift shop was positive. My only critique is that I wish it was a bit longer. On the other hand, the 2 hrs fit our schedule nicely. Wife and I are looking forward to coming back, perhaps without the kids... read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Granddaughters loved it! - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

See all

Absolute blast. This is a must do especially when the weather is in your favor. Customer service is spot on, and we never felt unsafe during the trip. Fun for all ages and if you plan to bring kids lighter than 80 pounds they will provide a harness for their safety. read more

Super fun family adventure Took our mom for Mother's Day weekend - highly recommend it! Lot of up and down hill, definitely thrilling. Not Appropriate for kids under 5 years of age. Will come for the evening sunset experience read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Rail explorer - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

We went with 8 people, 2 cars and it was so much fun! I was a little nervous with taking a 3 year old but they are harnessed and buckled. The whole thing is very organized and the staff are so great! You can tell they all love what they're doing and everyone was very friendly. We will definitely go again. read more

Wonderful Experience - Highly Recommend! The majority of our family came from Hawaii, so this was definitely something different for us -- but absolutely worth trying! My family and I had such a great time with Railway Express in Amador County. From start to finish, the customer service was excellent -- the staff was friendly, welcoming, and very informative. They really took the time to explain things and made the experience smooth and enjoyable. The ride itself was so much fun and worked for all ages. My aunty, my sisters and I rode on a quad while most of our other family members were on the tandem ride. The pedaling wasn't nearly as hard as it looked, and everyone managed just fine. Even my little nephew, under 2 years old, rode as a lap rider and ended up taking a nap during the ride! Going up the trail was so worth it -- at the end, we were able to disembark, stretch, and take a nice little break while enjoying the stunning mountain scenery. On the way back down, we were treated to a magical view of horses and cattle grazing right alongside the rail. It was such a memorable and unique experience for our whole family. If you're looking for something unique, kid-friendly, and full of character, I highly recommend Railway Express. We left with smiles, laughter, and memories we'll never forget -- and we'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Highly recommend!! Staff was very attentive, friendly, and engaging. I would do this again. Highly recommend the sunset hour. You get beautiful views. read more

See all

We decided to try Rail Express on the spur of the moment this week. Made a reservation the night before. Arrived, checked in and listened to the safety guidelines. All the employees seemed knowledgeable and friendly. Their website states that it is a 2 hour experience. We went out and back in an hour and a half. The scenery was lovely this time of year. I can't imagine taking this ride in the dead of summer. It was alot more fun than I thought it might be, especially on the way back which is downhill. At the turn around point, you spend about 30 minutes. There are lots of red chairs and a picnic table or two. Bring a snack and water. Would I do it again, probably not but I would recommend those interested to give it a try. It really is fun and you don't spend very much energy peddling ( the engine kicks in). read more

See all

We did Rail Explorers in Versailles Kentucky. It was a Great Experience. Any one can do this. Even someone with physical disabilities. They are electric assist. Very little effort to pedal the 10 miles total. 5 miles out. Rest for 20-30 min then 5 miles back. The crew covered a variety of safety issues and had flag personal at road intersections. Very safe, easy to pedal or not. You don't need to pedal all the time and they still make the trip. Price was worth the ride. read more

Beautiful Experience, Kat was amazing! She was super informative & made the experience 10xs better. Thank you so much Kat you're amazing. read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

We had so much fun! The guides and other staff were very personable and helpful. We really enjoyed ourselves and definitely recommend going! PS. They give each rider a wristband for discounts at the local restaurants and businesses. It's a great way to support local!! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - View of route. - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

My wife and I had a great time! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable, seriously every staff person ( and we met about 8) was super friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. We are looking on doing other Rail Explorers across the country. We would highly recommend this for a new and fun experience!! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

We did the golden hour ride on a Sunday evening. It was beautiful and so much fun! The crew that went with us was really carful about safety. We are over 50 and had no problem peddling the bikes. 100% recommend doing this!!!! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - At the turn around spot. - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

This is worth the cost of the exploration. It's not like a super long ride. You get to see the area and enjoy the outdoors. You take a small snack while they turn the rail carts around. There's chairs to sit. Just keep in mind there's no bathroom at the turn around point. The staff were awesome and seemed to enjoy what they are apart of. 5 stars read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Office and check in - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

Me and my boyfriend came here a few months ago and did the sunset ride it was so fun! I honestly did not expect it to be so much fun the ride back was way better as you have a lot of space between the carts and you go really fast! Every single employee was so friendly and multiple even asked us if we would like them to take a picture of us at different times. I would recommend anyone to do this ride it's definitely worth it! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Right before we got on the carts - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

We hosted a group of tourism professionals from different counties in CA and brought them to ride RailExplorers. They all said it was an amazing experience, thoroughly enjoyed and the price point and bikes were truly impressive. The group said they would all recommend and look forward to returning with family and friends! The initial safety talk given by Makenzie was thorough and engaging. Wyatt's knowledge of the rail history and mine at the turnaround made the experience even more interesting! The RE team was attentive and constantly checking in on our overall satisfaction. I and our guests will definitely be referring this ride! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Landscape - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

See all

We had THE best time. If you're driving by or in the area , this adventure is a must! Everyone that works here is super friendly. I didn't catch everyone's names, but thank you Darren for taking our pictures and your selfie. read more

See all

My husband found Rail Explorers in Amador by chance and we decided to take it! This is a great experience and what a surprise! We visited on Easter (we forgot about the holiday since we didn't have any family plans this year) and the staff who greeted us were just as happy as us to be there. The parking is very well maintained and plentiful for our entire group. We checked in at the small gift shop and they gave us bracelets and said we could wait in the tables and chairs until they were ready for us to start. It was a chilly but sunny beautiful spring day so we were thankful for that because the previous day was one of the roughest rain and lightning storms of the year and the group was delayed so we JUST made it on our day. The staff offered to take our pictures by their sign and showed us to the bathrooms to use before we departed as there were no bathrooms on the trip. And let me just say the bathroom was a trailer like one at events I've seen. I was so surprised when I went into the bathroom and there were like 4 or 5 stalls and a sink with a mirror! They also have a ground level more accessible large port-a-potty. We were called to the carts and given the safety and operational instructions about the carts and what we should expect from our excursion. Everyone was super nice and very informed - they all supported each other which was nice to see. We got on our cart, we had a 2 person one and I was surprised it was so spacious - the website said you can bring a dog and/a cooler/backbacks etc. We were super eager to take our cart out! The cars are motor assisted so we weren't expecting much resistance, but I was a little worried about it at first because I'm not in the best shape! But when we were given the OK and took off, the resistance was next to nothing! My feet were almost slipping off the pedals like I was on a bike that the chain fell off LOL. They offered cars with 4 seats as well. The ride was about 8 miles total according to the guides and we stopped traffic a few times to cross the highways - that was funny, I had no idea we were going to be crossing road ways, but the staff operated the RR Crossing lights, bells, and arms and also sent staff out in neon vests to ensure no cross traffic. The ride itself was pretty relaxing and super fun! It may have been too early for many wildflowers but we were able to see some flowers against the green hills from all the rain. At the halfway point, we slowed and stopped our cars and were guided toward a bluff overlooking a valley in the distance. It was beautiful and there were seats all along the bluff. Great for pictures and a picnic! The staff turned our cars around and we were off back to where we started. All in all it was a very nice adventure - we'll bring some friends and more food next time! Thanks for being open on a holiday too! read more

See all

A wonderful experience from beginning to end! Everyone was kind and fun. The ride was easy, beautiful and very enjoyable! Totally worth the time and money. Take everyone! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Beautiful views - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

We had such fun on our adventure! What a memorable day. The staff were all very friendly and accommodating. They also focused a lot on our safety. Would definitely recommend Rail Explorers in Ione! Denise read more

What a unique experience! There were a dozen or so participating on our tour, mostly couples, plus the four in my group, who rode together on a 4-person rail car. We were greeted, given wristbands, and then received an introduction to each staff member and overall description of how our tour would go. Buckled into our rail cars with one of us the designated brakeman, we left on time and headed out! We appreciated the staff monitoring the few road crossings to be sure we crossed safely. If you are concerned about not being able to pedal, don't be! Easy peasy with some times just crusing with no pedaling. Be sure to bring sunscreen and water bottle (they have a jug to refill at the turnaround). We brought a small cooler of grapes and cut-up apples with a bag of pretzles to munch on while we relaxed at the turnaround. If you wear a hat, be sure it is well attached or has a drawstring because on the way back, you will be flying down the hills! Whoo-whoo! read more

Such a bummer, I spent $100 just to be literally hospitalized (ended up keeping me 3 days) and was told "if only I had called before to let them know, then they could reschedule me." Even though I did call a couple hours after, from the hospital bed, on the same day, once I was able to speak and not so affected by the IV meds. What a joke. Like I would give you ANOTHER $100?? Enjoy that money I worked my ass off for, I'd never consider it again just for the lack of empathy. read more

We did this as a last second fun family activity highly recommend this to anyone looking to see the sights. Only issue was the ride went so fast and wish we could have done much longer. Very easy ride for all ages. It was nice that the pedal bikes have a small engine to help power so doesn't take much effort at all to pedal. staff is friendly and and keeps things safe. read more

This was so fun!!! Staff was very thorough, polite and just great - every single one of them! Trip was fun! Break time was nice. I was so excited for this and it definitely didn't disappoint! read more

this is a great day trip with my adopted nieces. we enjoyed the trip from beginning to the very end. the tour was worth making the effort for. anyone taking the trip with their teens will enjoy the trip. sulky teens will lose their sulkiness almost immediately. the trip is that much fun. our trip was a few months back and very much enjoyed. Hint, bring extra water no matter what time of day you take the tour. read more

Great experience! I believe it's a little pricey for what it is but that didn't matter since the kids had a blast. Would recommend. read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

So much fun! Going again in a few weeks. The staff was amazing. We did the Golden Hour tour. read more

See all

What a FUN experience!! We just completed our adventure and we could not stop talking about how much fun it was! Our family consisted of kiddos (as young as 2), to grandparents (who are young at heart) and EVERYONE had a blast!!! This is a MUST do! Beyond the amazing views of beautiful landscape, we absolutely enjoyed the incredible hospitality provided by ALL the crew members! They were such kind and caring humans, who ensured we had an exceptional experience! They were attentive, patient, and you could tell they really enjoy what they do! They also ensured we had plenty of photos taken, so to keep the memory of this experience! They had a beautiful set-up with pops of red, and super nice restrooms, too! Every detail was tended to, and as mentioned ..... it was SOOOO FUN!!! No matter your age or physical abilities - you are sure to have a roaring good time!! I would just leave the lip gloss at home.... lol.... I picked up a few hitch hiking bugs on my way down! Lol!! SO MUCH FUN!!!!! read more

See all

Everything was so well organized. All the staff were very friendly. The rail bikes were a lot of fun without being a lot of work. Really enjoyed our family adventure! We brought food and drinks and had a picnic at the mid point of our ride. read more

Super fun group or family activity. Hold onto your hat on the trip back. Bring snacks and water if you have kids or even for yourself for the stop at the lookout area. The staff were very nice and attentive. They took pictures and acknowledged celebrations. I would definitely go again! read more

Rail Explorers - Amador Division - Getting ready for the downhill trip back to the yard! - Tours Near Me - Ione, California

Such a fun experience! We went for my birthday and had such an amazing time! The staff is so nice and fun, shout out to Darren that guy is literally the best! read more