My brother and I rode the Grand Canyon railway, and it was a great trip. We started the trip…read morewith a night in the Grand Canyon railway hotel. And then rode the train the next day. The Grand Canyon railway depot is actually on the grounds of the Grand Canyon, railway Hotel, directly behind the lobby.
The day started with an old western show. Your typical good guys and bad guys, but it was a lot of fun. The actors had plenty of energy, of course they picked on somebody from the audience, and they made it very entertaining The same guys actually "attack" the train on the way back, and they also do an old west show in downtown Williams. these guys keep busy.
I can't speak for the regular railroad seats, as we paid for a package that included the Vista Dome car. The seats are upstairs with a great view. The seats were comfortable. The Vista dome seats came with free snacks, and nonalcoholic drinks, , (you can also purchase food on the train,) and they had people from the bar come up to our seats. They have a good choice of cocktails and mocktails. I had the virgin bloody Mary, and it was delicious. It wasn't just tomato juice, it had a great. Flavor. Tangy, with just a little bit of heat. Throughout the train ride, there were people telling stories about the canyon, telling stories about the train, and there was music as well.
You have a good amount of time to see the canyon We chose the bus tour and lunch as part of our package. You can also do the bus tour without lunch if you choose, or do things on your own. There is a free shuttle bus to sites around the south rim of the canyon. Lunch was a full all you can eat buffet, not a large number of choices, but very acceptable. A good amount of food, and it was tasty. The bus driver was friendly, and knowledgeable, we stopped at several spots along the canyon, and after our bus tour, we had time to explore Grand Canyon Village before we got back onto the train. The El Tovar hotel is beautiful, very close to the train depot, and it also has a nice gift shop as well.
From the show at the beginning of the day, to the time the train came back to Williams, it was a total of about nine hours. A long day, but definitely worth it. For our entire package, including a night at the hotel, the upgraded seats, and the tour with lunch, it was approximately $650 total, with the military discount for the both of us. On the high side, yes, but definitely worth the trip. There is also a $30 charge added on to get into Grand Canyon national Park, my brother has a park pass so we didn't have to pay that. The prices will vary, of course, depending on whether you just go with the train ride, or you choose a full on package It's a great way to see the canyon. Highly recommended. Thank you.
