I Took a Train to the Grand Canyon. It Took Twice As Long, but It Was Worth It.

The Grand Canyon Railway has six different class options. The bottom-tier class is the Pullman class, where round-trip tickets cost $70. The highest tiers are the luxury parlor and luxury dome, where tickets cost $240. These prices do not include a $35 park entry fee.

When picking my train class, I was just happy to be on a train. I opted for the second-tier coach ticket on the way to the Grand Canyon and a Pullman ticket on the way home. Besides design, the main difference I spotted between the two classes was that the coach class offers air conditioning, while the Pullman car does not.

Altogether, I paid $82 for the ride in October 2023.

The train ride takes about two hours and 15 minutes, compared to an hour by car.

Passengers have about 3 ½ hours to explore the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

The train depot in Williams was built in 1910.

A group of cowboy actors lined an Old West-style set and acted out a cliché shootout.

Sure, it was a little gimmicky, but after traveling along Route 66 and exploring America’s old Art Deco movement, I learned to embrace it.

The coach car was only about half full, so all the passengers could grab a window seat to admire the ponderosa pine forests and grasslands we were traveling through.

The ride is 65 miles and travels through a range of landscapes.

Along the ride, I learned about the Indigenous peoples who call the region home, and our train attendant dove into the railway’s history.

Within the first 10 minutes of the journey, someone from our train car spotted a bald eagle. Throughout the rest of the trip, we also saw cattle, horses, and pronghorns.

I grabbed some pretzels and peanut M&M’s for the rest of the ride.

Little did I know that you can’t see any part of the Grand Canyon from the train. Instead, after disembarking, the canyon is a short walk away.

I’ve spent entire days wandering through Arches National Park and Zion National Park.

While I could’ve easily spent days in the park, an afternoon offered an ideal taste of its offerings.

I spent about an hour walking a segment of the Rim Trail, a paved path that gives visitors a view into the canyon. I also wandered through the visitor center, gift shop, and restaurants.

Though it was the lower class, I enjoyed the Pullman car a bit more. The seats were a tad more comfortable, and the entire space felt a bit more historic. Plus, I was traveling in the fall, so the air conditioning in coach class was an unnecessary perk. (I wasn’t even sure it was on.) If it had been the height of Arizona’s summer, I would have picked coach.

After settling into the emerald-green train car, we left promptly at 3:30 p.m.

Both a violinist and a guitarist played for passengers during the ride.

We arrived back in Williams and ended the day with a stunning sunset.

I returned from the daylong adventure energized and no longer dreading the drive ahead.