Search

Ranked, with the working shown

The best train tours in United States

105 hotel-based trips in United States had enough verified data to score; hostel and self-guided rail-pass trips are not ranked here. The ranking below is fully mechanical; here is exactly how it works:

  • Eligibility: only hotel-based tours are ranked. Trips built around hostels or self-arranged accommodation are left out, since these guides recommend hotel-inclusive tours for the general traveller.
  • Rail share (35%): the estimated share of itinerary days with a train leg (a share of days, not distance or time); trips not assessed are not ranked.
  • Value (20%): price per day against the other hotel-based trips on this page (cheaper per day scores higher).
  • Data completeness (25%): full day-by-day itinerary, imagery, inclusions, and verified price.
  • Departure breadth (20%): how many months the operator publishes departures for.
  1. 1
    Talkeetna Getaway

    Alaska Railroad

    70.2

    Two-day winter rail getaway from Anchorage to Talkeetna and back

    Rail share
    100
    Value
    70
    Completeness
    85
    Departures
    0

    2 days · from $379 ($190/day)

  2. 2
    Rails to the Grand Canyon

    Amtrak Vacations

    69.4

    Round-trip Amtrak rail trip from Los Angeles to Grand Canyon's South Rim

    Rail share
    80
    Value
    82
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    5 days · from $739 ($148/day)

  3. 3
    Southern Rail Experience

    Amtrak Vacations

    68.4

    Round trip Amtrak rail loop from Chicago to Seattle, LA, New Orleans

    Rail share
    75
    Value
    86
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    12 days · from $1,709 ($142/day)

  4. 4
    Grand National Parks with Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon Roundtrip from New York City

    Amtrak Vacations

    64.2

    15-day roundtrip Amtrak journey from New York City to three national parks

    Rail share
    80
    Value
    56
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    15 days · from $3,449 ($230/day)

  5. 5
    Grand National Parks with Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon Roundtrip from Washington, D.C.

    Amtrak Vacations

    64

    15-day roundtrip Amtrak journey from Washington DC to three national parks

    Rail share
    80
    Value
    55
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    15 days · from $3,479 ($232/day)

  6. 6
    Riverwalk to the French Quarter Roundtrip from Chicago

    Amtrak Vacations

    63.5

    Round-trip rail journey from Chicago to San Antonio and New Orleans

    Rail share
    56
    Value
    94
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    9 days · from $1,029 ($114/day)

  7. 7
    Northern Rail Experience Roundtrip from Pittsburgh

    Amtrak Vacations

    62.4

    Independent 11-day Amtrak roundtrip from Pittsburgh via Seattle and San Francisco

    Rail share
    64
    Value
    75
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    11 days · from $1,809 ($164/day)

  8. 8
    Coast to the Canyon Roundtrip from San Francisco

    Amtrak Vacations

    62

    Amtrak roundtrip from San Francisco to the Grand Canyon via Los Angeles

    Rail share
    67
    Value
    68
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    6 days · from $1,149 ($192/day)

  9. 9
    Grand National Parks with Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon Roundtrip from Los Angeles

    Amtrak Vacations

    62

    14-day roundtrip Amtrak journey from Los Angeles to three national parks

    Rail share
    71
    Value
    61
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    14 days · from $2,929 ($209/day)

  10. 10
    Coast to the Canyon Roundtrip from Sacramento

    Amtrak Vacations

    61.4

    Amtrak roundtrip from Sacramento to the Grand Canyon via Los Angeles

    Rail share
    67
    Value
    65
    Completeness
    100
    Departures
    0

    6 days · from $1,179 ($197/day)