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PTG Tours · Escorted tour

Grand Tour of the Western States - Parks and Railroads

27 train rides across six western US states, San Francisco to Denver

Illustration of Grand Tour of the Western States - Parks and Railroads

PTG Tours' Grand Tour of the Western States is a 21-day fully escorted journey from San Francisco to Denver across California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. Operated in partnership with Trains and Travel International, the tour features 27 excursion train rides on heritage and scenic railroads, 18 national and state parks, and 11 railroad museums and workshops. Days combine rail rides, including the Amtrak California Zephyr over Donner Pass, the Durango & Silverton steam line through the Animas River valley, and the Cumbres & Toltec over a 10,022-foot mountain summit, with coach travel to Death Valley, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches, and the Grand Canyon. Stays of one to two nights in each location allow time for park exploration and museum visits. The October departure timing captures fall colours. With a maximum group size of 24, roughly half the travellers are typically from the United States and half from the UK, and the itinerary allows independent exploration alongside guided experiences.

What to know before you look closer

  • Only one departure confirmed in the evidence: October 2026. Confirm other dates and availability directly with PTG Tours.
  • The tour includes one optional extra (Verde Canyon Railroad, Day 9); confirm whether it is included in the from-price or costs additional.
  • Roughly half the group is normally from the United States and half from the UK; check current group composition before booking.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: San Francisco

    San Francisco

    Arrival and private taxi transfer to the 5-star Kimpton Alton Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf. Evening rail tour of the city: Cable Car, Muni Streetcar to Haight-Ashbury, tram back to the Ferry Building, classic Muni streetcar back to Fisherman's Wharf.

  2. Day 2railovernight: San Francisco

    Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad

    Cable Car ride and Muni Cable Car Museum, highway transfer to Felton for the Roaring Camp and Big Trees narrow-gauge steam excursion through the redwoods, Cal Train electric commuter ride to San Bruno, drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. Welcome dinner.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Sacramento

    Old Sacramento

    Muni streetcar and BART underground train to Walnut Creek for a private session at the Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society, Western Railway Museum with a private charter interurban on the old Sacramento Northern Railroad, California State Railroad Museum and Old Sacramento.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Reno (2 nights)

    Nevada City and the California Zephyr

    Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum with a charter narrow-gauge railcar ride, then Amtrak's California Zephyr from Colfax over Donner Pass to Reno.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Reno

    Virginia City and Lake Tahoe

    Virginia & Truckee Railroad workshops and a ride from Virginia City to Gold Hill and return, drive along Lake Tahoe's eastern shore, picnic lunch at Donner Pass/Norden snowsheds, Western Pacific Railroad Museum with a charter train around the grounds.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Lone Pine

    Nevada State Railroad Museum and Lone Pine

    Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, the ghost town of Bodie, Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, Laws Railroad Museum with a charter 1927 Doodlebug railcar ride.

  7. Day 7overnight: Williams

    Death Valley, Hoover Dam, The Racetrack

    Death Valley National Park, Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, then along Route 66 and the BNSF 'Racetrack' mainline through Arizona to Williams.

  8. Day 8railovernight: Sedona (2 nights)

    Grand Canyon Railway, Sedona

    Grand Canyon Railway in Luxury Dome Car Class from Williams to the South Rim and return, then on to Sedona.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Sedona

    Sedona, Verde Canyon Railroad

    Optional four-hour Verde Canyon Railroad ride from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and return, plus a stop at the mining ghost town of Jerome.

  10. Day 10overnight: Kanab

    Oak Creek Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs, Kanab

    Drive north through Oak Creek Canyon and Flagstaff, cross the Colorado River at Marble Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, on to Kanab, Utah.

  11. Day 11overnight: Torrey

    Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante

    Morning at Bryce Canyon's hoodoos, picnic lunch, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, on to Torrey.

  12. Day 12overnight: Moab (2 nights)

    Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point

    Capitol Reef National Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park's Grand Viewpoint Overlook, on to Moab.

  13. Day 13railovernight: Moab

    Price River Canyon and Arches National Park

    Drive along the Colorado River past Castleton and Fisher Towers to Cisco to photograph the Rocky Mountaineer passenger train through Price River Canyon, then Arches National Park.

  14. Day 14overnight: Monument Valley (View Hotel)

    Goosenecks State Park, Monument Valley

    Goosenecks State Park, the Mexican Hat rock formation, and a tour of the Navajo Nation's Monument Valley Tribal Park.

  15. Day 15overnight: Durango (2 nights)

    Galloping Goose Museum, Mesa Verde National Park

    Galloping Goose Historical Society's Museum in Dolores, Colorado, then Mesa Verde National Park's cliff dwellings, on to Durango.

  16. Day 16railovernight: Durango

    Durango and Silverton Railroad

    Durango & Silverton Railroad Museum, then the steam-hauled 90-mile round trip from Durango to Silverton along the Animas River.

  17. Day 17railovernight: Alamosa

    Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, Alamosa

    Steam train on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad from Chama, New Mexico over Cumbres Summit (10,022ft) along the Toltec Gorge to Antonito, Colorado.

  18. Day 18railovernight: Colorado Springs

    Sand Dunes National Park, Royal Gorge Scenic Railroad

    Former Rio Grande Scenic Railroad depot/workshops in Alamosa, Great Sand Dunes National Park, then a lunch train on the Royal Gorge Scenic Railroad through the Royal Gorge.

  19. Day 19railovernight: Golden (2 nights)

    Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak Cog Railway

    Garden of the Gods rock formations, then the Pikes Peak Cog Railway from Manitou Springs to the 14,115ft summit, on to Golden.

  20. Day 20railovernight: Golden

    Georgetown Loop Railroad, Colorado Railroad Museum

    Georgetown Loop Railroad excursion train, then the Colorado Railroad Museum with a charter ride on a Galloping Goose railcar. Farewell dinner.

  21. Day 21rail

    Denver, Forney Museum of Transportation

    RTD light rail from Golden to Denver Union Station, visit the Forney Museum of Transportation (home to Union Pacific 'Big Boy' #4005), then transfer to Denver International Airport.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 1Evening rail tour of San Francisco: Cable Car, Muni Streetcar to Haight-Ashbury, tram to the Ferry Building, classic streetcar back to Fisherman's Wharf.
  • Day 4Amtrak California Zephyr climbs Donner Pass from Colfax to Reno.
  • Day 8Grand Canyon Railway's Luxury Dome Car Class runs from Williams to the South Rim and back.
  • Day 16Steam-hauled Durango & Silverton Railroad runs 90 miles round trip from Durango to Silverton along the Animas River.
  • Day 17Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad steam train crosses Cumbres Summit at 10,022 feet through the Toltec Gorge from Chama to Antonito.

Included

  • 29 meals
  • 27 train rides
  • 6 western states
  • 11 railroad museums
  • 10 railroad workshops
  • 18 national & state parks
  • 18 different railroads
  • 20 nights lodging in 3-4-5 star hotels
  • Fully escorted

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included in the price?
Yes. The tour includes 27 excursion train rides on heritage and scenic railroads (such as Durango & Silverton, Cumbres & Toltec, Grand Canyon Railway, and Pikes Peak Cog Railway), plus city rail tours in San Francisco and Denver, as well as the Amtrak California Zephyr between Colfax and Reno.
Is the tour escorted?
Yes. It is fully escorted by PTG Tours in partnership with Trains and Travel International (California). Maximum group size is 24.
What is included in the from-price of GBP 6,950?
The price covers 20 nights lodging in 3-4-5 star hotels, 29 meals, 27 train rides, entry to 11 railroad museums and 10 railroad workshops, and 18 national and state parks across six western states. Coach transfers between destinations and a private taxi transfer from San Francisco airport are included. International flights are not included.
When does the tour depart?
The confirmed departure is in October 2026. The tour timing coincides with fall colours across the western states.
What is the physical activity level?
The tour involves walking tours of cities and parks, stairs in some museums, and luggage handling at each hotel. There is no backcountry hiking; transport between destinations is by coach and train.
How many different railroads does the tour cover?
The itinerary covers 18 different railroads, including the Amtrak California Zephyr, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge, Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, Grand Canyon Railway, Royal Gorge Scenic, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Georgetown Loop, Verde Canyon, Virginia & Truckee, and several heritage museum lines.

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