Starlight Ride on Verde Canyon Railroad
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Hop aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad for a 4-hour rail journey through the untouched and unspoiled Verde Valley. With first class seating, you will enjoy unobstructed views of Arizona’s geological wonders, wildlife, and archaeological finds of the ancient Sinagua people who once lived in the area. The Verde Canyon Railroad offers Starlight and Moonlight excursions on select Fridays and Saturdays May through September, departing the depot during the cooler temperatures of later afternoon and traveling through sunset and into the moon glow of twilight. Sandwiched between two protected national forests and adjacent to the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, Verde Canyon Railroad brings its passengers into a untamed and unspoiled terrain, the exceedingly rare ribbon where high desert meets the river.
Inclusions
What's included
- Appetizers
- First class seating
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- In 2023, all Verde Canyon Railroad tickets purchased through Viator include a cafe voucher for a meal at the depot cafe which may be carried aboard the train.
- Champagne toast
What's not
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
- DVD (available to purchase)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Pets are not allowed on train
Itinerary
Make your way to the Verde Canyon Railroad Train Depot in Clarkdale, Arizona, not far from Sedona, to begin your Verde Canyon Railroad Starlight adventure. This rail adventure offers a wilderness train ride through the remote Verde Canyon which is known for its picturesque setting and abundant wildlife. Though it’s possible to hike in the canyon, by far the easiest way to experience it is by riding this scenic wilderness train. The train is made up of exquisitely-renovated passenger coaches and open-air viewing cars pulled by vintage locomotives and travels a route along the Verde River between Clarkdale and Perkinsville. After embarking from the Clarkdale depot, sit back for a 4-hour, 40-mile round trip that includes views of historic mining sites, geological wonders, Sinagua Indian cliff dwellings and wildlife from bald eagles to antelope.
At the depot, be sure to visit the John Bell Museum, home to the railroad's history and artifacts from its early days, as well as a wealth of information on Clarkdale, Jerome and the Yavapai-Apache Nation.
The train runs on the same tracks that were created following the Verde River back in 1911. The river is visible for most of your journey.
SOB Canyon and the 150 ft tall bridge are highlights of the trip. Looking back from the bridge and down the canyon is simply gorgeous!
Discover the history of Perkinsville Ghost Town through on-board commentary on your train journey. This is the turn-around point of your trip.
You'll ride past Tuzigoot National Monument on your train journey.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.7
- 5115
- 415
- 35
- 24
- 11
Ratings come from 140 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Departure Point: Verde Canyon Railroad Train Depot in Clarkdale, Arizona Address: 300 North Broadway, Clarkdale AZ 86324
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Tickets
- Tickets are redeemed at a different location from the meeting point.
- Ticket type
- Paper ticket only accepted
- Group size
- Up to 300 travellers
- Operated by
- Verde Canyon Railroad
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Infant age is 0-1 year. Any guest aged 1 and over will be charged an adult rate. Guests cannot board the train without a paid ticket
How it compares in Sedona
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 346 experiences we list in Sedona.
- It is longer than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 67 of 346.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Sedona
Sedona is an Arizona town surrounded by red sandstone buttes and canyons, a landscape of rock formations, hiking trails and creekside cottonwoods.
Sedona lies at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon in northern Arizona, at about 1,300 metres, surrounded by red sandstone buttes and spires with names such as Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. The rock gets its colour from iron oxide, and it glows orange and crimson at sunset. Many believe certain spots hold spiritual energy, called vortexes, and the town has a New Age following.
Top-ranked sights in Sedona: Chapel of the Holy Cross, Oak Creek Canyon, Cathedral Rock.
Special offers in Sedona
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
