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Colorado Rail Experience

 
4.6 stars(239 reviews)
Duration
8 days
From per person
Not yet on sale
Tour code
CRE27
Mobility Rating 2
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Delve into the rugged landscapes of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, uncovering evocative Gold Rush history in the heart of the Old West

Experience untamed Colorado on this escorted Rocky Mountain holiday, featuring nostalgic journeys on six of the state's most scenic heritage rail routes.

Uncover stunning landscapes from the heights of Pikes Peak and the depths of Royal Gorge. Explore Colorado's fascinating history aboard the Georgetown Loop, the Leadville, Colorado & Southern, and the Cumbres & Toltec railroads.

Embrace the film-set beauty of the Old West, travelling through Gold Rush scenes on the Durango & Silverton Railway, and marvel at the awe-inspiring Garden of the Gods on a driving tour.

Unforgettable Experiences

Riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Spend a day aboard one of Colorado’s most scenic railways, journeying along the Animas River through the Animas Gorge and San Juan Mountains, as you travel between historic boomtowns.
Boarding the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Boarding the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Cross the border between Colorado and New Mexico 13 times while riding North America's longest and highest narrow-gauge steam rail route, the incredible Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
Admiring scenic views on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Admiring scenic views on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad
Watch the incredible landscapes surrounding the Arkansas River unfold from your seat in the First Class vista-dome car on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad.
Ascending ‘America’s Mountain’ on the Manitou & Pikes Peak Railroad
Ascending ‘America’s Mountain’ on the Manitou & Pikes Peak Railroad
Travel by train to the summit of ‘America’s Mountain’, Pikes Peak, with time to enjoy panoramic views over the Colorado Rockies from the summit.
Touring the astounding Garden of the Gods
Touring the astounding Garden of the Gods
Marvel at the dramatic red sandstone formations set against vast blue skies and emerald-green pines during a drive through the Garden of the Gods.
Discovering Colorado’s history on the Georgetown Loop Railroad
Discovering Colorado’s history on the Georgetown Loop Railroad
Get a first-hand look at Colorado’s mining past while riding the Georgetown Loop Railroad, a scenic railway that has operated since the 1880s.
Journeying on the beautiful Leadville Railroad
Journeying on the beautiful Leadville Railroad
Look upon the lush San Isabel National Forest, the mighty Arkansas River and a plethora of fantastic mountain peaks while riding the Leadville Railroad across the Continental Divide.

Reviews

4.6 stars4.6 / 5 · 239 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (162)
  2. 4 stars
    (56)
  3. 3 stars
    (13)
  4. 2 stars
    (4)
  5. 1 star
    (4)

Christine Keyworth

5 stars

Submitted 11/Jul

Such fun well organized

Collected by Trustpilot

Christine Keyworth
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Joanne Larson

4 stars

Submitted 11/Jul

To much bus riding. Wasn’t expecting that!

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MEM

3 stars

Submitted 9/Jul

There are many things that could have been done better… such as getting a detailed itinerary at the beginning of the tour. Everything seemed to be planned last minute. This did not give us the opportunity to plan out our free time and/or dinner meals. All nearby restaurants should have been provided day one.. not during each day of the trip…. to allow for dinner reservations to be made. We were disappointed that we were informed last minute that one of the Trains (Cumbres & Toltex Scenic Railroad) was cancelled. This was one of the best and most expensive trains that we were looking forward to riding. The tour group booked an alternative tour site (Ute museum)… which was not worth the time and did not compensate for the cancelled railroad. There was also a lot of wasted/filler time during the different tour stops. The quality of hotels that were booked were generally very poor and most were located on the main road/highway. One had a broken A/C Unit and another night we were put in a room at one of the Holiday Inn Express that was 20ft from the main road…. Needless to say… we did not get any sleep those nights. We were also put in rooms with Double Beds…. which we request a King Bed… The first and last hotels that were booked for us were the only hotels that were at a level. The bus was not a luxury bus as indicated in the brochures…. Our child’s high school band used nicer busses than this. The bus driver was excellent at getting into tight spaces ! Our tour guide brought up multiple times about tipping while on the bus … We found it inappropriate to talk about tipping that many times…. Since the tipping guide was outlined and published to everyone. The positive… we met a lot of nice people… We were told by many of them to not judge all of Vacation By Rail trips by this experience…. since this was our first experience with Vacation By Rail.

from Great Rail Journeys
Hello Mark. Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your experience. We sincerely apologize that several aspects of your vacation did not meet your expectations, and we're sorry to hear about the disappointments you encountered throughout your journey. We understand how frustrating it was that the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was canceled due to the wildfires, especially since it was one of the highlights you were looking forward to, and we regret that the alternative activity did not provide the experience you had anticipated. We are also in the process of issuing a refund for the canceled Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad experience. We also apologize that your hotel accommodations and motorcoach did not meet your expectations; while bed type requests are always submitted to our hotel partners, they are honored based on availability at the time of check-in. Please know that your comments will be shared with the appropriate departments as we continue working to improve our tours and the overall guest experience.
1 comment

Collected by Trustpilot

Donna Lindhout

5 stars

Submitted 7/Jul

Great vacation. Beautiful country! Tour guide Denise and bus driver Brenda were amazing!

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Vivianne Glenn Hough

4 stars

Submitted 7/Jul

Our tour guide, Denise, was great, as was Brenda, our bus driver. I wish we could have had time to visit some of the venues; ie Piles Peak, Durango-Silverton. We felt rushed much of the time. Hotels were very nice.

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Dennis Tomlian

5 stars

Submitted 7/Jul

Very nice hotels, good locations, great train trips

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