Clarkdale, Arizona · 25 minutes from Sedona
Four hours through a red rock canyon no road reaches: the Verde River below, a 734-foot tunnel, ancient cliff ruins and open-air viewing cars the whole way. Here is every way to ride it, compared honestly.
Compare Tickets & Book See the rideIndependent guideNot affiliated with the railroad; we compare so you book the right seat
Tickets & Tours
Booked through Viator: instant confirmation, mobile voucher and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Ratings are live Viator & Tripadvisor figures.
Saturday evenings4 hoursThe same 40 canyon miles timed to sunset: red rock in evening light on the way out, stars over the canyon on the way back. First-class seating with champagne toast, appetizers and snacks.
4 hoursThe full canyon run from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back, with an indoor seat, unlimited time in the open-air viewing cars, a champagne toast, appetizers on board and a lunch voucher for the depot café.
From PhoenixFull dayA guided day out of Phoenix through the copper-mining hill town of Jerome and historic Clarkdale, with hotel pickup and the option to add a Verde Canyon Railroad seat to the day.
Compare
| Option | Best for | Duration | Rating | Pickup | Food | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railroad Adventure | First riders; most people | 4 h | ★ 4.6 (3,285) | No | Toast, appetizers, lunch voucher | $186 | Book |
| Starlight Ride | Couples; return visitors | 4 h | ★ 4.7 (137) | No | Toast, appetizers, snacks | $186 | Book |
| Jerome day tour, Phoenix | Phoenix stays without a car | Full day | ★ 5.0 (1) | ✓ | Water; meals en route | $255 | Book |
| Rail Day, Scottsdale | Do-it-all day, zero driving | 12 h | ★ 5.0 (4) | ✓ | Snack, lunch & water | $350 | Book |
| Gate ticket, direct | Plain seat, lowest price | 4 h | n/a | No | Café at the depot | $139 | Direct |
The Ride
300 N Broadway. Come an hour early: free parking, the café for lunch, the John Bell rail museum and the gift shop.
60 min beforeEvery ticket has a reserved indoor seat in a climate-controlled car plus unlimited access to the adjacent open-air car.
Departure 1:00 PMTwenty miles along the Verde River: crimson cliffs, trestles, Sinagua ruins on the ledges and the 734-foot hand-cut tunnel.
~110 min outThe engines swap ends at a ghost ranch that once doubled as a film set. No disembarking; the canyon repeats in reverse.
Short stopGolden-hour light on the rock, eagles in winter, and whichever side of the car you missed on the way out.
~110 min back
Plan Your Visit
Hours, access, seating rules and what to bring - the practical details, one tab each.
Meeting Point
300 N Broadway, Clarkdale, AZ 86324
All rides board here, whatever you booked. Check in at the depot building, then the café, gift shop and John Bell Museum fill the hour before the whistle. Pickup day-tour guests are dropped at this same platform.
Around Your Visit
Best time to ride, the small things that matter, what sits nearby and the cancellation fine print.
Traveler Reviews
★★★★★We arrived an hour and a half early: ample parking, low wait at the café, time for the gift shop. On board we had a charcuterie and champagne toast waiting. Our guides Josh and Craig were both informative and entertaining.
★★★★★A very comfortable and enjoyable train ride. The seats were comfortable and the food was great. Michael was both entertaining and informative.
★★★★★We did not know what to expect coming up from Las Vegas. The ride was well worth the relaxing, serene atmosphere. Our family of four enjoyed it greatly.
★★★★★Absolutely amazing, and Josh was great with everyone in our car. One warning: seats are assigned, and our two couples booked separately and ended up in different cars. Book tickets together as a group.
★★★★★I recommend the night train. Josh was our guide and bartender and did both really well. After the turnaround the ride back was relaxing under the stars, and he knew exactly which stars were which.
★★★★★Josh and Anthony were a wonderful duo, full of knowledge about the valley and able to share it in a way that made you eager for the next thing. I highly recommend this adventure.
Quotes from verified Viator bookings on the listings above; ratings shown are live Viator & Tripadvisor figures.
Also Planning the Grand Canyon?
Half the people searching for Arizona train rides want a train to the Grand Canyon. It exists, but it leaves from Williams, about an hour from Sedona.
Round trip from Williams to the South Rim with about three hours at the canyon, National Park fees included, coach or first class.
Park fees includedCoach or first class
ReserveThe Guide
Most people find this train by accident. They search for a train in Sedona, or a train to the Grand Canyon, and land on a railroad in a town they have never heard of. Then they ride it and call it the best thing they did in Arizona. Here is what it actually is, and how to do it well.
The line was laid in 1911 and 1912 to haul copper ore from the mines above Jerome to the smelter town of Clarkdale, and it survived because the canyon it threads has no road in it. Since 1990 it has carried passengers instead of ore: a pair of vintage FP7 diesel locomotives, restored indoor cars with living-room seating, and the open-air flatcars where everyone ends up standing. The 20 miles between Clarkdale and the Perkinsville ghost ranch take about 110 minutes each way, past crimson cliff walls, Sinagua cliff dwellings, trestle bridges over the Verde River and a 734-foot tunnel cut by hand. The train pauses at Perkinsville while the engines change ends, then does the whole thing again in reverse, which is why nobody needs to fight over which side to sit on.
The railroad sells one fare: $139, every rider from age 1 up, and it covers both a reserved indoor seat and the open-air car next to it. The Viator packages start around $186 and layer on a champagne toast, appetizers at your seat, a lunch voucher for the depot café and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. That last part is the quiet argument: Arizona weather plans change, and a ticket you can walk away from the night before is worth something. If you want the bare seat at the lowest price, book direct and buy your own sandwich. If the food and the escape hatch sound like $47 of value, take the package. There is no wrong answer, only a wrong fit.
October and November are the glory weeks, when the cottonwoods along the river turn gold against the red rock. December through March is eagle season, when bald eagles winter in the canyon and the attendants point them out from the open cars. Spring brings high water and wildflowers. Summer works better than people expect: departure is in the afternoon, the indoor cars are air-conditioned, and the canyon walls throw shade over the open cars for long stretches. The Starlight rides on summer Saturdays trade the midday light for sunset going out and stars coming home.
The depot sits in Clarkdale, 25 minutes from Sedona, two hours from Phoenix. Come an hour early: parking is free, the café does a decent lunch, and the John Bell Museum by the platform is a genuine ten-minute pleasure. If you have the full day, the ghost town of Jerome hangs on the mountainside fifteen minutes away and pairs naturally with the afternoon train; the day tours from Phoenix and Scottsdale bundle exactly that combination with hotel pickup. And if what you really wanted was a train to the Grand Canyon, that one leaves from Williams, an hour north, and is a different day out entirely.
FAQ
It is the one most often called that. The route runs 20 miles up a red rock canyon that has no road in it, along the Verde River, through a 734-foot tunnel and past Sinagua cliff ruins, then returns the same way. The only comparable ride in the state, the Grand Canyon Railway, crosses high desert and pine forest rather than a canyon.
The railroad’s own 2026 fare is $139 for every rider age 1 and up, and a private caboose for up to six charters at $1,200. The Viator packages start around $186 and add a champagne toast, appetizers, a depot lunch voucher and free cancellation to 24 hours. Special event rides like the wine and chocolate trains run $175 direct.
About 4 hours on board: roughly 110 minutes each way to Perkinsville and back, with a slow rumble through the prettiest stretches. Plan to arrive an hour early and you have a half-day commitment; see plan your visit.
No. The train leaves from Clarkdale, about 25 minutes by car from Sedona on AZ-89A through Cottonwood. There is no passenger rail in Sedona itself; this is the scenic railroad closest to it.
No direct train exists from either. The nearest Grand Canyon rail experience is the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, about an hour from Sedona. From Phoenix you would drive or join a bus tour to Williams first.
Yes. The train runs once a day at most, sells out regularly in spring, October and around holidays, and seats are assigned when you book. Same-week availability is rare in peak months.
Only if you book together. Seats are assigned in advance, and parties who booked separately are regularly seated in different cars; riders confirm this in recent reviews. Put the whole party in one order, or contact the railroad ahead of the ride date to link bookings.
October through November for golden cottonwoods along the river, December through March for bald eagles that winter in the canyon, and March through May for high water and wildflowers. Summer rides run in the afternoon heat; the indoor cars are air-conditioned and the open-air cars are shaded.
Every ticket includes both a reserved indoor seat and unlimited access to an adjacent open-air viewing car. The Viator Adventure package adds a champagne toast, on-board appetizers and a lunch voucher for the depot café; each car also has a restroom and an attendant.
It is one of the few Arizona outings that works for both at once: no hiking, climate-controlled seating, restrooms on board, and the open-air cars keep restless kids moving. Infants under 1 ride free on a lap. The one-hour Magical Christmas Journey in December is pitched squarely at families.
Ready to Book
Instant confirmation and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure on the tickets below. Seats are assigned at booking, so put your whole party in one order.
Railroad Adventure · from $186 Starlight Ride · from $186
Day tours with pickup: from Phoenix · from Scottsdale · Grand Canyon instead? Railway tickets