Starlight Ride on Verde Canyon Railroad
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Paper ticket
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.
Additional Info
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
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Verde Canyon Railroad
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.
Verde Canyon Railroad
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.
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
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Gratuities
DVD (available to purchase)
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Pets are not allowed on train
Options
Starlight Ride on Verde Canyon Railroad
Reviews
84 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
The staff and train ride,...
Frank O,,Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The staff and train ride, including seating, was very comfortable and pleasant. The views were good but taking an evening train during late Fall prevented additional scenic viewing on the return trip. Also, upon getting back when it is dark, sun down, the parking lot lighting is not very bright. When going back to the car, the low lighting along with moving car lights made walking the parking lot difficult.
Non-Experience
leo b,,Oct 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00The PA system is not effective to allow all to hear. If speaker is looking away, cannot hear at all. Views are limited. A disappointed from the advertised experience. Very Expensive for Value Received.
Amazing Ride
DONNA,,Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing and so much fun. Staff was friendly and helpful. This is a must do. Food and drinks were great.
Such a pleasure!
Judy R,,Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Scenic, relaxing, and memorable. The gift shop and waiting area are nice; the on-board staff is excellent & they set a fun tone; the whole experience was worth the trip and the price.
It was very nice
Robin D,,Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Take it during the day , then you can see all the stuff both ways, going and coming back . And the night does get chilly.
Good experience
657laurenk,,Aug 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Upon arrival they suggest you eat a burger before you board $20 for burger fries and soda. No indoor seating: so your out in the heat. ( August) parties of 4 sit in small couches with a shared coffee table and parties of two in more upright seats w table that has better view. Can bounce from inside car to outside and open car; liked how it wasn’t overly crowed and you had a specific outdoor car that was adjacent to your car to go to. Staff was great. Knowledgeable and friendly. Charcuterie box was ok. Not everyone had the same- one was missing salami. One was missing turkey. Some got pepperoni. Some didn’t. Strange. Bring snacks! Biggest complaint: the music was waaaaayyyy too loud and hard to have conversation. Yet the narration on speaker wasn’t loud enough!!! The twilight train was beautiful going the first two hours. It was just BLACK going back,(2hrs) and many passengers including myself napped.
Starlight tour 5th anniversary
Melody A,,Aug 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The train ride was lovely. The cabins are comfy, they give you plenty of snacks, provide water and a champagne toast, and there is an optional bar. Our car's guide Romm was a wealth of knowledge and we thoroughly enjoyed listening to share his passion and information. We would highly recommend the starlight tour which gives you sunset views on the way in and starlight on the way back, truly the best of both worlds.
Perfect!
Glennis K,,Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent service and experience. Really enjoyed the champagne toast and carry on meal. The bartender was nice to have with all the yummy drink options as well. Wood do again!
Very Nice Evening
RonL663,,Aug 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We have done different train rides and this one was the best experience of all. The ride out is amazing seeing the river that flows along the tracks. The different views of the desert. Then the ride back is amazing also, we were lucky enough to go during the full moon and seeing it rise was a fantastic sight. The train staff were very friendly and service was great. Highly recommend this experience, especially during the full moon.
Beautiful scenery, excellent guide, relaxing tour
JessicaK784,,Aug 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We loved this relaxing, beautiful tour with excellent guide Tristan. My partner and I took the Saturday night Starlight train and were so glad we did. We live in AZ and have taken multiple trips to the area, but still found the scenery stunning and the railroad tour an overall worthwhile experience. The company recommends getting to the station 1.5 hours early, but we ate in Jerome beforehand and arrived about half an hour early, which left more than enough time to browse the gift shop before boarding. Station restrooms were clean, the boarding process was efficient and simple, the charcuterie served was substantial, and our bartender Cheryl was lovely. We were seated in sofa-style bench seats facing another couple, unfortunately backward-facing for the first part of the trip and with only a partial window view. We were also in the hottest car of the train. That said, it was an unusually warm day, plus we ended up spending nearly the entirety of the tour in the breezy outside car (each enclosed cabin has its own outdoor platform). Tristan made the tour highly enjoyable - he was funny, knowledgeable, and engaging, pointing out various rock formations and buildings and teaching us local history. The train stopped for about half an hour at the midway point in order to prepare to reverse, and he kept us entertained with stories about mining and land barons. I learned a lot from him about the area. He also did a great job helping people get good photos of the landscape. Finally, we had been unsure about taking the evening tour since the last third or so was in darkness, but the subsiding heat, the sunset over the red rocks, and the view of the stars made it worthwhile. Definitely recommend. My one recommendation to the company is to please allow tour guides to include Native history when discussing local history. You do your guides and customers a disservice when avoiding the bare facts of "how the west was won," i.e. how land barons and mining companies acquired local land in the first place.
From US$186.18
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Operated by Verde Canyon Railroad