Holiday Train Rides – book your Santa trains

Christmas may be a month away, but now is the time to plan ahead if you want to check out these Holiday train rides.

Image: SAllgood

There is nothing like the wonder of Christmas and Santa Claus to your little ones.  The joy they experience (and give us) during this season is immeasurable.  Here are a few of the holiday train rides available near Las Vegas. 

Whether you plan a quick trip, or make a weekend out of the experience, these train rides will bring a little extra holiday wonder to your Christmas season.

The Polar Express Train Ride 
The Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel Located in Williams, AZ, which is about a 3 hour drive from Las Vegas.  No, this is not local, but it’s the nearest Polar Express experience to Las Vegas.  You and your family can experience the wonder of this magical train ride, as you fill up on cookies and hot chocolate on your way to Santa’s Village. 

Watch the joy on the children’s faces when the train arrives at the North Pole, where Santa Claus and his reindeer are waiting! Santa will board The Polar Express and hand each child their own special gift.

Image: SAllgood

You need to book early for weekend dates, so take a look now.  There are still lots of open dates for the 2023 train ride, but you’ll want to book early for this Christmas!  Since it’s quite a drive, you can also book packages  and stay at the hotel there.  The package includes:

• Overnight stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams
• Polar Express train travel from Williams to the North Pole for each guest
• Dinner and breakfast per guest at the Railway’s Grand Depot Cafe located adjacent to the hotel (large buffet)

Keep in mind that adding the overnight stay can cost as much as $350 on a weekend, but includes dinner and breakfast for everyone as well.  This might be a little bit pricey for my free and cheap peeps, but I know people that have done it and say it’s worth every penny and the drive.  Kids absolutely love it, and the reviews and comments are amazing.

There is a 5:30 and a 7:30 departure daily, and the train ride lasts a little over an hour.  Ticket prices start at $39 for children 2 -15 and $58 for adults(16+) for the value day rate, and are higher for Standard and Holiday rates.  For more information, schedule, open dates or to book reservations, click the link above.  Check out their Facebook page to keep up on any new information as well.

Reservations are still available for the 2023 Polar Express.   If you are planning ahead for next year, you may want to sign up for deals with your email.  

They also offer a Polar Express Charity Train. If you represent a non-profit organization that serves disadvantaged or disabled children in Arizona, please click here to request an application for up to 25 complimentary tickets to The Polar Express, departing on a designated evening.

We have been there, done that!  It was an amazing trip to Williams for the Polar Express. My kids loved it and they also loved all the snow they had there.  It was beautiful!  A few tips for those that have booked or may be planning to book:
Arizona is it’s own little time warp, and while we did know about the time difference, it totally slipped both my and my husband’s mind to leave an extra hour to get there during the drive.  So, we ended up arriving a full hour later than we wanted and with the craziness there, we cut it really close.  So, leave early!
Check the weather and bring what you need.  It was 18 degrees the night we rode the train, but we dressed for it and it was fine.  Besides, check-in and parking being chaos, we had a nice little time with the kiddos and would go back!

*We booked late in the fall for 2021 and got a Monday night, which we were fine with.  It booked up quickly the rest of this year, so look ahead to next year and get the dates you want.  Another side note, this trip we did not stay at the Grand Canyon Hotel and it was still great- though it didn’t snow.  Free breakfast, an indoor swimming pool, very close and better price within walking distance the train. 

Another cool part of Williams is that historic Route 66 winds right through this cute little town.  Plus, a bonus on our second visit, we went to Bearizona Wildlife Park, just 10 minutes away and it was absolutely amazing.  There’s plenty to do for a whole weekend.

Local Holiday Train Rides at Nevada Southern Railway

Boulder City North Pole Express

He’s making a list, and he’s checking it twice, Santa Claus is coming to town!

Your favorite evening holiday train ride event is scheduling regular roundtrip departures to Santa’s Railyard and back to Boulder City. Enjoy a 40 minute train ride while singing carols and the reading of a children’s story. One you arrive at Santa’s Railyard, you will disembark the train for cookies and hot chocolate, games, snowball fights, and of course photos with the big man himself. Better bundle up, because every trip to Santa’s village has a forecast of snow!

This event is a fundraiser for the Friends of the Nevada Southern Railway who support the museum in its preservation and education missions. Tickets go on sale November 1st.  Dates are Nov 24- Dec 20, 2023, days and times vary. Click the link for dates and tickets. 

Santa Trains

Come experience the magic of Santa on the Boulder City Santa Train!  Take a ride on the new BC Santa Express 2023 where guests will experience the magic of the holidays onboard and in our Santa’s Railyard event center.  

There will be four ride times on various days throughout the holiday season. The trains will roll at 10AM, 12PM, 2PM & 4PM and run on various dates, Nov 25- Dec 23, 2023.  Tickets start at $10, seats are required for all passengers over 1 year old.  Click the link for dates and tickets. 

You want to book your Holiday Train Rides soon.  You can get daily email updates of all the free and cheap events, plus deals and discounts on entertainment and dining, by subscribing to our daily newsletter.  For even more cheap fun, “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Check out our 2022 Holiday Events in Las Vegas for loads of upcoming holiday events around town…