Starlight Ride on Verde Canyon Railroad

We took a relaxing Starlite Ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. We booked the first-class seats through Viator for 4 people and they sat us together on two, two-person comfy couches facing each other. We had meal vouchers so upon checking in we were able to order a sandwich, side, and a drink, which we ate prior to boarding, so glad we got there 1 hour before. We all decided on the Turkey Sandwich which was HUGE and delicious. I wish I had taken a picture of the menu. There were probably about 10-12 choices. Upon boarding the train there was a charcuterie plate, waters, and a bottle of champagne per couple. There was a bar in our car and Shay was a great bartender who we ordered our drinks from. There was plenty of time and room to visit the open-air car that we did periodically during the trip. Craig was outside narrating what we were seeing or about to see. Not sure how he has his voice after leaving for the day. It was a little cloudy and a full moon, so were not able to see many stars unfortunately, but still enjoyable.

Took my daughter on the starlight train ride and had an absolute blast. The scenery was absolutely stunning.

We had a nice time on the train. The views on the way were beautiful!! The outdoor car was really packed at times so I spent more time at our seats to get a view of what we were passing. The staff were all very friendly and knowledgeable. We had plenty of food. We got a cafe voucher before we left which was a dinner portion (we picked the chicken sandwich with fries), and then the train had a charcuterie board container waiting for each guest at the table.

Was pleasantly surprised how nice the whole experience was. Honestly thought it was a good value for the money despite being over $100 per person. The seating was very comfortable and views from inside train car were very good. We did the starlight ride and so it was really nice to see part of the countryside in daylight and of course the dark star-filled sky at night. The stars were beautiful and easy to see, especially from the open/outdoor area. Please note that there is a nice/tasty charcuterie tray included along with a small bottle of water and a small bottle of champagne. Might not be enough of a meal for heavy eaters, but could be considered a meal for lighter eaters. It included a really delicious and fudgie brownie, so really no need to order the optional cupcakes if you are wanting a sweet treat. Actually think the brownies were tastier than the cupcakes anyway, but cupcakes were good, too. The website says to get there 2 hours before departure to shop and eat at cafe but that’s not really necessary unless you want more to eat than charcuterie tray onboard (note that you CAN bring food and beverages from cafe on board and also note that the ONE shop is small and doesn’t require much time to go through. Also note that cafe has very limited menu but that servings are quite huge-and pricey, but I guess decent price considering serving size: my salad was $20 but I thought was huge and I’m a big eater! Thought salad was really good). A little time is needed to stand in line to get your tickets, which you need to get even if you’ve already ordered your tickets online, so don’t get there too late because train will leave on time. Additionally, there is a full bar located in each train car, which is really nice! Plan to do this again next time in area. Highly recommend!!

This was a gift for my mother’s 80th birthday, and she absolutely loved it! It made her special day even more memorable and added a wonderful touch to the celebration.