13 Most Beautiful Train Rides for Fall Foliage

We’re still in prime summer—hot days, tomatoes galore, packed beaches—but autumn enthusiasts are already looking forward to next month, when the leaves will begin to turn. Beautiful foliage lasts for such a limited time that it’s essential to plan your fall foliage viewing. You could go on a backroads drive or a hike, but consider the most relaxing alternative: a scenic train. From New Hampshire to the Swiss Alps, here are 13 of our favorite fall foliage train rides.

A green and yellow train rolling through a fall landscape with yellow and orange trees — Take New Hampshire’s Conway Scenic Railroad through the Crawford Notch pass in the White Mountains this fall.

1. Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer

Route: North Conway to Fabyan, New Hampshire
Duration: 4 to 4.5 hours round-trip
Book now: conwayscenic.com
From $75

On the Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer’s 1950s-era streamlined passenger cars, you’ll see some of New Hampshire’s most scenic landscapes, including the famed Crawford Notch, a pass in the White Mountains that lights up in a riot of red, yellow, and orange foliage from September to mid- or even late October every year. For a taste of this scenic train ride without committing to half a day, book the one-hour Valley Train Excursion (from $24).

The historic Mount Washington Cog Railway among mountains and woods — The historic Mount Washington Cog Railway started chugging down the tracks in 1869.

2. Mount Washington Cog Railway

Route: Marshfield Base Station to Mount Washington Summit, New Hampshire
Duration: 3 hours round-trip
Book now: thecog.com
From $84

Ride the rails to the top of Mount Washington on a three-hour round-trip excursion that’s been an attraction in New Hampshire’s White Mountains since 1869. The railway still operates two vintage steam locomotives, but most of the trips are now made with biodiesel locomotives to reduce emissions. Visit by mid-October to see the fall colors at their peak, a forest of orange, red, and gold.

On Vacations By Rail’s nine-day “New England in the Fall” tour, you can combine a ride on the Mount Washington Cog Railway with trips on the Conway Scenic Railroad and Amtrak’s Downeaster.

Alaska railcars passing over trestle bridge, with high mountains in background — If you can’t wait to get your fall foliage fix, head to Alaska, where the leaves change as early as late August.

3. Alaska Railroad Denali Star Train

Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks, Alaska
Duration: 12 hours one-way
Book now: alaskarailroad.com
From $221

Afar contributor Bailey Berg describes the beauty of seeing Alaska‘s fall foliage by train: “The blue of the fast-moving Chulitna River, the red of the shrubs along its banks, the yellow of the lower-level birch trees, and the emerald of the deciduous trees higher up the embankment. And in all directions, sweeping views of the grayish-purple Alaska Range, each peak blanketed by termination dust.”

The foliage changes early in Alaska, peaking in late August and the first few weeks of September each year. Besides seeing a variety of red, orange, and yellow leaves through the dome car windows on the 12-hour (one-way) ride that runs from mid-May to mid-September, you can also catch a view of Denali, North America’s highest peak.

Engine of a vintage steam train passing fall foliage in western North Carolina — A vintage steam or diesel train takes you through the spectacular foliage of western North Carolina.

4. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Tuckasegee Steam Train

Route: Bryson City to Dillsboro, North Carolina
Duration: 4 hours round-trip
Book now: gsmr.com
From $63.72

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad operates several itineraries throughout the year. Its Tuckasegee River Excursion on a vintage diesel train is the most scenic in the fall. On the four-hour round-trip journey, you’ll get to take in river valley views from the train’s panoramic windows and explore the handful of shops and restaurants in the small town of Dillsboro during an 80-minute layover.

Looking for something more than a day trip? This train ride is part of Vacations By Rail’s nine-day “Smoky Mountain Rail Adventure” that takes travelers from Nashville to Asheville with additional stops for rides on the Tennessee Valley Railroad and the Incline Railway on Chattanooga’s Lookout Mountain.

Train passing under bridge and beside water — A relaxed way to enjoy Cuyahoga Valley National Park is on a scenic train ride.

5. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Route: Rockside Station or Peninsula Depot to Akron, Ohio
Duration: 2 or 3.5 hours round-trip
Book now: cvsr.com
From $20

You can take this scenic train ride throughout the summer, but go in October to see the sugar maples and dogwood trees turn various shades of red, orange, and yellow on a 2- or 3.5-hour round-trip ride through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. There are generally two trains daily from Rockside, three from Peninsula Depot, and one from Akron, at 11 a.m. The trains on the 00:50, which leave from Peninsula Depot, are two hours round-trip and better for young children. For a full day of fun, choose the all-day ticket, a hop-on, hop-off option that leaves you free to explore the park (board at Rockside, Peninsula, or Akron Northside Stations).

Black engine car steaming past yellow aspens — Southern Colorado is known for its abundant aspen trees, which turn yellow each fall.

6. Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

Route: Antonito or Cumbres, Colorado, to Chama, New Mexico
Duration: About 8 hours round-trip (Antonito to Chama); 4 hours 15 minutes round-trip (Cumbres to Chama)
Book now: cumbrestoltec.com
From $135 (Antonito/Chama), $115 (Cumbres)

Through October 25, 2025, this narrow-gauge steam train makes excursions every day except Monday between two small towns located right on the Colorado–New Mexico border, with the option to board in Cumbres for a shorter trip to Chama (both in Colorado). The ticket price includes a buffet lunch at the midway point in Osier, Colorado, plus access to the open-air gondola car for better photo ops of the aspen trees that turn bright yellow in autumn.

The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad passing through colorful Susquehanna River Valley — The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad makes its way through the colorful Susquehanna River Valley.

7. Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad

Route: Milford to Cooperstown, New York
Duration: 2.5 hours round-trip
Book now: lrhs.com
From $27

The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad’s fall foliage excursions run for three weekends, from Saturday, September 27, through Sunday, October 12, 2025. The vintage train departs at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for a 2.5-hour round-trip ride through the Susquehanna River Valley, bursting with pretty foliage. All rides begin and end at the Milford Depot, about a 15-minute drive south of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

A blue train car curving around a bed, with yellow trees in the background — The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is an easy day trip from both Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Atlanta, Georgia.

8. Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Route: Blue Ridge, Georgia, to Copperhill, Tennessee
Duration: 2 or 4 hours round-trip
Book now: brscenic.com
From $61

Between September 18 and November 4, 2025, take in the season’s colors on this scenic two- or four-hour round-trip excursion along the Toccoa River in the Chattahoochee National Forest. You can book tickets for a seat in an enclosed, climate-controlled train car or enjoy the mild autumn weather from an open-air train car.

Travelers can book either a two-hour or four-hour ride. While the former is a quick trip that focuses on downtown Blue Ridge, the four-hour trip includes visits to the small towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. Trains depart daily at 10 a.m. (the four-hour trip) and 3 p.m. (the two-hour trip) Thursday through Monday.

Blue Amtrak train on ridge beside water in New York — Skip the plane and take the scenic route between New York and Montreal this fall.

9. Amtrak Adirondack

Route: New York City to Montreal, Canada
Duration: 13 hours (New York City to Montreal); 11 hours (Montreal to New York City)
Book now: amtrak.com
From $79

This train ride is the definition of the slow, scenic route, where the emphasis is as much on the journey as the destinations. The Amtrak Adirondack runs from New York’s Moynihan (Penn) Station through the Hudson Valley and its rows of handsome maple trees and up into the train’s namesake Adirondack Mountains. It then continues along the shores of Lake Champlain, arriving in Montreal 13 hours later (the return trip is two hours shorter).

Short red and yellow Canadian train on bridge over dam — The scenery around this part of southern Ontario, north of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is stunning in the fall.

10. Agawa Canyon Tour Train

Route: Sault Ste. Marie to Agawa Canyon, Canada
Duration: About 10 hours round-trip
Book now: agawatrain.com
From approximately $109 (CA$150)

The scenic Agawa Train takes you on a daylong journey from the lakeside city of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, chugging 114 miles north to Agawa Canyon Park, where you’ll have 90 minutes to go on a hike or stop for a picnic near the Agawa River. You should hurry if you’re thinking of booking this trip. Tickets for its peak season (September 15 to October 14, 2025) tend to sell out quickly.

Red train atop curved aqueduct among yellow fields in Scotland — Pretend you’re heading back to school at Hogwarts on this fall train ride in Scotland.

11. The Jacobite

Route: Fort William to Mallaig, Scotland
Duration: About 4 hours round-trip
Book now: westcoastrailways.co.uk
From approximately $93 (£69)

Harry Potter fans will recognize this vintage steam locomotive as the real-life version of the Hogwarts Express that crossed over the Glenfinnan Viaduct in the films. You may not be on your way to Hogwarts, but you’ll certainly take in some magical scenery along the 84-mile train ride, which runs daily. The morning service starts in early April and goes until October 24, 2025, and the afternoon service runs from early May until September 26, 2025.

Atop high bridge, red train passes by mountains in Switzerland — Fall may be shoulder season in Switzerland, but it’s no less scenic this time of year.

12. Bernina Express

Route: Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy
Duration: 4.5 hours one-way
Book now: rhb.ch
From approximately $45 (CHF36) each way

The Rhaetian Railway through the Albula and Bernina Passes in the Alps was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 for its outstanding architectural and civil engineering achievements, which include hundreds of viaducts and bridges through high mountain passes. The train runs year-round, but fall is particularly beautiful in this region of Switzerland, when the golden larch trees contrast with the green pines. Note that this route sells out very quickly.

Train alongside rushing stream and orange, yellow, and green trees — Cherry blossoms may come to mind when you think of Japan, but the country’s fall foliage is just as scenic.

13. Sagano Romantic Train

Route: Torokko Saga Station to Torokko Kameoka Station, Japan
Duration: 25 minutes one-way
Book now: sagano-kanko.co.jp
From approximately $6 (¥880) each way

Twenty minutes outside of Kyoto is one of the best value-for-money “dates” you can go on in Japan: a trip aboard the Sagano Romantic Train. It will take you on a beautiful 25-minute ride through the Hozukyo Ravine, which is lined with Japanese maple trees that turn red and orange every autumn, before finishing at the Torokko Kameoka Station. You can then take either the same lovely ride back to Sagano or a regular JR train for 30 minutes (¥320).

This article was originally published in 2018 and most recently updated on August 20, 2025, with current information.

Lyndsey Matthews

Lyndsey Matthews is a senior travel editor at the Points Guy, prior to which she was a senior editor for Afar.

Fall Foliage Is Better by Rail on These 13 Scenic Train Trips

This autumn, take in beautiful fall colors from Alaska to the Alps on these picturesque train rides in the U.S. and abroad.