This 13-Day Adventure Includes A Scenic Train Ride And 5 Popular US National Parks

Many Americans explore the country and its national parks by loading up the car and hitting the road. Road trips remain a classic way to chase adventure, but there is another option that lets travelers sit back and soak in the views of the landscape without ever having to touch a steering wheel: the train. And Vacations by Rail, a tour company, offers a 13-day escorted tour called America's Great National Parks. The journey combines one night aboard an iconic Amtrak train with guided travel to five of the West's most celebrated parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, and Canyonlands. 

The tour begins in Chicago and ends in the Moab area of Utah. Participants are required to arrange their own travel to the departure and arrival locations. The experience earns solid feedback on the company's website, currently holding 4.5 out of 5 stars from hundreds of reviews. Travelers often note how much ground the trip covers, as Mary Cross stated, "They really packed a lot in for 13 days!" And reviewer CS summed it up simply: "Take the trip, you will not be disappointed."

The package includes 12 nights of hotel accommodations, one of which is an overnight on the train, 15 meals, deluxe motor coach transportation after the rail segment, national park entrance fees, and several guided excursions along the way. Notable activities include a ride on a vintage Red Jammer bus along Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road, a boat cruise in Glacier, a guided Yellowstone tour, and a scenic float on the Snake River in Grand Teton. Pricing currently starts around $4,675 per person, and flights and airport transfers are not included. This trip is great for those seeking guided excursions over do-it-yourself experiences, as well as those desiring to witness the dramatic shifts in landscapes in a hands-free way.

The America's Great National Parks tour takes off from the iconic Union Station in Chicago. Participants will board Amtrak's Empire Builder train for an overnight ride west, toward Glacier. This legendary long-distance train ride follows a pioneer route that stretches more than 2,200 miles toward the Pacific Northwest, where the scenery gradually opens into Big Sky Country in Montana. 

The Empire Builder offers a double-decker experience with a Sightseer Lounge on the upper level. Panoramic windows line the car and curve upward, providing wide-open views of the passing landscape. Swivel chairs allow passengers to chat and hang out or follow that unique feature in the mountains. This segment of the trip gives passengers a nostalgic taste of classic American travel that has operated along this particular corridor since the 1920s. 

On day 2, travelers arrive in Glacier National Park, choosing to land either in Whitefish, Montana, or in East Glacier Park. The next three nights are spent at Glacier Park Lodge or Grouse Mountain Lodge. Glacier, often called the Crown of the Continent, spans dramatic alpine terrain within the Rocky Mountains. It features huge granite peaks and massive u-shaped valleys sculpted by the elements. It is home to more than 130 lakes, 200 waterfalls, and an impressive 26 named glaciers.

On day 3, travelers can climb aboard the Red Jammer bus for a guided tour along the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road, which crosses the Continental Divide and delivers awe-inspiring panoramic views of the mountains and ice fields. Some may choose to explore the nearby town of Whitefish instead. The choice is yours!

The train leaves Glacier by deluxe motor coach on day 5 and heads into Yellowstone National Park, passing through Lewis and Clark country and catching views of Madison Canyon Gorge and Quake Lake before entering the park at the west. Two nights are spent at Canyon Lodge & Cabins within the park. On day 6, a guided tour covers many of the park's iconic sights, like the Upper and Lower Falls, Hayden Valley, the famous Old Faithful geyser, Fountain Paint Pots, and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

Day 7 brings visitors a short drive into the neighboring Grand Teton National Park and the town of Jackson, Wyoming, for two nights. A highlight of this section is the float trip along the Snake River. Visitors float along the Snake while soaking up the incredible scenery of the jagged Teton mountain range and local glaciers. The following day offers more time to explore Jackson and Grand Teton park without a schedule. 

The final stretch of the trip shifts the scenery from lush mountains to the dry red desert of Utah. Day 11 is dedicated to exploration of Arches National Park, home to more than 2,100 natural sandstone arches in a striking and arid setting, and guided tours brings visitors around to the most notable arches. Day 12 highlights Canyonlands, known for its vast and rugged canyons carved out by the Green and Colorado Rivers. The day ends at Dead Horse Point State Park for the quintessential overlook of the Colorado River winding through the canyon below.

The trip, which is a must-add to your west coast bucket list, concludes the next day, after breakfast, when passengers are transferred to the Grand Junction Amtrak Station or airport to find their journey home.