Highlights
- Round-trip tickets on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, including entrance to Depot Railroad Museum
- Half-day or full-day professionally guided tour of Mesa Verde National Park
- One or more nights lodging in Durango, Cortez, or inside Mesa Verde
Personalize Your Trip
- Add extra nights to your trip (in Durango, Cortez, Silverton, and/or Ouray)
- Add a horseback ride to your itinerary. Located near Mesa Verde National Park. Many rides to choose from in the Ute Tribal Park or in the mountains (two-hour, half-day, and full day rides available).
- Train Car Upgrades and an Optional Motor Coach Upgrade can be selected (higher cost) - upgrade to include a coach bus on one leg of your journey or a deluxe, first-class, or Presidential-class car (based on availability).
- Many other activities can be added to your itinerary through our Build Your Own Package.
Trip Overview
To fully enjoy the Ruins & Rails Package, we recommend staying in Durango two nights – the night before and the night of your train ride. Your third night, stay inside Mesa Verde National Park at the Far View Lodge or in nearby Cortez, Colorado. Choose from many select lodging options – ranging from budget-friendly motels to deluxe, full-service hotels. It is your choice where you want to stay and for how long.
Day 1 | Rails
Ride the coal-fired, steam-operated Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which winds through the spectacular canyons of the remote two million-acre San Juan National Forest. Relive history with the sights and sounds of yesteryear on this 1882 adventure from Durango to Silverton, Colorado. Save time before or after your ride to visit Durango’s Railroad Museum, located in the rail yard roundhouse, featuring full-size locomotives, maps, photos, artwork, memorabilia, and authentic collectibles. While in Silverton, you’ll have time to enjoy lunch and stroll this historic town’s quaint shops.
You will return to Durango early evening in time to browse the downtown shops, have a fabulous dinner at one of Durango’s many fine restaurants, and listen to some live music or take in a show at the Henry Strater Theatre.
Day 2 | Ruins
Explore Mesa Verde National Park with a full-day or half-day professionally-guided tour. Learn about the history of the Ancestral Puebloan’s culture. See their magnificent cliff dwellings of hand-hewn stone from over six centuries ago! The readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine rated this internationally known treasure “the #1 historic monument destination of the world!”
The all-inclusive full-day tour includes your roundtrip transportation from Durango to Mesa Verde, a delicious boxed lunch, refreshments and all Park fees. Enjoy a fascinating journey through time with a modern interpretation of the architecture, anthropology and culture of the ancient Puebloan peoples.
The half-day tours (4 hours) begin at 8:00 am or 1:30 pm. The professionally-guided tours include a comfortable motor coach ride to various archaeological sites and include short hikes on simple trails. Drive to Mesa Verde National Park (about 50 miles from Durango), and pay the Park’s entrance fee ($15 to $20 per vehicle - depending on dates of travel). Tours depart from the Far View Lodge, located inside the Park.
