Durango Train and Silverton Jeep Tour Package

The best part of this day is the change of pace: you travel from Durango to Silverton by road, climb into an open-air Jeep for the high San Juans, then return through the Animas River Canyon by historic train. That gives you mountain views from three useful angles, not just a single long ride.

I like the small group size, capped at 14, and the local guides who add stories instead of simply pointing at scenery. I also like the chance to see Silverton, with time for lunch and shops, before the train ride back. The key catch is important: your train ticket is not included, despite the package name making that easy to miss.

Key points at a glance

• Three ways to see the San Juans: Travel by air-conditioned van, open-air Jeep, and narrow-gauge train.
• A true mountain outing: The Jeep route reaches old mining settlements, open meadows, and broad views near 14,000-foot peaks.
• Guides shape the day: Kat and Jay Bird are named in the tour feedback for their humor, care, local insight, and attention to comfort.
• Silverton gets an hour: Use it for lunch, a quick walk, and shops near the train station.
• Budget for the train separately: The return ride from Silverton to Durango is not part of the $214.92 price.
• Plan for changing weather: The Jeep is open air, and one outing included cold rain, blankets, and a need for extra comfort.

Three rides, one long mountain day

This is a full-day outing of about 10 hours and 30 minutes, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station at 479 Main Avenue. You return to that same meeting point at the end.

The day works because each leg offers something different. The van handles the morning trip to Silverton in comfort. The Jeep gets you onto rougher mountain roads and closer to old settlements. The train then provides the grand finale, following the Animas River through the San Juan National Forest.

That variety is the main reason I see value here. A standard train ride gives you the canyon and river. A standard Jeep tour gives you the high country. This combination lets you fit both into one carefully timed day, although the train ticket adds to the advertised price.

The group limit is 14 people. That is small enough for a more personal guide experience than a large coach tour, while still being large enough for a social outing. The morning vehicle is an air-conditioned tour van with room for up to 16 passengers, according to the tour details.

The morning road to Silverton

The first leg takes you up the San Juan Skyway from Durango toward Silverton. This is more than a transfer. The road brings you into a dramatic mountain setting, with views toward peaks reaching about 14,000 feet.

I like beginning this way because you get a gradual introduction to the area. You can sit back, watch the scenery change, and listen to your guide explain the region before the more active Jeep portion begins. The included water bottles are a small but useful touch on a long day.

The van is air conditioned, which matters if the weather is warm or if you want a break from the open-air vehicle later. It also gives you a more sheltered start to the morning. You will want to keep your phone or camera ready, since the route itself is one of the day’s major scenic sections.

The tour is offered in English. The guides are described as entertaining and local, and their role is not limited to driving. They provide background on Silverton and the surrounding mountains, answer questions, and help connect the old settlements to the area’s mining past.

Three hours above Silverton by open-air Jeep

In Silverton, you switch from the van to a 4×4 Jeep for about three hours in the San Juan Mountains. This is the most distinctive part of the outing. Instead of looking up at the peaks from a town or road, you head into the high country among meadows, old mining settlements, and wide mountain views.

The open-air format gives you a more direct feel for the surroundings. It also means you are exposed to the weather. One outing included cold rain, and guide Jay Bird supplied blankets and worked to keep the group comfortable. That detail is worth taking seriously. Mountain weather can change, so bring layers and be ready for a cool, wet ride even if the day begins pleasantly in Durango.

The ride may be rough. One very poor rating described a difficult-to-enter pickup and an extremely bumpy journey. That is the tradeoff with a Jeep tour on mountain roads. The roughness is part of reaching places a regular van cannot reach, but it may not suit you if you have trouble climbing into a high vehicle or dislike jolting roads.

Guide quality seems to matter greatly here. Kat is praised for being responsive to what the group wanted, while Jay Bird is singled out for humor, care, and clear local explanations. Those qualities can make a rough ride feel far more worthwhile. A good guide also helps you understand what you are seeing rather than reducing the trip to a string of photo stops.

The three-hour length is substantial. You get enough time for the mountains to feel like the heart of the day, not a quick add-on. At the same time, you should expect a fairly active outing with limited downtime before lunch.

Mining settlements and mountain stories

The old mining settlements give the Jeep ride a sense of place. You are not only looking at peaks and meadows. You are seeing traces of the people who worked in these mountains about 150 years ago.

The guides provide the context, which is especially valuable because the remains may not explain themselves. You can ask questions as you go, and the small group limit should make that easier than on a large coach. If local history interests you, this is where the tour earns more than a basic scenic drive.

The trip does not promise a formal museum visit or a long stop at a specific mine, so set your expectations accordingly. The emphasis is on the mountain route, scattered settlements, views, and guide commentary. You will be moving through the area rather than spending the whole afternoon at one historic site.

One hour in Silverton for lunch and a look around

After the Jeep tour, you get about an hour in Silverton. The town is compact, and the train station is right in town, where you begin the return portion.

One hour is enough for a meal, a short walk, and some shopping, but it is not a generous town visit. I would treat it as a useful pause between the Jeep and train, not as a full exploration of Silverton. If lunch matters to you, keep an eye on the clock. You need to eat, find the station, and be ready for the train departure.

This stop also gives you a chance to warm up or dry off after the open-air Jeep ride. That can be welcome if the weather turns. The town visit is not an included meal, so the food cost comes out of your own pocket.

Silverton itself is an important part of the day because it connects the mountain excursion with the railroad. You are not simply passing through a roadside stop. You arrive by vehicle, spend time in town, and then board the train for a slower return to Durango.

The train through Animas River Canyon

The final leg lasts about four hours and follows the Animas River through the San Juan National Forest. Towering peaks rise around the canyon, while the river runs below in striking blue tones.

This is the quiet, scenic counterpoint to the Jeep ride. After several hours on mountain roads, you can sit back and let the railroad carry you through the canyon. The train offers views that are difficult to appreciate from a vehicle, especially along the river corridor.

The return trip is also one of the most important planning details. The train ticket is sold separately. The package price of $214.92 per person covers the van, Jeep tour, guides, and water, but not the railroad fare. You need to arrange the train ticket yourself if you want to return to Durango by rail.

Several people have been caught off guard by this arrangement. One person found that online train tickets were not available at first, and staff from Mild to Wild helped sort out the return ticket. I would not rely on that rescue. Check the train schedule and ticket availability before booking the Jeep package, then make sure the departure time fits the roughly four-hour ride back.

The train is not a minor add-on. It is a major part of the day, and the tour’s stated duration assumes this return journey. If you do not secure a train ticket, you should clarify how you will get back to Durango before committing to the excursion.

What the $214.92 price really covers

At $214.92 per person, this is not a cheap mountain transfer. It is easier to judge the price when you separate the pieces: a scenic morning drive, a three-hour guided 4×4 outing, local interpretation, water, and the coordination of a full-day route from Durango to Silverton and back.

The train ticket makes the total cost higher. Since the fare is excluded, compare the full amount with the cost of booking a train ride and a Jeep tour separately. The package may still be worthwhile because the road transfer and timing are arranged for you, but you should make that comparison before paying.

I see the strongest value in the combination. You get the high mountain roads and historic settlements that a train-only trip cannot provide, plus the canyon views that a Jeep-only trip misses. If you want both experiences in one day, the price can make sense.

The value is weaker if you mainly want a relaxed train ride. In that case, the three-hour Jeep section may feel like an expensive detour, particularly if rough roads or open-air vehicles do not appeal to you. It is also less suitable if you want a long, unhurried afternoon in Silverton, since the town stop lasts about an hour.

Comfort, weather, and the rough-road question

The tour provides an air-conditioned van for the morning and water bottles, but the Jeep is open air. Those two facts tell you how to prepare.

Wear layers and bring rain protection. The supplied information specifically records a cold, rainy outing, with blankets provided by the guide. That means the company can respond to poor weather, but you should not assume mountain conditions will stay warm or dry.

The Jeep can also be difficult for some people to enter and exit. One very negative experience focused on the vehicle and the rough ride, rather than the scenery. I would take that seriously if you have mobility concerns, a back problem, or little patience for bumpy roads.

Most people can participate, and the tour is near public transportation at the Durango meeting point. Still, the details do not promise an accessible vehicle or an easy step into the Jeep. If that matters to you, ask the operator directly before booking.

Guides can make or break this outing

The strongest praise centers on the guides. Kat is described as fun, informed, and willing to respond to the group. Jay Bird is praised for being personable, funny, caring, and attentive when the weather turned cold and wet.

That matters because this is not a self-guided scenic transfer. You spend hours with the guide in the Jeep, and the quality of the explanations shapes how much you get from the old mining settlements and mountain roads. A guide who answers questions and adjusts to the group can turn a long ride into a personal introduction to the San Juans.

The feedback is not uniformly positive, so I would avoid treating the guide experience as guaranteed. Vehicle comfort and weather can affect the day just as much as the scenery. The tour has a very high overall rating, 4.9 from 39 ratings, and 97 percent of customers recommend it, but the one-star account is a useful warning that this is still a rugged outing.

Who should book this Durango and Silverton combination

I would choose this day if you want a full introduction to the area and do not want to pick between a mountain Jeep ride and the famous train route. It suits you especially well if you enjoy scenery, local stories, historic mining sites, and a packed day with several types of transport.

It is also a good match if you like having a guide available for questions. The small group cap and named guides such as Kat and Jay Bird suggest a more personal setting than a large sightseeing bus.

I would think twice if you need a smooth, quiet ride all day. The Jeep can be rough, the vehicle may be hard to enter, and the open-air format exposes you to rain and cold. I would also reconsider if the additional train fare pushes the total beyond your budget.

Book early if your schedule is fixed. The experience is often booked about 62 days in advance, which suggests that popular dates can fill well before the trip. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time, but changes or cancellations inside that window are not refunded. The tour also requires a minimum number of participants, so a cancellation by the operator can lead to another date, another experience, or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the best mix of high-country Jeep scenery and canyon rail views in one long day from Durango. The route is varied, the mountain setting is exceptional, and a strong guide can add real meaning to the old settlements and views.

Before paying, price the train ticket separately, confirm the return departure, and prepare for cold or wet weather. If you are comfortable with a rough open-air ride and a tightly timed day, this is a memorable way to see the San Juans. If you want comfort above all else, choose a simpler train outing instead.

FAQ

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts at the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station at 479 Main Avenue in Durango, Colorado. The activity ends back at the same meeting point.

What time does the tour begin?

The tour starts at 8:00 a.m. and lasts about 10 hours and 30 minutes.

Is the train ticket included in the price?

No. The train ticket is not included and must be purchased separately for the return from Silverton to Durango.

How long is the Jeep portion?

The open-air Jeep tour in the San Juan Mountains lasts about three hours.

How much time do I get in Silverton?

You have about one hour in Silverton for lunch, shopping, and exploring near the train station.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded.