Historical Rail Tours Worldwide: the 15 Best Rides

1.Hop-on Hop-Off Historical Tram Ticket for Line 42

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,702 reviews · 1 day · from $20Our pick

Use one ticket for 24-hour hop-on hop-off access to Prague’s Line 42 historic trams. You’ll ride restored cars from the Austro-Hungarian era through the 1970s, with stops near Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, the National Theatre, and Prague’s towers. Guides such as Jan add useful local help.

“Great drop off and pick up points but key places that we wanted to visit. The service was great and the gentleman on our tram was so helpful in giving us and others details and pointing best stops and walking routes to get to places we wanted to visit”

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2.The Hague: Hop-on Hop-off Heritage Tram Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,311 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Use a one-day ticket to ride The Hague’s historic 65-year-old tram between 16 stops. An audio guide in 10 language options explains the city as you pass Parliament, the Peace Palace, Madurodam, the Kurhaus, and Scheveningen beach. Board at any stop and hop off when you like.

“We learned a lot of new things about some locations and buildings that we never knew before”

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3.Puffing Billy Railway: Heritage Steam Train Journey

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,195 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $29

Ride Puffing Billy, a preserved steam railway built in 1900, through the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne. Choose a journey from Belgrave or Lakeside, meet the volunteer crew, enjoy Emerald Lake Park, and sit on the carriage sill between Belgrave and Lakeside when permitted.

“I loved the views and the whole trip! I really recommend this journey, I'd do that again”

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4.Dublin to Cork, Blarney Castle & Cóbh Heritage Centre by train

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 510 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $195

Ride from Dublin to Cork with reserved seats and a train host, visit Blarney Castle and its gardens, then explore Cobh Heritage Centre. Guides such as Norman, Paul, John, and Peter add local stories, while the long day requires an early start and careful time management.

“I took this tour with my husband and my son, and we had a great time! The tour was really well organized, and our guides were knowledgeable and friendly. We went with Brian, Alex, and John. When my son mentioned that he wanted to go to the ocean while we were in Dublin, John suggested going to Howth and gave us directions on our map. He also showed us where to find some antique shops in Dublin. We had plenty of time at Blarney Castle, and that was important to me. We highly recommend this tour!”

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5.Erfurt Tour – City tour with the historic tram

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 503 reviews · 1h 30m · from $25

Ride Erfurt’s historic electric tram for 90 minutes while a German-speaking guide explains the city’s major sights, older history, and well-preserved Art Nouveau districts. Meet at the Erfurt Tour stop on Domplatz-Süd. The tram is wheelchair accessible.

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6.Guided Tuk-Tuk Tour Along the Historic Tram Line 28

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 475 reviews · from $147

Follow Lisbon’s Tram 28 route in a private electric tuk-tuk with a local guide. See Alfama, Graça, Chiado, Carmo Square, and two superb viewpoints without squeezing onto the tram. Guides such as Eric, Bruno, and Antonio are praised for history, humor, photos, and useful city tips.

“Absolutely loved our tuk tuk trip! Our guide was super friendly and informative. During the pit stops our guide even got off with us to give us further information. Would 100% recommend this activity to all!”

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7.Grand Turk Historical Sightseeing Tour by Tram

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 403 reviews · from $25

Ride an open-air tram from the cruise terminal across Grand Turk with local guides Doug and Carly. Visit Cockburn Town, the old prison, salt ponds, and lighthouse, with food tastings and a drink included. Expect a small group, tropical sun, and a tour that may run closer to three hours.

“This tour was very informative about the islands history but the speakers on the island tram were not working well and it was hard to hear our tour guide telling about the history:(”

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8.Kolkata Heritage Tram Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 395 reviews · from $60

Start at 7:00 am for a 2 to 3 hour small-group tour with guides Arif and Haris, riding Kolkata’s heritage tram and stopping at sites such as Tipu Sultan Masjid, Nonapukur Tram, and Mother House. Pickup, snacks, refreshments, and mobile tickets are included.

“Mr. Arif and Haris took me through sights and sounds of central to north Kolkata that I had never truly experienced, despite growing up here and doing my UG at Presi. It was my first purposeful Kolkata tour in 23 years since moving away. Read more”

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9.From Nice: Historic Train Ride & Alps Villages

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 312 reviews · 11 hours · from $200

Travel from Nice by historic mountain railway with a guide such as Cyril, Carmela, William, or Alex. Visit two quiet Alpine villages, see Baroque churches and medieval defenses, eat a local lunch, and choose between gentle village walks or a longer hike through forests, caves, and sandstone formations.

“We really enjoyed it. The description of the trip was very good, the guide Carmela was very knowledgeable and attentive. We had the picnic a huge bread roll filled with Niçoise salad, there was no alternative other than vegetarian. The restaurant menu changes every day, we had the option for the restaurant meal on the day of the trip for an extra 15 euros. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would recommend it, lovely scenery and beautiful medieval villages.”

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10.Palermo: Tour of the historic center by train

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 242 reviews · 1 day · from $11

Ride Palermo's tourist train between Porta Nuova, the Norman Palace, Teatro Massimo, and the port. Your 24-hour ticket includes audio commentary in eight languages and lets you hop on and off every 60 minutes, though the full sightseeing ride takes about one hour.

“la guida disponibile per ogni richiesta e informazione. potete utilizzare il trenino più volte lo stesso giorno”

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11.Fairbanks: Gold Dredge 8 Historic Train Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 219 reviews · 2 hours · from $89

At Gold Dredge 8, ride the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad, hear stories from guides such as Tim, see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and historic dredge, then try gold panning. The two-hour tour suits families, history fans, and anyone wanting a hands-on Fairbanks activity.

“Absolutely Amazing .. Learned alot and had a fabulous time !!!Shall return”

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12.Scenic Train ride to historical cities of Morretes and Antonina

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 188 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $128

Travel from Curitiba to Morretes by train through Serra do Mar, with onboard snacks and language support in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. Tour colonial Morretes, sample barreado beside the Nhundiaquara River, visit Hisgeopar, stop in Antonina, then return by road.

“We were met on the train by the guide and then returned via minibus to Curitiba with stops in Morretes for lunch, which was great and Antonina. Personally, I would have swapped a stop in Antonina for more time in Morretes or a stop at a roadside cafe will a look at the view as we gained elevation on the drive.”

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13.Boston: Underground Railroad History Tour of Beacon Hill

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 141 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35Top rated

Walk Beacon Hill with guides such as Dana, Will, Lin, or Meghan, tracing Boston’s abolitionist movement and Underground Railroad connections. In 2.5 hours, you’ll see safe houses, meeting places, schools, and the African Meeting House, with a small group capped at 16 people.

“Lots of walking! Meghan explained everything so well and made it interesting to learn about the Underground Railroad. We enjoyed going through the old neighborhoods and seeing the buildings. Meghan was easy to understand and she kept a good pace for us to follow.”

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14.Sedona, AZ: Grand Canyon Guided Tour and Historic Railway

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 122 reviews · 11 hours · from $350

Spend 11 hours traveling from Sedona to the Grand Canyon by scenic drive, historic railway, and guided van. Ride from Williams to Grand Canyon Village, then visit South and East Rim overlooks, Desert View Watchtower, and Cameron Trading Post with an English-speaking guide.

“Andrea was amazing! She was so knowledgeable and fun to hang out with. She was great with my grandchildren and we all had an amazing time. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone. We are grateful that we got to spend this amazing trip with our family! Thank you Andrea for making this so memorable, she feels like part of the family now! 🤗”

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15.Cincy Brunch History and Streetcar Tour with Riverside Food Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 108 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $99

Start with brunch in Washington Park, then walk through Over-the-Rhine and Findlay Market for Cincinnati specialties such as goetta, pizza, stuffed French toast, cheese, fudge, and pastry. Guides including Laura, Adrienne, Jenn, Katie, and Maggie share local stories before a short streetcar ride.

“This was our first food tour and we really enjoyed it. Adrienne, our guide, was pleasant and knowledgable. She gave great facts about the history of Cincinatti.”

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