Indulge yourself on the definitive selection of the very best and most famous railroads of Colorado. Many were pioneering lines of the Old West, now preserved as a living legend. All run through magnificent Rocky Mountain scenery.

Price per person:
Includes flights in economy class, all rail journeys, hotels, buffet breakfasts at the Denver hotel plus two lunches (Royal Gorge and Cumbres and Toltec).
Escorted holiday:	£2345
Single Room Supplement:	£360
Deposit for the holiday:	£200
We, Ffestiniog Travel, act as an Introducer Appointed Representative for the purposes of travel insurance, appointed by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. For more information please click on the Travel Insurance section.
(Click map to enlarge)

DAY 1 - Our Journey Begins
Fly from London to Denver with transfer to our centrally located hotel.

DAY 2 - The Georgetown Loop
Denver, the “Mile High City”, is situated at the point where the plains of the Mid West meet the Rocky Mountains and, within a few minutes of leaving our hotel, we are already in the wonderful scenery for which the area is renowned. Because the various railways we will visit are not rail connected to each other, we have an air conditioned coach at our disposal. Today we are heading for Georgetown, a beautifully preserved mining town, to ride the Georgetown Loop narrow gauge line. The high spot of the train journey is a high curved trestle bridge.

DAY 3 - Lunch at the Royal Gorge
We now head south to Canon City and the Royal Gorge Railroad where lunch is served in the diner (included) as we follow the raging Arkansas River upstream through the gorge. This was once part of a transcontinental main line and, even today, our train will be hauled by one of the iconic U.S. streamline diesel locos. After the return journey and weather permitting, we will take the coach up to the top of the gorge where, for a very modest charge, you can walk across the valley on a suspension bridge, ride across in a cable car or take a funicular down to the bottom to photograph the afternoon train going through.

DAY 4 - Pikes Peak and Leadville
A short coach transfer to Manitou Springs before a morning ascent of Pikes Peak (14,110 feet) by cog railway. In the afternoon we drive through the Rockies to Leadville, at 10,350 feet the highest city in the USA and once the setting of Doc Holliday’s last shoot-out. As its name suggests, the town was once an important mining centre.

DAY 5 - The Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad
We take a two and a half hour trip on the standard gauge preserved line, the far end of which is close to the Continental Divide – from here, streams flow east to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic and west to the Pacific. In the afternoon we have a coach journey across the Poncha and Wolf Creek Passes to Pagosa Springs.

DAY 6 - Durango and Silverton
Transfer to Durango for a morning steam train journey through the Animas Canyon to the old mining town of Silverton, now beautifully preserved as a reminder of the Wild West. There is time
for lunch here before returning by train to Durango for coach transfer to Pagosa Springs.

DAY 7 - Cumbres and Toltec
We head for Chama, New Mexico and join the narrow gauge steam train on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad. The long climb to the summit at Cumbres Pass (10,015 feet) is a real struggle for our loco but we can simply enjoy the fantastic views back down the valley. After lunch at Osier (included), we continue to Antonito where we change to a standard gauge train for the remaining short section to Alamosa.

DAY 8 - Monte Vista
In the morning we ride the diesel hauled ‘mixed’ train to Monte Vista and return. Afternoon at leisure in Alamosa.

DAY 9 - La Veta Pass
Colorado’s newest preserved line is the standard gauge Rio Grande line over the La Veta Pass to the picturesque mountain town of La Veta and return. The pass itself is the highest crossing of the Rockies by standard gauge train. The full excursion is just under nine hours which includes two hours for lunch and leisure in La Veta. Once again the train is steam hauled and we are assured of another memorable day.

DAY 10 - The Great Sand Dunes National Park
It’s now time to head back to Denver but not before we have paid a visit to the Great Sand Dunes which are an important landmark in the area.

DAYS 11 and 12 - Denver and Home
Most of today is free and there is certainly plenty to see in the city. Our hotel is just around the corner from the main shopping area whilst, a ten minutes walk or a free bus ride up the Mall, brings us to the imposing parliament buildings of the state government. Transfer to the airport in time for an evening flight to London where we arrive the following lunchtime.
 

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