Polar Express Williams AZ 2026 — Grand Canyon Railway

Each departure is a round-trip journey lasting approximately 90 minutes. Every passenger receives hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies during the ride. Characters from The Polar Express story move through the cars as the train travels into the night, re-creating the classic holiday narrative.

Grand Canyon Railway offers multiple seating classes; specific car assignments vary by departure date and availability. The railway notes that not every car meets full ADA standards — guests requiring accessibility accommodations should phone 1-800-843-8724 no less than seven days before travel.

The 2026 season opens with departures November 6–8 (the opening weekend) and continues on select evenings through December 30, 2026. Additional scheduled blocks include November 12–16 and further dates running into the holiday period.

Each evening runs two departures: 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM (Arizona Mountain Standard Time).

Not every night between the opening and closing dates is on the schedule. Confirm your preferred date on the operator's calendar before purchasing: thetrain.com/events/polar-express/

Grand Canyon Railway uses three pricing tiers based on demand and date. All prices are per person and exclude taxes and fees.

A bundled hotel package combines one night at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, dinner and breakfast at the Fred Harvey Restaurant, and train tickets, with 10% savings on lodging and meals — useful for families driving from Phoenix or Las Vegas who want an overnight stay.

Pricing sourced from thetrain.com, retrieved 2026-05-29. Verify current rates before booking.

Grand Canyon Railway links Williams, Arizona to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon across a 64-mile (103 km) corridor in Coconino County. The line was originally completed on September 17, 1901 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. After passenger service ended in July 1968 and freight operations ceased in 1974, the railway was restored and relaunched on September 17, 1989 by Max and Thelma Biegert. Xanterra Travel Collection has owned the operation since September 2006.

The entire railway was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 2000. The Grand Canyon Depot at the South Rim holds separate National Historic Landmark status, designated May 28, 1987. The railway carries approximately 225,000 passengers per year and operates every day except Christmas Day.

The active locomotive roster includes steam engine No. 4960 (a 2-8-2 type built in 1923) and several diesel units in the F40FH and FPA-4 classes. Which motive power pulls a specific Polar Express departure is at operator discretion; see thetrain.com for current details.

Grand Canyon Railway is located at 235 N Grand Canyon Blvd, Williams, AZ 86046, directly behind the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel.

Driving distances (approximate):

Williams is accessible from I-40 at Exit 163. Overnight packages at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel are available for guests traveling from Phoenix or beyond.

Tickets are sold through Grand Canyon Railway's website. A FareHarbor booking widget is embedded on the rendered listing page for this entry — it does not appear in this data artifact.

• Operator site: thetrain.com/events/polar-express/
• Phone: 1-800-843-8724
• Accessibility requests: Call at least 7 days in advance; not all rail cars are fully ADA accessible.