Top Trips for Scenic Train Journeys
Who doesn’t love a scenic train ride? Embrace the romance of our Rail Trips and join us for some of the world’s most beautiful train rides.
Spring Sale
Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands by Train
Scotland’s ruggedly handsome landscape, dominated by craggy peaks, luscious forestry and serene highland lochs, was made to be explored by train. Tracks have been carved into this untameable land for over 200 years, and there’s a real sense of exploration to be had by chugging through the Highlands. Our Rail Trip was designed to showcase the Scottish countryside at its most majestic, so every train ride included in the itinerary is scenic, starting with the overnight sleeper from London to Fort William – the views are even better over a hearty Highland breakfast. There is one train ride that stands above the rest, however, and that’s the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to the west coast town of Mallaig. The train itself is fantastically old fashioned, steaming its way across the Scottish Highlands at a soothingly gentle pace. The most picturesque point? It has to be the curving Glenfinnan Viaduct, which you’ll cross on day three of our trip. If it looks familiar, that’s because this route, and the countryside it calls home, was the cinematic embodiment of the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films.
From US$2407
Next available from 27th May 2024
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
London, England
ENDS AT
Edinburgh, Scotland
DURATION
7
GROUP SIZE
18
PHYSICAL RATING
STYLE
Spring Sale
A Taste of Taiwan by Train
This gorgeous island nation off the coast of China glistens with the green of its rice paddies, forests and valleys, not to mention a huge coastline. Our Taiwan trip is an almost perfect loop of the island, starting at the northern tip in the capital, Taipei, heading down the west coast to Taichung and Kaohsiung in the south, before heading up the east coast to Hualien and back to Taipei. Every journey between the country’s skyscraper cities offers a beautiful insight into rural Taiwan, but the locomotive highlight of our trip has to be the eastern stretch. We’ll wind directly along the stunning East Coast National Scenic Area, sandwiched between the island’s luscious greenery and the shimmering blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. You’ll pass mountains, volcanic rock formations, sandy beaches and coastal terraces, spotting a diverse array of flora and fauna as you go.
From US$1777
Next available from 17th Aug 2024
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Taipei, Taiwan
ENDS AT
Taipei, Taiwan
DURATION
9
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
STYLE
Spring Sale
Japan by Train: The Grand Tour
The eye-watering speeds of Japan’s bullet train network allows us to see so much of this country’s surprisingly diverse natural landscape in so little time. That’s the inspiration behind this comprehensive 12-day Rail Trip, which manages to fit Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo in one trip, and that’s just the cities. You’ll also get to explore Lake Ashi, Miyajima Island, Arashiyama bamboo forest and the Japanese Alps. It’s hard to pick just one route as the most scenic stretch, but keep an eye out for Mount Fuji on the journey between Takayama and Hakone, seeing Japan’s tallest mountain from one of its iconic high-speed trains is a moment you’ll never forget.
From US$3569
Next available from 2nd Sep 2024
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Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Osaka, Japan
ENDS AT
Tokyo, Japan
DURATION
12
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
STYLE
Culture Trips launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes places and communities so special.
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