7 breathtaking bucket list train journeys worth travelling for in 2025

We forget about trains…

Especially living in Dubai, where the people are so heavily reliant on cars to get around. Elsewhere, train tours and journeys are whole, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, offering an ever-transforming window into nature, history, heritage and a way of slow travel the world seems to have pushed into the shadows as commercial flying only grows and grows. This summer, take a trip…to take another trip – an easy, effortless adventure, featuring scenic landscapes, glamorous, old-world charm and a brand new perspective on travelling.

Rocky Mountaineer – Canada and USA

This train, founded in 1990, takes you through USA and Canada, and presents to you every formation of nature you can think of, of course, with amplified beauty. Roll through and past waterfalls, canyons, lakes, gorges and rivers between Vancouver, British Columbia and Alberta, from the East of Canada through to the West. In the US, the train goes from Moab in Utah and Denver in Colorado, with options to start or end in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, as well. Indulge in local Canadian treats and beer, and be regaled by the magical storytelling of the staff aboard. Floor to ceiling windows and large platforms for all the views.

@rockymountaineer

Maharajas’ Express – India

Moving through India, Maharajas’ Express offers a level of opulence matched by few and a name that couldn’t be more appropriate. Decked out to the tribute of the kings and queens bygone in the subcontinent, this sleeper train comes with extensive amenities, including full-sized closets, comfortable beds, private bathrooms, and satellite TVs, even in the bottom-tier suites. Garlands, welcome flower showers, personal butlers, champagne breakfasts and country-club style establishments onboard complete this luxury experience. The train operates four different itineraries from October to April, mainly focused on Rajasthan.

@maharajas_express

Dar es Salam by Rovos Rail – Africa

Rovos Rail is inspired by the African safari experience, and has been traversing the lands of Africa for more than 30 years. It’s can be quite a long one, if you wish it to be – a 15-day trans-Zambezi trip from South Africa to Tanzania, going through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania. It’s lavish, luxurious and marked by off-board experiences at every step, giving passengers a chance to immerse themselves in the cultural and historical wealth of the continent. Inside, find sleek wooden interiors, cosy corners and levels of full-sized, freestanding clawfoot tubs in the more fancy compartments.

@rovosrail

The Ghan – Australia

The Ghan holds history from back in the first half of the 20th century, and offers a stretching picture of the Australian Outback like nothing else. It takes passengers across the heart of Australian country in four days, three nights, from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south, a journey through which one can discover the sometimes inconspicuous, but always spectacular beauty of the country’s rolling, dry plains, arid deserts and domineering mountains – barren and beautiful. Inside, you’ll find all the luxuries you might need, but off-board, you’ll get a chance experience the rugged splendour of Central Australia yourself.

@journeybeyondrail

Glacier Express – Switzerland

The views – that is why you need to do this trip. Switzerland is known far and wide for stunning sights few are able to forget, but the views of valleys, lakes, rivers, alpine landscapes and villages from the Glacier Express as it chugs along, slow and steady, give a glimpse into some of the most iconic natural landmarks of the country, including the Matterhorn, Piz Bernina, and the Rhine Gorge. The train connects the resort towns of Zermatt and Saint Moritz over eight hours – the world’s slowest express train – during which you’ll pass through 91 tunnels and cross 291 bridges, indulge in a six-course meal and have champagne.

@glacierexpress.ch

Belmond Hiram Bingham – Peru

It is believed that American explorer Hiram Bingham discovered the Machu Picchu. Whether this is true or not, is still up foe debate, but this namesake train grand love letter to vintage train travel, taking you through the Lost City and Sacred Valley of Machu Picchu. Start in the city of Poroy, west of Cusco, and trail through Peru’s most unforgettable landscapes to make your way to the Inca. Inside, the 20th century shines in the polished wood, the brass fittings, big windows and skylights, long, languid meals and expansive spaces to lounge in.

@belmondhirambingham

Eastern & Oriental Express – Singapore and Bangkok

Think of the classical, Hercule Poirot-appropriate, Orient Express-style train, and this is what comes to mind. A stunning portal into the past, the Eastern & Oriental Express has it all, the polished wood, the corridors trimmed with silk, the silverware, the ornate carriages, the exotic, ornamental dining room. A 1920s-jazz-club-inspired Bar Car completes the time travelling and you can soak it all in as you traverse the landscapes of Thailand and Singapore. This is truly one of those perfect tributes to the bygone era of train travel, when it was a mode for the elite, draped in luxuries and amenities. It’s considered to be one of the best train journeys in Southeast Asia and is absolutely unmissable.

@easternoriental

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