Wild West Day Trip to Virginia City from Tahoe with Train Ride
Description
Delve into Nevada’s Wild West mining history on this tour from South Lake Tahoe to Virginia City, a mining boomtown listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. With a knowledgeable guide, travel along part of the Pony Express on the drive to Virginia City, where you’ll take a ride on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad. Then explore the town however you wish, checking out museums and visiting the saloon.
Tour Options
Itinerary
7 mile train ride from Virginia City to Gold Hill and back.
Comstock Lode - Silver City, Gold Hill, Virginia City
On C street
Great place for refreshments
Recommended museum by Discover Lake Tahoe Tours
Must see...
Oldest bar in Nevada
Must see
Must see
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Hilton Vacation Club, bus stop on Ski Run Blvd., departure time: 8:20am Marriott Resorts, Red Curb pullout on Hwy 50 by Heavenly Gondola 8:30am Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe, main lobby area, departure time: 8:40am
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- It is recommended to bring comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and a reusable water bottle
Reviews(158)
Our tour guide gets an A+ from his history teacher for dripping many facts into his narration. One of the best tours we’ve been on! Please let out guide know—-we were on the Thursday August 6.
The tour to Virginia City and train ride was fun! The driver was excellent! He was prompt in picking us up to and fro and was a safe driver which was greatly appreciated. We saw wild Mustangs on the way there! We boarded the train as soon as we arrived to Virginia City. It was about a half hour and had enclosed and open air seating. The train conductor gave us lots of info. about the railway system and mining in Virginia City. We were then driven to Main Street in Virginia City where all the shops and restaurants are. We had 3 - 3.5 hours to eat lunch, go to museums, shop, etc. The town is quite charming and people were so friendly and welcoming. It was a great day! We headed back at 2 pm and arrived back in Lake Tahoe at about 3:15. If you're looking for a little history, wild west vibes and a train ride all wrapped up in one tour, this is the tour for you!
The pickup location was hard to find through the app. The tour company needs to have better communication. We missed the bus because of lack of communication and did not get any money back. Very disappointed
Pick up driver was AWESOME. Very informative on the history of Lake Tahoe. Then the train conductor was also GREAT. These are the types of people the world n Ed’s more of. Kind, funny, enjoys their job .
Shuttle was comfortable. The drive to Virginia City traveled thru several towns including Carson City. Driver was very knowledgeable and talked constantly ( could be good or bad depending on your expectations) . We arrived at the train station with about 20 min to spare before the train ride. It was enough time for a bathroom break and grab something from the little store. Train ride was scenic and informative about the mining. After the train ride we boarded the shuttle were dropped off on Main St. Virginia City. We had 3 hours going thru the shops and enjoying the old saloons and the many stores. We ate at a BBQ place at the end of the street. Very reasonable and delicious BBQ. Evidently there was a reenactment of a gun fight we missed because we were enjoying our BBQ at the far end of town. We knew it was happening because we heard the gun shots. There are many interesting shops including (if you are into sweets) a fudge shop and a candy store with barrels of candy. The sidewalks are wooden and you need to be careful not to trip. The people in town are friendly and welcoming. The ride back to Tahoe was quicker, taking the highway, avoiding the little towns. The only thing that was annoying is we picked the hottest day of the season. All in all my wife and I enjoyed the tour and would recommend it.
We had a wonderful experience on this tour. Everything was well organized from the beginning, and the guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made everyone feel welcome. We had plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery, take photos, and learn interesting facts along the way. The pace was comfortable, and it never felt rushed. You can tell the team genuinely cares about making sure everyone has a great time. We left with amazing memories and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. Thank you for such a fantastic experience!
My family and I all enjoyed this trip. Our tour guide gave our group of about 20 lots of history about Lake Tahoe, Carson city, Nevada and celebrities living in the area. We visited the How It All Began Museum for some more detailed info about Virginia City (worth the tour). The train was cool, you could sit in the sun or shade, and the ride was just long enough for the conductor to tell the story. A good value for the money and a fun way to spend a day in the Tahoe area.
It was a very informative history lesson about Virginia City. Our tour guide did a fine job sharing interesting facts about Lake Tahoe as well as Carson City.
Bus ride was great and very informational. Loved the train ride as well, we had so much fun. Wish the museums in town were a little better but we had fun over all!
Great history and fun facts along the way. Driver was very knowledgeable and told good stories. Train ride was full of history and entertaining. Well worth the cost not to have to think about driving, traffic and parking.
