Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

“Really enjoyed the Tuckasegee River excursion! We were given a free souvenir cup that came with free drinks (soda, tea coffee) and beer and wine were also available (crown class ticket). I loved the beautiful, scenic view of the Tuckasegee River and the surrounding mountains. The train ride is about 4 hours long and the train crew did a wonderful job at telling us about the history of the area and tons of fun facts. Also, there was a fantastic guitarist that provided onboard entertainment during our ride. You can also pre-order box lunches for your ride but my friends and I opted to just get lunch at the Dillsboro layover. The layover is about 90 mins long which gives everyone time to explore the restaurants, breweries and shops in the area. Please check out GSMRR when visiting Bryson City...you'll love it!”

“Our family took the Nantahala Excursion Steam Engine on Oct 3rd and it was amazing. We definitely recommend the open air car if the weather is nice, like it was when we went. The views were great and the overall ride was a good length. The website said 4.5 hours total but we arrived back at the station 5 hours after we departed. It gives you time to take plenty of pictures and videos as well as time to just sit back, relax and enjoy the views. During the layover, we opted to grab lunch from the food car and eat at the picnic tables by the river instead of attempting to get food at one of the restaurants at the NOC. It looked busy and an hour isnt enough time to make the walk, get your food, eat and be back on-board in time. We really enjoyed the ride and highly recommend it.”

“We went on the Tuskeegee River ride and we rode first class on 11/24/2025. The train was lovely, lunch was delicious and the views of the river were spectacular. Our guide Jacob was wonderful and very knowledgeable about the area. He took good care of us and kept our drinks refilled too! The town of Dillsboro was very cute and shops had lots of beautiful items from local artisans. The first class car was clean and comfortable. Train museum was free and we really enjoyed that too. All in all a great day!”

“This polar express was nothing but the best. I wish i lived closer as this was amazing. From the train seats being assigned and very Comfortable to the order in which you enter and exit everything was smooth. The actors did an excellent job making everyone feel special. Santa was authentic and brought us all a bell. Even the hot chocolate and cookie were very good. For certain would go again! Also so many photo opportunities for the family.”