The cherry blossoms will soon appear in Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but you don’t need to navigate the crowds of a city to see many of the flowers that appear come spring. All around the world, train trips allow travelers to see the tulip fields at their peak in late April or gawk at the wildflowers through the Grand Canyon before the summer crowds (and temperatures) arrive.
From Dutch electric trains to vintage steam locomotives, these eight trains offer some of the best spring scenery.
1. Tokaido Shinkansen Line
- Route: Tokyo to Kyoto, Japan
If you’re traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto on the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train, pay attention as you pass through Shizuoka Prefecture. When you’re heading south, you’ll see Mount Fuji on the right side of the train and a pink sea of shibazakura, or moss phlox, blossoming to the left. If you’d rather enjoy the flowers at a slower pace, the annual Fuji Shibazakura Festival typically takes place between April and May, with peak bloom typically occurring during the first weeks of May.
2. Grand Canyon Railway
- Route: Williams, Arizona, to Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon became a national park in 1919, but the Grand Canyon Railway has been bringing visitors from the town of Williams to the South Rim since 1901. The historic train makes the journey up to the Grand Canyon each morning and back each afternoon through 65 miles of ponderosa and piñon pine forests. Many of the region’s wildflowers, which include penstemons and pink-hued desert phlox, start blooming later in the spring; make an April or May trip for the best chances of seeing flowers during the season.
If you’re departing from the Midwest, Vacations by Rail offers a six-day rail tour that combines round-trip overnight rides on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief between Chicago and Flagstaff with a day trip on the Grand Canyon Railway.
3. Nederlandse Spoorwegen trains
- Route: Haarlem to Leiden, Netherlands
Most tourists flock to Keukenhof Gardens to catch the tulip bloom that happens each year in mid-to-late April in the Netherlands. But did you know that the Dutch state-owned railway company operates regional trains between Haarlem and Leiden that pass directly through colorful tulip fields? You can opt for the faster Intercity train that only makes two stops or the local Sprinter train that makes four stops between the two cities. Either way, a one-way trip takes less than 30 minutes from Haarlem and costs less than €10. Once you’re in Leiden, you’ll want to take the afternoon to explore the small city where Rembrandt was born in 1606.
4. Amtrak California Zephyr
- Route: Chicago to the San Francisco Bay Area
After departing from Chicago, the California Zephyr passes through Iowa and Nebraska before heading into the Rocky Mountains and then through the Sierra Nevada and down into the San Francisco Bay Area. On the Amtrak-designated route, you’ll get to see the mountains thaw out and come alive with bright wildflowers in spring.
5. Belmond British Pullman
- Route: Round trip from London’s Victoria Station
The meticulously restored Belmond British Pullman train makes day trips around the English countryside from its base at Victoria Station throughout the spring. In past years, special journeys included afternoon tea with The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry or a trip to the RHS Chatsworth House Flower Show. For 2025, you can book ahead for a trip to Bath (where you can celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday among Austenites) or a murder mystery lunch on board.
6. Denali Star Train
- Route: Anchorage to Fairbanks
Since 1903, the Alaska Railroad has awed passengers with its untamed mountain and river views of the Last Frontier. One of its five lines, the Denali Star Train, starts its annual service period during the spring, taking passengers through Wasilla, Talkeetna, and Denali before stopping in Fairbanks. (In 2025, northbound service from Anchorage starts on May 14.)
The train heads 356 miles north over this 12-hour journey—showing the 49th state returning to color as the snow starts to melt. To get the best views of deep pink peonies and wildflowers along the journey, consider coming in the later part of spring, from late May to June.
7. Amtrak Texas Eagle
- Route: Austin to San Antonio
The full length of the Texas Eagle’s route is daunting: more than 2,700 miles, with endpoints in Chicago and Los Angeles. But for landscapes of the bluebonnets, orange Indian paintbrushes, and other wildflowers dotting Texas’s Hill Country (the roughly 31,000 square miles between Texas’s High Plains and San Antonio), set your sights on the leg from San Antonio to Austin.
8. Tsugaru Railway
- Route: Goshogawara to Nakadomari
In Japan’s northern prefecture of Aomori, the Tsugaru Railway operates year round and is one of the country’s few lines that has been completely privately owned since its beginning in 1930. The 45-minute trip from Goshogawara to Nakadomari boasts cherry blossoms galore: The train passes through rows of cherry trees when it goes through Ashino Park (one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in the country), and sakuras frame scenic stops like Ashino–Kōen Station—making it one of the most beautiful trips for the season.
This article was originally published in 2020. It was updated on March 17, 2025, with new information.
