As air travel gets more hectic, more stressful and more cramped, culinary train tours promise the opposite: a leisurely, spacious travel experience that invites you to appreciate the journey.

The concept is simple: a scenic train ride that offers excellent food and service to be savored in an elegant dining car. There are two main types of culinary train tours: short out-and-back trips and multi-day journeys that include sightseeing stops.

Here are five of our favorites!

The Napa Valley Wine Train, California

One of the most popular culinary train tours in the United States is the Napa Valley Wine Train, which takes passengers on a 36-mile round-trip journey from downtown Napa to St. Helena in Northern California. Glamorous vintage rail cars glide by dozens of wineries while on board, passengers enjoy the best Napa wine and food.

The Napa Valley Wine Train offers several itineraries. If you’d like to do some sightseeing, sign up for the full-day experience, which includes a four-course meal on board the train, a vineyard tasting of three wines, and then two more hours of tasting at the Charles Krug and V. Sattui wineries. Shorter scenic train rides with dinner might feature grilled beef tenderloin, pan-seared chicken with escarole, or ricotta gnocchi with leeks and mushrooms. True epicures will love the Tasting on the Rails scenic train ride: seven courses paired with wine during a three-hour trip. All meals are made on board in the kitchen car—you can stop by and peek at the chefs as they work. 

The Belmond Andean Explorer, Peru

Experience the grand vistas of the Peruvian highlands aboard the Andean Explorer, South America’s first luxury sleeper train and one of the highest-altitude trains in the world. Board the train in Cusco, the fabled Incan capital in southeastern Peru. Travel through the grasslands as the Andes rise around you. The train stops for the night at Lake Titicaca, where you can tour the famous Uros islands: floating mounds built over centuries from reeds.

The train stops for the second night at Lake Saracocha, then pauses at the Sumbay caves, where you can see ancient paintings dating back 8,000 years. The journey ends at Arequipa, called the White City for its many buildings constructed of pale volcanic stone. (You can also take a single-night trip from Puno to Cusco.)

The food and drinks offered on this culinary train tour are just as exquisite as the setting. The Peruvian-fusion menu is created by the chefs at Monasterio, a Belmont Hotel. The Andean Explorer offers a luxurious lounge car with a grand piano and cocktail bar, as well as an open-air observation deck at the rear of the train, where you can enjoy a pisco sour with your mountain sunset.

The Al Andalus Train, Andalusia, Spain

The 14-car Al Andalus promises royal accommodations, as it was originally used by the English monarchy to travel between Calais and the Côte d’Azur in the 1920s. Today, this luxury train offers a seven-day journey between Seville and Málaga in southern Spain. The itinerary includes tours of historic cities such as Cádiz and Córdoba, as well as a sampling of Andalusian culture: a tour of a sherry winery, an Andulusian equestrian show, and a visit to the famed Alhambra fortress.

Enjoy cocktails in two lavish lounges and meals inspired by the regions you’re visiting. Andalusian food showcases the best of southern Spain: fresh bluefin tuna, Iberian pork, garlic shrimp, olives, and salmorejo, a thick tomato soup made with garlic, bread, salt and vinegar.

The Seven Stars Train, Kyushu, Japan

First, a warning: It’s very difficult to secure a spot aboard the Seven Stars sleeper train. You must apply for a berth during a set period, months in advance. Then, a lucky few are chosen by lottery. Your reward is an unforgettable journey around the subtropical island of Kyushu, known for its lush natural beauty and volcanic landscape.

The Seven Stars, recently voted the world’s best luxury train, offers a few different itineraries. One three-night, four-day culinary train tour is ideal for tasting the best of Kyushu’s cuisine, both on the train and in the towns you visit. It includes dinner at French restaurant La Verveine; a carefully crafted bento-box lunch, and a special breakfast at the Murezuru Shuzo brewery that includes chicken soup and watadamai rice, which was eaten by local feudal lords in the Edo period. On board, you’ll find the Blue Moon piano lounge, the Jupiter salon car with self-service drinks, the Kazu bar, and a traditional tea room in the ryurei style.

Rovos Rail, Southern Africa

Rovos Rail calls itself “the most luxurious train in the world,” and it certainly feels that way when you’re aboard. Expect plush Edwardian furnishings, fine china and formal eveningwear. Dinner menus feature local specialties, with a focus on game like springbok and ostrich. “Four-course meals paired with a strong selection of South African wines are swanky affairs to be enjoyed leisurely and at length, as the train passes through craggy mountains and sprawling desert landscapes that can be admired from the comfort of your table,” says Conde Nast Traveler.¹

Rovos Rail offers a wide array of itineraries, from a 2-night expedition into a nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal to the 14-night Trail of Two Oceans, which crosses the continent from Dar es Salaam to Lobito. The longer journeys include side trips, such as fly-in safaris and city tours. Passengers report that the trip is sometimes delayed by weather or problems with the rail line—but will you really mind when you’re sitting in the sumptuous lounge car, sipping a cocktail as you look out over the plains?

Travel Insurance for Your Culinary Train Journey

There’s one thing these food-focused train tours have in common: They’re not cheap. Rates range from $550 per person for a day aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train to around $13,600 per person for a two-week journey on Rovos Rail in a basic Pullman suite. That’s why travel insurance is essential! A plan with trip cancellation benefits can reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason.

And if your train adventure takes you overseas, you need travel insurance with emergency medical and dental benefits. U.S. health insurance plans aren’t usually accepted by medical providers overseas, so insurance can save the day by paying for covered medical and dental emergency care.

Discover why 55 million American travelers each year trust Allianz Travel Insurance to protect them. Get a quote today!

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