The 6 Best Three-Day Rail Trips Worldwide

1.3-Day Isle of Skye, ‘Hogwarts Express’ Train and Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 972 reviews · from $926Our pick

Review of a 3-day Isle of Skye tour from Edinburgh with the Jacobite steam train, Portree stays, Highland scenery, castles, and Loch Ness.

“The scenery was spectacular, but it was our driver/host Mark who made the trip especially enjoyable. He had the best mixture of storytelling, interesting facts and activities and challenges that kept all of us engaged and connected to the experience while spending so much time on a bus. And he managed to do all of this while navigating narrow roads and passing lanes to keep us all safe. Bravo!”

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2.3-Day Blarney Castle, Ring of Kerry, & Cliffs of Moher Rail tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 211 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $1,254

Review of the 3-day Ireland rail tour from Dublin to Blarney, Cobh, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry, Bunratty, and the Cliffs of Moher.

“NEVER book through Viator. Book straight through the actual company giving the tour-Rail Tours. We paid more than others and received less. Viator refused to do anything about our unacceptable bed-n-breakfast. Had we booked through Rail Tours we would have been in a hotel and been given additional perks. Tour itself is pretty good-lots of tour buses on the same tour and it sometimes felt like herding cattle.”

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3.Isle of Skye & Optional Jacobite Train 3-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 191 reviews · 2.5 days · from $473

Review of Edinburgh’s 3-day Isle of Skye tour, with Loch Ness, Eilean Donan, Portree, and optional Jacobite Steam Train.

“We can't control the weather but otherwise it was lovely.”

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4.3 Day Isle of Skye and Jacobite Steam Train Tour from Inverness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · 3 days (approx.)

Review of the 3-day Isle of Skye and Jacobite Steam Train tour from Inverness, with castles, fairy pools, whisky, and practical tips.

“Excellent guide, Torquil, who was friendly and helpful and went out of his way to keep us safe and happy. The accommodation at The Skye Inn was comfortable and the staff friendly and happy to help in any way.”

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5.Colombo/Negombo: Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella 3-Day Trip with Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 93 reviews · 3 days · from $250

Review of a 3-day Sri Lanka tour from Colombo covering Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, the scenic train, and Udawalawe safari.

“My communication started with Jeev, who patiently and wordy answered all my questions and tried adapt the program to my needs. Then Aaron took care of us during 3 days. All was as sharp as said in the program, we did not miss anything and everything went smooth. Aaron was kind, well-mannered and made sure all the time about us being comfortable. Special thanks for nice and comfy car. Despite long hours of driving 3-4+ hours - we felt very well. In the end, Jeev gave us a complimentary lift to airport. Which was quite nice. I think this tour company is reliable and does best for client. The tour…”

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6.Sapa: 3-Day, 3-Night Trek and Hotel with Overnight Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 64 reviews · from $212Best value

Trek Sapa’s Muong Hoa Valley, stay with a Dzay family, sleep on an overnight train, and explore Hmong and Red Dao villages.

“What a truly amazing trip, the memories and photos will last a life time. The 2 guides (Su Su and Ai) were fantastic, very friendly, chatty and knowledgeable. All the transport, accommodation and meals were perfect.”

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