Canada's Rocky Mountaineer roll through US for first time, from Colorado to Utah

Devotees of Canada's Rocky Mountaineer rail journeys will be spoiled for choice when international borders reopen, with a new journey now being offered into the United States.

The two-night luxury train trip, which began last month between Denver, Colorado, and Moab, Utah, includes an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It will run till November 19 and a seven-month season is planned for 2022.

The Rockies to the Red Rocks journey takes guests along the Colorado River and through canyons with steep rock walls between Denver and Glenwood Springs. You'll pass mountain vistas, desert cliffs and rock formations between Glenwood Springs and Moab.

Guests will travel in glass-domed train coaches and, as featured on its other routes, the social atmosphere will include onboard storytelling, meals of local ingredients and drinks served to passenger seats.

Peter Armstrong, the founder and interim chief executive of Rocky Mountaineer says: "This new Rockies to the Red Rocks route is a celebration that has been several years in the making as we continuously seek unique locations with incredible scenery and iconic destinations that are best experienced by train."

The south-west US is part of Rocky Mountaineer's long-term expansion plans and is in addition to its three iconic rail routes in Western Canada that run between Vancouver and the towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Since it was founded in 1990, Rocky Mountaineer has had more than two million guests and has become the largest privately-owned premium tourist train in the world. Before COVID, Australians and New Zealanders made up about a quarter of overall train travellers.

The two-day rail journey, which includes a one-night hotel accommodation in Glenwood Springs, costs from $US1250 ($1714) a person.

See rockymountaineer.com