Nevada Mining History Tour: South Lake Tahoe to Virginia City

174 Ratings

Virginia City

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Embark on a thrilling Wild West adventure with a day trip to historic Virginia City from South Lake Tahoe. Discover the rich mining history, ride the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, and immerse yourself in the Old West atmosphere of this National Register of Historic Places town.

Duration: 7 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Virginia & Truckee Railroad - 7 mile train ride from Virginia City to Gold Hill and back.
Comstock Lode - Comstock Lode - Silver City, Gold Hill, Virginia City
Virginia City Visitor Center - On C street
The Delta Saloon - Great place for refreshments
The Way It Was Museum - Recommended museum by Discover Lake Tahoe Tours
-…

What's Included

Scenic train ride
Comfortable air-conditioned shuttle transport
Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)

What's Not Included

Lunch
Admission to attractions (optional)
Gratuities

Additional Information

Embark on a journey into Nevada’s storied mining past on this trip from South Lake Tahoe to Virginia City, a prosperous mining town recognized in the US National Register of Historic Places. Accompanied by an expert guide, navigate a portion of the Pony Express on your way to Virginia City, where you’ll enjoy a scenic trip on the Virginia & Truckee…

Location

Virginia & Truckee Railroad

165 F Street,

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.2

(174 Ratings)

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Christy_g

Aug 21, 2026

Fun and informative - This was a great tour to round out other more Lake Tahoe centered tours during our vacation. Our guide, Nevada, was witty, fun, and extremely knowledgeable about the area. He took the long way to Virginia City on the way out to show us parts of the state we had not seen before, including beautiful views of the valley. The approx half hour train ride was charmingly and perfectly narrated and included even more history of the area. The rest of the day is spent on the main street of the town and you can choose your own activities for a few hours before the ride back. Bring sunglasses and a hat if you are sensitive to the sun. Highly recommended.

Review provided by Viator

F3834zmbarbaram

Aug 14, 2026

Great day trip - Worth the price. Our guide/ driver was very good

Review provided by Tripadvisor

U4940ywalicem

Aug 6, 2026

A great mix of historical sightseeing - Our tour guide gets an A+ from his history teacher for dripping many facts into his narration. One of the best tours we’ve been on! Please let out guide know—-we were on the Thursday August 6.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Vaughn_e

Jul 26, 2026

Nice Day Outing - Shuttle was comfortable. The drive to Virginia City traveled thru several towns including Carson City. Driver was very knowledgeable and talked constantly ( could be good or bad depending on your expectations) . We arrived at the train station with about 20 min to spare before the train ride. It was enough time for a bathroom break and grab something from the little store. Train ride was scenic and informative about the mining. After the train ride we boarded the shuttle were dropped off on Main St. Virginia City. We had 3 hours going thru the shops and enjoying the old saloons and the many stores. We ate at a BBQ place at the end of the street. Very reasonable and delicious BBQ. Evidently there was a reenactment of a gun fight we missed because we were enjoying our BBQ at the far end of town. We knew it was happening because we heard the gun shots. There are many interesting shops including (if you are into sweets) a fudge shop and a candy store with barrels of candy. The sidewalks are wooden and you need to be careful not to trip. The people in town are friendly and welcoming. The ride back to Tahoe was quicker, taking the highway, avoiding the little towns. The only thing that was annoying is we picked the hottest day of the season. All in all my wife and I enjoyed the tour and would recommend it.

Review provided by Viator

Sassysharonp52

Jul 11, 2026

Fun train ride with cool history - My family and I all enjoyed this trip. Our tour guide gave our group of about 20 lots of history about Lake Tahoe, Carson city, Nevada and celebrities living in the area. We visited the How It All Began Museum for some more detailed info about Virginia City (worth the tour). The train was cool, you could sit in the sun or shade, and the ride was just long enough for the conductor to tell the story. A good value for the money and a fun way to spend a day in the Tahoe area.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Arthur_a

Aug 28, 2026

Good wholesome time. - Pack some snacks Free time ended up only being two and a half hours not enough time to explore the town. There was four of us in a group on the bus, we sat together and assumed we would get our seats when we returned on the bus a couple insisted on taking our parents seats. that was a drag.

Review provided by Viator

Angelica015

Jul 31, 2026

Wild West Vibes in Virginia City - The tour to Virginia City and train ride was fun! The driver was excellent! He was prompt in picking us up to and fro and was a safe driver which was greatly appreciated. We saw wild Mustangs on the way there! We boarded the train as soon as we arrived to Virginia City. It was about a half hour and had enclosed and open air seating. The train conductor gave us lots of info. about the railway system and mining in Virginia City. We were then driven to Main Street in Virginia City where all the shops and restaurants are. We had 3 - 3.5 hours to eat lunch, go to museums, shop, etc. The town is quite charming and people were so friendly and welcoming. It was a great day! We headed back at 2 pm and arrived back in Lake Tahoe at about 3:15. If you're looking for a little history, wild west vibes and a train ride all wrapped up in one tour, this is the tour for you!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Y687

Jul 31, 2026

Train Ride in Virginia. - Pick up driver was AWESOME. Very informative on the history of Lake Tahoe. Then the train conductor was also GREAT. These are the types of people the world n Ed’s more of. Kind, funny, enjoys their job .

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Natashaws5896xw

Jul 23, 2026

Amazing memories - We had a wonderful experience on this tour. Everything was well organized from the beginning, and the guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made everyone feel welcome. We had plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery, take photos, and learn interesting facts along the way. The pace was comfortable, and it never felt rushed. You can tell the team genuinely cares about making sure everyone has a great time. We left with amazing memories and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. Thank you for such a fantastic experience!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Daniel_b

Jul 31, 2026

The pickup location was... - The pickup location was hard to find through the app. The tour company needs to have better communication. We missed the bus because of lack of communication and did not get any money back. Very disappointed

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $80

up to 10 guests

1 - Adult