What a great experience to visit the top of pikes peak. The views were amazing! One of my favorite train rides for sure. I would say the best seating with the best views is the 3 seater side against the outer side of the train. Seating is a little tight so if you want to be a little more comfortable I would suggest 2 people buying seats. Getting to the top of the mountain was unreal! I do however wish we had a little more time up there.

A beautiful day for a ride up to Pikes Peak! The only problem was the high wind advisory which cost us fro getting to go the top! We were able to go to the trailhead which was over 12,000 ft! Truly a beautiful ride! Conductor Bill explained things along the way which everyone enjoyed hearing the history behind the train and how they managed in the early days to get to the top by mule! Truly remarkable!! Thank you for a wonderful time!!

Pricey but worth it. A totally different and more relaxing way to visit the summit of Pikes Peak. Absolutely book tickets in advance. Arrive half an hour before ticket time so you can park in their parking lot. It does cost to park but it’s worth it. Our conductor Liam(? I think I got that right) was great and so was the driver, Brandon. Lots of cool history, fun facts and stories on the way up and back. You only get 40 minutes at the top (actually about half an hour) so make the most of your time. Grab photos quick if you need to hit restrooms/cafe and gift shop because it’s crowded up there. Very fun time though.

This was something I've wanted to do since I first moved to Colorado and it didn't disappoint. The train was just plain fun. The conductor / guide was charming and funny. She provided interesting narration, facts about the train and tracks as well as information about the local geography and topography and historical tidbits as the train chugged along. The views from the top were fantastic. We got some of the famous donuts and they were yummy. Our only complaint is that you only get 30 minutes at the top before you have to board the train and head back down hill. Therefore, if you want any souvenirs, you should definitely buy them at the train station at the bottom because there wasn't enough time to see all the sights and tour the visitor's center at the top of Pikes Peak. We hope to go back and drive up so we can take in everything at the top at our own pace.However, the train trip was simply awesome and I highly recommend it.

Such an amazing experience. It is something you have to do at least once. Beautiful views along the way and definitely some stunning views at the top of the peak. The conductor was fantastic, very funny and engaging, and so very kind. The donuts at the top are only made at that elevation and they were delicious, a very sweet treat! Nice gift shop with fresh water and cute gifts. A very enjoyable time.

We did the 9:20 am train. The trains are very new and the conductors are very friendly and entertaining. The seats are just a little narrow but good enough space for an hour train ride up and down the mountain. Highly recommend getting seats on the three seat side as the views are much better. The Cafe and shop at the top are crowded with a full train but manageable. I would recommend it if you are visiting the Colorado Springs area.

I have visited Colorado Springs ever since I was a child but never went to pikes peak. This was a nice experience. We took the train and opted for the cheaper option and we were still able to sit with members in our group. It goes up slowly so it's not scary. They tell you about sight and animals along the way. Once you get to the top you won't have much time it goes fast I recommend getting a donut and hot chocolate and eating it on the way to take pictures and go into the gift shop. I wish they let you spend a little more time at the top. The way back down is slightly faster but still slow going. It's a nice relaxing ride I recommend it!!

The views are incredible! We haven't lived in Colorado for several years, so the altitude got to us both. We bought a canister of oxygen before we got to Manitou Springs and after taking a couple hits of O2, we felt so much better. We are both athletes, so my husband didn't think it would be an issue, but we were very glad to have had it. The best views are on the 3 seat side of the train. The seats are pretty narrow so be prepared to be friendly with the people sitting next to you. I thought it was definitely worth the extra money to choose your seat. You will be going backwards at some point as the train doesn't turn around at the top. So if motion sickness is an issue, plan ahead.

This was a great experience; a lot of fun if you don’t mind the conductor making corny jokes. My only complaint is that your time at the peak is limited. Once you push through the crowd to go to the bathroom, and look around the welcome center, your 40 minutes are about up. There is little time to enjoy the views, especially if you are herding children.

This place was awesome! Go now! The Aspens are already changing, there was snow at the top last week, but this week was cloudy, still worth it! We saw five deer, some Arctic Ravens, and I know they told me the name of them but I forgot, they were like prairie dogs but in the rocks at the top, either way, it was awesome. The two seat side is the mountain side with creeks and the three seat side has more of a view of the valley. The tour guide Jess was awesome! Our conductor Liam was great and everyone was very nice. You don't get a lot of time at the top so our group split up to see different parts. The gift shop at the bottom I think is the better gift shop, but it is near to buy something from the top at 14k. I want to come back and see it in the winter. I bet it's beautiful. My suggestion is pay extra to pick your seat of your with a group, the train was totally full when I went on a weekday. If you want to see pikes peak and just enjoy the trip up, you should take the cog train. It's the way to go. The road up the mountain looks scary for someone who doesn't drive these types of mountain roads

Excellent destination for all ages to experience! The conductor was very engaging, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. The ride was relaxing, especially for first time passengers, knowing safety and following protocols were the upmost priority to the conductor. The conductor exercised clear consistent communication, validated the messaging conveyed was heard and understood on numerous occasions. Even took the time to talk one-on-one with all passengers before the ride ended.

We bought the reserved tickets online so got our assigned seats. Parking on site is available but costs $15. Tour guides are very funny. The train takes you up to the top of pikes peak which is 14,115 feet above sea level. Beautiful views, mainly on the three seating side. So, if possible grab a seat on the three seater side. Carry a jacket as it is very cold and chilly out when you get off the train at the top. Everything at the gift shop is expensive so carry a jacket with you. Trust me you need it even if it’s sunny at the Manitou Springs. You only get about 40-50 minutes time to board back the train so make sure you use the time to get your beautiful pictures. You could drive up the pikes peak as well, if you’d like to spend more time there.

Views are stunning and some good narration from conductor on sights. For the price, I would have expected increased comfort in seats and some way of controlling temperature in cars. We were uncomfortably warm most of the ride up. Nice visitors center, but wish we had more than 35 minutes at the top. Donuts were very tasty, but take them outside to enjoy the view!

Beautiful ride up the mountain. Our tour guide was really awesome, and even though it was blisteringly hot outside, with the windows open especially once you got a little up there it really cooled down and felt delightful. Highly recommend doing it, and also making reservations in advance if you want to select your seats as they fill up pretty quickly during busy seasons (unless you don't care where you sit or if you will sit with other people you came with). My parents both used canned oxygen to fight off the elevation, so highly recommend, especially for people visiting from lower elevation. Didn't realize until I took this tour that America the Beautiful was said to have been written about the view from pikes peak. Thought that was pretty cool.

Cog Train ride was the best choice for going up Pike's Peak. The history along the way was great and the views were incredible most of the time. Service was professional and polite. Train was very clean and accommodating for all the guests we reserved a spot. Recommendation is to get the earlier ride in the day because it's a little emptier and less crowded!

Loved the trip up the mountain! The views were absolutely beautiful, and it was an amazing experience. It is pretty cramped on the train, & be sure to hydrate!! They do sell oxygen canisters in the gift shop, just Incase. We didn’t need it, but it was a nice peace of mind to have it. Takes an hour & 10 minutes to get to the top, you have a strict 40 minutes up on the summit, where there’s another gift shop, place to get food/donuts, restrooms, & of course the best views to take lots of photos! Takes an hour to get back down the mountain. Sit on the 3 seat side if you can!!!

This train ride is well worth the cost of admission. The ride itself is very smooth and relaxing. The staff keeps you entertained the whole way up the mountain with random facts about the area, the railway, and the wildlife. The altuide is no joke, though. If you think you're going to have any issues with it, I highly recommend buying a can of oxygen. They sell them at the train station(not sure how much), but we picked one up a local 7-Eleven for $23. Which we actually ended up needing when we got to the top. It really helped us with breathing. The donuts at the top were fresh and delicious. The pizza was good. The hot chocolate was very tasty. The restrooms were very clean and very well maintained. The views are literally breathtaking. This place is amazing and definitely worth checking out.

Very beautiful and informative ride up Pikes Peak. Learned a lot about the history and saw a few big horned sheep close to the top. We sat on the 3 seat side and that's the side to see the better views. You might not think that the first 10 minutes but after that it's all the 3 seat side except to see the 2 crosses representing the deaths towards the top. They aren't kidding when they say they are leaving at Noon on the dot and to not be late. There were 9 people who missed the train before us who were trying to get seats on ours for the ride back down. The gift shop up top had different merch than the one at the railway. The donuts didn't really live up to the hype. Your 40 minutes would be better spent outside enjoying the views.

This was a fun experience. The train was clean. You have to pay for parking. I enjoyed hearing all the history and the great views. I definitely felt the altitude at the top at 14,000 feet so be mindful of that. I was pretty breathless and my husband did experience dizziness and nausea. But the views were amazing and I enjoyed the donuts at the top!

My parents and I and went to the top of Pike's Peak, or at least tried to in March 2023. We were able to get almost to the top of the mountain before we had to stop because of icy tracks. The views are absolutely stunning - we were amazed at seeing how the topography changed as we climbed in elevation up the mountain. At the point we stopped, the train operator announced that on a clear day from that point, we should be able to see Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma! The refurbished train line was a smooth experience from start to finish. There is a gift shop in the depot at the base and parking is easy for all. If you're in the area, make sure to add this experience to your to-do list!

Such an amazing experience. This is my first time since the train and summit house have been redone. Simply—WOW!!! They did an unbelievable job on all. The summit house is truly incredible and a wonderful experience for all the visitors. Have say say major kudos to train staff. On our way down there was a medical emergency. ALL handled it swiftly and the gentleman was taken care of very quickly. Me and my family will be back for another train ride!! 🚂 🏔

What an experience!! Stay hydrated for this trip! The train ride up was about an hour and it felt like 20 minutes. The views and scenery were breath-taking. The train conductor was very informative and hilarious! Getting to Pikes Peak was a dream. The shop at the top of Pikes Peak is a wonderful spot to warm up and snap a ton of pictures!

I recently experienced the most enchanting winter train ride on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. The journey was nothing short of magical, with the landscape covered in a pristine blanket of fresh snowfall. Our tour guide was an absolute gem, striking the perfect balance between informative and incredibly humorous. Their witty commentary made the 2-hour round trip fly by as we marveled at the breathtaking scenery. This is a must-do winter adventure, and I can't recommend it enough – five stars just don't seem to do it justice!

Great views with little effort. Was enjoyable and would do it again. Our reserved seating (we paid extra for) got messed up and we got put in weird seats. It all worked out fine. For note, it's a little noisy (around a constant 75-79 dB the whole 1 hour 10 minutes each way) they pass out ear plugs if you want them. The noise didn't bother me, but I could tell it was a bit annoying for our 4 year old. Show up a bit early. Traffic in town takes time to get through and you board 20 min beforehand.

We parked in the public parking and took the free shuttle. The shuttle ran every 20 minutes. It was an easy trip to the rail station. The trip is a long one up and back. The seats are narrow. We had an hour up top once we arrived at the summit. We tried the donuts. They were average. It was very windy and the temperature was around 20° up top with a wind chill below zero. It was not easy to walk around and explore with the extreme winds. Still a beautiful trip. There was 3 of us. We sat on the 3 seat side for the best view. We chose the first 2 seats by the window facing each other. Bring water, and a sweatshirt, or jacket.

My mother-in-law was visiting us from Montreal. We wanted to take her on a little mountain adventure that didn't require hiking due to her mobility issues and this train ride exceeded our expectations! We booked our reservations quite early and secured seats right in the front row of the train. The views were absolutely stunning and the history of the train and the mountain was so informative. We loved the ride up and even saw some marmots, mountain goats and deer. We took advantage of the donuts at the top and they were delicious! The only negative was that the seats were quite cramped and we are a petite family. But we were enjoying ourselves so much that it didn't bother us too much. Thank you so much for providing a memory for our mother who absolutely loved it. Highly recommend for visitors and locals alike!