I toured first-class cars on the Rocky Mountaineer train, where tickets cost $2,269 and come with a luxe bar that's off-limits to other passengers

• I rode the Rocky Mountaineer, one of the world's most opulent trains, from Colorado to Utah.
• Like many luxury experiences, there are upgrades. In 2024, first-class tickets cost an extra $570.
• I toured the first-class experience, which had flowing signature cocktails and an extra tour guide. 

In May 2022, I rode the Rocky Mountaineer — one of the world's most luxurious trains. The Canadian train company operates four routes, and I was on its US route heading to Moab, Utah, from Denver.

As I booked the two-day train trip, I had the choice between two classes: SilverLeaf and SilverLeaf Plus.

At the time, a SilverLeaf ticket on my route cost $1,465 for a solo traveler and included meals, alcohol, a seat in a train car with glass-dome windows, and a hotel room for an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. In 2024, the SilverLeaf ticket cost $1,699. 

Train riders could upgrade to SilverLeaf Plus, akin to first class, for about $550 more. In 2024, SilverLeaf Plus tickets sell for $2,269 and grant travelers access to a dedicated lounge car, elevated dinner service, and a hotel room in the heart of downtown Glenwood Springs.

Take a look at what the elevated experience is like. 

As a thrifty traveler, I purchased a standard SilverLeaf ticket. But on the first day of the two-day trip, Rocky Mountaineer's manager, Zach Lucas, gave me a tour of the entire train, allowing me to peek inside the first-class car.

Together, Lucas and I walked from my standard SilverLeaf train car to the front of the train, where a few train cars were dedicated to SilverLeaf Plus.

As I stepped inside the train car, I didn't spot many differences between the SilverLeaf Plus and the SilverLeaf passenger cars.

Instead, the seats and space looked practically identical to the car I had spent the last few hours riding in.

I did notice, however, that the SilverLeaf Plus passengers had an extra train host who served meals and functioned as the passengers' personal tour guide throughout the two days. My car had just one.

The first-class passengers also had an elevated dinner service, which I didn't see or taste firsthand. According to Lucas and the first-class passengers I spoke with, their meals were served with local wine pairings. While I drank wine with my dinner, it wasn't matched to my specific entrée.

Behind the passenger car were exclusive lounge cars. Each one had a bar, and the first one I saw had a warm, midcentury modern theme.

Behind it was a second lounge car, which had modern furnishings and leather seats along its two sides. Lucas said the cars were designed as a "conversation space" where first-class passengers could roam freely throughout the entire ride.

The lounge cars were welcoming and spacious environments. In one, a piano was placed in the corner with board games stacked on top.

At the front of both lounge cars was a bar and bartender, who served signature cocktails that standard-class passengers didn't receive.

At my standard seat, I didn't have a dedicated bar or bartender. Instead, my train host pushed a beverage cart and poured glasses of wine, beer, and well-drinks.

If I sat in first class, I could've ordered something more elaborate. I would have chosen a Manhattan, a martini, or another drink made with upgraded ingredients I spotted in the first-class car, like the bowl of oranges for zesting, a bottle of bitters, simple syrup, and cherries.

While the lounge cars seemed like an ideal environment to chat with other riders, I noticed that they lacked the Rocky Mountaineer's iconic glass-dome windows. My favorite of the ride were these large windows that framed Utah's sandstone deserts and Colorado's towering mountain range.

If I had been sitting in first class, I wasn't sure I'd want to give up those dramatic windows for the more limited views from inside the lounge car.

The largest difference between first class and standard passengers didn't happen until I got off the train.

The Rocky Mountaineer's US route makes an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. At the time, first-class passengers slept at a nicer hotel just a few feet away from the train station.

I, on the other hand, along with other SilverLeaf passengers, had the option of a six-minute walk or a short bus ride to another Glenwood Springs hotel.

Both were three-star hotels, but after speaking to SilverLeaf Plus passengers who stayed at the closer hotel, it seemed like their rooms were a bit nicer with modern, hardwood floors and easier access to the mountain town.

A nicer hotel and a lounge bar car serving gin gimlets instead of gin and tonics would've been nice, but I felt like the experience in SilverLeaf was luxurious enough. However, had I wanted to splurge on the ultimate indulgent train ride, I'd pick first class any day.