Dresden Steam Festival & More 2027

Duration

8 Days

Departure Dates

6th April 2027

Prices from

£1,959 Per person

Every year Dresden hosts one of the major steam festivals in Europe, and this year is no exception! Visit magnificent steam locomotives at the festival, experience two main-line steam rides, travel on a unique suspended monorail, and ride charming branch lines. Journey through beautiful landscapes, visit fascinating museums, and enjoy free time to explore the historic city of Dresden.

Overview
Itinerary
Further Information
Departure Dates
Helpful Links

Zittau Railway ©AdobeStock

8 DAYS FROM £1,959

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT

Book by 30th April 2026 using code EARLYBIRD100

to save £100 per person!

DEPARTS

Tuesday 6 April 2027

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Experience the fantastic Dresden Steam Festival
Visit the fascinating Arnstadt Loco Shed
Explore Dresden and ride the unique suspended railway
Climb into the mountains on a scenic steam journey to Oberwiesenthal
Steam nostalgia on the oldest narrow-gauge railway to Kipsdorf
Journey back in time at the Dresden Transport Museum
Ride the historic Kirnitzschtalbahn tramway at Bad Schandau
Enjoy two charming narrow-gauge routes at Zittau
Marvel at the unique spectacle of a parallel departure at Bertsdorf

Also included in your Tour Fare:

7 nights’ bed & breakfast plus 3 evening meals
Services of Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Travelling by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then onwards to Gotha for our overnight stay at the Hotel am Tierpark where we check in and enjoy our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

After breakfast this morning, we will make our way to the Arnstadt for a fascinating guided tour of the Loco Shed before continuing onwards to Dresden. Here, we will use our included transport day ticket to explore the beautiful city of Dresden including a ride on the unusual, suspended monorail, one of the oldest suspension railways and a marvellous example of engineering and construction, plus the superb single-track funicular railway. This evening, we check-in for our six-night stay at the InterCity Hotel where we enjoy our evening meal together.

B, D

DAY 3

After breakfast this morning, we travel to Cranzahl for an exhilarating return ride behind steam on the Fichtelbergbahn, a steeply graded route climbing into the mountains and crossing the mighty 110m long, 23m high Hüttenbach viaduct to the highest town in Germany, Oberwiesenthal, situated at 3,000ft. Here, we enjoy a guided tour of the locomotive shed before retracing our steps to Dresden for an evening at leisure.

DAY 4

This morning, a short local train ride takes us to Freital-Hainsberg where we join the steam-hauled service over the Weisseritztalbahn for a nostalgic ride on the oldest narrow-gauge railway in public operation along a narrow gorge, through woodland, and past lakes to Kipsdorf. Afterwards, we enjoy a visit to the Dresden Transport Museum for an exciting journey back in time with walk-in carriages and locomotives to explore allowing us to soak in the atmosphere of past times.

DAY 5

Today, we experience an exhilarating main-line, steam-hauled journey from Dresden main station (details and route will be announced nearer the time). An entrance ticket to Dresden Steam Festival is also included where we enjoy fascinating displays, informative presentations, model trains, historic and modern locomotives, and much more plus many railway societies will have stands here to explore.

*There is an option to visit the Night Photo Parade at an additional cost (TBC). This will be on request only.

DAY 6

Today, we experience another breathtaking main-line steam journey before travelling by rail along the banks of the Elbe to Bad Schandau. From here, we take a ferry across the river to ride the bucolic Kirnitzschtalbahn tramway running along country lanes and through the valley of the Kirnitzch River to the beautiful Lichtenhainer Wasserfall before returning to Dresden in time for our evening meal together.

B, D

Day 7

Today, we travel by rail to Zittau for a day of exploring the beautiful mountain range on a narrow-gauge, steam-powered railway. We enjoy a guided tour of the Bertsdorf locomotive shed and journey through charming landscapes to Jonsdorf and Oybin offering many scenic and historic attractions including the unique spectacle of a simultaneous departure of two steam trains at Bertsdorf.

DAY 8

We bid farewell to Dresden and to Germany, returning by rail to Brussels, where we will join the Eurostar service to London St Pancras.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTELS

Hotel Am Tierpark, Gotha

Located in the heart of the historic city of Gotha, the charming Hotel am Tierpark combines traditional hospitality with modern comforts and offers a restaurant with a bar, a winter garden and terrace, sauna, and a small fitness area. The comfortable bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi.

InterCity Hotel, Dresden

Situated right by the main railway station, the InterCity Hotel offers a relaxed ambience including a cosy bar and a quality restaurant serving regional, national, and seasonal specialties. The stylish bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi.

FARES

From London St Pancras International:
Standard Class rail travel to/from Germany, including Eurostar Standard	£2,225
Upgrade to Eurostar Plus	£150
First Class rail travel to/from Germany, including Eurostar Plus	£2,425
Join at Gotha & Leave at Dresden	£1,959
Single Traveller Supplement	£180
Deposit	£225

7 nights’ bed & breakfast plus 3 evening meals

Eurostar and rail travel to and from Germany in the class of your choice

All transfers, excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
6th April 2027	£1,959 Per person	Book Now	Callback

Can't see a date that suits you? Please register your interest for additional departures on this tour.

Register interest

Enter your details to receive updates on upcoming departure dates for the Dresden Steam Festival & More 2027 rail tour.

Hotel am Tierpark, Gotha

InterCity Hotel, Dresden

Fichtelbergbahn

Weisseritztalbahn

Dresden Transport Museum

Kirnitzschtalbahn

Zittau Railway

Zittau Railway ©Zittau

Gotha ©Shutterstock

Dresden ©Shutterstock

Dresden Schwebebahn ©AdobeStock

Dresden Funicular ©AdobeStock

Dresden Tramway ©Shutterstock

Fichtelbergbahn ©Shutterstock

Fichtelbergbahn ©AdobeStock

Weisseritztalbahn ©Shutterstock

Dresden Museum of Transport ©Shutterstock

Dresden Steam Festival ©Christian Gebhardt

Dresden Steam Festival ©Christof Schru00f6fl

Harz Mountains Winter Wonderland 2027

An adventure to warm your Harz! Experience spectacular winter scenery in Germany's timeless Harz Mountains, journey through beautiful snow dusted forests on exhilarating steam-hauled rides, and travel on a unique suspension monorail. Marvel at breathtaking panoramic views, visit picturesque medieval towns with fantastic half-timbered houses, and enjoy free time to relax and explore the quaint town of Wernigerode.

7 Days Choice of Dates from £1,629

Amsterdam, Tulips, Cheese & Steam 2027

Experience the Netherlands on this fantastic tour featuring the incomparable bulbs in bloom at Keukenhof Gardens, the historic steam train from Hoorn to Medemblik, a relaxing cruise across the beautiful IJsselmeer plus a stay in Alkmaar to coincide with their Cheese Market! Not forgetting a day in Amsterdam including a canal trip and the chance to explore this vibrant city.

7 Days 07/04/2027 from £1,579

Spring Steam in Saxony 2027

Experience the ultimate steam tour adventure in Germany with no less than nine steam lines to explore on this action-packed itinerary. Enjoy exclusive charters, mainline runs, narrow-gauge railways, and charming branch lines... all behind steam! Journey through beautiful landscapes, discover fascinating collections, and enjoy free time to explore the historic city of Dresden.

10 Days 09/05/2027 from £2,615

What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

View Dates and Book

Why Book with Railtrail

Railtrail Tours is a family firm with an ethos of honesty and integrity. Our passion for delivering quality escorted holidays by rail at great value fares along with consistently excellent customer service has stood us in good stead for over 40 years – Big on Quality, Small Enough to Care

Unique Experiences

Our tours are unique to us, created by our team of rail travel experts who each have a lifetime of knowledge and experience in the rail holiday industry

Financial Protection

Railtrail Tours are members of ABTOT and ATOL, meaning you can relax knowing that you are fully protected when booking any holiday with us.

Loyalty Rewards

For every pound spent you will receive Loyalty Points on return from your holiday, which can then be used as a discount on future bookings.

Award Winning Team

We were proudly awarded Silver at the British Travel Awards for ‘Best Small Travel Company for Rail Holidays’ in 2024.

More about us

Destinations

Tour Types