Is the Bryson City Polar Express worth it?

Wondering if the Bryson City Polar Express is worth it? Here is our recap and thoughts after taking our kids for 2 years in a row!

One of my favorite parts of Christmas time is establishing family traditions. One of the most magical traditions that my family has established for the Christmas season is riding the Polar Express train ride to the north pole out of Bryson City, North Carolina.

This is quite a big affair for us – it usually ends up taking us about six hours to drive there from Charleston.

But, we make a weekend of it and stay in a cabin for three days and have a festive getaway. We have the most amazing and magical time.

Tons of people have been asking me about this trip, and now that we’ve done it twice I think that I can fairly share our assessment with you today!

What is the Polar Express?

The Polar Express is a train ride to the North Pole out of Bryson City, North Carolina. It is a magical, Christmas themed ride that roughly follows the course of the movie with the same name.

What happens on the Bryson City Polar Express?

You arrive at the Polar Express and find your seats. There are two attendants on each car who help you with your ride.

The attendants do a bit of singing, dancing, and cheesy acting (it is very, very reminiscent of Tweetsie Railroad if you have been there!).

They sing songs, make jokes, and have a dance party. Cookies and cocoa are passed out.

Someone over the loudspeaker reads the Polar Express book and the attendants carry an XL book around so kids can see the pictures.

Halfway through the hour-long ride, we arrive at “the North Pole.” It is lit up beautifully with lights and we see Santa and his elves as well as some houses in the village. Then, the train turns back.

Santa climbs aboard and comes to say hello to each child. I honestly wish we had more time with Santa – it was like 30-60 seconds per kid – but it was still special.

Santa also brings a small jingle bell for each kid, just like the gift from the movie. It’s a really high-quality bell and the kids find it very special.

Then, you ride back with a bit more dancing and singing and return to the station.

It’s an hour long journey and I think that’s the right amount of time. Any longer and they’d need something else going on to keep the kids engaged, especially in the second half after we leave the North Pole.

Is it worth it to book First Class tickets on the Bryson City Polar Express?

The First Class tickets get you slightly upgraded amenities – like a ceramic cocoa cup and an extra chocolate bar. We like that we get a car towards the front of the train and that our family gets to sit in a booth all together on the ride.

For us, the upgrade was a no brainer and the price difference wasn’t significant. But, if you’re on a budget, I think that any of the cars would offer a fantastic experience!

I can only speak to what happens in the first class cars on the Polar Express, because that’s what we have done, both years we have ridden the catamount train car.

There are other cars that are less expensive and have slightly different amenities but I think that the experience is generally the same for everyone aboard.

How do you get tickets to ride the Bryson City Polar Express?

The Polar Express sells out early, especially the first class tickets. They go live a year in advance – book them ASAP if you can.

They are refundable (minus a small fee) up to 60 days out, so I definitely recommend reserving them early if at all possible!

Which ride should I book for the Polar Express?

Ticket times vary by day, but the general times are:

• 11am
• 1pm
• 5pm
• 6:40pm
• 8:20pm

We personally liked riding the 5pm train. For this option, it was light when we headed out so you get to see the river and farms you’re riding past, but got dark while we were on the ride and is dark by the time you get to the North Pole.

I will definitely say that you don’t need it to be light on your whole ride – there is not too much to see and the darker ride felt more magical. I would steer later rather than earlier.

But, we have small kids and didn’t want to push bedtime. Use your best judgment for your group!

Where should I eat in Bryson City before/after riding the Polar Express?

You should definitely know that restaurants are going to be extremely crowded with long waits around the ride times of the polar express train. The whole weekend will be hard to find a table in general.

For this reason, you need to plan ahead and leave plenty of time to eat.

Both year, we actually called ahead that week and ordered takeout to pick up after our train ride and take back and eat at our rental house, just because it’s easier with our kids. Both times we did this, there was no wait and it was a super smooth process.

We ordered pizza from Anthony’s, which is literally right next to the train tracks and the closest thing to the ride when you’re done. The lobby is slammed with a long wait after the ride, but pickup food was ready to go.

For lunches, there’s a food truck parked outside a beer patio next to the city hall that is a great place to grab food. We have also eaten at Bryson City Brewing, but note that they don’t actually brew their own beer.

What is there to do in Bryson City, North Carolina?

I am going to be honest with you, there isn’t that much going on in downtown Bryson city. There is a main street with a couple of cute shops, including an ice cream shop and a cupcake store. There are a few restaurants.

The main attractions are the train depot and the beautiful river running through town. I imagine the river would be lovely to float down in the summer, but it was cold and rainy both times we went.

The train depot is included in your polar express ticket and is inside and behind the gift shop. Don’t bother going until you arrive for your ride.

There’s also a lot of hiking opportunities around Bryson City, but we haven’t been able to do much of that due to the weather both times we’ve gone.

Where should I stay in Bryson City?

We have rented a Airbnb’s in the area for each of our trips to Bryson city. I highly recommend picking something near town because the drive back at night in the dark on the winding Hills can be a bit harrowing if you aren’t used to it.

Here are the Air BNBs we have personally stayed in:

• Smaller, less expensive (still great!) option
• Larger, more expensive option (better for a group!)

There are a couple of hotels near town. If you don’t have a pet or don’t need much space, they could be a more budget-friendly option.

Is the Bryson City Polar Express worth it?

I think that riding the Polar Express is a magical, tradition-worthy experience. It is not super cheap, especially if you have to roll in a two or more night stay in the mountains with it. For us, it has become an essential annual family tradition and is absolutely worth the cost.

However, take your budget into consideration, and also take the ages of your children into consideration. If you are on a budget and your kids are a bit older (and/or less likely to get swept up in the magic), it might not be worth it to your family!

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