How do you ride the North Pole Limited Santa train in Campo, and what does it cost in 2026?
The North Pole Limited is a 90-minute holiday train ride from the Campo depot, about an hour east of downtown. 2026 runs are Fri–Sun, Nov 27 to Dec 20; coach fares start at $15 for kids and $30 for adults and rise closer to Christmas.
- Ride
- 90 min
- Dates
- Nov 27–Dec 20
- Coach from
- $15 / $30
- Drive
- ~65 min
Round trip from Campo
Fri, Sat, Sun only
Child / adult, before demand pricing
From downtown, about 51 miles
The short version
- The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum runs the North Pole Limited on 12 dates, Nov 27 to Dec 20, 2026.
- Departures are 5 and 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 and 5 p.m. on Sundays; each ride is 90 minutes.
- Classic Coach starts at $15 for ages 1–17 and $30 for adults; babies under 1 ride free on a lap.
- Santa and Mrs. Claus board at the 'North Pole' and visit every passenger on the ride back, with cocoa and cookies.
- The depot is at 750 Depot St., Campo: about 51 miles and roughly 65 minutes' drive from downtown.
Every December a vintage train pulls out of the old depot in Campo, near the border in San Diego's backcountry, heads for the 'North Pole', and comes back with Santa on board. It's run by the volunteer-staffed Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, and it's the closest thing San Diego has to the Polar Express: hot chocolate, cookies, a sing-along, stories from the elf crew, and Santa and Mrs. Claus working their way down the aisle on the return trip. We checked the museum's own pages on November 6, 2026.
| Day | Departures | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. | Nov 27; Dec 4, 11, 18 |
| Saturday | 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. | Nov 28; Dec 5, 12, 19 |
| Sunday | 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. | Nov 29; Dec 6, 13, 20 |
Friday
- Departures
- 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- 2026 dates
- Nov 27; Dec 4, 11, 18
Saturday
- Departures
- 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- 2026 dates
- Nov 28; Dec 5, 12, 19
Sunday
- Departures
- 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- 2026 dates
- Nov 29; Dec 6, 13, 20
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, North Pole Limited and hours pages. Checked November 6, 2026.
Which seat to book
| Classic Coach | Business Class | First Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child (1–17) | From $15 | From $35 | From $50 |
| Adult (18+) | From $30 | From $50 | From $65 |
| How it's sold | General seating | By section | By table |
| Under 1 | Free on an adult's lap | Free on an adult's lap | Free on an adult's lap |
Classic Coach
- Child (1–17)
- From $15
- Adult (18+)
- From $30
- How it's sold
- General seating
- Under 1
- Free on an adult's lap
Business Class
- Child (1–17)
- From $35
- Adult (18+)
- From $50
- How it's sold
- By section
- Under 1
- Free on an adult's lap
First Class
- Child (1–17)
- From $50
- Adult (18+)
- From $65
- How it's sold
- By table
- Under 1
- Free on an adult's lap
How to do it
- 01
Buy online ahead
Tickets are sold through the museum's Etix page, linked from psrm.org/npl. Online sales close 30 minutes before departure; any leftover seats are sold at the Campo depot.
- 02
Drive out early
Allow about 65 minutes from downtown (roughly 51 miles by OpenStreetMap routing), more on a Friday evening. There is no transit to Campo.
- 03
Arrive 30 minutes before
The museum asks riders to arrive at least 30 minutes early to pick up tickets and browse the holiday gift shop. Your ticket includes museum admission.
- 04
Ride
Cocoa and cookies, carols and stories on the way out; Santa and Mrs. Claus board at the North Pole and visit every passenger on the way back to Campo.
Depart here
Geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim.
See these on the full San Diego mapWant Santa without the drive? See where to see Santa in San Diego this year. Making a night of the season? Our guide to Christmas lights by neighborhood has the best drive-by displays.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 6, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Event dates, times and prices are set by the organizers and can change or sell out. Confirm with the organizer's own page before you plan around them.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryNorth Pole Limited
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum · Checked November 6, 2026
Departure times, 90-minute ride, fares by class, what's included, Etix sales, arrive 30 minutes early, private car
- PrimaryHours
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum · Checked November 6, 2026
2026 North Pole Limited dates, depot address, museum closures and regular hours