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Voyage Through Copper Canyon
$2,995 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $495.
Trip Overview
Remarkably, few travelers know about Copper Canyon, one of the most unique and dramatic natural formations on Earth. A collection of chasms well over one mile deep and 60 million years in the making, this impossibly rugged region is also home to one of North America’s most traditional native cultures, the Tarahumara, who live in caves below the rim.
Reach the canyon’s remote heights on a stunning railway journey, arriving at a destination that feels caught decades ago in time. Languid sunsets, pine air and unparalleled natural beauty await in the hidden reaches of Copper Canyon country.
Trip Itinerary
Please note that the dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. We suggest consulting our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss the best flight options for your travels.
Saturday, October 29: Los Mochis, Mexico
Arrive in Los Mochis in the heart of the Sinaloa Valley, one of Mexico’s richest agricultural areas. Transfer to your hotel and gather this evening for a welcome dinner. Hotel Santa Anita (D)
Sunday, October 30: Topolobampo / El Fuerte
At Topolobampo on the Sea of Cortez, take a boat ride to Isla de los Pajaros, cruising close to dolphins in the bay. After lunch at the famous El Farallon seafood restaurant, continue to El Fuerte, a 16th-century colonial town with cobbled streets. Spend the night at a Spanish colonial mansion set among lush gardens. Hotel Posada del Hidalgo (B,L,D)
Monday, October 31: Copper Canyon by Train
Superlatives simply fail to capture the scenic drama of today’s journey. Board the Chihuahua-Pacifico Railroad, inaugurated in 1961 after decades of construction and heralded as one of the world’s most extraordinary engineering wonders. Winding from sea level to nearly 8,000 feet through the Sierra Madre Mountains, the railway traverses 37 bridges and 86 tunnels in its journey over the Continental Divide. The route penetrates 25,000 square miles of canyons, the eight largest of which are known collectively as Copper Canyon – more than four times the size of the Grand Canyon.
At the highest point on the rim, disembark to check in at the hotel, perched like an eagle’s nest on the edge of the chasm. Visit the nearby dwellings of the local Raramuri people, known commonly as the Tarahumara, who have made their unlikely homes along a ledge of the canyon walls. After a sunset dinner, retire to your guest room, which offers a stupendous view over the abyss. Hotel Posada Mirador (B,L,D)
Tuesday, November 1: Copper Canyon / Divisadero
Hike through pine and oak forests this morning to the most spectacular overlook into three different branches of the Copper Canyon. The deepest canyon, carved by the upper reaches of the Urique River, is more than 6,100 feet below, and you feel very small as you gaze into its shadowy depths. Hotel Posada Mirador (B,L,D)
Wednesday, November 2: Creel / Cusarare
Drive to Creel, eastern gateway to the Copper Canyon. En route, stop at the 18th-century San Ignacio Mission and Arareko Lake, ringed by granite boulders and pine-studded outcroppings. Rustic Creel feels like a 19th-century logging town. After lunch in town, continue to a haven of simplicity and beauty. While your lodge has no electricity, kerosene lamps lend an atmospheric glow, and wood stoves take the chill off cool mountain evenings. From here, hike to Cusarare Falls, a 100-foot cascade that plummets over a rock ledge into a series of pools. Sierra Lodge (B,L,D)
Thursday, November 3: Cusarare / Cerocahui
After a tranquil morning of birding and hiking, we return to Creel to board the train for Bahuichivo. On arrival, transfer to the hotel. This small village sits in a valley of apple orchards on the edge of Urique Canyon, the deepest in the system. Its 900 residents are part of an ejido, a government-established community cooperative dedicated to forestry. Visit a Tarahumara girls’ boarding school, followed by a tour of the hotel’s own vineyard and wine-tasting. Mision Hotel (B,L,D)
Friday, November 4: Cerocahui / Los Mochis
A gentle, scenic horseback ride in the valley surrounding Cerocahui takes you through a forest and alongside a river, highlighting the beauty of the landscape around us. After lunch, head once more to the train station for a final trip aboard “El Chepe,” back down the spectacular line to El Fuerte. Enjoy a farewell dinner here before transferring to Los Mochis for a late-evening arrival at the hotel. Hotel Santa Anita (B,L,D)
Saturday, November 5: Los Mochis / Home
Transfer to the airport this morning for flights home.
