Journey: 6 days, 5 nights

Departs: Wednesdays, and it can be customised

Route: Chihuahua, the Sierra Tarahumara, Divisadero and El Fuerte

 

Some journeys are best seen at the pace of a train window. Across northern Mexico, the Sierra Madre mountains fold into canyons deeper and wider than most travellers ever expect, and the finest way to see them is from a seat on the Chepe Express, with the landscape unfolding at its own unhurried speed. Our Copper Canyon by Rail journey takes six days and five nights, and it is one of the world's most spectacular train rides.

Aboard the Chepe Express

The train winds its way through rugged wilderness, past towering cliffs, deep ravines and sweeping pine-clad mountains. Your rail journey runs from Creel through Divisadero to El Fuerte, and at Divisadero you can step out to admire the canyon from its most celebrated viewpoint. It is the kind of vista that quietly stops conversation, and you simply stand and take it in.

The homeland of the Rarámuri

Your journey begins in the vibrant city of Chihuahua, before the train climbs into the Sierra Tarahumara, homeland of the Rarámuri people. The Rarámuri are famed for their extraordinary endurance running and for their intricate, handcrafted textiles and artisanal work. It is a rare chance to learn about a living indigenous culture in the landscape that shaped it.

Colonial charm in Chihuahua and El Fuerte

Not all of this journey's beauty is found in the mountains. Chihuahua and El Fuerte are both colonial towns of cobbled streets, colourful facades, historic plazas and old churches. El Fuerte in particular is a charming town full of history and lively traditions, a gentle and rewarding place to finish your rail journey.

What is included

5 nights hotel accommodation, 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, private and shared transfers, and the Chepe Express train from Creel to Divisadero to El Fuerte.

Tailored to you

This itinerary departs on Wednesdays, and it can be customised. That is where we come in. As your travel agents, we can look at how you would like to travel, whether you'd like extra nights in Mexico, how you'd like to combine this journey with other destinations, and where else you'd like to stay and eat. These are exactly the details we love shaping into tailored itineraries. Your consultant stays with you from the first planning conversation until you are home again, and is only a phone call or email away wherever you are in the world.

 

Let's meet and start planning your journey through Copper Canyon together. Call us on 09 424 2345, email travel@youmanly.co.nz, or visit us at Shop 1/54, 56 Rawhiti Road, Manly Village.