Come along on this 8-day Copper Canyon trip exploring the canyon rims and floors, with full-day hikes and stays at lodges for active travelers who prefer not to camp. Begin with a scenic train trip on the El Chepe train on the Chihuahua-Pacific Railway. Descend 6,000 feet from the high alpine rim of the Copper Canyon to the canyon floor and the riverside village of Batopilas. Hike and explore this remote and historic area and visit local villages with your guide. Customize the itinerary for non-hikers with a leisurely lodge-stay on the canyon floor.
Highlights
Wander the plaza and arts cooperative of Creel
Hike three miles round-trip to Cusarare Falls, standing 90 feet tall
Visit the silver mining town, Batopilas, located on the canyon floor
Trek through Batopilas Canyon for spectacular views
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Arrive to Los Mochis airport where you are greeted and transferred to the gateway of Copper Canyon, El Fuerte. In the afternoon meet the guide for an orientation of El Fuerte and take a walking tour and streetcar ride of this cobble-stoned, colonial city.
If you are planning to arrive early in the day, an optional half-day excursion can be arranged to visit the pre-Columbian petroglyphs and a boat trip on the El Fuerte River with good opportunities for birdwatching and wildlife-viewing.
All aboard the world famous, first-class El Chepe train of the Chihuahua-Pacific Railway for the six-hour journey into the Sierra Madre Mountains. Considered one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys and an engineering marvel, the train crosses 36 bridges and passes 87 tunnels along its 655 km route from Mexico’s interior to the Pacific coast.
Arrive to Posada Barrancas after lunch (on your own in the restaurant car) and be met at the station and transferred to the hotel. Meet the guide, your host for the next three days, who will give you an orientation and discuss the options for tomorrow's activities. The evening is free to take a short walk to explore the grounds or relax on your private balcony that overlooks the canyon before dinner.
Spend the morning exploring on your own or simply relax on your private balcony that overlooks the canyon. Ziplining and via ferrata (rock climbing/ropes course combination) are options with an additional cost for any thrill-seekers. After lunch, meet your guide and begin the drive to Creel with stops along the way at Piedra Volada, the tallest waterfall in Mexico. Continue to the Valley of the Mushrooms, known for its namesake-shaped rocks, and Lake Arareko with unusual rock formations and surrounding pine forest.
An old railroad and logging town, Creel’s picturesque location among the pine forest makes it an interesting destination. Spend some time wandering through the main plaza and arts and crafts cooperative that contribute directly to the Tarahumara community. Settle in at your charming hotel located in town. After some time in Creel, head outside of town to the Tarahumara village of Cusarere and enjoy a 3-mile round-trip hike to the 90 foot Cusarare Falls before returning for dinner.
After breakfast, set off in a vehicle and descend the switchbacks to pass through La Bufa and Copper Canyons towards Batopilas. Observe the changes in flora and fauna as your elevation drops into a more lush and tropical environment. Your guide explains the natural history of the canyons’ volcanic rock by rivers and tectonic movements over centuries.
Batopilas, a former silver mining town, sits on the canyon floor at an elevation of 1,400 ft, almost 6,000 ft beneath Creel’s elevation. Explore the plaza with your guide and admire the colonial architecture or take a stroll to the Batopilas River. Your guide is available to make recommendations for dinner on your own tonight.
Enjoy a full-day of hiking in the Batopilas Canyon today. Your guide helps you select a hiking option based on your group's preferred duration and intensity level.
Option 1: A 5-hour round-trip flat hike to the Lost Cathedral of Satevo, a spectacular structure dating back to the 1760s.
Option 2: A 5-hour round-trip hike including 1.5 hours of climbing to the Peñasquito Mine. This was formerly considered one of the most prosperous silver mines in the world. Enjoy beautiful views of Batopilas Village and the river below.
Option 3: A 9-hour-hike with 4 hours of climbing to the Mesa de San Jose. Enjoy breathtaking views of Batopilas Canyon and the neighboring Urique Canyon.
Drive this morning, climbing the switchbacks back up to the canyon's rim and the alpine landscape. Continue to Creel in the late afternoon; your evening is free.
Continue north from Creel towards Chihuahua and stop en-route for lunch and to visit a "Menonita" community near Cuauhtemoc. After arriving to Chihuahua and settling into your hotel, you are free to explore the parks, plazas, impressive cathedral, and museums of this important historic, regional capital.
Day 8: Return Home
1 Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight to return home or to your next destination in Mexico.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
We are so glad that we chose Adventure Life. The service is top-notch. Everything is well taken care of and we just have to print the documents and go. Franny even gave us timely updates on possible airport strike.
KC Chan
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
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2 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.