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Mexico > Mexico Tour Packages

Copper Canyon Tour

10 DAYS (18 Meals)

PRICE PER PERSON*
Single - $1,569
Double - $1,189
Triple - $1,159

DEPARTURE DATES
February 09, 2008
November 14, 2008

*PLUS the Mexican visa fee. We will help you obtain your visa!

Departs from:
Brownsville 6:00 a.m.
Harlingen 6:30 a.m.
Weslaco 7:00 a.m.
McAllen 7:30 a.m.
Mission 8:00a.m.

NOTE: Please do not leave your car parked at the Holiday Inn Civic Center in McAllen unless you are registered there as a guest

Copper Canyon in Depth Tour

A real hit! The tour is definitely “in depth” with more time to enjoy the canyon and less time on the road with two nights right on the rim and two nights at the terminus of the railroad. Stay in Creel the “gateway to the Copper Canyon”. Ride the Chihuahua al Pacifico, a “train ride in the sky”, through 86 tunnels and over 39 bridges. This huge area, in the middle of the Sierra Madres of Northern Mexico has towering pine trees, red-barked madrone trees, apple orchards and tremendous views of a canyon four times larger than the Grand Canyon. The building of the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad was approved in 1872 but due to money and engineering problems was not opened until 1961. By then the dreamed of routing from Kansas City to the Pacific Coast with continued commerce to the Orient had found a more accessible and more economical shipping route. Currently, the Chihuahua al Pacifico rail is one of the few remaining passenger lines in the Republic of Mexico. Come, enjoy the ride before the route is dedicated to commerce.

DAY 1 - Depart from the Rio Grande Valley beginning our unforgettable journey to the Copper Canyon. Travel through Monterrey and Saltillo to Torreon where we spend our first overnight in Mexico. Overnight at the Hampton Inn in Torreon.

DAY 2 - After an included American breakfast, sit back and listen to the exploits of Pancho Villa as we head for the city of Chihuahua, where Villa and his men often headquartered during the Revolutionary War of 1910. Overnight at the Hotel San Francisco in Chihuahua. B

DAY 3 - Included city tour visiting the nearby baroque cathedral and the Palacio de Gobierno (state capital building) before departing for Creel, a John Wayne type of town, is considered the “gateway to the Copper Canyon.” After check in, included visit to the Valley of the Mushrooms, so called because of the monumental rocks in this shape. During this tour you may see Tarahumara men producing hand made violins, one of the musical instruments used in this culture. Return to the hotel back in Creel where you may want to explore the town. Overnight at Parador de la Montana or the Best Western Lodge in Creel. B, D

DAY 4 - Finish exploring Creel, before boarding the train for an exciting ride on the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, an incredible masterpiece of civil engineering, connecting Chihuahua through the Sierra Madre with the west coast. Awesome vistas plus 86 tunnels and 39 bridges make this the most spectacular train ride in the Western Hemisphere. Train buffs will be especially fascinated when the track makes a 360 degree turn around itself in order to get through the mountains. Sometime after lunch, you will have a short break at Divisadero, the mid point on the train ride. Here you will pass the train that left Mochis early this morning en route for Chihuahua. Continue through the most beautiful part of the trip as we head for El Fuerte and Los Mochis. The train is often late so we suggest you take snacks for the ride or purchase something on the train. Overnight at the Hotel Plaza Inn in Los Mochis. B

DAY 5 - Highlights for our stay today will the tour to the Bay of Cortez separating the mainland from Baja California and your drive down the Pacific Coast to a small fishing village. Overnight at the Hotel Plaza Inn in Los Mochis. B, L, D

DAY 6 - Back on the train, affectionately called “El Chepe” by the locals, you will view the western slopes of the Canyon, by far the prettiest part. What an opportunity to view the canyon in the morning light! You will arrive at Divisadero in time for a light lunch. After a brief rest in your rim view rooms, join your fellow travelers for a short hike. You are in the middle of the ancient Tarahumara Indian territory where the Indians of today live in caves and log cabins, much as their ancestors have done for thousands of years. Later, watch the changing hues on the canyon walls as the sun begins its descent...a breath taking natural wonder. Overnight at the Hotel Divisadero Barrancas. B, LL, D

DAY 7 - After an included breakfast, explore with your guide visiting the original homestead of the settlers in this area. Brave ones might want to experience the balancing rock. Watch the Indian women and children weave intricate baskets from pine needles, wonderful gifts for back home friends. Perhaps one of the Indian men will play us a tune on his home made violin. After lunch, some may wish to take a rugged hike further into the mountains to visit a Mission school. Overnight at the Hotel Divisadero Barrancas. B, L, D

DAY 8 - After your included breakfast, your charter coach is ready to take you back to Chihuahua. You will travel over a recently opened highway through Creel and on through the Mennonite Country enjoying a light lunch with a local Mennonite family. As we arrive into Chihuahua you may see a lone Tarahumara dressed in native costume. Before checking into your downtown hotel, visit the former home of Pancho Villa. Overnight at the Hotel San Francisco in Chihuahua. B, LL

DAY 9 - Leave the city traveling along a new divided highway to Parras, an oasis in the dessert, for our last night in Mexico. Overnight at Rincon del Montero in Parras. B, D

DAY 10 - You will see why Parras is considered an “oasis” when you view the large tanks where water is stored for irrigating the orchards of pecans and figs as well as the fields of corn. Parras, the birthplace of Francisco Madero who started the 1910 Revolution and to whom Pancho Villa pledged his loyalty, is also famous for the Casa Madero Winery, the oldest winery in the Northern Hemisphere, and for the production of delicious home made candies. As you travel through Saltillo, stop to purchase pan de pulque, a bread leavened with the alcoholic beverage called pulque. Your charter coach now glides over the divided highway to Monterrey and on to the Rio Grande Valley. What a trip! You can truthfully say, “I’ve seen the Copper Canyon!!” B

Tour Calendar - Mexico