Day : 1
Arrive Phoenix
Number of Days : 1
Welcome to Phoenix where your transfer to the hotel awaits. After checking in, relax or perhaps take a swim at the hotel pool.
Day : 2
Phoenix – Tucson – Santa Ana - Hermosillo – San Carlos (2 nights)
Number of Days : 1
Begin your adventure with a short stop in Tucson to pick up joining guests before crossing into Mexico. South of the border, the great Sonoran Desert opens up before you. Keep an eye out for giant saguaro cacti—one of the few places they grow wild. After stopping for lunch in the small town of Santa Ana, travel on to Hermosillo to see the lovely colonial cathedral and the Government Palace, its walls bedecked with murals depicting the history of the Sonoran region. Arrive in San Carlos where the desert meets the glittering Sea of Cortez. Relax at your waterfront resort before gathering for a Welcome Reception and dinner.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Welcome Reception
Day : 3
San Carlos Sightseeing
Number of Days : 1
Board a private boat for a scenic cruise on the Sea of Cortez and keep a lookout for dolphins, seals, and exotic sea birds, such as the blue-footed booby and the great blue heron. Afterward, take a scenic drive through stunning desert gardens, home to massive cacti. After a poolside lunch, the afternoon is free to explore the marina and shops. Tonight enjoy a seaside sunset dinner.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day : 4
San Carlos – Alamos
Number of Days : 1
This morning, visit the first cultured pearl farm in the Americas and learn all about the Cultural Insight of pearl oyster farming, pearl grading and quality selection. Next, travel south through rich farmlands to the foothills of the Sierra Madre and the quaint town of Alamos. A living museum, the city's cobblestone streets are lined with beautiful Spanish colonial buildings. This evening, immerse yourself in the local culture at dinner with a colourful spectacle of music and folk dancing by performers in traditional costumes.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day : 5
Alamos – El Fuerte
Number of Days : 1
Stroll the streets of Alamos as your Local Specialist brings this town's history to life. Visit some of the restored mansions built when Alamos' silver mines were among the richest in the world. After lunch, journey farther into the Sierra Madre to the town of El Fuerte. This evening, the Torres family welcomes you to their beautifully restored 19th century mansion for a Regional Meal and entertainment. Enjoy a performance of traditional folkloric and native dances followed by a sumptuous dinner of delicious local dishes, including black bass caught fresh from the El Fuerte River.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Regional Meal
Day : 6
El Fuerte – Copper Canyon (2 nights)
Number of Days : 1
Mexico's Copper Canyon—four times as large as the Grand Canyon of Arizona—looms large in the culture and imagination of this proud country. Board your rail car and start your journey on the Train in the Sky, travelling from sea level to 7,500 feet (2,285 metres) in less than 150 miles (240 kilometres), passing through tunnels and over soaring bridges. Engineers and labourers spent nearly 100 years laying tracks into this rugged terrain, and now the spectacular views make this one of the world's most exciting train journeys. Pass alongside the jagged Barranca Septentrion and Urique Canyons as you travel into the heart of Copper Canyon. Disembark at your hotel, situated right on the rim of the canyon. Tonight, attend a Regional Meal and learn all about the culture of the Tarahumara Indians while delighting in traditional Mexican cuisine.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Regional Meal
Day : 7
Copper Canyon Sightseeing
Number of Days : 1
Spend the entire day exploring this dramatic area, one of the greatest natural treasures of North America. Learn about the geological forces that created the seven individual canyons, collectively known as the Copper Canyons or Barrancas del Cobre. Meet the local Tarahumara Indians, a semi-nomadic tribe whose ancestors have lived in the canyon's caves for thousands of years. Learn about their natural remedies from a local medicine woman and view the tribe's arts and crafts. Later, board the aerial tram and descend 4,500 feet (1,372 metres) into the canyon to experience its grandeur in a way few have done before.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day : 8
Copper Canyon – Guerrero – Casas Grandes
Number of Days : 1
Travel to the logging village of Creel via Oteros Canyon. Stop in the small town of Guerrero where restaurant owners Alma Casavantes and her husband Paco Cabrera welcome you for a unique Be My Guest lunch. They will serve an exquisite meal of traditional foods and share stories of the history of their family and of growing up in this part of the Chihuahua Desert, a region known for its apple orchards. This evening, see local artisans who have adapted ancient traditions into a modern style called Mata Ortiz with a Local Specialist. Watch master craftsman design fire pots and the techniques learned over several generations before gathering for a festive Farewell Dinner.
Full Breakfast, Be My Guest Dining, Farewell Dinner
Day : 9
Casas Grandes – Paquime – Tucson - Phoenix
Number of Days : 1
Today, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Paquime, a great trading centre in the 14th and 15th centuries before the Spanish conquest of Mexico. See ceremonial mounds; the House of the Cross, believed to be a temple and observatory; and the House of the Serpent, where animals were raised. Continue across the Chihuahua Desert into the U.S. and stop in Tucson for guests leaving on this day before arriving back in Phoenix early this evening.Full Breakfast, Lunch
Day : 10
Depart Phoenix
Number of Days : 1
Take a transfer to Phoenix International Airport for your flight home or perhaps choose to extend your stay in Phoenix.Full Breakfast
