Day : 1
Arrive Phoenix
Number of Days : 1
Welcome to Phoenix. Get settled in at your hotel before gathering with your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Reception at 6 p.m.Welcome Reception
Day : 2
Phoenix – Magdalena de Kino – Hermosillo
Number of Days : 1
Begin your Mexican adventure with a short stop at the beautiful Mission San Xavier del Bac, a historic Spanish mission founded in 1692. South of the border, the great Sonoran Desert opens up before you. Stop in the small town of Magdalena de Kino, a picturesque city with historic landscapes and cobblestone streets, inhabited by Tohono O'odham natives and Pima Alto Indians. Visit the Church of St. Mary Magdalena, City Hall with its colourful murals, and the house of Miguel Latz with its beautiful garden. Arrive in Hermosillo later this afternoon. This evening, enjoy a Regional Meal at a local restaurant.Full Breakfast, Regional Meal
Day : 3
Hermosillo – Guaymas – Alamos
Number of Days : 1
Visit Hermosillo's lovely colonial cathedral and the Government Palace, its walls bedecked with murals depicting the history of the Sonoran region. Your journey then takes you to Guaymas, on the Sea of Cortez, for a visit to a local pearl farm where you meet a Local Specialist to learn about pearl culture. In the late afternoon, arrive in Alamos, an enchanting colonial silver mining town. It is also designated as a "Magical Town" (Pueblo Magico) and is located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains, where the Sonoran desert meets the tropics. Arrive at your resort, set in 3 long-standing colonial mansions and a sugar mill. This evening, enjoy a folkloric dance performance and cocktails before dinner is served at the hotel.Full Breakfast, Dinner
Day : 4
Alamos – El Fuerte
Number of Days : 1
Meet a Local Specialist for a guided walking tour to see some of the grand mansions of Alamos. Afterward, enjoy some free time for further exploration, maybe visit the local museum, or do some shopping. Before leaving town this afternoon, visit the local graveyard with extravagant tombs from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the afternoon, travel to El Fuerte which is also acknowledged in Mexico as a "Pueblo Magico" (Magical Town) for its historical, architectural, and cultural contributions. Your hotel is set in a beautiful colonial mansion, built in 1890 by a wealthy family who spent five years and 100,000 gold pesos on its construction.Full Breakfast
Day : 5
El Fuerte – Cerocahui
Number of Days : 1
Board the world-famous Chihuahua al Pacifico "El Chepe" train and head into the Sierra Madre Mountains. After taking almost 100 years to build in this rugged terrain, this rail line is considered to be an engineering marvel. Travel from sea level to 5,900 feet (1,800 metres) in less than 150 miles (170 kilometres), passing through tunnels and over soaring bridges. This rail excursion, voted "Most Exciting Train Journey in the World," takes you along the precipitous Septentrion and Urique Canyons into the heart of the Copper Canyon, over four times as large as Arizona's Grand Canyon. Disembark in Bahuichivo and transfer to your quaint hotel in the picturesque village of Cerocahui, located in a high fertile river valley of apple orchards and vineyards. After lunch at the hotel, visit the boarding school Tewecado, founded in 1941 by the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Poor to extend their mission to the remote culture of the Tarahumara Indians.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day : 6
Cerocahui – Mirador Cerro del Gallego – Posada Barrancas (2 Nights)
Number of Days : 1
Drive to "Cerro del Gallego Urique Lookout," providing the most sweeping view of the Copper Canyon. Standing at a 7,500 feet (2,285 metres) elevation, gaze into Urique Canyon, the deepest canyon. View the mining town of Urique, nestled below along the river. Stop at a home and meet a Local Specialist for a demonstration of local basket weaving techniques. Then transfer to the train station where you re-board the train for the journey to Posada Barrancas. Poised like an eagle's nest at the canyon's edge is your hotel, situated near the highest point of the canyon, surrounded by pine trees. Your room offers a private balcony with awe-inspiring scenery of the Copper Canyon. After some time to relax, join a spectacular walk along the rim of the canyon.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day : 7
Posada Barrancas Sightseeing and Free Time
Number of Days : 1
Today experience the crossing of the canyon in a spectacular cable car ride, one of the highest in the world, to a breathtaking viewpoint from which you can marvel at three of the main canyons, including the Copper Canyon itself. Enjoy magnificent views of Tarahumara Indian ranches in this expansive canyon system. For lunch, enjoy a picnic with the local speciality, Discada (mixed meat dish), set in a scenic location overlooking the impressive canyons. Enjoy an original Tarahumara dance performance and, when available, meet the actual Tarahumara Running Champion. The rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy the canyon on your own before dinner.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day : 8
Posada Barrancas – Mata Ortiz – Casas Grandes
Number of Days : 1
Leaving the Copper Canyon, travel to the small town of Guerrero, where Alma Casavantes and her husband Paco Cabrera welcome you for a unique Be My Guest experience. Enjoy 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. Visit the tiny village of Mata Ortiz and meet a Local Specialist on local pottery. See local artisans who have adapted ancient traditions into the modern style called Mata Ortiz. Watch master craftsmen design and fire pots while learning the techniques accumulated over several generations. This evening, head to the Hacienda de San Diego, a grandiose estate formerly belonging to Don Luis Terrazas, a wealthy rancher who at one time owned most of the land in the state of Chihuahua. Visit the old hacienda and enjoy dinner in this historical place.Full Breakfast, Be My Guest Dining, Highlight Dinner
Day : 9
Casas Grandes – Paquime – Tucson
Number of Days : 1
Visit the prehistoric adobe complex of Paquime, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a great trading center in the 14th and 15th centuries before the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Afterward, the journey continues to the Sotol Factory Don Cuco. Sotol is a drink unique to Chihuahua, made from the desert plant of the same name, and is somewhat like tequila. Don Cuco is a family institution dating back three generations where you will see how sotol is fermented and distilled, taste samples and enjoy a simple lunch with your hosts. Continue across the Chihuahua Desert into the U.S. and arrive in Tucson for your Farewell Dinner.Full Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner
Day : 10
Tuscon – Phoenix
Number of Days : 1
After breakfast, bid adios to your newfound friends and depart Tucson for the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Or you can also extend your stay at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa.Full Breakfast
