Caravan Tours offers a 9-day, round trip tour that begins and ends in Phoenix. Following a drive through the Sonora Desert and a visit to the small colonial town of El Fuerte, passengers on day four board a private, first-class rail car on the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway, for a journey that takes them to an elevation of 7,500 feet. After a night in a hotel overlooking the canyon, tourists reboard the train, which descends from the top of the Sierra Madres, past cascading warterfalls and tropical farmlands. After dinner in the dining car, passengers disembark for a two-night hotel stay in El Fuerto. The rest of the trip includes a river float trip and a drive through the Sonora Desert back to Phoenix. Copper Canyon round trip train packages begin at $995.
Caravan Tours, Inc.
401 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-321-9800
caravan.com
California Native offers a seven-day "Classic Tour" of Copper Canyon that begins in El Fuerte. On day two, passengers travel on the first-class Copper Canyon train up into the Sierra Madres, arriving after lunch at a lodge in Divisadero. The next day, after an exploration of the Tarahumara caves, tourists reboard the train for a ride to the lumber town of Creel and a two-night stay high in the mountains. The rest of the tour includes a trip to the city of Chihuahua and then travel by van to El Paso. The tours are escorted by bilingual guides, and in 2010 cost $3440 for double occupancy with an additional $340 for a single room.
California Native
6701 West 87th Place
Los Angeles CA 90045
800-926-1140
calnative.com
"ChePe" rail tours by RailsNW offer tourists more flexibility in cost and planning. Tours leave from Chihuahua, Los Mochis and Mazatlan in Mexico; from El Paso, Texas; and from Baja, California, and range in length from two to five days to eight days or more. For example, on a one-day express tour leaving from Chihuahua, passengers ride the ChePe train to the crest of the Sierra Madre Range, where they spend the night in a hotel in Divisadero with views overlooking the Urique Canyon, then reboard the next day to descend through canyon and mountain scenery, arriving in Los Mochis. Prices for one adult average $500. At the high end, the deluxe 11-day tour starts in Chihuahua and includes stops in Creel, Batopilas, El Fuerte, Cerocahui and Divisadero and averages $3,000 for one adult.
RailsNW
10200 SW Eastridge St., Suite 210
Portland, OR 97225
503-292-5055
railsnw.com
