Day
1 Arrive in El Paso, Texas
Welcome to El Paso, Texas,
the town that hugs the Rio Grande River and serves as a natural
border with Mexico. Upon arrival you will be transferred to
the hotel. At 6:00 p.m. meet your Tour Manager for a cocktail
reception and get to know your traveling companions at a
welcome dinner.
Meal: D
Day
2 Travel to the City of Chihuahua
After an early breakfast, cross the Rio Grande River and enter Mexico.
Cross the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest in North America,
and pass the silica sand dunes of Samalayuca before stopping
at Villa Ahumada.
Enjoy the famous Burritos with asadero
cheese and beef during lunch at the historical El Torreon. Later,
arrive in beautiful Chihuahua, more than three-centuries old
and once the capital city of Mexico. Then, your Tour Manager
conducts a narrated walking tour of the city’s Historical District.
Tonight, enjoy an included dinner at the hotel.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
3 Posada Barrancas & the Hotel Mirador
This morning, leave the high plains of the Chihuahuan Desert
behind and head for the mountains of the Sierra Madre. Make a
stop in Mennonite country where the hard-working Mennonites
have transformed the desert into fertile farmland. Enjoy a light
lunch at a Mennonite camp and visit a traditional Mennonite
store.
Then continue to the mountains known as the Sierra
Tarahumara and home of the reclusive Tarahumara (Raramuri)
people. Arrive at Posada Barrancas to the canyon-side Hotel
Mirador which features terraces and offers views overlooking
the Copper Canyon. During the afternoon enjoy a short
natural walk around the canyon rim and a Tour Manager-led
presentation about the Tarahumara Culture.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
4 Copper Canyon
Today, enjoy unparalleled views of the
three canyons which make up the Copper Canyon. Four times
larger than the Grand Canyon, this region offers spectacular
vistas of pristine mountain wilderness. Visit the “Parque Aventura
Barrancas del Cobre” where you will climb aboard an aerial
tram with spectacular views of the canyon.
For those who wish
an optional zip lining adventure is available for purchase. After
lunch at the park restaurant, the afternoon is at leisure or enjoy
a visit to Tarahumara dwelling with the Tour Manager.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
5 Railroading in Mexico’s Copper Canyon
After an early breakfast, board the train for a breathtaking journey into
the Copper Canyon. Considered to be one of the top scenic
rail journeys in the world, the descent into the Copper Canyon
from the top of the Sierra Madre, offers you views of cascading
waterfalls and sheer canyon walls which give way to rolling hills
and tropical farmlands.
Palm, banana, papaya and mango trees
dot the countryside. Enjoy lunch on the train. In the afternoon,
arrive in the picturesque colonial town of El Fuerte. Enjoy a short
walking tour before dinner at the hotel.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
6 The Mayo Indians & Alamos
This morning after breakfast, depart El Fuerte for the village of Capomo to learn
about the way of life of the Mayo Indian. Hear about their
indigenous culture, natural medicines and celebrations. Then,
cross into the state of Sonora and stop at Navojoa at the heart
of one of the most productive agricultural regions in Mexico.
Here you will visit a local home and have an included lunch.
Continue on to the colorful old Colonial town of Alamos where
manorial residences are now converted to small hotels.
A delicious dinner and live performance entertainment brings
a close to the day.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
7 Alamos to San Carlos
Begin the day in Alamos with a guided walking tour with the Tour Manager. Tour through the
city’s historical sites and visit some of the private residences.
Return to the hotel for lunch before departing for San Carlos on
the coast of the Sea of Cortez. Known for its pretty marina and
fabulous beaches, San Carlos is a sun worshiper’s paradise.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
8 San Carlos
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel.
Then, board your local cruise vessel for a narrated cruise on
San Carlos Bay. In this region where the desert meets the sea,
the bay cruise showcases the region’s wildlife, flora and fauna.
Lunch today will be hosted poolside and a relaxing afternoon or
perhaps take an optional trip to the Mabe Pearl Farm and learn
how pearls are grown and harvested and stop at the Saguaro
and Pipe Organ Cactus Desert Forest to see these incredible
plants up-close.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
9 Hermosillo and Phoenix
Have your passports ready
for the return to the USA today. First, a rest stop is made at the
Plaza Zaragoza in the city of Hermosillo, the capital of the state
of Sonora. You will enjoy your included lunch today in Santa
Ana before crossing back into the US at Nogales.
Continue to
Phoenix where your final overnight and farewell dinner await.
Meals: B, L, D
Day
10 Travel Home
Following breakfast a transfer is
available to Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport for
flights out today.
Meal: B