Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Copper Canyon: the Chepe Train, Divisadero and Creel
7 days from Los Mochis to Chihuahua: a night in colonial El Fuerte, the Chepe Express up into the Sierra Madre, two nights on the canyon rim at Divisadero, two in Creel and a last night in Chihuahua.
7 days · Los Mochis to Chihuahua · up to 12 guests
El Fuerte from the hill of the old fort, where the trip begins its climb Photo: Danny, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_fuerte,_Sinaloa,_M%C3%A9xico.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Los Mochis to Chihuahua
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 2 to 6 km a day on dirt paths, rock and cobbles, with rocky steps on the Cusarare falls trail; about 7 hours on the train on day 2 and one road day of about 4.5 hours of driving on day 6, broken by lunch. Days 2 to 5 are at 2,200 to 2,400 metres, so climbs feel harder at first and nights are cold. Each walking day has an easy option, and the zip lines and via ferrata are optional.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 690 (estimated price)
- Season
- October to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Chepe Express climbing from El Fuerte into the Sierra Madre, over the Chinipas bridge and through the Temoris loops
- Sunset on the canyon walls from the Divisadero viewpoint, a few minutes from the hotel
- The cable car out over the Copper Canyon at opening time, before the train crowds
- An afternoon with a Raramuri host on their own ground near the rim
- The rock columns of the Valley of the Monks and lunch beside Lake Arareko
- The walk through the pines to the Cusarare waterfall
- The river path below El Fuerte at dusk, and the Hidalgo murals in Chihuahua on the last morning
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 690 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Los Mochis to El Fuerte
Los Mochis International Airport to El Fuerte
- Welcome dinner in El Fuerte
- Stay in El Fuerte
- Drive about 1.5 h
Fly into Los Mochis (LMM), where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall. The road to El Fuerte runs north through Los Mochis, a sugar town laid out around the mill of the American planter Benjamin Francis Johnston, so we stop for about half an hour at the gates of the Benjamin Francis Johnston botanical garden, his old estate park, to stretch and get a cold drink in the shade. Then it is about an hour and a quarter inland through cane and vegetable fields, with the first ridges of the Sierra Madre ahead. El Fuerte is a small colonial town on the Fuerte River, founded by the Spanish in the 1560s, with a shaded plaza, arcaded mansions and a whitewashed church. Check in and rest through the heat. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide walks the group up to the Mirador del Fuerte museum on the site of the old fort, for the view over the rooftops, then down to the river path as the herons come in to roost.
Evening
Briefing and welcome dinner in town. Plan to land by about 1 pm; later arrivals go straight to El Fuerte.
Included
- Pick-up at Los Mochis International Airport (LMM)
- Short stop at the Benjamin Francis Johnston botanical garden gates in Los Mochis
- Evening walk with your guide: the plaza, Mirador del Fuerte museum and the river path
- Welcome briefing and welcome dinner
Free time: Free from check-in until the 5 pm walk
The Chepe Express into the canyon
El Fuerte by train to Divisadero, on the rim of the Copper Canyon
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Divisadero
- By train
Morning
After breakfast we walk to the station, or drive the few minutes if your bags are heavy, and board the Chepe Express, the tourist train on the Chihuahua al Pacifico railway, at about 9.20 am. Boarding at El Fuerte rather than Los Mochis saves a pre-dawn start. For about the next seven hours the line climbs from the farm country of Sinaloa into the Sierra Madre Occidental, crossing the long bridge over the Chinipas river, looping round on itself near Temoris and running through dozens of tunnels as the pines close in. It is a long day in your seat, so your guide moves the group between seats and the open terrace car where the train allows it, as the best views change sides.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the dining car on board. We step off at Divisadero, at about 2,240 metres, at about 4 pm, and our bags go straight to the hotel on the rim. The first viewpoint is a few minutes' walk away, and the timetable gets us there in time for the late light on the canyon walls.
Evening
Dinner is at the hotel, since the rim has few restaurants.
Included
- Chepe Express train from El Fuerte to Divisadero, seats in the class we confirm at booking
- Lunch in the train's dining car
- Sunset at the Divisadero viewpoint with your guide
Free time: Late afternoon free on the rim
Activity: About 7 hours on the train (about 9.20 am to 4.15 pm in the 2026 timetable). The Chepe Express runs on three set days a week, so departure dates are matched to its confirmed timetable at booking.
Cable car and a Raramuri host
Divisadero: the Barrancas del Cobre Adventure Park, then a Raramuri community on the rim
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Divisadero
- Drive about 30 min
We start at the Barrancas del Cobre Adventure Park soon after it opens, around 9 am, before the day-trip groups off the train arrive. The cable car runs out over the canyon to a high point between the gorges, a ride of a few minutes each way, with the river far below. There is time on top to walk to the edge, and anyone who wants the zip lines or the via ferrata can book them on the spot; they are optional and we wait for you.
Afternoon
Back on the rim we walk an easy stretch of the edge path between viewpoints and stop for lunch. In the afternoon a Raramuri host, a member of a community near Divisadero, takes us to their home ground: how families live between the rim and the canyon floor through the year, the running tradition the Raramuri are known for, and the baskets and weaving sold at the station. The visit is arranged with the community and paid to it. The rest of the day is free.
Included
- Barrancas del Cobre Adventure Park: the cable car (teleferico), ticket included
- Rim walk between viewpoints with your guide
- Raramuri community visit with a local host, fee paid to the community
Optional experiences
- Zip lines and via ferrata at the Adventure Park, booked and paid on the day
Easier option: Ride the cable car and stay at the rim viewpoints; the afternoon visit is mostly standing and short walks.
More active option: Add the zip lines or the via ferrata in the morning, or walk a longer section of the rim path with your guide.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Down the rim road to Creel
Divisadero to San Ignacio de Arareko and Lake Arareko, then Creel
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Creel
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A slow morning on the rim for the sunrise if you want it, then about an hour and a half of driving through the pines, split by the stops, to the lands of the San Ignacio de Arareko ejido, a Raramuri communal property just outside Creel. Here the plateau breaks up into rock gardens: the Valley of the Monks, with its tall standing columns, and the smaller valleys of rounded rocks known as the frogs and the mushrooms. We walk between them on sandy paths for about an hour and a half, with the old San Ignacio mission church on the way.
Afternoon
Lunch is a picnic or a simple meal at Lake Arareko, a long, narrow lake with granite outcrops along its shore and pines down to the water, where you can walk part of the shore or take a rowing boat. We reach Creel in the early afternoon. It is a logging and railway town at about 2,340 metres, with one main street, a plaza and a craft shop run for the Raramuri missions.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free.
Included
- San Ignacio de Arareko: the Valley of the Monks and the rock valleys, ejido entry fee included
- San Ignacio mission church
- Lunch at Lake Arareko
Optional experiences
- Rowing boat on Lake Arareko
Easier option: Stay with the van at the viewpoints and walk only the first part of the rock valleys.
More active option: Walk the full lake shore path with your guide while the van meets us at the far end.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Creel
Cusarare falls
Creel to Cusarare and the falls, then back to Creel
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Creel
- Drive about 1 h
About 24 km southeast of Creel by road, the village of Cusarare has an adobe Jesuit mission church still used by its Raramuri congregation, and a small museum of colonial religious paintings next to it. We visit both, then walk a little over 3 km each way through pine and oak along the river to the Cusarare waterfall, around 30 metres high, which is fullest after the summer rains and quieter in late winter. The path is mostly gentle with some rocky steps near the bottom viewpoint.
Afternoon
Lunch is back in the village. We are in Creel by mid-afternoon, which leaves time to rest, wander the craft shops or ride out to the hot springs at Recowata, an optional extra.
Evening
The altitude makes the evenings cold through the winter, so this is a good night for an early dinner of your choice on the main street.
Included
- Cusarare mission church and its museum of religious art
- Guided walk to the Cusarare waterfall
- Lunch in Cusarare
Optional experiences
- Recowata hot springs, with the transfer and entry paid locally
Easier option: Drive to the upper viewpoint above the falls and skip the walk down; the van waits.
More active option: Continue on the river trail beyond the falls with your guide before lunch.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Creel
Activity: Opening days for the Cusarare museum are confirmed at booking.
Over the plateau to Chihuahua
Creel to Cuauhtemoc, then Chihuahua
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chihuahua
- Drive about 4.5 h
We leave Creel at 9 am for the longest drive of the trip, about four to four and a half hours on paved highway across the high plateau. That is a little over our usual 4 hour cap, because there is no shorter way down from the sierra to an airport city, so we break it in the middle. After about two hours we reach Cuauhtemoc, the centre of the Mennonite farming colonies settled here in the 1920s.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the Mennonite corridor of farms, cheese makers and orchards outside town, with a stop at a museum on the community's history. The last stretch, about two hours, drops to Chihuahua, the state capital, at about 1,400 metres, so the air feels warmer and easier. We arrive by late afternoon and check in at a hotel in the historic centre.
Evening
Your guide takes anyone who wants it on an early-evening walk to the cathedral, its baroque facade lit at dusk, and the Plaza de Armas. Dinner is free tonight; the old centre has plenty of choice within a few blocks of the hotel.
Included
- Cuauhtemoc: Mennonite museum and lunch in the farm corridor
- Evening walk to the cathedral and the Plaza de Armas with your guide
Free time: Evening free in Chihuahua
Activity: The longest road day and the one day over the 4 hour cap: about 4 to 4.5 hours of driving, broken by lunch and the museum in Cuauhtemoc after about 2 hours. The museum's opening days are confirmed at booking.
Chihuahua, and home
Chihuahua historic centre to Chihuahua International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A short morning in the centre before the flights home. We start at the Palacio de Gobierno, where the courtyard murals by Aaron Pina Mora tell the story of the state, and a memorial recalls Miguel Hidalgo, the priest who began the war of independence, executed in Chihuahua in 1811; his cell is kept in the Palacio Federal across the street. Then a walk past the cathedral to the Quinta Gameros, an early 1900s mansion with art nouveau rooms that is now a museum; it is closed on Mondays, so our dates never end on one. If time and opening days allow, we end at the Museo Historico de la Revolucion in the Quinta Luz, the house of Pancho Villa's widow, with the car in which he was shot. From the centre it is about 30 minutes to Chihuahua International Airport (CUU). Your guide sees you to the terminal. Book a flight leaving after about 2 pm; for an earlier flight we go straight to the airport after breakfast. Staying on in Chihuahua, or continuing to Mexico City, can be arranged.
Included
- Palacio de Gobierno and its murals with your guide
- Quinta Gameros museum, entry included
- Drop-off at Chihuahua International Airport (CUU)
Optional experiences
- Museo Historico de la Revolucion (Quinta Luz), if opening days and your flight time allow
Easier option: If your flight leaves before about 2 pm, we go straight to the airport after breakfast.
Activity: Book a flight leaving Chihuahua after about 2 pm to include the morning in the centre.
- Los Mochisstart
- El Fuerte1 night
- Divisadero2 nights
- Creel2 nights
- Chihuahua1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: October and November follow the summer rains, so the sierra is green and the Cusarare falls are fullest. December to February bring clear, cold days and frost or occasional snow on the rim and in Creel, which can close the cable car for a day. March and April are dry and mild, with the falls lower. We do not run from May to September, when Sinaloa is hot and the sierra rains begin.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Chepe train and the canyon rim without a 10-day coach programme
- People who like mountains, pine forest and small towns more than beaches
- Walkers happy with 2 to 6 km a day on uneven paths at altitude
- Anyone curious about Raramuri life, met through a host rather than a shop
Not for you if you want
- Travellers uneasy about regions with government travel advisories; read the safety FAQ first
- Anyone who finds altitude or cold nights hard: four nights are above 2,200 metres
- Those who want to descend to the canyon floor at Batopilas or Urique (a private extension can be quoted)
- Beach time: for that see our Baja California trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- El Fuerte1 night
- Divisadero2 nights
- Creel2 nights
- Chihuahua1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 1 in El Fuerte in the historic centre, 2 at Divisadero on the canyon rim, 2 in Creel near the main street, 1 in Chihuahua in the historic centre
- Central hotels and rim lodges of at least a 3-star-plus standard, with heated rooms at altitude, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Los Mochis International Airport (LMM)
- Drop-off at Chihuahua International Airport (CUU)
- Chepe Express train from El Fuerte to Divisadero
- Our own van and driver from Divisadero to Chihuahua, sized so every guest has a full seat and room for luggage
- All road transfers in the day plan
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip
- A Raramuri host for the community visit near Divisadero
- Local guides where a site requires one
Activities
- El Fuerte: Mirador del Fuerte museum and the river path at dusk
- Divisadero: the canyon viewpoints and rim walk
- Barrancas del Cobre Adventure Park: the cable car
- Near Divisadero: Raramuri community visit, fee paid to the community
- San Ignacio de Arareko: the Valley of the Monks, the rock valleys and the mission church, ejido fee included
- Lake Arareko
- Cusarare: the mission church, its museum and the waterfall walk
- Cuauhtemoc: Mennonite museum
- Chihuahua: the cathedral, the Palacio de Gobierno murals and the Quinta Gameros
Meals
- Breakfast daily (6)
- 5 lunches: on the train, on the Divisadero rim, at Lake Arareko, in Cusarare and in Cuauhtemoc
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner in El Fuerte and two at the hotel on the rim
Not included
- International flights into Los Mochis and out of Chihuahua
- Travel insurance
- Visas, if your nationality needs one
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the zip lines and via ferrata at Divisadero and the Recowata hot springs
- Crafts bought from Raramuri makers
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 690 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Six nights in central hotels and rim lodges, breakfast daily, five lunches and three dinners, the airport transfers at Los Mochis and Chihuahua, the Chepe Express from El Fuerte to Divisadero, our own van and driver in the sierra, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, the cable car, the Raramuri community visit and every entry in the day plan.
Is it safe to travel in Chihuahua and Sinaloa right now?
We check the Canadian and US travel advisories for Sinaloa and Chihuahua before each season and again before every departure, and we tell you the current wording with your final documents. Parts of both states carry advisories against travel. If an advisory or local advice covers a stop on our route, we change the route or cancel and refund in full.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, which fits one van in the sierra and one table at lunch. A private departure for your party only is also available on a date you choose.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Los Mochis arrivals hall to the Chihuahua departures door. On day 3 a Raramuri host from a community near Divisadero leads the afternoon visit, and local guides join where a site requires one.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. The walks are 2 to 6 km on uneven paths, with rocky steps at the Cusarare falls, and the rim and Creel sit above 2,200 metres, so you will feel short of breath on climbs at first. Each walking day has an easy option, and the zip lines and via ferrata are optional.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own costs CAD 690 on top of the shared price, about 16 percent, and it is shown before you book. Solo guests get the same trip in every other way. If you would like to share, ask; we tell you whether a share is possible on your date.
When is the best time to go?
October to April. Autumn after the rains is green, with the waterfalls full; December to February brings cold, clear days and nights below freezing on the rim, with the odd snowfall; March and April are warm and dry. We do not run in the summer rains or the heat of Sinaloa.
Can I ride the whole Chepe line from Los Mochis to Chihuahua?
Not on this trip. We ride the most dramatic section, about seven hours from El Fuerte up to the rim at Divisadero, then travel by road so we can stop at Arareko, Cusarare and Cuauhtemoc. The Chepe Express runs on three set days a week, and published days vary by source and season, so we confirm the train day when you book.
How does booking work?
Send a request to book for the date you want. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are indicative until then.
Can I travel on my own dates?
Yes, as a private trip for your party on a date you choose, at the private price, with your own guide and van. If you want to travel independently without a guide, ask for a quote and we tell you what we can arrange; that is an inquiry, not a set trip style.
Do I need a visa for Mexico?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a tourist stay in Mexico; bring a passport valid for your whole trip. Other nationalities should check before booking. We confirm current entry rules with your final documents.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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