Mexico’s Copper Canyon Railway

Welcome to wild country. South of the Rio Grande, Mexico’s vast far northern state of Chihuahua unfolds as a land of stone-strewn desert offset by a deep blue sky. Cities and settlements are few and far between, the glitzy state capital of Chihuahua and the occasional Mennonite town connected by a long desert highway, eventually yielding to the craggy mountains and forested gorges inhabited by the Raramuri, the native people of the region. It’s here, deep inside Chihuahua, that the seemingly fathomless Copper Canyon cuts a swathe through the barren desert crust. Seemingly against all the odds, a world-famous railway traverses this route, with views of some of the continent's most spectacular mountain scenery. There are relentless ravines and gorges, and an infinite variety of landscape and vegetation from snow-dusted peaks smothered in conifers to sub-tropical citrus groves.

This route shows two extremes of Mexico, from little-explored expanses to Latin America’s most populous and multi-dimensional capital city. You’re ideally positioned at the end to continue to the destination of your choice, whether it’s a beeline to the Pacific coast, a colonial gem such as San Miguel Allende or an ancient temple in the Yucatan peninsula.

The Copper Canyon Railway has long been one of Mexico’s relatively unsung highlights. Needless to say, railway departure schedules are subject to change, which could result in alterations to the described itinerary. Our expert Travel Consultants will be able to advise you if this is the case at the time of booking. Where possible, we use the more comfortable Chepe Express service.