Mexico
Copper Canyon: Ancient Culture and Nature’s Grandeur
Program No. 24571RJ
Experience Copper Canyon — a natural wonder in Mexico four times larger than the Grand Canyon — and the culture of the Indigenous people that call this region their home.
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Participant Reviews
Based on 9 Reviews
SHOWING
Although the weather made this trip challenging, it was an awesome experience. The area is incredibly beautiful--the views are spectacular. I must commend the guides for doing an incredible job of keeping us safe under very taxing weather obstacles. Under conditions that changed from minute to minute, they were able to find alternative activities and experiences that made the trip very enjoyable. Big commendations to all the staff that planned and provided leadership during this trip. I would love to do this trip again under better weather conditions and include hikes in the mountains. Due to the snow and ice, this was not possible during this trip. If I get the time, I plan to do this trip in the future at a different time of year. PS: the train was great!
— Review left February 9, 2025
Copper Canyon is a breathtaking sight! The Mexican people were gracious and giving and Road Scholar ensured we learned about the culture and the amazing food. Never time to be bored on this trip!
— Review left February 4, 2025
Had a great time on this trip! In hindsight, winter might not have been the best time. Forecast did not include snow, but we got it, preventing us from getting to Batopila. Guides pivoted, keeping us safe and arranging alternative lodging, food and activities. Wonderful group of travelers, too. We missed actually meeting Tarahumara people but got a sense of their lives. Beautiful area too and snow made it a winter wonderland. The canyon rim and the train were amazing highlights.
— Review left January 29, 2025
Great trip to learn about the history and wonders of Northern Mexico, the Tarahumaras, the train, and see Copper Canyon, which is four times larger than the Grand Canyon. I loved the hotels (one on the canyon edge), food, people, history, activities and scenery.
— Review left November 29, 2024
The Copper Canyon trip is wonderful. The gudes were very helpful .Beautiful scenery and good food and accommodations
— Review left November 19, 2024
Road Scholar did it again. The Copper Canyon trip was everything it was advertised to be. I enjoyed everything included: the gorgeous scenery, the charming hotels, the Mexican food, the modes of transportation, my fellow travelers, the introduction to different cultures. It was well planned and led by an outstanding program director. What more could a traveler ask for!
— Review left November 16, 2024
The Copper Canyon trip was in my bucket list for a long time and now that I had the opportunity to visit the canyons I can say that this was a memorable and excellent experience. The group leader Isabel Sanchez and her team Pamela and Benjamin were very organized, very knowledgeable about the region and culture and made of this trip an outstanding one. There were many WOW moments: the spectacular view of the canyons; the "Chepe "train ride and food; the Tarahumara native inhabitants with their colorful dresses and markets; the pueblos magicos specially Batopilas with their colorful houses and amazing plazas; the visit to The Indigene Primary School Benito Juarez where we had the opportunity to experience the teachers and students during their daily routing of learning and interacting with each other; and finally the excellent drivers that drove the minibuses along the narrow gravel mountain roads.
5 stars rating by Ellie
— Review left November 11, 2024
This is a bucket list trip! You will need Pesos. Best place to get them is at several ATMs in Chihuahua. The highlights are the stay at the Mirador hotel in Divisadero and the ride in el Chepe train from Creel to El Fuerte. The sights are beautiful. The Copper CanyonS (plural) are 6, each eroded by separate rivers that eventually merge and flow into El Fuerte river that flows to the Gulf of California. That's why it's such a large "Canyon". In addition, you will learn about the Mexican Revolution, in particular about Pancho Villa (there's a good summary in Wikipedia). Other very interesting aspects of this trip include learning about Mennonites in Chihuahua and about the Tarahumaras that live in the Copper Canyon. You should be in decent physical shape to enjoy this trip, as there are plenty of times when you will need to hike, climb or otherwise traverse rocky terrain, stairs or high sidewalks. The road from Divisadero (2300 M) to Batopilas (500M) is in very bad shape (landslides, potholes, etc) but our excellent drivers took us safely there. There's some spectacular sights on this road and Batopilas itself would make an excellent movie setting. You then climb back up to Creel (2300 M) to take the Chepe train. Some meals (Chihuahua, Divisadero, El Chepe) were excellent. The train descends to EL Fuerte (300 M) so you see the vegetation change from pine forests to tropical (palm trees, bougainvillea). It was 6C in Creel and 40C in El Fuerte! The latter town is very pretty (a Pueblo Magico) and I wished we could have had more time there. Overall, a memorable trip, in part thanks to our heroic guides and drivers.
— Review left November 2, 2024
This program is excellent in content and the group leadership was outstanding! However, the program was more physically challenging than described and with a couple of exceptions, the food was average at best. All in all, though, it was an amazing experience!
— Review left October 26, 2024
