Highlights of Mexico by rail with Baja beach stay

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in The Hotel Holiday Inn Zocalo

One of the largest and most populated cities on the planet, Mexico City is a bustling, chaotic mix of colonial architecture, ancient pyramids and a thriving living culture that lies at the centre of a valley littered with towering volcanoes and Aztec ruins. On our first day we journey out of the centre, to the vast pyramid complex that lies to the northeast of the city, the ancient city of Teotihuacan (the place where men become gods), an expansive complex that covers some 20 sq km and was once home to over 100,000 people. Once one of the most imposing cities in the pre-Hispanic Americas, Teotihuacan’s power and prominence spanned across some 5 centuries before it was destroyed and eventually abandoned. Today we will visit the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, two of the sites most impressive landmarks, both built during the Tzacualli period between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. From here we continue by bus to the beautiful Basilica de Guadalupe, arguably the most visited shrine in the country (dedicated to Mexico’s patron saint, the Virgin de Guadalupe), before continuing to the city’s magnificent cathedral. The largest church in Latin America, the cathedral lies at the heart of one of the world’s largest Catholic dioceses, its Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture taking pride of place amongst the expansive setting of the Zocalo. This region once lay at the centre of the ancient Aztec Tenochititlan, the great ceremonial area destroyed by the Spanish, which today houses the ruins of the Templo Mayor, built by the Aztecs during the 14th and 15th centuries. After visiting the site we return to the hotel on foot. The second day is left free to explore further this metropolitan city.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in The Hotel Holiday Inn Zocalo Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we have a chance to visit the imposing splendour of the Palacio National, a 16th century Spanish edifice that sits on the site once occupied by the palace of Moctezuma himself. Its stunning Baroque architecture has been the home to viceroys and presidents and today its hallowed halls contain the superb murals of Diego Rivera, painted after the 1910 Revolution and considered by many to be amongst the best surviving examples of his work. We will then continue on to the National Museum of Anthropology, which contains a worldrenowned collection of exhibits that span Mexico’s pre-Columbian cultures, including Olmec carvings, Toltec heads and a superb Ethnology collection. Considered one of the world’s great repositories of ancient artefacts, the museum itself is also worthy of a mention, its innovative design a work of art in its own right. After our visit we then drive north, crossing into the rugged and wild landscapes of The Bajio towards the colonial city of Queretaro, a city that under the occupation of American troops once reached the exalted status of the country’s capital.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in La Casa De La Marquesa Included meals: Breakfast

Amongst its modern streets, Queretaro hides a surprisingly well-preserved historic centre, whose impressive mansions and exquisite churches have witnessed some of the most important events in Mexico’s more recent past. It was here that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo was signed, ending the Mexican-American War in 1848 and ceding almost half of Mexico to the U.S. It also saw some of the most pivotal events of the War of Reform, culminating in the execution of the Emperor Maximilian in 1867 on the outskirts of the town. We will take a tour of the town’s colonial heart today, a UNESCO Heritage site that can boast lovely plazas and elegant facades, as well as the grand edifice of the Teatro de la Republica, an ornate 19th century building that saw the trial of Maximilian and the signing of the 1917 Constitution. Leaving Queretaro behind we will head west across the rich, fertile landscapes of the Bajio region and passing through the towns of San Miquel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo, following in the footsteps of the revolutionaries as they followed Father Hidalgo and Ignacio Allende towards a bloody encounter with colonial forces in Guanajuato.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in Hotel Casa Virreyes Included meals: Breakfast

Once one of the wealthiest towns in the country, the mines around Guanajuato provided Spain with nearly 25% of her colonial silver and her historic heart has been spectacularly preserved by means of a unique tunnel network that has rendered its centre free of traffic and the usual trappings of modern society. A UNESCO Heritage site, the centre is filled with grandiose mansions and towering churches, its winding alleys and enchanting plazas presenting us with a delightful venue for our morning’s walking tour. With much of the city’s colonial heritage lying within an easy walk we have ample opportunity to enjoy many of the highlights of this exquisite gem before we depart through Mexico’s colonial heartlands and across the semitropical province of Jalisco towards the city of Guadalajara. Our journey takes us via the small town of Tlaquerpaque, a small potters’ village that has been swallowed up by the encroaching growth of Mexico’s second city, but has nonetheless retained something of its rural charm and is still celebrated for its crafts and its mariachi bands.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in Hotel Morales Included meals: Breakfast

Today we take a sightseeing tour with a difference, as we board the ‘Tequila Express’ and travel across country to the small village of Amatitlán, a settlement whose history has been closely linked to Mexico’s favourite drink for generations. Departing with mainly Mexican tourists from the privately owned Ferrocarril Mexicano station we are entertained by Mariachis as we embark the train and once on board we can sample beer and tequila and an array of fruits and dishes as we make our way across the Jalisco countryside. This region is the traditional home of the Mariachi and tequila, both Mexican institutions, which today are combined in exuberant style aboard our colourful train. Arriving in Amatitlán we will then transfer to the Casa Herradura, home to one of Mexico’s finest brands of tequila, where we will enjoy a typical Mexican fiesta before returning to the train for the journey back to Guadalajara.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in Hotel Morales Included meals: Breakfast

We have a free morning to enjoy Guadalajara before transferring to the airport for the late afternoon flight to Chihuahua, set amongst the semi-desert landscapes of Northern Mexico. In the heart of vaquero country, the town prospered originally from the rich veins of silver that once riddled the surrounding hills, although today its economic salvation comes from cattle and cars. Flight times allowing, we hope to have some time to explore a little of the historic centre. The Palacio de Gobierno was the site of the execution of Hidalgo, its 19th century courtyard today displaying a superb series of murals by Aaron Piña Mora depicting episodes from the city’s turbulent past, whilst the city’s central square, the bustling Plaza de Armas, is dominated by the imposing façade of its twin-towered cathedral, a magnificent 18th century building that can boast some quite exquisite interior detailing.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Chihuahua Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we board the famous Copper Canyon train colloquially known as ‘El Chepe’ for the journey via Creel, a town that lies close to the lines most elevated section. The gateway into the wonderful landscapes of the Sierra Tarahumara and the Copper Canyon, the logging town of Creel is set some 2300m up in the mountains, retaining something of the frontier feel of the old west. The journey from Chihuahua takes us across rolling grasslands and through Mennonite territory, before passing into the leading edge of the Sierra Tarahumara, home to the Tarahumara Indians. Between Creel and Divisadero we will experience the magnificent spiral 360 degree turn, before arriving at Barranca and transferring to our hotel in the village of Posada Barrancas, located on the rim of the Copper Canyon. The canyon itself dwarfs its more famous rival in the north (The Grand Canyon) by some degree, reaching depths of some 2000m and stretching for over 50km in length. Its volcanic valleys hide forests of pine and dazzling waterfalls, making this one of the greatest natural spectacles anywhere in North America. On arrival we will take a tour along the canyon rim in the area of Piedra Volada on the rim of the Urique Canyon.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) in Mansion Tarahumara Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Chihuahua-Al-Pacifico Railroad is considered one of the world’s great rail journeys, an engineering marvel that was originally conceived as a fast route across the continent (before the building of the Panama Canal). The entire enterprise took almost a century to complete and can boast no fewer than 86 tunnels and nearly 40 bridges. The entire journey, from Los Mochis on the Pacific Coast, to Chihuahua takes nearly 13 hours, crossing the Continental Divide and covering nearly 700km. Boarding another train this morning we head into the heart of the canyon, towards the picturesque town of Cerocahui, from where we enjoy an excursion to the spectacular Mirador of Cerro Gallegos, a lookout point that offers us some spectacular views across Urique Canyon, the deepest of the gorges. The first European visitors arrived here back in the latter years of the 17th century, in the form of Jesuits who arrived intent on converting the local Indians to the Catholic faith and the small settlement of Cerocahui, lying just 8 miles from the railway station, offers some wonderful views of the orchard filled valleys that surround it.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) in Hotel Mision Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we travel along the last and most breathtaking section of El Chepe, to the colonial town of El Fuerte, where we arrive later this evening. Lying along the banks of the Rio Fuerte, the town sits close to the canyon’s southern rim, its rural farms and orchards a far cry from the town’s origins as a station servicing the silver mines along the Camino Real trade route. Today’s journey takes us across a landscape blanketed in forests of pine, where fabulously carved rock formations and plunging valleys present us with some of the most ingenious examples of man’s engineering prowess. As we tackle the highest section of the journey, the train loops back on itself, negotiating a complete circle as it actually crosses beneath itself. The journey takes us around five hours today and we arrive in El Fuerte later this evening, to transfer to our hotel for the night.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) in Hotel Torres Del Fuerte Included meals: Breakfast

After touring El Fuerte we transfer to Los Mochis, where those of you doing the extension will take the overnight ferry across the Sea of Cortes to La Paz, the capital of the state of Baja California Sur. The ferry is large, modern and the accommodation on board is in comfortable twin-berth cabins with shower and WC (every cabin has shower and WC). Set amidst the waters of the largest bay on the southern coast of the peninsula, La Paz is blessed with an abundance of excellent beaches and a little of its colonial charm still remains. Explored by Cortes during the early years of the Spanish conquest, La Paz itself was never settled by the Spanish with any vigour until the latter years of the 18th century, when its pearl rich waters were exploited to the full, seeing the town become the centre of the pearl industry during the 19th century. Please be aware that ferry crossing is not escorted by a tour leader and in La Paz itself you will be looked after by local representatives.

Overnight Ferry (U) Included meals: Breakfast

On arrival this morning you will be met and transferred to the hotel by an English speaking guide. The day is then left free to explore La Paz and relax after the excitement of the rail journey through the Copper Canyon and the boat trip across the Sea of Cortes.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in La Concha Beach Resort Included meals: Breakfast

Today’s activities are very much dependent on the season, either whale watching tours or nature visits offered. During the whale watching season (late December-mid March) we will make an early start for Lopez Mateos, crossing the reddish-brown slopes of the Sierra de la Giganta en route and joining a tour that takes us out into the rich waters of the Pacific in search of American grey whales. Measuring up to 18 metres in length, these most gentle of marine mammals provide us with an unforgettable experience, their newborn offspring often adding to the captivating encounter. We shall return to La Paz later this afternoon. Alternatively (out of whale watching season) sees us heading on a short drive to a local beach and getting geared up with snorkel equipment. We will board our boat and depending on conditions we will first visit the famous balancing rock at the tip of La Paz before continuing onto cross the San Lorenzo channel. There we will see the sea lion colony that is also the breeding ground for the blue footed boobies. (Please note we observe them from offshore as we cannot disembark here). The surrounding waters are ideal for snorkelling and swimming. We will then have a wonderful seafood lunch on the beach before returning to La Paz later this afternoon. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy at your leisure.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in La Concha Beach Resort Included meals: Breakfast

A free day in La Paz offers an opportunity to do a little exploring, perhaps taking the chance to visit the city’s interesting Anthropology Museum, or enjoying a stroll along the palm fringed malecon, the city’s 5km long waterfront that sweeps around the bay and presents an ideal venue to relax and watch the world go by. Other options include a chance to make full use of the abundant beaches that ring the bay, or perhaps take to the waters to enjoy some diving or fishing out in the coastal waters.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in La Concha Beach Resort Included meals: Breakfast

Today you will fly back to Mexico City for a final evening in the country’s capital.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel (H++) in The Hotel Holiday Inn Zocalo Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast