Riding El Chepe takes you through some breathtaking view of the Copper Canyon and gets you up close to the Rarámuri. Find out how to ride El Chepe Train.
Riding a passenger train is an experience in and of itself. But riding the iconic El Chepe train into one of the most beautiful canyons on Earth, Las Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon), is an experience of a lifetime.
Visiting the Copper Canyon and riding El Chepe train were always high on my bucket list. However, I was clueless about how to plan this highly anticipated trip.
Where should I start the train ride? Where should I make stops? How long should I stay?
In this blog post I’ll share with you our experience, and give you our lessons learned so you can make the most out of your trip!
Creel and Batopilas are on my list of the Best Pueblos Mágicos in Mexico. El Chepe is also the gateway to the Copper Canyon, which rivals the Grand Canyon. See my comparison of the two.
Table of Contents
About El Chepe
El Chepe is an iconic railroad in the northern part of Mexico. This comfortable and highly scenic route starts from the city of Chihuahua and takes you across the heart of the Copper Canyon, piercing through tunnels, the land of the Tarahumara, and into the Los Mochis, Sinaloa, by the Gulf of California.
Fun fact: El Chepe gets its name from its official name, EL Ferrocarril Chihuahua-Pacifico (CH-P).
The construction of the railroad is considered a great achievement of Mexican engineering. Certainly the 37 bridges and 86 tunnels that were designed and built to get through the very rough terrain covered by the railroad are a testament to that achievement. In fact, the cost of building the railroad through this rugged terrain delayed its completion until 1961.
Getting Tickets
There are two types of tickets for El Chepe: the Express ticket which has fewer stops and is faster, but is more expensive, and an Economy ticket which is cheaper, has more stops and is geared more towards locals. Express tickets have varying class types: tourist, executive, and first class.
Prices vary depending on the destination and ticket class. For example an Express tourist class ticket from Creel to El Divisadero runs about 700 pesos ($30 USD) one-way, and 1000 pesos ($45) round-trip. You can get updated pricing at this link: https://chepe.mx/.
It is important to note that the Express and Economy trains run on different days. Be sure to check the days and hours on which the train runs and plan your trip accordingly.
You can purchase tickets online, over the phone, or at the station in Los Mochis. Also, in Creel you can purchase tickets at The Lodge at Creel Hotel & Spa.
We purchased our tickets online. The email transaction was secure and our tickets were emailed to us as a PDF. We would recommend that you have your tickets printed out.
Our Itinerary
This is the itinerary we ended up with during our trip:
- Day 1: Leave Chihuahua at 6:00am to Creel 11:47am aboard El Chepe
- Day 2-3: Creel
- Day 4: Leave Creel at 11:47am to El Dvivisadero 1:41pm aboard El Chepe
- Day 5-6: El Divisadero
- Day 7: Leave El Divisadero at 1:50pm to Chihuahua 9:34pm aboard El Chepe
You can get full trip details and logistics at our Chihuahua itinerary page.
If possible, we would suggest starting in Los Mochis or El Fuerte (pueblo mágico). The most amazing views are on the west side of El Divisadero. Also, starting in Los Mochis nearly guarantees you’ll get to see the most scenic routes with sufficient sunlight. However, access to Los Mochis can be more expensive and difficult to reach.
We chose to stay in Creel and El Divisadero because we wanted to get the best views of the Copper Canyon and be close to the Rarámuri. We also wanted an opportunity to hike and absorb the breathtaking scenery.
Small Side Note:
The Rarámuri people have a reputation for being excellent long distance runners. If you are a runner or just like to learn more about Mexican culture in general, I highly recommend you read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Among runners this is certainly a classic book. It gives you such an appreciation for the amazing running skills of the Rarámuri people.
Riding the Train
The train travels at a low speed, which makes it a relaxing experience and allows you to enjoy the scenery. You can certainly relax and read a good book, or be glued to the window with your camera. You can also step in between the cars to get an unobstructed view of the scenery and get some fresh air.
Be extremely careful if you’re sticking your arm or head out. There are many branches or tunnel walls that could hurt you.
Breakfast is served aboard the train in a dedicated car. Each car gets a turn to go to the kitchen so that it doesn’t get crowded during meals. The food was actually pretty good. We had to share our table with another couple since there were only two of us traveling. However, it was a good opportunity to exchange notes and tips.
The train also features a bar where you can go grab some drinks and mingle.
Chihuahua Train Station
We started our journey in the city of Chihuahua. But we found the station there was crowded and had no chairs. We also wished we had packed some snacks since there weren’t any food options at this very small station.
Notable Stops
Creel
This is a must stop. There are a number of activities you can try in Creel such as riding an off-road vehicle, renting a bike, or take longer excursion tours to places like the Cascada de Basaseachic, Batopilas, and others. If you want more details, you can read more about Creel from the time we visited the Rarámuri.
Valle de los Monjes in Creel 
Valle de los Hongos 
Mision de San Ignacio
El Divisadero
A lot of people stop at El Divisadero to take a picture of the Copper Canyon, and quickly jump back on the train. As a matter of fact, there is a famous scenic view close to the train stop.
However, there is so much more to do at El Divisadero. Firstly, you can take hikes through the canyon were you can get some truly amazing view. Secondly, there is a adventure park where you can zip line and ride a cable car above the canyon. Thirdly, and most importantly, you can visit some Rarámuri communities nearby. Therefore, for us, this was a key stop.
To sum up, I hope you enjoyed reading about El Chepe train and that you found this information useful. Certainly let me know in the comments section if you have any questions!
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Hi, I’m Iván García—I love to travel and photography. I’m big on road trips, just about anywhere in the world. I share information for people to reach truly great places. My goal is to inspire you to visit these places for yourself.
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