Itinerary for an eight-day trip through the state of Chihuahua where you will meet the Rarámuri people, visit Creel, Batoplias, and the Copper Canyon.
Table of Contents
About This Trip
This is the itinerary of our trip to the Mexican state of Chihuahua were we got to spend some time with the Rarámuri (or Tarahumara) people. We visited Chihuahua City, Creel, Batopilas, and El Divisadero.
Prices were very cheap for hotels and the delicious food. We decided to pay a bit more to have personal tours just for us ranging in the ~$40-70 USD per person for a full day. This you can always negotiate, but wanted to give a reference point.
The tour guides were excellent. They treat you like a friend, showing you all the spots and giving you insights you would otherwise miss. They also know the local Tarahumaras well, so they can take you into some of their homes. The Tarahumaras welcome visitors, since they get an opportunity to also show some of their crafts. There’s never any obligation to buy anything. This is not a ‘pushy’ operation by any means. Several of the guides speak English. If you have any questions on any of this information, I still have contact over WhatsApp with most of these tour guides. We used this app to exchange pictures with them during and after the trip.
Itinerary
Day 1: Chihuahua City
Transportation: Cross from El Paso, Texas to Juarez, Mexico, then take a bus to Chihuahua City.
Lodging: We stayed at Doroteo Hotel Boutique in the “7 Leguas” room. The hotel was in a very good location with walking distance to downtown.
Getting Around: Chihuahua City has Uber, so everything was super easy to access. Also, very cheap!
Attractions: We visited downtown Chihuahua City, and the Museo Historico de la Revolucion. This is where we saw the car that the (in-)famous Mexican outlaw Pancho Villa was shot in! Also, in downtown Chihuahua, they have the prison cell in which the revolutionary hero Miguel Hidalgo was imprisoned before his execution.
Day 2: Creel
Transportation: Take train from Chihuahua City to Creel (pronounced “Krill”).
Lodging: We stayed at Hotel Estación, which was about a block walking distance from where we got off the train. Major plus for this hotel! By the way, the breakfasts here are outstanding. Two ladies come in the morning to cook a home-cooked breakfast. A+!
Attractions: Our tour guide Enoel (you can ask for him at the hotel) took us to all the local sites. He was great! Note that there’s a few other companies that do this, but in terms of cost and experience, we felt this was a good one!
Lake Arareco, Valle de las Ranas, Valle de los Hongos, the waterfalls, and Tarahumara cave homes are all fairly common points of interest, so cost and attitude of the tour guide make the difference.
This was our first opportunity to be near the Tarahumara. We got to visit two cave homes, as well as some of the natural sites.
Natural Rock Formations 
Mision de San Ignacio 
Cave House 
Cascada de Cusárare 
Valle de los Hongos
Day 3: Menonite Tour in City of Cuauhtémoc
Transportation: Enoel was also our tour guide for this experience. We negotiated the price the day before. He drove us all the way to the city of Cuauhtémoc and back to Creel.
Lodging: Back to Hotel Estación in Creel. We had another great breakfast at the hotel. Staff was accommodating of our schedule. A+, again.
Attractions: We visited a Menonite museum, cheese factory, ate at a local Menonite pizza restaurant, made a stop to buy Menonite cookies, and finally a stop to get an scenic view of the city.
By the way, Menonite cheese is delicious! Best quesadillas ever. Buy some and take back home. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
Day 4: Tour of Batopilas
Transportation: We changed guides here with the one the hotel recommended for this road trip. The guide name was Martin Parra. He did a very good job!
Lodging: Hotel Estación in Creel (remember, our home base continued to be Creel).
Attractions: Amazing views on the 3-hr drive to Batopilas. Our guide, Martin, did the driving. He also took us to the community just outside of Satevó, and took us to a small grocery store along the way. He stopped every time we saw a great site, and even took pictures for us.
Batopilas 
Day 5: El Divisadero
Transportation: Took the train from Creel to El Divisadero.
Lodging: We decided to spend two nights in El Divisadero. We stayed in some cabins we found on Air B&B: Mi Lindo Chihuahua.
Getting Around: Our Air B&B host Julio was very kind. As there was no Uber (or much cell reception), Julio took us for breakfast, and to our tour points. Thanks, Julio!
Attractions: Amazing views of the Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyon). There’s a few watch points that you can just stare for a while and take it all in.
Day 6: Visit Huetosashi Community & Head to the Adventure Park
Transportation: Julio, our guide, drove us to the Huetosashi community. This is where we had breakfast with the Tarahumara. Julio then took us to the adventure park.
Lodging: Air B&B: Mi Lindo Chihuahua
Getting Around: Julio!
Attractions: The Huetosashi community is where the Tarahumara were located. We’ve seen two ecotours showcasing a similar experience. We definitely recommend it.
The adventure park was worth the time as well. We rode on the ZipRider that cut through the canyon. Make sure you have a GoPro!
Day 7: Hiking in El Divisadero
Transportation: Our tour guide Julio.
Lodging: Air B&B: Mi Lindo Chihuahua
Getting Around: Our hiking tour guide Julio picked us up early in the morning. He drove us everywhere we needed to go that day. We had a few hiking spots we wanted to hit.
Attractions: First hike was near El Divisadero. We saw the sunrise from the canyon. Later we hiked inside the canyon. The part of the canyon has a different guide setup. The actual Tarahumaras guide you here. You need to take the cable car in the Adventure Park to the middle of the canyon. There, you can start your tour. Our guide used to be a runner himself.
Day 8: Back to Chihuahua
Transportation: Took the train from El Divisadero to Chihuahua City.
Lodging: Same hotel as the beginning, the Doroteo Hotel Boutique, but in room Pancho Villa this time. Great stay!
I hope find this Chihuahua itinerary useful for planning your next trip to Mexico. Be sure to check out my other itineraries for other locations in Mexico.