Optional pre/post trip Lodging
Call us for special hotel rates before and/or after your American Orient Express extravaganza.

Day 1 — El Paso, Texas
Meet in the early afternoon at the Marriott Hotel El Paso for a welcome orientation before being transported to Juarez via motorcoach to board the train. As you catch your first glimpse of the train, you’ll automatically feel that you’ve stepped back in time. Our journey south begins as we become familiar with the desert's unique flora and fauna, including barrel cactus with bright yellow blooms, speedy road runners and Gila lizards. (D)

Day 2 — Chihuahua
Here our guided city tour includes opportunities to explore the Museum of the Revolution once the home of Pancho Villa, the towering Chihuahua Cathedral, with its marvelous baroque facade, and the Government Palace. At the Quinta Gameros Museum, we hear the love story of Manual Gameros, who built this exquisite art nouveau-style mansion for his fiance, who then left him for the builder. Today it houses the University of Chihuahua art collection in the upstairs galleries. As we depart the hustle of the city and relax back on board the train, we pass through mountain forest, ranchlands and fertile apple orchards and wind our way down the road less traveled. (B,L,D)

Day 3 — Creel
We wake this morning in Creel, where we transfer to Cusarare Falls. Jesuits built the Cusarare Mission nearby in 1741 and acquired 12 Miguel Correa oils, depicting the life of the Virgin Mary. These restored paintings and others are housed today in the Loyola Museum. We visit the adobe mission, with a presentation by the curator, then tour the museum and enjoy a gallery reception. This evening we get our first glimpse of the Copper Canyon by dining at the Hotel Posada Barrancas Mirador, positioned on the canyon's edge, before boarding the train for our overnight. (B,L,D)

Day 4 — Copper Canyon
Today the train travels the world's most scenic rail route, Mexico's famous Copper Canyon, which the locals call Barranca del Cobre. A vast network of canyons and six rivers, this region is accessible only by rail. At four times the size of the Grand Canyon, we spend the entire day onboard winding through 83 tunnels, crossing 35 trestles and climbing 8,000 feet into the heart ofthe Sierra Madres to experience its pristine beauty. (B,L,D)

Day 5 — Alamos
Alamos was founded in 1540, when Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, the future governor of the Colony of Western Mexico, selected it as his campsite. The haciendas and cathedral we see today reflect the town's days as a silver mining center in the 1600s. Following narrow cobblestone streets, we enjoy a guided home and garden tour, with visits to Spanish mansions and the old plaza. This afternoon, we lunch in the picturesque hotel Hacienda de Los Santos,while a musical trio plays traditional Mexican songs. Later, we are free to shop, explore or just take in the rustic ambiance and relaxed atmosphere. (B,L,D)

Day 6 — Divisadero
As we make our journey back to the United States, we stop in Divisadero, a village perched canyonside where local vendors sell their handmade baskets, wood carvings and embroidery. We explore Balancing Rock Overlook and take part in a geological discussion. Later, local Tarahumara Indians demonstrate their traditional dance and foot race. Inhabiting one of the most isolated regions in North America, these indigenous people were relatively unknown to the outside world until the late 1800s. This evening we enjoy our farewell cocktail reception, dinner and accommodations on the train. (B,L,D)

Day 7 — El Paso, Texas
We arrive in Juarez in the mid-morning, where we board U.S. motorcoaches and cross the border to the airport in El Paso, Texas for our domestic flights home. Or, for those of you seeking peace, quiet and nature's own version of solitude, extend your American Orient Express adventure with a post-tour to Big Bend National Park. (B)

Optional Extension to Big Bend National Park

Day 7 — En route to La Jitas Resort/ Big Bend National Park
Late morning, we embark on our journey via motorcoach to the luxurious Lajitas Resort. We lunch at the resort and your afternoon is free to enjoy the amenities of Lajitas including golf, spa treatments, oasis pool, tennis, shopping or a leisurely stroll around the gorgeous property. This evening we'll enjoy a true Texas barbeque dinner before retreating to our private rooms under the star-filled sky. (L,D)

Day 8 — Big Bend National Park
The Park's name is derived from the large, curved turn the Rio Grande takes in Southwest Texas. The park extends over 801,000 acres of dry plains and towering mountains. All roads within Big Bend end at the Rio Grande, the boundary between the United States and Mexico. Many of the park's sprawling vistas mix scenic panorama belonging to both countries. Big Bend lays claim to geologic wonders, unique wildlife, and plenty of room for hikers and campers to spread out. The park includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses of the Chihuahuan Desert, and the entire volcanic Chisos Mountain range. The Indians thought of this land as the rock storage facility of the Great Spirit; the Spaniards referred to it as "El Despoblado," or "the uninhabited land." Today you'll enjoy breakfast at the hotel before your full day tour of Big Bend National Park by raftor jeep. Lunch will be provided while on tour. You'll have time to unwind in your private room before joining the group again for dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 9 - El Paso
Enjoy a leisurely morning and breakfast before we begin our motorcoach ride back to the El Paso airport. Explore El Paso on your own, or make individual arrangements for flights home. (B)

Optional Tour Pricing $1,150 per person double occupancy $1,490 single