Beyond the Border
Dust off that passport, brush up on your seldom-used español, and come along for an amazing sampler of our southern neighbor—Mexico. "Beyond the Border" starts and ends in Tucson, Arizona, where the Sonoran desert flora thrives beneath the bluest sky you've ever seen. In eleven days you will see much of northern Mexico, including destinations in Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Baja California. You'll experience the best features this area has to offer: stately saguaros, colonial Mexican charm, the tranquil waters of the Sea of Cortez, and Mexico's crown jewel: Copper Canyon. The Copper Canyon area, more accurately defined as the Sierra Tarahumara, includes five canyons deeper and more rugged than the American Grand Canyon. This region is also home to the indigenous Tarahumara people. The simple beauty of their crafts and lifestyle rivals only that of the Copper Canyon itself. Our experienced and bilingual guides will ensure an easy, safe and beautiful tour while providing the opportunity to experience that unique cultural flavor only tasted in Mexico.
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Day 1, Friday
Arrive Tucson, Arizona. Please arrive by 3:00 p.m. for the afternoon Tour Briefing! Transfer to the Clarion Hotel near the airport. After the Parkwest guides present the tour overview and flight briefing, we’ll go out for our Welcome Dinner at a local’s favorite restaurant.
Day 2, Saturday
After breakfast, we will spend the morning at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Saguaro National Park, which is Tucson’s hallmark zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. Afterwards, we will tour the famous, 75-acre Pima Air Museum, home to more than 200 aircraft on display, many of which can be seen nowhere else in the world. Lunch at client expense.
Day 3, Sunday
Depart Tucson for Guaymas, Sonora. Fly Beyond the Border as we cross in to Mexico near Nogales, then continue southward through the Sonoran desert to one of Mexico’s most important deep sea ports at Guaymas. After completing all of the customs and immigration formalities, we will launch across the Sea of Cortés for two nights on Baja California in Mulegé. We will spend two nights at Hotel Serenidad, where your plane will be parked right outside your hotel room. The afternoon can be spent poolside or walking through the village.
Day 4, Monday
We will take a half-day trip to see some fantastic pictographs and the diverse countryside of Baja California with our bilingual guide. Included is an easy hike and a picnic lunch.
Day 5, Tuesday
After breakfast at the hotel, the group will depart for the airport and make the flight back across the Sea of Cortés to Los Mochis for fueling, then on to charming El Fuerte. We will stay at the Posada de Hidalgo Hotel, and enjoy some free time in this colonial city. It’s shrimp season, so dinner will be at the best seafood house in town.
Day 6, Wednesday
It’s all-aboard the Chepe, Mexico’s first class train service to the Copper Canyon. Enjoy the tunnels, bridges and railroad towns along the way to Hotel Posada Barrancas Mirador. You won’t believe the view from your hotel room, as all accommodations are perched rimside at this colorful Mexican Inn. The stargazing at this remote location will take your breath away
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Day 7, Thursday
After a morning horseback ride, you’ll get to enjoy a free day getting acquainted with the beauty and mystery of the Barrancas area and its people. There are excellent hikes of varying difficulty, organized bus tours and (sometimes) helicopter flights available. You can visit a Tarahumaran cave dwelling and the nearby village of Areponápuchic. Alternately, you can just relax out on the magnificent canyon-view porch at the hotel and enjoy the one-in-a-million view.
Day 8, Friday
The train departs early afternoon, so you’ll have plenty of time to buy that Tarahumara-made basket, hike to that favorite overlook, or just relax on the hotel grounds to contemplate the forces that created the beautiful landscape. The group will board the Chepe for the return trip to El Fuerte. Transfer to Posada de Hidalgo.
Day 9, Saturday
After breakfast, we’ll head to the airport and prepare for the scenic flight over the real treasure of the Sierra Madre: Copper Canyon. This incredible flight over the rugged mountains of the Copper Canyon is an experience few will ever claim. Awaiting our arrival in Alamos is Jim Swickard, owner of exquisite Hacienda de los Santos resort. After a welcome margarita at the airport, we will transfer to the resort for lunch. There will be an interpretive walking tour of charming Alamos in the afternoon. Clients may choose to pamper themselves with the first-class spa services offered by the resort.
Day 10, Sunday
After breakfast, you will have a free day to enjoy the charm of the Hacienda and surrounding Alamos. Because we’re here during the festivals of All Saints and All Souls Days, there should be plenty of activities going on around town.
Day 11, Monday
The group will return to the airport for departure back to the United States. A quick (Mexican time) stop in Ciudad Obregón for fueling is followed by the international flight back to Tucson. There will be another pilot briefing outlining all pertinent procedures prior to making this flight. After clearing Customs and Immigration in Tucson, the group will disperse for their individual destionations.
PLEASE NOTE: Weather conditions may affect this itinerary. Please see the weather information on our FAQ page for more information regarding weather delays.
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