The railway, from Chihuahua to the Pacific
Copper Canyon by Train: 3-, 5- and 7-Day Itineraries
Copper Canyon train itineraries for 3, 5 and 7 days on the 2026 Chepe Express schedule: which day to start, where to sleep and what to do if you miss a train.
Saved on this device: you can read this guide without signal.
Email me this guide
How the route works
The Chepe Express runs between Los Mochis, on the Pacific side, and Creel, in the sierra, stopping at El Fuerte, Bahuichivo and Divisadero. Toward the sierra it runs on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays; toward the coast on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. In May, June, August and September it runs only from Thursday to Sunday, so the Monday and Tuesday trains disappear in those months. The Chepe Regional, the local train, adds Chihuahua city and a dozen smaller stations.
That rhythm, not the distance, shapes an itinerary. Each time you get off the Express, the next train in the same direction is two or three days later, and up to five days later in those four months. Every itinerary below says which weekday to start so that it works all year.
Train times at a glance
| Station | Toward Creel (Mon, Thu, Sat) | Toward Los Mochis (Tue, Fri, Sun) |
|---|---|---|
| Los Mochis | leaves 07:00 | arrives 16:40 |
| El Fuerte | 09:20 | 14:35 |
| Bahuichivo | 14:25 | 11:25 |
| Divisadero | 16:15 | 09:55 |
| Creel | arrives 17:40 | leaves 08:00 |
Times are local. El Fuerte and Los Mochis are in Sinaloa, one hour behind Chihuahua, which is why the ride looks longer on paper than the nine hours forty minutes the operator gives in its FAQ. Stations open one hour before the train.
Three days
3 days, 2 nights
El Fuerte to the sierra: the canyon section in one ride
Start on a Wednesday or Friday. It works all year; outside May, June, August and September you can also start on a Sunday.
- El Fuerte, 1 night
- Creel, 1 night
- Chepe Express
- By road
Day 1Wednesday or Friday
Arrive, road to El Fuerte
By road: Los Mochis airport → El Fuerte
Arrive at Los Mochis airport (LMM) and go straight to El Fuerte by road, about 100 km (1 h 40 min).Night in El FuerteDay 2Thursday or Saturday
The canyon section
09:20El Fuerte to 17:40Creel
The canyon section in one ride: El Fuerte 09:20, Bahuichivo 14:25, Divisadero 16:15, Creel 17:40.Night in CreelDay 3Friday or Sunday
Creel in the morning, road to Chihuahua
By road: Creel → Chihuahua city
Creel in the morning, then the road to Chihuahua city (see Chihuahua to Creel for the options).
Train days and times checked on chepe.mx. Confirm each date with the operator before you buy.
3 days, 2 nights
Sierra to El Fuerte: road to Creel, then the canyon section by train
Start on a Thursday or Saturday. It works all year; outside May, June, August and September you can also start on a Monday.
- Creel, 1 night
- El Fuerte, 1 night
- Chepe Express
- By road
Day 1Thursday or Saturday
Road to Creel
By road: Chihuahua city → Creel
Chihuahua city to Creel by road.Night in CreelDay 2Friday or Sunday
The canyon section
08:00Creel to 14:35El Fuerte
Creel 08:00, Divisadero 09:55, Bahuichivo 11:25, El Fuerte 14:35.Night in El FuerteDay 3Saturday or Monday
El Fuerte, road to the airport
By road: El Fuerte → Los Mochis airport
A morning in El Fuerte, then about 1 h 40 min by road to Los Mochis airport and home; with an early flight, skip the morning.
This is the pattern we would pick for a short trip: one train day and no waiting for the next departure.
Train days and times checked on chepe.mx. Confirm each date with the operator before you buy.
Five days
5 days, 4 nights
Coast to sierra with two nights in El Fuerte
Start on a Tuesday or Thursday. It works all year; outside May, June, August and September you can also start on a Saturday.
- El Fuerte, 2 nights
- Creel, 2 nights
- Chepe Express
- By road
Day 1Tuesday
Arrive, road to El Fuerte
By road: Los Mochis airport → El Fuerte
Arrive at Los Mochis airport (LMM) and go straight to El Fuerte by road, about 100 km (1 h 40 min).Night in El FuerteDay 2Wednesday
El Fuerte
A full day in El Fuerte.Night in El FuerteDay 3Thursday
The canyon section
09:20El Fuerte to 17:40Creel
El Fuerte 09:20 through the canyon section: Bahuichivo 14:25, Divisadero 16:15, Creel 17:40.Night in CreelDay 4Friday
Creel and the valleys
Creel and the valleys around town (our Creel guide).Night in CreelDay 5Saturday
Creel, road to Chihuahua
By road: Creel → Chihuahua city
Creel in the morning, then the road to Chihuahua city.
On Day 3, stay on the train to Creel: if you got off at Divisadero, the next train toward Creel would be two to five days later, depending on the day and the month.
Train days and times checked on chepe.mx. Confirm each date with the operator before you buy.
5 days, 4 nights
Coast to sierra with two nights on the canyon rim
Start on a Wednesday. It works all year; outside May, June, August and September you can also start on a Friday.
- El Fuerte, 1 night
- Divisadero, 2 nights
- Creel, 1 night
- Chepe Express
- By road
Day 1Wednesday
Arrive, road to El Fuerte
By road: Los Mochis airport → El Fuerte
Arrive at Los Mochis airport (LMM) and go straight to El Fuerte by road, about 100 km (1 h 40 min).Night in El FuerteDay 2Thursday
Ride to the rim
09:20El Fuerte to 16:15Divisadero
El Fuerte 09:20 to Divisadero 16:15.Night in DivisaderoDay 3Friday
A full day on the rim
A full day on the rim: viewpoints, marked trails from about 40 minutes to 3 hours, and the adventure park with its zip lines and suspension bridges.Night in DivisaderoDay 4Saturday
Rim morning, last leg to Creel
16:15Divisadero to 17:40Creel
A morning on the rim, then Divisadero 16:15 to Creel 17:40.Night in CreelDay 5Sunday
Creel, road to Chihuahua
By road: Creel → Chihuahua city
Creel in the morning, then the road to Chihuahua city.
Swap the rim for Cerocahui: get off at Bahuichivo at 14:25 on Thursday and board again at 14:25 on Saturday. The village of Cerocahui is about 20 minutes from the station; ask your hotel how you get there.
The Divisadero to Creel leg is the one ticket the operator will not let you change, so be sure of your Saturday before you buy.
Train days and times checked on chepe.mx. Confirm each date with the operator before you buy.
Seven days
7 days, 6 nights
Coast to sierra: the rim, then three nights in Creel
Start on a Wednesday. It works all year; outside May, June, August and September you can also start on a Friday.
- El Fuerte, 1 night
- Divisadero, 2 nights
- Creel, 3 nights
- Chepe Express
- By road
Day 1Wednesday
Arrive, road to El Fuerte
By road: Los Mochis airport → El Fuerte
Arrive at Los Mochis airport (LMM) and go straight to El Fuerte by road, about 100 km (1 h 40 min).Night in El FuerteDay 2Thursday
Ride to the rim
09:20El Fuerte to 16:15Divisadero
El Fuerte 09:20 to Divisadero 16:15.Night in DivisaderoDay 3Friday
The rim
Night in DivisaderoDay 4Saturday
Last leg to Creel
16:15Divisadero to 17:40Creel
Divisadero 16:15 to Creel 17:40.Night in CreelDay 5Sunday
Creel and the valleys
Creel and the valleys around town (our Creel guide).Night in CreelDay 6Monday
A day trip from Creel
A day trip from Creel: a guided canyon day, a jeep tour or a canyon hike.Night in CreelDay 7Tuesday
Road to Chihuahua
By road: Creel → Chihuahua city
The road to Chihuahua city.
Train days and times checked on chepe.mx. Confirm each date with the operator before you buy.
7 days, 6 nights
Sierra to El Fuerte: Creel, the rim and a last night in a colonial town
Start on a Tuesday. It works all year; outside May, June, August and September you can also start on a Thursday.
- Chihuahua, 1 night
- Creel, 2 nights
- Divisadero, 2 nights
- El Fuerte, 1 night
- Chepe Express
- By road
Day 1Tuesday
Arrive in Chihuahua city
Arrive in Chihuahua city.Night in ChihuahuaDay 2Wednesday
Road to Creel
By road: Chihuahua city → Creel
Night in CreelDay 3Thursday
Creel and the valleys
Night in CreelDay 4Friday
Morning ride to the rim
08:00Creel to 09:55Divisadero
Creel 08:00 to Divisadero 09:55: a whole afternoon on the rim.Night in DivisaderoDay 5Saturday
The rim
Night in DivisaderoDay 6Sunday
Down the canyon to El Fuerte
09:55Divisadero to 14:35El Fuerte
Divisadero 09:55, Bahuichivo 11:25, El Fuerte 14:35.Night in El FuerteDay 7Monday
El Fuerte, road to the airport
By road: El Fuerte → Los Mochis airport
A morning in El Fuerte, then about 1 h 40 min by road to Los Mochis airport and home.
Train days and times checked on chepe.mx. Confirm each date with the operator before you buy.
Which day to start
| Itinerary | Start day that works all year | Extra start day outside May, June, August and September |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days, El Fuerte to the sierra | Wednesday or Friday | Sunday |
| 3 days, sierra to El Fuerte | Thursday or Saturday | Monday |
| 5 days, El Fuerte | Tuesday or Thursday | Saturday |
| 5 days, rim or Cerocahui | Wednesday | Friday |
| 7 days, El Fuerte to the sierra | Wednesday | Friday |
| 7 days, sierra to El Fuerte | Tuesday | Thursday |
If you miss a train
The Express does not wait, and the next one in the same direction can be days away.
| You missed the train toward | on | Next one (most months) | Next one (May, June, August, September) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creel | Monday | Thursday | no Monday train in these months |
| Creel | Thursday | Saturday | Saturday |
| Creel | Saturday | Monday | Thursday |
| Los Mochis | Tuesday | Friday | no Tuesday train in these months |
| Los Mochis | Friday | Sunday | Sunday |
| Los Mochis | Sunday | Tuesday | Friday |
Starting in Chihuahua city on the Chepe Regional
The Express does not serve Chihuahua city. Besides the road, the Chepe Regional leaves Chihuahua for Los Mochis on Tuesdays and Saturdays and returns on Wednesdays and Sundays, calling at Creel, Divisadero, Bahuichivo and El Fuerte among its 16 stops. It has one class, is sold only by phone at 800 122 4373 or at a ticket office (not online), and the operator publishes its station times only as an image, so confirm them when you call. One condition to check before you count on it: between Creel and Los Mochis the operator sells the Regional to visitors only if they already hold a longer Chepe Express reservation. Between Chihuahua and Creel there is no such restriction. It takes about 15 hours end to end.
Before you lock the dates
- Check the operator's 2026 calendar. It marks every departure by date, and in May, June, August and September the Express runs Thursday to Sunday only.
- Tickets are not refundable. Date changes cost MXN 350 per ticket plus any fare difference, are not allowed within 72 hours of the trip, and the Divisadero to Creel leg cannot be changed at all.
- Time zones. Sinaloa is one hour behind Chihuahua, and every published time is the local one at that station.
- Safety. The U.S. State Department advisory issued on May 29, 2026 lists Chihuahua at Level 3, Reconsider travel, and Sinaloa at Level 4, Do not travel. We summarize what it says on our page about safety in the Copper Canyon.
- Where to sleep at each stop is in our stop-by-stop hotel guide.
Recommended hotels
Recommended tours
Days, times, reduced months and station opening checked on September 16, 2026 against the operator's schedules; the operator's calendar on September 15, 2026 against its FAQ and 2026 calendar; the Chepe Regional (days, stops, one class, about 15 hours, phone and ticket office sales) on September 15, 2026 against its Regional schedule page and comparison page; the Express's total of nine hours forty minutes in its FAQ, rechecked on September 21, 2026 (its comparison page rounds it to about nine); ticket rules on September 15, 2026 against its terms; Cerocahui's 20 minutes and the Divisadero trails and park on September 16, 2026 against its Bahuichivo page and Divisadero page; and the U.S. State Department travel advisory for Mexico (date issued: May 29, 2026). The start days and the missed-train table are worked out from those published days. The Regional's conditions for visitors between Creel and Los Mochis were checked on September 21, 2026 on the operator's comparison page. The road from Los Mochis airport to El Fuerte (about 100 km 62 mi, 1 h 40 min by car, without stops) is from OpenStreetMap via OSRM, checked on September 22, 2026. The itineraries are patterns, not fixed departures: confirm each date with the operator.
Send me this guide
Everything on this page in your inbox: the schedules, the booking links and the dates we checked them. Handy for planning, printing or reading on the train.