Copper Canyon Tour Mexico

[John Cruise]

I have been trying in vain to find anyone who has taken this tour and enjoyed the experience. Is there anyone out there who can give me a

happy experience taking the Copper Canyon Tour.

Thanks John

[Mary Ellen]

One of the HAL CC regulars, RevNeal, did this a few years ago. This is a link to his site with some pictures from that.

[ekkc10753]

Thanks for putting that link there. I hadn't seen those pictures before and since I've already booked the Copper Canyon Excursion for our next cruise, all the folks moaning about it were beginning to get depressing. I'm looking forward to it but the photos have renewed my desire to get a decent digital camera for this trip

[Bill HaHa]

Last year on our cruise, some of our table mates took the copper canyon and they were very excited about it when we had dinner the following night. They thought it was wonderful . We did not do it due to the length and getting up early. Let us know when you are doimg it and how you liked it.

[RevNeal]

I have been trying in vain to find anyone who has taken this tour and enjoyed the experience. Is there anyone out there who can give me a

happy experience taking the Copper Canyon Tour.

Thanks John

 

I see that Mary Ellen has provided a link to my photos of the Copper Canyon tour. Thanks, Mary Ellen! :D

 

I took the Copper Canyon trip in March of 2007. I really enjoyed it. It was definitely NOT a comfort trip, but more of an "adventure." The train trip is enjoyable, and the sights one sees from it once one gets into the mountains are really lovely. Make sure, if you take the trip, that you do your sight seeing on the way up ... because on the way down one is tired and the sun sets about 1/2 of the way into the trip down.

 

The time at the Canyon itself is limited, but the sights are very nice, indeed. Comparing it to the Grand Canyon, of course, will leave the Copper Canyon wanting ... however, that would be true for any canyon on this planet other than the Grand Canyon, itself. Nevertheless, it's a "world traveler's must do" and so I did it and I don't regret it.

 

Again, it was long ... very long ... but one felt well-taken care of and when we arrived back at the ship the officers and crew had a reception for us, greeting us back aboard (at nearly midnight) with a meal and drinks, etc.

 

I'm glad I made the trip. I MIGHT do it again to take my mother, if she wants to go, but otherwise I wouldn't repeat the excursion.

[Howasaur]

My wife and I throughly enjoyed the day. Yes it was long but to us this was an adventure and I can tell my Grand kids I saw Copper Canyon. I stood between the cars to take photos and it was fun. The scenery is great and the Holland Cruise line staff aboard the train were excellent. They were cleaning all the time to make sure everything was alright for all. The end of the trip was a moment I will always remember sort of like coming home ENJOY!!!!!!!!

[TCF]

This past April we decided to pass on the Copper Canyon Tour and did one to El Fuerte instead. But, I did take the time to talk to folks who did do this excursion and came away with two distinct messages; first, it is a long, grinding excursion and as long as you are prepared for that it is one of the most exciting tours they had taken; second, it is not the best way to see the Copper Canyon because it is not long enough!! There are week long land tours of the canyon....really canyons because apparently there are six in row that make up the Copper Canyon....that leave from Arizona and are a round trip train and bus adventure that is really quite spectacular.

For those that "hated" the tour it was the length....18+ hours on busses and the train... that turned them off so bad.

It struck me that you won't know what side you will come down on unless you take it yourself! One thing was clear to me....there were no fence sitters after this one!!!

LOL!!!

Hope you have a great time and if you do change your mind , take the El Fuerte excursion....it is one of the best ones we have taken in years!

[RevNeal]

Hope you have a great time and if you do change your mind , take the El Fuerte excursion....it is one of the best ones we have taken in years!

 

Can you detail the El Fuerte excursion? I'm going to be doing that cruise again in a year or so and I would like to do something different at that port.

[John Cruise]

Hey, thanks for your help. It has encouraged me to try this trip.

 

John:rolleyes:

[Traveler 13]

I sailed on the Ryndam last March and took the Copper Canyon tour. It is a very long day but very worth while. The trip is not for anyone that is physically challenged. The scenery on the train trip was out sanding. You travel from sea level to 7200 feet at the canyon. The Captain and his staff greeted us on the return to the ship.

[TCF]

Rev Neal....there are two El Feurte excursions offered. One....the one we took.... concentrates on history and culture. The other concentrates on nature with a boat trip down the river.

We left the ship about 8:30 am. The trip to El Fuerte is about 1 1/2 hours.

We had a very good guide who has studied for three years with a local shaman learning his cultural history. He spent time pointing out the details of that history as it related to various plants and animals found in the country side we passed through.

About 1/2 hour before getting to El Fuerte we stopped at an Indian village where we visited a house that had its side-yard set up to demostrate traditional Indian music and dancing. (Use the bug spray...I didn't and got eaten alive...although it was a small price to pay for the great pictures I got!!)

Then it was a short walk through town to the guide's Grandmother's house where she demonstrated how to make corn tortillas in her outdoor kitchen. She made it look easy...I decided to try....it's not easy!! Hers turned out to be perfect 6" diameter disks of masa exactly 1/8th" thick from side to side....mine looked like a little kid's "mud pie"...although the gracious old woman cooked it anyway! Hers were soooo delicious...mine...pretty nasty!!

El Fuerte looks like it justed popped out of the 1850's. A gorgeous town. We had lunch....a really delicious lunch...at a beautiful hotel housed in a refurbished 1850's hotel....and the remains of the mansion where a young Zorro lived until his 9th birthday. (Yes....this is the Zorro of southern California/Walt Disney TV fame! His family lived in El Fuerte then moved to southern California when he was nine and it is all documented in papers retrieved from the mansion and the local church.)

After lunch we were entertained by some young people from a local dance academy. Zorro made an appearance....a little "cheesey" but.....

The museum is across the street from the hotel but because its collection is so large there is not enough time to see it. This was a disappointment and we would have passed on the dancers had we known that we would not have enough time to see the museum. I think if we go again we will skip the dancers...do a quick run through of the museum...then pick up the tour afterwards.

After the dancers we wandered around the town square...visited some shops... then had a quiet ride back to the ship.

As I said in my earlier post this is one of the better excursions we have done in a while....and probably the best ship based excursion we have taken except for the Boi Bumba show at Parantin during our Amazon cruise. It is certainly worth the $129USD per person cost.

[caltnl]

We were on the April 4, 2009 sailing of the Ryndam.

My DW opted out and I took the Copper Canyon tour. In my humble opinion was well worth the money.

 

It is a long day with the alarm going off at quarter to 3. We left the ship about 4AM. The Capt. was standing at the end of the gangway wishing us a good tour. On the return the officers of the ship in their blue uniforms were lined up on two sides to welcome us back aboard about 10:30. The nice thing was the magnomoter was shoved to the side and we just tiredly came aboard with out the usual undressing. The trip was well worth it.

[Love Cruises]

We went on the Copper Canyon tour and definitely enjoyed the "long" day. There were about 400 HAL passengers that took the trip and we didn't hear any complaints. People knew in advance that it would be a long day but the scenery and experience of being there made getting up so early worthwhile.

 

Hopefully you will get to enjoy it someday!

[ekkc10753]

That's really very good to hear, I was so excited when I found this cruise and the Copper Canyon excursion and I booked it right away. But then I seemed to find nothing but negative reviews and comments and some of the "bloom was off the rose" there for a while.

 

Thanks for all the positive feedback; everyone's all upbeat again now:D

[Karm]

The trip is long but it is a once in a lifetime adventure. The scenery on the train trip is wonderful without even mentioning at the end of the line is the awesome Copper Canyon. One can't compare it to the Grand Canyon as that would be comparing apples to oranges - they are just plain different. I found the Indians at the Copper Canyon to be most admirable - somehow they are maintaining their lifestyle even with the tourists intruding. I don't usually buy souvenirs but even I bought some of their baskets. It makes one comtemplate the different cultures in our continent. Although it was a long tour, and at my age I was glad to get back to the ship and into bed, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Look forward to a very special day in your life.

[ekkc10753]

I just heard about (and bought, but haven't read yet) a book called "Born to Run" about some of the great runners in the world. I got it because the Indians from the Copper Canyon are prominently featured so as soon as I finish what i'm reading now, this one is "on deck" for cruise prep

 

(you can get a kindle edition of the book too!)

[Franknca]

The trip is long but it is a once in a lifetime adventure. The scenery on the train trip is wonderful without even mentioning at the end of the line is the awesome Copper Canyon. One can't compare it to the Grand Canyon as that would be comparing apples to oranges - they are just plain different. I found the Indians at the Copper Canyon to be most admirable - somehow they are maintaining their lifestyle even with the tourists intruding. I don't usually buy souvenirs but even I bought some of their baskets. It makes one comtemplate the different cultures in our continent. Although it was a long tour, and at my age I was glad to get back to the ship and into bed, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Look forward to a very special day in your life.

 

What options are there for meals on this trip as one leaves the ship before breakfast? I know we can do without feasting for a day and we can't bring items off the ship, so I wonder what one does? I've heard that the food on the train wasn't very appetizing but I don't know if that's true. What about clothing? Since this trip goes from sea level to 7200 feet, does it get cool at the upper altitudes? I know to take the bug spray.

 

Frank

[cruz chic]

What options are there for meals on this trip as one leaves the ship before breakfast? I know we can do without feasting for a day and we can't bring items off the ship, so I wonder what one does? I've heard that the food on the train wasn't very appetizing but I don't know if that's true. What about clothing? Since this trip goes from sea level to 7200 feet, does it get cool at the upper altitudes? I know to take the bug spray.

 

Frank

I'm kinda confused about your question. Are you asking what do you do for breakfast before you leave the ship? If so, they did have the Lido open with everything it normally has so no worries there. The food on the train was brutal IMO....dried out sandwiches...danish etc. I brought factory sealed items with me such a granola bars etc. and I was glad I did. In terms of clothing I was wearing long pants. I had a short sleeve shirt and a tank. I brought a coat but didn't need it. I am a person that isn't normally overly cold so if you are I'd bring more. I went in Oct. so the weather may be different if you are not going at that time.

[Richard in Panama]

A long day . . . but I would certainly do it again! Lots of narrative and pictures on my blog at http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/mexicos-copper-canyon/

 

Go for it!

 

Regards, Richard

[Karm]

We had breakfast before we left - just continental style in our cabin grabbed from the Lido. Lunch is served at a hotel at the Copper Canyon site. It was more than adequate and very edible. A box lunch was provided on the trip back with a sandwich, etc. Thus we were more than adequately fed for the day considering we had eaten way too much all the other days. There was a bar in the train that probably had food but we didn't feel the need for any more than what was provided. This was a day that one didn't need food for the soul, the nourishment was provided by the wonderful scenery.

[Franknca]

We had breakfast before we left - just continental style in our cabin grabbed from the Lido. Lunch is served at a hotel at the Copper Canyon site. It was more than adequate and very edible. A box lunch was provided on the trip back with a sandwich, etc. Thus we were more than adequately fed for the day considering we had eaten way too much all the other days. There was a bar in the train that probably had food but we didn't feel the need for any more than what was provided. This was a day that one didn't need food for the soul, the nourishment was provided by the wonderful scenery.

 

Thanks to you and the other poster that provided feedback on this. It sounds like it's more than adequate for that day and probably is actually a little relief from the over eating we do on board. I'm glad to hear your comment on the lunch as I recall reading somewhere that it was just a horrible taco which would be my problem as I don't care for Mexican food. My wife likes it and she's the one I was concerned about. I'll just survive off of the fat of the land....so to speak.

 

Frank

[Loreto]

We took the Copper Canyon Excursion a few years back on Nov. 2. It was a great train ride...sit on the right side of the train for the best view...the train follows the stream bed. It was an amazing day and we were glad we went.

 

Karen