Back Roads of the Chihuahuan Desert & Canyons Tour

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Back Roads of Chihuahua │ Desert & Canyonlands Tour - 12 Days

Explore Chihuahua’s Arid Desert, Rugged Canyon Regions & Meet People Who Live There

12 Day/11 Night Guided México Exploration Tour
(includes day of arrival & departure)

from $4175 per person + air
Single Supplement +$635

If you are looking for a totally Off-The-Grid Travel Experience, then this tour is it! About 20% of the roads we travel on throughout this tour are not paved. 

We’ll visit one of the strangest places on earth (Zone of Silence), marvel at the Milky Way under a dark desert night sky, hike in stunning canyon settings, visit a village of Rarámuris, sleep in a cave hotel, relax in hot springs water, learn about the history of Pancho Villa, have lunch at the home of a Mennonite family, and participate in an ancient cleansing ritual.

Enjoy this Back Roads of México journey as we’ll be immersed each day in nature’s outdoor rugged beauty found all throughout Mexico’s largest state; the state of Chihuahua.

Join us for this excellent adventure tour to the Chihuahuan desert and into the deep canyons of Chihuahua, México.

Tour Highlights

• Mystical Zona del Silencio (Zone of Silence)

• Soak in Natural Thermal Pools

Desert Stargazing

• Participate in a Temascal & Fire Ceremony

Desert Hiking

Wind Ceremony 

Pancho Villa Museum

Canyon Hiking

Meet the Rarámuris (indigenous people)

Sleep in a Cave (it’s a hotel in a cave)

• Lunch with a Mennonite Family

• Stroll around Chihuahua City

Dates & Prices
*2025 Tour Dates

Mar 6-Mar 17      (Th-Mo)
Apr 3-Apr 14        (Th-Mo)
May 1-May 12     (Th-Mo)
Sep 18-Sep 29    (Th-Mo)
Oct 16-Oct 27     (Th-Mo)
Nov 6-Nov 17     (Th-Mo)

**2025 Prices

$4175 per person – double
Single: +$635

* Includes day of arrival & departure.
** Prices in USD. Air not included in tour price.

Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Chihuahua

Arrive to the Chihuahua Airport and catch a taxi to the hotel in downtown Chihuahua City. The rest of the day is free to relax or go exploring. We will sleep here for 1 night.

Day 2: Meet Your Guide / Chihuahua City

This morning we’ll meet our host guide for breakfast. He will give us an overview of the coming days and answer any questions. 

Then will head out for a walking/driving tour of Chihuahua City. We’ll explore the downtown area, take a drive to see some other sites, and also visit the home of Pancho Villa.

The rest of the day and evening will be free to explore on our own. 

Sleep in the city. 

Day 3: Zone of Silence / Thermal Pool / Star Gazing

After breakfast, we’ll check out and start traveling south on a 3½ hour drive to a place in the desert that you might call, Out of this World! 

Strange things have happened here in the past and continue to this day. Be prepared! Our cell phones will not work, no internet, and compasses will just spin around and around. We’ll be entering a powerful energy vortex area called the Zona del Silencio or in English, the Zone of Silence

This region has been a magnet (pun intended) for meteorites which have crashed here in 1938, 1954, 1969, and 1970.

Here is one more interesting fact; this Zone of Silence is located on the same parallel as the Bermuda Triangle, and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Coincidence? It’s a mystery.

After arriving and checking in to our rustic accommodations, we’ll take a drive into the Chihuahuan desert to a cave. Inside there is a natural thermal pool of water. Think of this place as one of Mother Nature’s “hot tubs.” It will be time to relax and unwind in the warm soothing natural warm springs water. 

In the evening back at the lodge, a local knowledgeable person will guide us on a star watch. The possibilities of viewing our Milky Way galaxy is extraordinary here because of the very dry climate found in this region. There is little-to-no humidity and no urban lights to interfere with visibility. So if it is a clear night, enjoy the night sky show with millions of stars!

For the next 2 nights you will stay at the Complejo Ecoturistico Zona del Silencio Lodge. It will be comfortable but rustic.  (B,L,D) 

Day 4: Salt Ponds / Temascal Cleansing Ritual

Salt is harvested here commercially by local families and we will take off to go check out the salt ponds located not far from our lodge. We’ll learn how salt is harvested and find out about its many uses. 

One thing we’ll learn is that wind has a very important role in the salt production process. Past down traditions include an actual Wind Ceremony which our local guide will demonstrate. 

The rest of the afternoon is pretty much free to relax or explore on our own back at the lodge. 

In the evening, get ready to participate in an interesting old tradition which is found throughout many regions in México as well as in many different countries in some similar form. We’ll have the opportunity to participate in a Temascal Ceremony.

Think of a small hut or igloo-shaped structure where we will crawl inside and sit in a circle. Then very hot rocks are brought into the middle of our circle and water is poured onto the hot rocks. This of course now turns our cozy little hut into a hot steam room. Then add music and chanting about honoring the 4 cardinal points and we have the gist of a Temascal Ceremony.

It is a cleansing of the body, mind, and soul ceremony.  (B,L,D)     

Day 5: Parral / Pancho Villa Museum

This morning we’ll check out and start to travel west toward the canyonlands of Chihuahua.

After a short 2 hour drive, we will arrive to the town of Parral. This town has become famous in that one of the prominent México revolutionary leaders by the name of José Dorotea Arango Arámbula was ambused, shot, and killed in a reign of gunfire as he drove down one of the streets in town. 

Most people don’t recognize his given name. However, as a teen, he changed his name to Francisco Villa and then eventually everyone started calling him Pancho Villa

We’ll check out a small museum which has been created to honor him. In fact, it is housed in the building where the killers hid until Villa’s car passed in front of it. We’ll also wander through a very old stately hacienda which was once owned by a wealthy family. 

We will sleep one night in Parral.  (B,L,D)     

Day 6: Guachochi / Kokoyome Resort

After breakfast in Parral, it will be time to head west again on a 3 hour drive through some beautiful country with some very nice rugged scenic views. We will be driving on paved and dirt roads. 

Our destination will be the Kokoyome Mountain Resort located near the town of Guachochi. This rustic resort is nestled deep into one of Chihuahua’s canyons and has some spectacular views of the surrounding terrain. 

We will be staying here for 2 nights.  (B,L,D)

Day 7: Hiking / Free Time

Rise and Shine! Grab some coffee, some breakfast, and breathe in that fresh backcountry morning air. Today is a day to go exploring on a nearby hiking trail to view a nearby waterfall. This hike is about 2½ miles.

Later, we can relax on the veranda and maybe take a little siesta. That fresh country air combined with our morning trail hike can be a catalyst for a good afternoon snooze.

Or if some of us are still raring to go after lunch, we can head out once again with our guide to do some more hiking exploration. It’s nice to have choices. 

We’ll sleep at the lodge again this night. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Scenic Canyon Drive / Batopilas

Once again, it is time to continue our journey. It will be about a 3½ hour scenic drive to our next destination. The road will be winding as we snake our way down through canyon country to the old mining town of Batopilas.

Silver deposits were discovered here in 1708. In 2012, Batopilas was honored to become one of Mexico’s designated Pueblo Mágicos or Mexico Magic Towns.    

After lunch we will check in at a local hotel and then take a walk to around the town. Our guide will give us a history of how the town of Batopilas was created and grew in conjunction with the discovery of silver in the nearby hills. 

The evening is free to stroll around town or just hang out and relax back at our  accommodations.

We’ll stay 2 night stay in Batopilas.  (B,L,D) 

Day 9: Hiking / Meet Rarámuris

After breakfast, we’ll travel over a rough unpaved road to the very small town of Satevo to see its old mission church. 

Nearby we will visit a very small community of local indigenous people called the Rarámuris.

It consists of just a few homes. These people are hardy souls who have lived in these canyonlands for generations. They do not have much contact with many foreigners but are open to speaking with us. Through our interpreter guide, we can ask them questions about how they live, work, and play. And they may have questions for us too. 

Then it will be time to travel back to town for lunch.

Afterwards, we will visit the San Miguel ex-Hacienda and and learn about the German family who built this large estate. 

We’ll stay in Batopilas this night.  (B,L,D)

Day 10: Nonoava / Sleep in a Cave

Today our small group of travelers will pack up to start heading north. This will be the longest day of driving with the bulk of it (about 4½ hours) taking place in the morning.

Our first stop will be the small town of Norogachi. Here we’ll be able to stretch our legs and have a nice outdoor picnic lunch with a great view. 

After lunch we’ll only have about 2 more hours to go on our scenic drive to reach our destination for this day. It will be the small community of Nonoava. Here we’ll check in at the Hotel Cavernas Risochi. The word, cavernas in Spanish means cavern or cave. As you might have guessed, we’ll be spending the night sleeping in a cave. No worries though. There will be beds to sleep on.

This will certainly be a unique overnight experience.  (B,L,D)

Day 11: Namurachi Canyon / Mennonites / Farewell Dinner

After an early morning breakfast and a short one hour drive, we will arrive at the Namurachi Canyon. This is a cool place as the rock formations may remind us of a cathedral. We will leave that image for your imagination to ponder. We’ll go on a short 45 minute hike through this most interesting canyon region of Chihuahua. 

Lunch is only 1½ drive away in the town of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc. Here we’ll be invited into the home of a Mennonite family for a traditional lunch based on bread, cheese, sausage, and sweets.

During our lunch with them, our hosts will be more than happy to answer any questions we may have about their history, how they came to live in México, and about their philosophy/religion of living the way they do. 

After saying our goodbyes, a short 1½ drive will bring our group back to Chihuahua City where we will check in to the same hotel as when we arrived. 

In the evening our guide will meet up with us for one last farewell dinner in the city to reminisce about our desert and canyon adventures together.  (B,L,D) 

Day 12: Tour Ends After Breakfast

After breakfast, our tour will end. It will be time to head to the Chihuahua Airport for our flight home or to our next exciting destination.  (B) 

Buen Viaje!

Itinerary schedule is subject to change.
What's Included

Tour Price Includes:

•  12 day / 11 night guided tour
   (includes day of arrival & departure)

•  Small group tour size of up to 12 travelers

•  All ground transportation during guided tour days

•  All activities as listed in the itinerary

•  All entrance fees

•  11 nights in hotels, cabin, cave

•  11 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 10 dinners

•  All tips for your host guide & any other specialty guides

Excluded:
Airfare
Additional activities & meals not listed above
Alcoholic drinks
Trip interruption insurance
Medical evacuation insurance

Group activities listed are subject to change.

Tour Details

Activity Level: Moderate – Walking up to 2 miles each day
Maximum Group Size: 12
Suggested Minimum Age: 12 years
Arrival & Departure Cities: Chihuahua City / Chihuahua City (CUU)
Deposit: $350 USD per person

A Reminder –
There is no need to fret over how much to tip and of having the right amount of Mexican Pesos at the end of your tour. Tips are already included for all specialty guides as well as your main host guide.

Tour Terms & Conditions 

Extend Your Trip

If you would like to stay a few more days either before or after your tour with us and would like some assistance in making those plans, contact us.

We can design an independent travel experience based on what you would like to see and do. We can help you to arrange for local transportation, accommodations, and set you up with a local guide.