Photo by Carlos Freire on Unsplash
The 5-day plan, rearranged for 6 days: every place stays and a few more are added, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.4 to 3.0 kilometers a day, and 659.8 kilometers by car in all across 6 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The cathedral of the city, built slowly through the 1700s in a baroque style, with a carved stone front and two towers. The inside is calm and tall. It is a working church, so stay quiet during services and cover your shoulders.
Go when Morning, when the light picks out the carving on the front.
Local tip Stand on the square and look at the stone before you go in. It is a working church, so cover your shoulders and stay quiet during services.
The main square of old Chihuahua, a tree shaded space with benches between the cathedral and the town hall. Start here and sit for a few minutes to get used to the dry air and the light of the high desert.
Go when Morning, once the sun has warmed the stone, or in the evening when the square fills.
Local tip Take a bench and let the thin dry air settle you. Look at the cathedral front across the way before you go in.
A mix of meats and peppers cooked together on a round steel disc over a fire and eaten in flour tortillas, a dish of the north.
Local tip It is filling, so share a plate and add lime and salsa.
The government palace of the state, built around a courtyard with painted scenes from the history of Chihuahua. A memorial to the independence leader Miguel Hidalgo, who was executed in the city in 1811, stands inside. Check ahead on how visits work.
Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Walk the courtyard and look up at the painted scenes. A memorial to Miguel Hidalgo is inside. Check ahead on how visits work.
A mansion of the early 1900s built for a wealthy landowner and his family in art nouveau style, which is rare in Mexico. It is now a museum, with rooms laid out as they were. Look at the ceilings and the carved wood.
Go when Afternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Go slowly through the rooms and look up at the ceilings and the carved wood. Check ahead on the opening.
The house of the revolutionary general Pancho Villa, called Quinta Luz, now a museum of the Mexican Revolution with objects, photographs and rooms from his life. Read the story as one view of a hard time, and check ahead on the opening.
Go when Late afternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Villa is a person people remember in different ways, so read the whole story. Check ahead on the opening.
Melted local cheese with roasted green chile, scooped up with warm flour tortillas, a supper of the state of Chihuahua.
Local tip Eat it while it is hot, with a cold drink alongside.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The small square of Creel, a timber and railway town in the pines. Rarámuri families sell baskets and carved pieces nearby. Buy from the maker, ask before taking anyone's photo, and pay the price asked.
Go when Morning, before the road trips leave.
Local tip Buy crafts directly from the maker and pay the price asked. Always ask before taking a photo of a person, and take no for an answer.
A valley near Creel of rock towers shaped by wind and rain, standing among the pines like a crowd of stone mushrooms. The families who live nearby sell crafts at the roadside.
Go when Morning, when the shadows are long.
Local tip Rock towers shaped by the weather in a valley near Creel. Keep to the paths and do not climb on the rocks, since the families nearby live from the land.
A beef and vegetable soup with corn, potato and squash, served with tortillas and lime, warming on a cool day in the pines.
Local tip Squeeze the lime in and eat it hot.
A small lake among pines and boulders a short drive from Creel, with a path along part of the shore. Rarámuri families live and farm around it, so keep to the paths and take your litter with you.
Go when Late morning, when the light is soft on the rocks.
Local tip Keep to the paths, since families live and farm around the lake, and take your litter with you. At this height the sun is strong and the air is thin.
A mission church in the village of Cusárare, from the days of the Jesuit missions, still used by the community. Visit quietly, ask before taking photographs and do not enter homes or point a camera at people.
Go when Late afternoon, outside the hours of services.
Local tip The mission is still used by the community. Ask before any photograph, do not enter homes, and check ahead on whether visitors can go in.
A mission church in a Rarámuri community a short way from Creel, close to the valley of rock towers and the lake. It is still the heart of the community, so visit as a guest.
Go when Late morning, outside the hours of services.
Local tip A mission church in a Rarámuri community near Creel. Visit quietly, ask before photographing and buy crafts from the families who make them.
Chile pasado is green chile roasted, peeled and dried in the northern way, then cooked in a stew with meat and eaten with beans and tortillas.
Local tip Ask how hot it is before you start.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The lookout at Divisadero, where the canyon drops away in front of you and other canyons meet below. The railway stops at the station beside it. Rarámuri families sell crafts along the paths, so buy from them and ask before a photo.
Go when Morning, when the air is clear and cool (about 6:34 PM).
Local tip Keep back from the edge, since the ground is uneven and the drop is long. Weather can fill the canyon with cloud, so view the canyon when it is clear and never promise yourself a view. Ask before photographing people.
A rock that stands out from the rim a short walk or ride from Divisadero, with a lookout beside it into the canyon. Keep well back from the edge, since the ground can be loose and the drop is long.
Go when Midday, when the light is high and the canyon is lit.
Local tip Keep well back from the edge and stay on the marked path. Wear shoes with grip, carry water and bring a warm layer for the wind.
A flour tortilla folded around melted local cheese and griddled, a simple lunch by the rim.
Local tip Add a spoon of salsa and drink plenty of water.
A waterfall on a stream beside the road toward the village of Cusárare, reached by a short path with steps. The flow depends on the season and can be thin in the dry months. The rocks are slick, so keep back from the edges.
Go when Afternoon, after a dry spell the flow is thinner.
Local tip The flow changes with the season, so do not expect the same fall in every month. The rocks are slick, so keep to the path and back from the edges.
A park on the rim with a cable car, a hanging bridge and zip lines over the canyon. Check ahead on what is running, since wind and weather can stop rides, and go only as far as you are comfortable with heights.
Go when Afternoon, on a clear and calm day.
Local tip Check ahead on what is running, since wind and weather can stop rides. Go only as far as you are comfortable with heights and follow the staff.
A small village on the rim a few kilometres from Divisadero, with quiet lanes among the pines and a pause from the lookouts. Walk slowly at this height and bring a warm layer for the evening.
Go when Late afternoon, among the pines (about 6:34 PM).
Local tip A quiet village, so walk gently and ask before a photograph. Bring a warm layer, since the evening at this height turns cold quickly.
A cheese and potato soup, a dish of the northern states, warm on a night that turns cold at the rim.
Local tip Eat it with tortillas, and take your time.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The mission church of San Francisco Javier in the village of Cerocahui, in a green valley above the deep canyon, from the days of the Jesuit missions. It is still used by the village, so visit quietly and ask before any photograph.
Go when Morning, in the cool.
Local tip The mission is still used by the village, so visit quietly and ask before any photograph. Check ahead on whether visitors can go in.
A lookout on a hill above Cerocahui with a wide look across the valley to the edge of the canyon. The path is rough and has little shade, so wear closed shoes, take water and keep back from the edge.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the wind.
Local tip The path is rough with little shade, so wear closed shoes, take water and keep well back from the edge.
Grilled beef with beans and tortillas, eaten in a small place in the town of Urique, near the river.
Local tip Order what the table beside you is having, and drink water.
A viewpoint high above the town of Urique, where the canyon falls steeply to the river far below. The road is long, steep and partly unpaved, so go with a local driver or guide, start early and check ahead on the road.
Go when Midday or early afternoon, when the light fills the canyon.
Local tip The road is long, steep and partly unpaved, and it can close in rain, so go with a local driver or guide and check ahead. Keep back from the edge.
A small town on the floor of the canyon beside the river, far lower than the rim, so much warmer. Many Rarámuri runners come from the communities around it. Walk the plaza, drink water often and leave time for the long road back.
Go when Afternoon, then start back with time to spare.
Local tip The town is far lower than the rim and much warmer, so drink water often and wear a hat. Leave enough daylight for the long road back.
Beans stewed with bacon, sausage and chile, served in a bowl with warm tortillas, a plain supper on a cooler evening.
Local tip Eat it with a squeeze of lime.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A small museum on the hill above the town, in a building that recalls the old Spanish fort of the place. Its terrace looks over the roofs and the valley of the river. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Late afternoon, for the view over the valley (about 6:34 PM).
Local tip Climb to the terrace and look back over the roofs and the river. Check ahead on the opening.
The shaded square at the centre of town, with trees and benches, where the town gathers as the day cools. The railway comes down to the plain, so the evening here is warm, a change from the cold rim.
Go when Evening, once the heat has gone (about 6:34 PM).
Local tip Sit on a bench and watch the town come out. After the cold rim it will feel warm, so keep a cold drink at hand.
Chilorio is pork cooked slowly in a red chile paste and shredded, a dish of Sinaloa served in tortillas.
Local tip Add a spoon of beans, and take your time in the heat.
The church beside the plaza, dedicated to the Sacred Heart. It is a working church, so stay quiet during services, and look at its front from the square before you go in.
Go when Early evening, outside the hours of services.
Local tip A working church, so cover your shoulders and stay quiet. Look at the front from the square before you go in.
The town hall on the plaza, a colonial style building of arches and a courtyard. Look at it from the square, and go in only where visitors are welcome.
Go when Evening, when the arches are lit.
Local tip Look at it from the square. Go in only where visitors are welcome, and ask first if you are unsure.
Raw shrimp cured in lime, chile, cucumber and onion, served cold, a dish of the Pacific side that suits a warm evening.
Local tip It can be hot, so ask for it mild at first.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A tall waterfall that drops from a canyon wall into a pool, in a national park west of Creel. It is a very long road from the rim, so most visitors give it a full day or a night nearby.
Go when Morning, as early as you can start.
Local tip It is a very long road from Creel, so plan a full day or a night nearby and check ahead on the road and the flow. Keep back from the edges of the lookout.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to March and October to December are the most comfortable months for walking around Chihuahua. This plan is built for october, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 6 days in Chihuahua, planned for october. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 0.4 to 3.0 kilometers a day, and 659.8 kilometers by car in all across 6 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of old plazas, a long boardwalk and a river townAbout 390 km away
6 days of old missions and island coves in LoretoAbout 420 km away
4 days of sea lions, islands and sunsets in La PazAbout 480 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
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