TRAIN TO THE CLOUDS Guayaquil Quito 4 days 4 nights Saturday to Tuesday In this journey on board Tren Crucero we climb 3.600 meters in barely 450 km, experiencing one of the most dramatic changes in vegetation and scenery in the world. From the fertile plains in the coast we climb to the highlands in the Andes through the Mythical Devil s Nose pass. Riding across the Avenue of Volcanoes we reach Quito, Cultural World Heritage by UNESCO, to continue to Otavalo, amidst the Northern Andes, where we will explore the quichua culture, skills and traditions and have lunch in a very singular hacienda, amidst export-class roses. DAY 1 Saturday Durán Yaguachi Naranjito Bucay We depart from Durán in the coast early in the morning, our heritage convoy pulled by a vintage steam engine. We switch engines in Yaguachi and continue across rice, sugar cane, banana and pineapple plantations to Naranjito. Lunch is served in a traditional hacienda, where we will learn about the best cocoa bean in the world and taste home-made chocolate. After a show of Montubio culture we continue our trip towards Bucay. If the day is clear, we will get tour first glimpse of the Andes in the distance.
DAY 2 Sunday Bucay The Devil s Nose Colta Riobamba As we travel along the canyon of river Chanchán the vegetation and temperature change abruptly. The cloud forest clears out and the sparse vegetation of the highlands take its place, while the stone walls of the Andes loom in the horizon. The train makes a stop at Pistishi lookout, where we can get a good glimpse of the impressive feat of engineering ahead of us, before start the daunting climb of mythical Devil s Nose. After 450 metres climb in barely 12 kilometers of dizzying zig zag the train finally reaches the quaint village of Alausí, in the Andes. We continue our journey to Riobamba, crossing colorful quinoa fields. In Colta we visit the indigenous community of Palacio Real, where we learn about llama breeding. We arrive in Riobamba pulled by a powerful steam engine, with time to visit the Train Station Artisan s Square before heading to our hotel. DAY 3 Monday Riobamba Urbina Boliche Quito We depart for Urbina, the highest point in our itinerary at 3600 m.a.s.l. There, in the eastern flanks of Chimborazo volcano awaits the last ice merchant, to tell the tale of his ancestral trade.
Then we ride north along the Avenue of Volcanoes, the fertile valley sheltered between the two arms of the Andes mountain range. In clear days you can spot up to twenty volcanoes from the comfort of your seat. In the skirts of Cotopaxi volcano we will explore a singular Andean forest trail before continuing our ride towards Quito. DAY 4 Tuesday Quito Otavalo San Antonio de Ibarra Quito Our journey continues to the Northern Andes. In Otavalo, home to a millenary market, we board the train, pulled by a lovingly restored steam engine. During the day we will discover the culture, traditions, music, gastronomy, paintings and the antique skill of woodcarving, learned from the renowned masters of the Quito carving school, back in the XVIIth century. After having lunch in a very singular hacienda, we head back to our last night in Quito.
TRAIN TO THE CLOUDS Guayaquil Quito 4 days/4 nights Itinerary Saturday to Tuesday Day 01 Duran Yaguachi Naranjito Bucay 1 7:30 check at Durán train station. Naranjito: Visit to a cocoa plantation, chocolate tasting and visit to coastal hacienda and lunch. Bucay: Dinner and overnight. Day 02 Bucay Devil s Nose Colta-Riobamba 2 Crossing of Chanchán river gorge. Pistishi lookout and Devil s Nose pass. Lunch on board. Visit to Palacio Real indigenous community. Visit to Balbanera church. Riobamba: Dinner and overnight. Day 03 Riobamba Urbina Boliche Quito Urbina: Visit to the train station and the artisan s square where you will meet the last Ice Merchant of Chimborazo. Box lunch on board. Visit of El Boliche a recreational area near Cotopaxi volcano: Andean forest trail. Quito: Dinner and overnight. Day 04 Quito Otavalo San Roque Andrade Marín San Antonio de Ibarra Quito 3 6:30 Departure from Quito, Swissotel San Roque: Music and loom weavers. Andrade Marín: Visit to Imbabura an old textile factory. San Antonio: The art of woodcarving. Cayambe: Show room of roses and lunch. Return trip to Quito and transfer for overnight. Dinner not included. Next day breakfast is included. 1 Durán Yaguachi by steam engine 2 Colta Riobamba by steam engine 3 Quito-Otavalo/Ibarra-Quito by bus.
WHAT IS INCLUDED? The program includes transportation aboard Tren Crucero, all meals during the trip, snacks and soft drinks on board, bilingual guide (Spanish-English) 4, excursions according to the itinerary, transportation by bus/van during the program for excursions and accommodation based on double occupancy. Upon arrival to Quito on day 4, there will be a transfer from the train station (Eloy Alfaro Chimbacalle-Quito) to your hotel for overnight 5. WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED? Taxes, alcoholic beverages (Tren Crucero offers wine, beer and whiskey), meals and excursions not mentioned as included in the program, air tickets, personal expenses, gratuities or transfers to hotels not included in this itinerary (extra charges for any transfer not included in this program). Passengers are recommended to purchase travel insurance. TRAVEL TIPS CLOTHING: Wear layers, a jacket for cold weather and a light coat for the rain (coast). Comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunscreen with high SPF, repellant, sunglasses. Don t forget your camera! ALTITUDE: It ranges from 80 to 3,610 meters above sea level. The temperature ranges from 14 to 35 C. IMPORTANT: Durán station is 30 minutes away from Guayaquil, take this into account and make sure to arrive on time to check-in. Unused services are not refunded. IMPORTANT NOTICE: All itineraries are subjected to change due to unforeseen measures or technical, operational circumstances. Please check our policy regarding refunds and cancellations. At Tren Ecuador we are committed to providing the best possible travel experience. 4 Guides: For all our trips, we provide a bilingual local guide (English-Spanish). Guides in other languages as Italian, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese are available upon request. 5 Day 4: Dinner is not included. Breakfast included for the next day.