Train pulls into stop near tree and field

Plaza in front of large building in Quito, Ecuador

Woman leans into train window to see the view

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Ecuador Tours

Tren Crucero Train Tour Along the Avenue of the Volcanoes

Ride from Quito to Guayaquil on the Tren Crucero Railroad

7 Days / 6 Nights per person*

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*Example by 4 travelers in 4★ accommodation, low season. Flights priced separately. Get a quote for 1 to 99+ below

Tren Crucero Train Tour Along the Avenue of the Volcanoes

Summary

7 Days / 6 Nights

The Tren Crucero Railroad Line has 4 luxury carriages holding 54 passengers, and employs restored, century-old steam locomotives. The 453-kilometer route is made up of narrow-gauge line built at the turn of the 20th century, crossing the Avenue of the Volcanoes from Quito to Guayaquil. Part of the journey includes the famous Devil’s Nose switchbacks, while gaining 2,945 meters (9,662 feet) in altitude in just 56 kilometers (34 miles). This exciting Ecuador rail journey takes 4 days to complete, including time each day to explore the towns and national parks adjacent to the rail line. Each night, passengers stay at local hotels and haciendas. Full board is also included on the Tren Crucero. The highlight of the trip is the Avenue of the Volcanoes, where you can see 11 volcanoes, including the dominant Cotopaxi, an active volcano and one of the tallest in the world. Along the way, you can see chagras (cowboys) doing traditional cattle ranches, as well as condors, wild horses and llamas, and towns inhabited by Quechua-speaking indigenous people. We can also arrange this same train tour in the other direction, starting in Guayaquil and ending in Quito. Note: Following the Covid interruption, train travel in Ecuador has been suspended and shall return at a future date. Please contact us for updated information and to plan with alternative transportation should service remain suspended.

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This tour includes:

6-Nights accommodations
All tours, transfers, trains and entrance fees
English-speaking guides

Highlights

Quito City Tour
Tren Crucero
Devil's Nose Train
Chimborazo Volcano
Cotopaxi National Park
Guayaquil

Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Quito

Upon arrival at the Quito airport, your guide will greet you and take you to your hotel. Check in and relax at the hotel tonight.

Plaza of the Middle of the World in Quito, Ecuador

Day 2Quito Colonial City Tour & Middle of the World

After breakfast in your Quito hotel, discover the city whose historical center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1978 with a city tour. Afterwards, take an excursion to the Middle of the World complex, where you will walk along the bustling streets and squares of the largest historical old town in the Americas, a multi-ethnic, artistic and cultural heritage destination. Visit the Middle of the World monument, situated at 0º0’0″ latitude. In the afternoon, you have the day free to explore on your own. Spend the night at the hotel and prepare for an exciting Ecuador train tour to start tomorrow.

Day 3Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Quito - Otavalo - Ibarra - Quito

Rise and shine! Start the day departing Quito for an hour drive north until you reach the charming town of Otavalo. In Otavalo, surrounded by mountains is a beautifully restored steam engine awaiting your arrival.

Travel along the tracks at a slow pace, allowing you to discover the many wonders hidden in this region of the country. Meet musicians, painters, weavers and the skilled woodcarvers that have kept the originality of the Quito School alive over the past years. Later, experience the local flavors of the traditional Andean cuisine. Then, pay a visit to an incredibly special rose plantation before heading back to Quito.

Day 4Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Quito - Urbina

After breakfast, board the train at Quito Chimbacalle station and begin your journey south along the majestic Avenue of the Volcanoes. With clear skies, you’ll be able to say twenty volcanoes from the train. After passing by the volcanoes, the Andes range will split into two paths running parallel down south. The bountiful valley enclosed between these stone walls hosts an abundance of biodiversity, flora, and wildlife. While resting in your panoramic car, watch as the landscape changes during your ascent of the Andean highlands to Urbina. After reaching the highest point in your itinerary, 11,800 feet above sea level, you will have a chance to meet the last ice merchant in the skirts of Mount Chimborazo. Learn about his family history and the world of trade.

Day 5Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Riobamba - The Devil's Nose - Bucay

After breakfast at the hotel, depart Riobamba. Gaze at the window as your journey continues to Colta, the province where the Spanish conquerors built their first settlement in Ecuador. Marvel at the colorful quinoa fields and alternating species of flora and wildlife as you travel along the train’s tracks. You may even be able to spot some of the indigenous settlements in the area and the remains of their ancient cultures.

Visit Guamote market before continuing south along the winding Devil’s Nose pass. Prepare yourself for exceptional views of the Andes, from every angle, as you zig zag from the Andean highlands down to the coastal plains. Then, continue your descent along the narrow Chanchán river gorge while crossing an impressive cloud forest towards the city of Bucay.

Day 6Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Bucay - Guayaquil

Enjoy breakfast before boarding the train for the last time. Enjoy the landscape as it changes once again as the train leaves the tropical forest behind. You’ll be able to see rice, sugarcane, pineapple, and banana plantations right outside your window.

Before reaching Guayaquil, have lunch at a traditional hacienda, where you can discover the secret to growing and harvesting the best cocoa beans in the world. Later, the steam engine will cross the fields towards the shores of the Pacific Ocean and end the train trip at a hotel in Guayaquil, where you will stay overnight.

Day 7Departure from Guayaquil

Wake up and gaze at the captivating Pacific Ocean before heading to the airport to continue your trip through Ecuador and the other countries in South America.

Summary

Note: Following the Covid interruption, train travel in Ecuador has been suspended and shall return at a future date. Please contact us for updated information and to plan with alternative transportation should service remain suspended.

Tour Highlights

Quito City Tour
Tren Crucero
Devil's Nose Train
Chimborazo Volcano
Cotopaxi National Park
Guayaquil

Included

6-Nights accommodations
All tours, transfers, trains and entrance fees
English-speaking guides

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Sample Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Quito

Upon arrival at the Quito airport, your guide will greet you and take you to your hotel. Check in and relax at the hotel tonight.

Day 2Quito Colonial City Tour & Middle of the World

Day 3Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Quito - Otavalo - Ibarra - Quito

Day 4Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Quito - Urbina

Day 5Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Riobamba - The Devil's Nose - Bucay

Day 6Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Bucay - Guayaquil

Day 7Departure from Guayaquil

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Estimated Tour Price Without Flights

Prices vary according to several factors including: season, number of people traveling, shared vs private excursions, when you book and rooming arrangements. These are from prices based on low season.

We can customize anything for any time of year! Contact us for an exact quote for your trip.

2 People 4 People 6 People

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Budget

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Flights quoted separately

Quito Hotel Quito

Basic

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Guayaquil Hampton Inn
Quito Patio Andaluz

(Recommended)

Superior

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Quito Swissotel

Deluxe

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Flights quoted separately

Quito Plaza Grande

Quito Plaza Grande

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Tren Crucero Train Tour Along the Avenue of the Volcanoes

Tren Crucero Train Tour Along the Avenue of the Volcanoes

This tour includes:

Highlights

Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Quito

Day 2Quito Colonial City Tour & Middle of the World

Day 3Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Quito - Otavalo - Ibarra - Quito

Day 4Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Quito - Urbina

Day 5Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Riobamba - The Devil's Nose - Bucay

Day 6Tren Crucero Railway Journey: Bucay - Guayaquil

Day 7Departure from Guayaquil

Summary

Tour Highlights

Included

Customize Tour to Your Schedule & Style