currency
Chiva Express
cost
From AUD $850
departure
from Quito Monday, Wednesday and Friday
duration
4 days
locations
Quito, Avenue of the Volcanoes, Cuenca, Devils Nose, San Bartolo, Valley of Gualaceo, Riobamba
A unique experience - a bus on train tracks
The Chiva Express is a majestic way to tour the best of mainland Ecuador, from the Andean patchwork countryside of the Avenue of Volcanoes to the lush, tropical coastal lowlands of Cuenca, all the while experiencing Ecuador’s rich indigenous and Colonial culture.
Day 1: Quito – Riobamba: Lunch & Dinner
The adventure starts in Quito with a bus ride to Tambillo Station, where the "Chiva Express", a colourful one coach train, like a bus on tracks, is ready to depart. Enjoy the ever-changing scenery as the "Chiva Express" makes its leisurely way along the historic track.
Stop for a snack at a dairy hacienda with cows, horses ... and llamas.
Then the Chiva continues along the slopes of Cotopaxi Volcano; and the fertile Valley of Latacunga for a visit to a rose plantation and a taste of the delicious local produce.
Continue by bus to Riobamba, and at the foot of the imposing Chimborazo Volcano, visit a Tagua workshop and warm up with a canelazo by the fireplace.
Dinner and overnight in Riobamba.
Day 2: Riobamba – Cuenca: All meals
After an early breakfast, transfer to the train station to board the "Chiva Express" for an astonishing ride, twisting and turning over the Andes, along bridging ravines and river gorges.
Stop at Guamote, an Indian town, for a short visit to an Educational Centre for Adults’ Development and Sustainability.
Continue aboard the Chiva to Alausí, where a snack is served, and prepare to go down the Devil’s Nose switch backs - one of the most impressive feats of rail engineering in the world - and back to Alausí.
Drive south through the Andes to Cuenca, visiting the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca along the way, with a stop for lunch.
Dinner and overnight in Cuenca.
Day 3: Cuenca: All meals
Today guests will enjoy a full day to discover, at a leisurely pace, the beauty and charm for which Cuenca has been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Its red-tiled roofs, cobblestone streets, flowery plazas and museums make it very special.
Lunch is served at a cosy restaurant.
Dinner and overnight in Cuenca.
Day 4: Cuenca: Valley of Gualaceo: Breakfast & Lunch
The day starts with a drive along the Santa Ana Valley and then up into the mountains, through wonderfully scenic landscapes, which change at every curb.
Stops are made at the small towns that produce a variety of handcrafts: handmade guitars in San Bartolo; gold and silver jewellery in Chordeleg; shawls and scarves woven on ancient shuttle looms in Bulcay. Then past the village of Gualaceo.
Visit to an orchid garden with over 2,500 species and then lunch at an attractive hostel, surrounded by flower gardens, close to the Paute River.
After lunch, return to the airport in Cuenca for your onward journey.
END OF OUR SERVICES
Why not combine this trip with our Quito Stopover or a visit to the Ecuadorian Amazon at Sacha Lodge or on the Manatee Amazon Explorer?
Day 1: Quito – Riobamba: Lunch & Dinner
The adventure starts in Quito with a bus ride to Tambillo Station, where the "Chiva Express", a colourful one coach train, like a bus on tracks, is ready to depart. Enjoy the ever-changing scenery as the "Chiva Express" makes its leisurely way along the historic track.
Stop for a snack at a dairy hacienda with cows, horses ... and llamas.
Then the Chiva continues along the slopes of Cotopaxi Volcano; and the fertile Valley of Latacunga for a visit to a rose plantation and a taste of the delicious local produce.
Continue by bus to Riobamba, and at the foot of the imposing Chimborazo Volcano, visit a Tagua workshop and warm up with a canelazo by the fireplace.
Dinner and overnight in Riobamba.
Day 2: Riobamba – Cuenca: All meals
After an early breakfast, transfer to the train station to board the "Chiva Express" for an astonishing ride, twisting and turning over the Andes, along bridging ravines and river gorges.
Stop at Guamote, an Indian town, for a short visit to an Educational Centre for Adults’ Development and Sustainability.
Continue aboard the Chiva to Alausí, where a snack is served, and prepare to go down the Devil’s Nose switch backs - one of the most impressive feats of rail engineering in the world - and back to Alausí.
Drive south through the Andes to Cuenca, visiting the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca along the way, with a stop for lunch.
Dinner and overnight in Cuenca.
Day 3: Cuenca: All meals
Today guests will enjoy a full day to discover, at a leisurely pace, the beauty and charm for which Cuenca has been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Its red-tiled roofs, cobblestone streets, flowery plazas and museums make it very special.
Lunch is served at a cosy restaurant.
Dinner and overnight in Cuenca.
Day 4: Cuenca: Valley of Gualaceo: Breakfast & Lunch
The day starts with a drive along the Santa Ana Valley and then up into the mountains, through wonderfully scenic landscapes, which change at every curb.
Stops are made at the small towns that produce a variety of handcrafts: handmade guitars in San Bartolo; gold and silver jewellery in Chordeleg; shawls and scarves woven on ancient shuttle looms in Bulcay. Then past the village of Gualaceo.
Visit to an orchid garden with over 2,500 species and then lunch at an attractive hostel, surrounded by flower gardens, close to the Paute River.
After lunch, return to the airport in Cuenca for your onward journey.
END OF OUR SERVICES
Why not combine this trip with our Quito Stopover or a visit to the Ecuadorian Amazon at Sacha Lodge or on the Manatee Amazon Explorer?
| Chiva Express: Fast Facts | |
| Accommodation | Tourist Class Hotel (3*) |
| Inclusions | Accommodation All meals included in itinerary Tours as mentioned |
| Difficulty Rating | 2 (altitude and some ascending steps) |
| Sustainability | Local foods used on tour Local, English-speaking guides used Carbon Offsets NOT available on this tour |
| Single Surcharge |
Email us at info@chimuadventures.com for more details |
| Notes | As weather at altitude can change suddenly, it is recommended to dress in layers, carry a jacket and rain protection. Good sun protection recommended at all times. Decent walking shoes required Important note to customers: Due to recent events passengers are no longer permitted to ride on the roof of the Chiva Express. There have also been series of landslides recently which have closed portions of the line and there may be a risk that portions of the line will be inaccessible. |
| Price Dependent On | Availability Season |
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