Experience two of the most interesting destinations in the country. You will be picked up from your hotel and be transported to the Devil's Nose mountain area. Here we will visit the local community project and hike on a trail from where we will have the best view of the mountain with the tracks where the train used to do the zig-zag. In its day, it was considered one of the greatest feats of engineering that the world had seen. This railway was built in 1899 with the idea of linking the coastal city of Guayaquil with the highlands capital of Quito. We have an optional biking activity on dirt roads with almost no traffic that descends to the Sibambe train station.
Your trip continues on the Pan-American Highway to Ingapirca, which is the major Inca archeological site in Ecuador. You will have the chance to appreciate one of the most important Inca structures, an elliptical platform known as the Sun’s Temple. Courtyards, terraces and various other ruins are found here as well. After a full day of touring, you will be dropped off at your hotel. Some highlights of this tour includes: • Take a ride on one of the greatest railroad engineering feats, the famous Devil’s Nose Train. • See amazing panoramic views of unforgettable Andean landscapes full of contrasts • Visit the Ingapirca Ruins, Ecuador’s largest Pre-Columbian archeological site
The tour and scenery were unbelievable but our guide Luis was really what made the tour unforgettable. Without his knowledge and friendly demeanor the tour would not have been the same. We highly recommend this tour.
Great time hope to do again when the sun is out more even with the cloud cover it seamed it open up at the right times then close back up when we were done very magical
Diego is most professional and knowledgeable. He was punctual and considerate. Definitely a memorable day
We very much enjoyed our tour! We chose the private one in order to get back to Cuenca a little earlier than we might have otherwise. Our guide Luis Gonzales was terrific! His knowledge was extensive & the long drives flew by with lively conversation. Luis took us through the countryside off of the main highway & also to a Sunday market. The train ride was fun, & the ruins were beautiful. All in all, it was a great day!
Devils nose railway is interesting and the beautiful drive there from Cuenca is a nice way to see a lot of the area. Then continuing on the Ingapirca site continues the opportunity to see the countryside. Ingapirca is a nice site, well maintained and partially restored. We had a great guide named Adrian and had especially good luck as we were the only two on the tour that day.
Having the personal attention and all things planned for the day with a great guide made this one of the best choices on our trip. I would highly recommend this to anyone.
I was unsure about the cost of a private tour, but once Herman picked us up at our airbnb, we knew we made the right choice. Herman is beyond knowledgeable, had no problems answering questions from people who wanted to know everything - history, geography, geology, botany, culture. We felt safe with his driving. His English is excellent. He paid attention to every detail. His knowledge of the pre-Incan cultures, deep and & far-ranging; his knowledge of the Incans the same. We learned about Ecuadoran bullfighting (illegal to kill the bulls in Ecuador), feelings between indigenous cultures, anything. Herman shared openly. None of the group tours traveling the same route were having as much fun. One even complained we had better train seats! Lunch was fabulous, Herman explained ingredients - my husband's favorite meal our entire trip! To see Incan terraces still being farmed, to have pointed out obscure parts of the Incan trail, the origin of trees not native (a great story) - Herman never missed a chance to add to standard information. It is obvious Herman loves his country and we are so happy he was eager to share. Highly recommend this trip - the train, fabulous. The rest stop at the bottom, so fun! Without our friend Herman, we would have loved the trip, but would been disappointed with all we didn't learn/experience. If you can, splurge on the private tour. Ask for Herman. He made our tour so much more than another tourist must-see!
Our guide Clever picked us up on time in a clean vehicle. He was very polite and organized and above all a safe driver. From the minute he picked us up everything was in his hands. We were taken right to the train departure car and picked us up from it and he preordered our lunch meals so we didn’t waste time waiting. He was very knowledgeable about Ingapirca. Some great attractions were made better by his organization and attention to detail.
We had a private tour with my wife in April. The trip was very successful. Our guide Javier gave us a lot of information about the country and places. Thanks to him, the trip had great educational values. The journey by train from Alausi is quite short and it is very commercial. The ruins of Ingapirca are very interesting, but if you were in Peru and you expect a similar class of monument, you may be disappointed. They are not so impressive and well-preserved. The views that you have on the way are wonderful. We can certainly recommend the guide Javier.
Because my mom can walk only a short way and is mostly confined to a wheelchair, we were very limited in the sightseeing we could do in and around Cuenca, Ecuador, but Javier opened the world to us. His English is excellent. He was wonderful with my mom, helping her in and out of the van and the wheelchair and pushing her around in often difficult conditions. The private tours were very cost-effective and Javier has extensive knowledge about the history and other facets of all the areas we visited. He was very patient and we could not have asked for a better tour guide. Highly recommended. If you are disabled or traveling with someone who is, don't be intimidated into staying home or let the other tour companies convince you that "it's not possible." With Javier, it is.
We had Herman as our guide an Jose as our driver. On the three hour drive to the train, Herman filled us in on all the history and mythology of the region. The train ride was amazing. Ingapirca is a must see. It is beautiful.
We had the time of our life on this tour! We booked ahead and everything went seamlessly from the moment the communications began. We were picked up at our doorstep in Cuenca in a spacious, spotless vain and our guide Angel was utterly charming and full of knowledge as we peppered him with the questions about his country.. his English was impeccable so we took full advantage of this! :) The train ride high in the Andes was simply spectacular; the train rode on what seemed like an impossible track that hugged the mountain on one side and on the other, the valley dropped like an crack in the earth.. the views were breathtaking indeed! The stop in the small station in the town along the way was not that exciting and we were happy to get back on the train for more vistas... Because it was a private tour we were able to tweak it as we liked, and Angel was happy to accommodate us.. he took us on a walk thru the weekend market in Alausi where we got to savour the delicious traditional cuisine, buy fresh Amazonian fruit and enjoy the company of the local people shopping or selling their wares, in their traditional garments. We got to the Inca ruins as the sun was at it's finest golden hue and Angel was seriously like a walking Google Search, his knowledge of the history and flora and fauna was so impressive.. our last stop was a roadside feast of food typical to Cuenca and we were in taste bud heaven. Everything was so professional and you could tell that both our guide and the wonderful driver, loved what they did.. at no time did we ever feel like they had done this tour before, we were treated with such kind and enthusiastic hospitality! We highly recommend this tour with Cuencabest! It was truly a trip we will remember for the rest of our lives!
It was very nice trip and our guide Mr Herman fantastico ! Passionate about what he was telling us. It is worth of it. Very pleasent journey ! Both activities well done and we had a lot of informations. We enjoyed ! Ingapirca gave us the apetite to come bacj to South America to visit other Inca's site. Eva and Tomasz (from Belgium)
This 'day' trip is well worth your investment and time! Our group of four booked a private tour (in advance of our arrival) - we were picked up promptly and spent the day learning about the Ecuadorian landscape, history, culture, indigenous people, and the amazing engineering of the Devil's Nose train. Javier was our guide for the day and spent over 12 hours with our group driving, narrating, guiding and ensuring we had the best experience. The train ride was unique and entertaining (Javier did not join us for the ride...though I think we would have preferred his narration). At the end point, you are entertained by local people, have the opportunity to buy food/beverages, and of course there are souvenirs, too. The train stops of about an hour, which for our group was a bit longer than we needed since we were not eating and we felt like we were gawking at the indigenous people of the small town who were dancing and offering photos with an alpaca. (But this is what it is and not a reflection on Cuenca Bestours.) Javier arranged for a restaurant lunch in Alusai which was absolutely excellent (they even accommodated our vegetarian without issue) - it may have been the best meal we had during our 5 days in Ecuador! Javier greeted us as soon as we got off the train and we walked no more than 500 feet to the location. The afternoon of riding was nicely broken up with the visit to Ingapirca. We were the last visitors to the ruins that day which meant we have photos of the site that are probably pretty rare to get - without other people! Javier served as our guide and was well versed in all aspects of the history of the site. Arriving back in Cuenca around 7:30 pm, we knew that Javier's family was eager for his return (based on a buzzing phone) but he never made us feel rushed as we concluded our day and made arrangements for another day trip with the company. We would highly recommend this tour and to take the time for visiting both sites in the same day...even if it is a longer day than you might normally enjoy!
<p>Although this tour involves a good bit of driving, we found it to be really worthwhile. The drive to Alausí, where the train begins and ends, allowed us to go through amazing country and small pueblos. It gave us a sense of the beauty of Ecuador, as well as the difficulties in farming the mountainsides. The views as we climbed higher in the Andes were incredible -- Often we were looking down a valley enveloped in clouds. Javier was again our guide and was able to answer questions and give information beyond a simple guide book. The arrangements tickets, substantial bag lunch, water were made by CBT we just had to get on the train to Sibambe, a Cañari town that is the terminus of the train trip. The train's original goal was to create a link between the capital, Quito, and the coast, as a means of transporting food from the sierras. While that goal of food transportation was ultimately not achieved, the creating of that rail link is an incredible engineering feat. The stretch between Alausí and Sibambe, towards the Devil's Nose, lives up to its reputation as one of the most difficult stretches to build, as it climbs the face of Condor Mountain, with sheer drops by the edge of the tracks. The landslide closing the visitor's center higher up -- at Sibambe -- may representative of the inherent dangers in building such a railroad in such steep terrain. Right now part of the old center is hanging over the tracks! Riders on the train are welcomed at the station by Cañaris dancing. The Sibambe interpretation center provides historical background, as well as information about the various activities of the Cañaris who lived and continue to live in the area. The train trip was followed by a visit to Ingapirca, the site of Inca and Cañari ruins. Definitely worth a visit, even in the rain! The park provides guided tours, with the guides providing historical information about the site. When heading back to Cuenca, it was interesting to learn from Javier where many of the original stones of the ruins went!</p>
A unique experience by train knowing a little more about indigenous culture, with a spectacular closure in the ruins of Ingapirca
Family holidays, adult daughters, we all love nature and history, we chose to take the train ride Nariz do Diabo and get to know the ruins of Ingapirca. Our visit started with a downtime because we should leave at 07:15h and we were contacted by the local operator informing that due to cancellation of the train schedule that would take us we would have three options. Advance departure to 4:30h, cancel the tour or change the date. For us the change was impossible and as we very much wanted to make the walk we submitted ourselves to leave in the morning. At 4:00 p.m. the reception interphoneed and warned that the transport had arrived, that is, they had informed the schedule with 30 minutes difference. We left in a hurry, without breakfast, but we counted on the delicacy of the hotel that prepared a small snack for the trip. The report became necessary to say that all this meant nothing close to the greatness and beauty of the tour. We love the day. The landscapes seen from the train are beautiful and we were very well received in the village of Sibambe. Back from the train ride, we find our guide Luis Gonzales and the experienced driver Diego Peñalosa and headed for the ruins of Ingapirca. We chose to do the private tour and it was excellent. We have already made guided visits in various places and I can safely say that the guide Luis is of very high level, demonstrates safety and mastery of the knowledge that exposes and answers with attention and delicacy all doubts. I highly recommend the tour and, in particular, make a compliment to the excellence of the performance of the professionals who attended us, Diego and Luis! Luís in addition to the technical knowledge turned to the area of acting, cares all the time about the well-being of everyone! A memorable day, of those I wish everyone could enjoy!
beautiful path and beautiful luga, planned to meet the Canary and Inca culture, suuuu super recommended!!
Lovely everything, the scenery, the train ride, the ruins. Ecuador is a beautiful country, worth exploring!
We booked a private Devil's Nose Train and Ingapirca Ruins tour via Cuenca Bestours. Exchange was initially done via WhatsApp and we received the booking documents by mail. The train tickets were also organized for us at our request in advance and at no extra cost compared to the regular ticket costs. We were picked up by our driver and guide Javier on time from our hotel in Riobamba - end of our tour was our hotel in Cuenca. Javier had a very pleasant, calm driving style. We made even smaller stops for sightseeing as well as at viewpoints during the car journey in addition to the train ride and the ruins. Javier had very good knowledge of history and landscape and also spoke very good English. We can highly recommend Javier and Cuenca Bestours.
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