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Chiva Express & Otavalo Tour (5 days)5 days duration
On arrival into Quito you will be met and transferred to your hotel for three nights.
Today you are taken on a city tour of Quito. You visit the stone carved facade of the House of Congress, depicting scenes from Ecuador's past, before continuing to Independence Square, the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral. You also visit the church of La Compana from 1605, with its golden altars, the finest example of Baroque art in South America. After lunch you are taken to the Equatorial Monument out of Quito. It marks latitude 0 or the exact "Middle of the World". Here you can stand with a foot in each hemisphere! (BL)
Today you travel north from Quito until you reach the "Awakening Valley" and Cayambe, famous for their small figurines made of bread-dough and other food specialities. You pass through the beautiful Andean landscape before reaching Otavalo, home of the Otavalo Indians, a prosperous and enterprising indigenous group.
You spend the day at the Otavalo Markets discovering enticing products such as textiles, paintings, ceramics, leather goods, jewellry, tapestries and more. Lunch is enjoyed at a typical hacienda. (BL)
This morning you will be driven from Quito to the neighbouring Valley of Sangolqui. From here the road advances up and down the slopes of Cotopaxi Volcano and into the fertile Valley of Lantacunga.
You continue to Urbina at the foot of the imposing Chimborazo Volcano. Here you will visit a Tagua Nut Farm and have the chance to warm up with a local liqueur by the fireplace! You continue on to Riobamba and to your hotel for tonight. (BLD)
Following breakfast the real adventure starts with your transfer to the train station to board the Chiva Express Train, a colourful one coach train, like a bus on tracks. A highlight of this trip is to "ride the roof" with a panoramic view of this stunning Andean region of Ecuador.
You will enjoy the leisurely ever-changing scenery as the Chiva Express advances along the ancient tracks in an astonishing ride, twisting and turning over the Andes, along bridging ravines and river gorges. After a brief stop in Guamote, an Indian town, you continue on to Alausi and the "Devil's Nose" switch backs, one of the world's most impressive feats of rail engineering! From here you continue by vehicle to Guayaquil, as you descend from the Andes to the Pacific Coast. Along the way you will witness the transition from high altitude Andean ecosystems to lush tropical coastal vegetation spotted with wooden farm houses on stilts. On arrival in Guayaquil you will be taken to your city hotel or to the airport for your connecting flight home. (BL) Inca Tours does not own any of the hotels, lodges or service providers utilised in making up the tours. As a result Inca Tours is only acting as an agent for the operators and as such does not accept responsibility for any negligence, omissions, errors or differences in standard experienced by passengers when utilising the operators' products or services. Please Note: for full booking terms and conditions please see the back of our booking form.
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