Ecuador Tour by Cruise & Train: Amazon, Andes, Wildlife

Ecuador effortlessly combines remarkable landscapes. From the Andean highlands and Quito, it's just a 30-minute flight to Coca, where a one-hour motorized canoe journey leads you into prime Amazonian Rainforest. Exploring a unique jungle realm requires a unique customized vessel. So board your Amazon cruise boat and set off along the great Napo River, admiring the thick canopy of green that slowly passes by. This luxury vessel accommodates 40 passengers and has various open decks for admiring the engulfing beauty of the jungle. Comfortable en-suite cabins and a lavish restaurant car complete the boat.

Tropical birds provide the calls that guide you deeper into the rainforest. Monkeys gaze out from high hidden branches while the fins of river dolphins regularly appear alongside the boat. Most of the afternoon is spent cruising on the river and immersing yourself in this mystical realm. Disembark at late afternoon and take a walk between the trees, an indigenous guide narrating the fables of flora and the strange endemic characters that hide. When dusk falls there's an eery change to the atmosphere and the calls of nocturnal specialists accompany you back to the boat. Dinner is served on board before an elegant night surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.

As shards of light flicker into the forest, you enjoy a sunrise walk through the forest. It's the most active time of day for local wildlife and a chance to inspect the phenomenal biodiversity that accompanies every turn. Return to the boat for breakfast and cruise into the heart of Yasuni, a vast and untamed national park that's home to legendary pink river dolphins. Turtles and large predatory fish also cruise these waters, so your guide stands on deck to point out the endemic sights. Consider reading more about your remarkable luxury Ecuador tour operators that are eager to answer any question that you may have and strive to make your trip an exceptional one.

Enjoy another guided walk in the afternoon, this time with a focus on seeking out the several primate species that boisterously coexist here. Before you know it it's sunset, a mysterious time dominated by a surreal change in the soundtrack. The daytime's calling birds grow quiet and the insects of the night create the baseline to the evening. Take it all in from the deck and enjoy a three-course dinner on board.

This far into the Amazon it's impossible to escape the sense of challenge and inhospitableness. While you're comfy on the boat, the exotic jungle doesn't seem like a place to set up a home. Yet hundreds of tiny tribal communities continue to live a life unchanged amongst these trees. You spend this morning with a remote jungle community, learning about their ancient lifestyles, traditions, and thoughts on the future. It's a poignant experience, especially with the village children shouting out their recently learned English. After lunch, your boat navigates upstream to a series of islands and sandbanks that rise above the river. Spend the afternoon relaxing here, listening to the call of monkeys and watching the birds flutter between trees.

For three full days, you've been enclosed by the canopy, traveling at ground level through the world's greatest wilderness. Today you try to grasp its gargantuan scale by ascending a 35-meter high viewing platform. In the still morning light the views are staggering, with hundreds of miles of a lavish green color extending in every direction. Spend the afternoon at the Limoncocha Biological Reserve, a destination that epitomizes the rich diversity of the Amazon. Almost 500 birds are found in these trees, from tiny tropical hummingbirds to raucous parrots and the unmistakable beaks of macaw and toucan. Your wildlife safari continues into the evening and the delectable change in atmosphere. Torches illuminate the trees, and you encounter animals that spend their daylight hours far from inquisitive eyes.

Leaving the jungle is as hypnotic as entering it. Gradually the river grows narrower as you transfer to motorized canoe. Cacophonous birds now call from above your head and monkey troops scurry off at the sound of the motor. Approaching Coca the water opens out again and you take off from a small airstrip surrounded by trees. Beneath the wingtips are stunning views of the rainforest and also the effects of deforestation. Landing in Quito you're transferred to a hotel in the heart of the old city. It is an area of 16th century churches, historic townhouses, cobblestone plazas, and the endearing scent of history. In 1979 this area became the first ever World Heritage Site, and it's now your base for the next two nights. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure.

Quito's backdrop is one of snow-capped volcanoes and valleys that roll out in every direction. This morning you take the teleférico up Pichincha Volcano for glorious views over the Western Andes and the city below. Energized by the views you head back to the city to explore its most important buildings. This is the largest and most complete of all Spanish colonial cities in Latin America; dozens of churches reveal the architectural tastes of the early-17th century, palaces stand on pedestrianized roads, and historic cafes line cobbled plazas. A guide leads you through golden churches to boutique courtyards, then into grandiose cathedrals and cultural hubs. An Ecuadorian lunch is served to the accompaniment of local street musicians before you return to the hotel and the afternoon is at leisure.

Slowly the locomotive rumbles out of Quito. Plumes of steam rise towards snowy volcanos before dissipating into the calm Ecuadorian sky. This line has been closed for decades but has recently been reconstructed to celebrate the ingenuity of Ecuador's early 20th century railways. Travel in a classic first-class carriage from this era and fill your eyes with tiny villages and gaping Andean vistas.

It takes a few hours to reach Otavalo, an ancient market town that continues to bring charm to every visitor. Women from dozens of surrounding villages walk here to sell their artisanal produce. They arrive carrying baskets of hammocks, leather, wool, or indigenous masks. Every arriving trader brings a new dose of color yet the kaleidoscope doesn't translate to a chaotic or overcrowded scene. Much like the surrounding mountains, Otavalo encourages everyone to go slowly and say hello. Later this afternoon you continue to Latacunga, a small village that provides an ideal introduction to traditional life in the mountains.

Ecuador's railway zigzags between imposing peaks and along remote valleys. It slowly ascends and descends through the Western Andes, continually providing sublime alpine views. Today's journey takes you to Riobamba, an atmospheric town beneath twinkling peaks. Like many of these colonial leftovers, Riobamba is centered around a broad public square. The church and city hall line two sides of this square, with cafes and small shops squashed along the other. As the afternoon fades into the evening, this is where the whole town hangs out, creating a warm and friendly ambiance.

Reaching Riobamba allows you to stop at some much smaller villages along the railway. These have the same architectural blueprint but on a diminutive scale, and it's easy to imagine that you've been transported back to the early 19th century. As with all days on the Tren Crucero, all meals are included, and you're given time to independently explore the villages and towns. Accommodation isn't on the train but in boutique guesthouses in the towns; each of these is handpicked to reflect the history of the destination and the hospitality of its generation.

Internationally dubbed the “world's most challenging railway,” the Devil's Nose Railway is a staggering feat of engineering. Descending this near-vertical cliff was the only means of continuing the railway from capital Quito to the coastal port of Guayaquil. To follow such steep switchbacks, the train must travel past each turn before being shunted another step down the cliff. It's not quick. But nothing should be quick when the views of the Andes are this good. Gradually you descend the Devil's Nose before rumbling through a series of charming colonial villages. Stop for some fresh air, admire the city square, and then continue onwards with the Tren Crucero. Tonight's final stop is Bucay, a quiet little town surrounded by fertile slopes.

The Quito to Guayaquil railway operated up until the late 1980's when it finally slipped into disregard. It's now no longer a typical passenger line and has since been renovated as a tourist experience. Each carriage comes from the past, with varnished wood and a sense of grandeur. Drinks and snacks are served onboard, and a guide narrates the scenes that amble past the window.

On its fourth day, the Tren Crucero descends from the mountains, twisting and turning towards the Pacific Ocean. Sense the change in altitude as you travel towards humid lowlands and sporadic expanses of water. Stopping for lunch, you can feel the transition from alpine stillness to equatorial tropics. By mid-afternoon you're in Ecuador's largest city, sitting by the hotel pool and reminiscing about the journeys by river and rail. You've come from the Amazon, crossed the Western Andes, and now stand beside the Pacific.

An early start this morning as you're transferred to Guayaquil's international airport for your homebound flight. A private transfer takes you to the airport and the last leg on this itinerary of journeys.