I want to be upfront about what this article can and cannot do. The official Trenes de Ecuador pages (trenesdelecuador.com and its route and Nariz del Diablo subpages) were unreachable when I tried to retrieve them, and the Ministry of Transport site (gob.ec/mtop) and the rail regulator AMT (amt.gob.ec) also failed to load. That means I cannot verify current train schedules, fares, or what the $30 ticket includes from primary sources. I am not going to invent those numbers. What I can do is explain the geography, the public transport options that exist in the Southern Andes, and how to approach the Sibambe drop by road — with the caveat that every schedule and fare below must be confirmed locally before you travel.
What the Devil’s Nose Actually Is
The Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose) is a section of the Ecuadorian railway between Alausí and Sibambe in Chimborazo province. The engineering problem was a steep, narrow ridge of rock that the railroad had to descend. The solution, built in the early 20th century, was a series of switchbacks — the train reverses up and down the mountainside to lose elevation. It is a genuine piece of railway history, not a theme park ride.
The train excursion that most visitors know runs from Alausí down to Sibambe, pauses, and returns. The $30 figure in the title is the commonly cited price for foreign visitors on the Nariz del Diablo excursion. I cannot confirm that price from the operator’s own site right now, so treat it as a figure to verify at the station in Alausí or through a current booking channel.
What the $30 Ticket Buys — and What It Doesn’t
Based on the standard structure of the excursion as it has operated in recent years, the ticket buys:
- A reserved seat on the tourist train from Alausí to Sibambe and back.
- The narrated experience of the switchback descent.
- A stop at Sibambe station, where there is a small interpretive area and often a dance or cultural presentation.
What it does not buy:
- Transport to Alausí. You still have to get there by bus or car.
- Any guarantee that the train runs on the day you want. The railway is subject to weather, maintenance, and operational decisions that are not published in a way I can verify right now.
- Access to the actual viewpoint over the switchbacks. The train ride is the experience; the viewpoint above the Nariz is a separate place reached by road.
- A community benefit that you can trace. The train is a state-linked tourism operation. If your goal is to put money directly into a local cooperative or family, the bus route and the Sibambe community are a different proposition.
Getting to Alausí by Public Bus
Alausí sits on the Pan-American Highway (E35) in Chimborazo province. It is a real transport hub, not a village at the end of a dirt road. Several bus cooperatives serve it. The names I can give you as starting points for verification — not as confirmed current operators — include:
- From Riobamba: Cooperativas that run the Riobamba–Alausí–Cuenca corridor. Riobamba’s terminal terrestre is the place to ask. The trip is roughly two hours.
- From Quito: Long-distance buses on the Quito–Riobamba–Alausí–Cuenca route. Quito’s Terminal Quitumbe is the departure point. The trip is roughly five to six hours.
- From Cuenca: Buses heading north toward Riobamba and Quito stop in Alausí. Cuenca’s Terminal Terrestre is the departure point. The trip is roughly three to four hours.
Fares change. As a rough guide observed in past years, Riobamba–Alausí has been in the $2–4 range and Quito–Alausí in the $8–12 range. Do not treat those as current. Ask at the terminal window.
The Road to Sibambe — What You Can and Cannot Assume
This is the core of the article. Can you reach Sibambe by road instead of the train?
There is a road from Alausí down to Sibambe. It is a steep, winding descent. Whether any local transport currently runs on it is something I could not verify from a primary source, and I will not claim that it does. What I can tell you from the geography and from how transport works in this part of Ecuador:
- The descent from Alausí to Sibambe is significant. Alausí is around 3,000 meters; Sibambe is lower, in the 1,800–2,000 meter range. The road drops fast.
- In the rainy season (roughly December to May on the Andean side), landslides and road closures are a real risk on this kind of descent. The train has the same problem — the railway is also cut by landslides.
- If any local transport does run, there is no guarantee of a return vehicle from Sibambe in the late afternoon. If you go down by road, you need to know how you are coming back up, or plan to stay.
The practical approach: go to Alausí, ask at the terminal or at your hostel about current local transport to Sibambe. Ask specifically whether there is a camioneta or buseta that goes down and when it comes back. If no one can confirm a return, do not go down expecting to figure it out at the bottom.
The Viewpoint Over the Nariz del Diablo
There is a viewpoint above the switchbacks, reached by a road that branches off before the descent to Sibambe. This is where the classic photographs are taken. It is not the same as Sibambe station. If your goal is the view rather than the train ride, this is the place to aim for.
Getting there without a car usually means hiring a local taxi or pickup from Alausí for the round trip. That is a negotiated price, not a published fare. Ask at the terminal or at your accommodation. It is a short drive from town.
What the Visit Costs the Place
Alausí is a working Andean town, not a resort. The train brings tour groups that arrive, ride, and leave. The bus brings you into the same terminal where local people wait for their buses. The money you spend on a bus ticket, a meal, or a night in a hostel goes into the same local economy that serves residents.
The Sibambe community has been part of the tourism story around the Nariz del Diablo for years, often through the cultural presentation at the station. If you go down by road rather than by train, you are not automatically contributing to that community. You are passing through. If you want the visit to be more than a photograph, the meaningful move is to spend time in Alausí itself — eat where people eat, buy what people sell, and ask before you assume.
Season and Reliability
The Ecuadorian Andes have a wet season roughly from December to May and a drier season roughly from June to November. The ecuador.travel site notes a “Temporada de Montañas” (mountain season) from June to August, which aligns with the drier window. That is the more reliable time for both the train and the road descent.
In the wet season, expect the possibility of landslides on the Alausí–Sibambe road and on the railway. Neither the train nor the bus is immune. If you are traveling in the wet season, build in a buffer day and have a plan B.
FAQ
Can I ride the Devil’s Nose by bus instead of train?
You can attempt to reach Sibambe by road from Alausí, but I could not verify that any local transport currently runs on that route. You need to confirm the vehicle and the return trip locally. The train is the only way to ride the switchbacks themselves.
Is the $30 train ticket worth it?
That depends on what you want. If you want the switchback experience and the narrated history, the train is the only way to get it. If you want the viewpoint and the town, you can do that by road for less. I cannot confirm the current price from the operator’s site right now.
How do I get to Alausí from Quito or Cuenca?
By long-distance bus from Terminal Quitumbe in Quito or Terminal Terrestre in Cuenca. Ask at the terminal for the current cooperatives and fares. The trip is roughly five to six hours from Quito and three to four hours from Cuenca.
What if the train is not running?
It happens. Weather and maintenance can suspend service. If the train is your main reason for coming, check before you commit to the trip. If it is not running, the viewpoint and the town are still there.
Is it safe?
Alausí is a normal Andean town. The usual precautions apply: travel in daylight where possible, know how you are getting back, and do not take unmarked transport at night. The road to Sibambe is steep and can be slippery. That is a road condition, not a crime condition.
What I Could Not Verify
I could not retrieve the official Trenes de Ecuador pages, the Ministry of Transport page, or the AMT page. That means I cannot give you current train schedules, current train fares, or the official list of what the ticket includes. I also cannot give you current bus cooperative names and fares from a primary source, and I cannot confirm that any local transport currently runs between Alausí and Sibambe. Everything above about specific prices and operators is either a past observation or a starting point for your own verification. Confirm at the terminal and at the station. That is not a disclaimer — it is the actual method for this route.