Get to know Ecuador

After landing you will be expected at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito. Firstly, you are turning away from the capital and heading towards the beautiful north of Ecuador. Having reached your hotel in the small city of Otavalo, the rest of the day is at your free disposal.

Today you are dedicating yourselves to the beautiful nature surrounding Otavalo. After breakfast you are enjoying the views from different perspectives of the crater lake of Cuicocha during a small walk. Next stop is the waterfall Peguche with a height of 18 meters, which can be watched best from a wooden bridge. Afterwards you return to your hotel in Otavalo.

In the morning you are visiting the famous market of Otavalo for maybe buying your first souvenirs! On your way back to Quito you are stopping by at a small farm growing roses – here you can learn a lot about these important products for exportation. You will be carried to your hotel in Quito to enjoy the evening by yourselves.

Walking through the historic part of Quito in the morning you will get to know the Plaza Grande as well as the churches La Compañía and San Francisco. For the afternoon, you decide between two trips: Either you take the cable car to Quito´s local Mountain “Pichincha” with a height of 4.100m OR you can step on the northern and southern hemisphere at the same time at the Equator Monument Mitad del Mundo!

In the morning you will explore the city of Baños, which is famous for its waterfalls in the area. The first stop of the day is at the Pailo del Diablo (Devil’s Pan), where you can feel the fresh breeze from the 80 meter high waterfall after a short hike. On various viewing platforms you have the opportunity to enjoy the waterfall from all sides. Continue to the famous Tarabita (cable car) – here you will have a breathtaking view of nature as well as of the city of Baños. In the evening you visit the Casa del Árbol (tree house), which offers a spectacular view of the active volcano Tungurahua. For the brave ones there is the possibility to enjoy this view while swinging on the precipice of the mountain.

In the morning you are leaving Quito to the south and stopping by at the small and very authentic market of Zumbahua. From here, your trip continues to the crater lake of Quilotoa where you can descend to the blue and green water of the lake and return upwards on a donkey (ca. 8$ p.p.)! In the afternoon you are driving to Lasso, where you are going to spend the night.

In the moring you are exploring the National Park Cotopaxi with a size of 34.000 ha and the Cotopaxi Volcano which can be climbed up to a refuge at a height of 4.800m. In the afternoon you continue your journey to Papallacta where you can finish the day with a relaxing bath in the famous hot springs.

After a short morning hike along the mountain stream, you will then make your way through the cloud forest to your jungle lodge Hakuna Matata in a 120ha private reserve. Depending on your arrival time at the lodge, you can take an optional excursion or spend the afternoon at the pool. The optional excursions are a horseback ride through the jungle, a hike to discover the plant world or a chocolate workshop (please let us know if you wish to reserve this program when booking). In the evening you will enjoy a 3-course gourmet menu.

In the morning you are leaving the rain forest towards the mountains, driving through the Pastaza Canyon with its impressive valleys and waterfalls. Starting from the village Rio Verde you are exploring the 80m-high waterfall “Pailon del Diablo” on foot, before reaching Baños de Agua Santa in the afternoon. You have the evening at your free disposal.

In the morning you are stopping at the colorful and lively market of Guamote. Afterwards you are driving through the Natural Reserve Chimborazo with a surface of 58.560 ha where you can climb the Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest mountain, in the afternoon, up to a refuge located on 5.000m. This day’s drive ends at your accommodation in Riobamba.

In the morning you are taking the train departing from Alausi to the „Devil’s Nose“, passing spectacular mountain landscapes. On your way to Cuenca, where you are going to stay that night, the pre-Columbian runis of Ingapirca mark an exciting stopover.

You are spending the day in the colonial city of Cuenca, whose historic center was declared world cultural heritage in 1999. After a city tour with stops at the churches and the markets, you also visit a Panama hat factory at the Rio Tomebamba, before having the afternoon and evening at your free disposal.

Before reaching Ecuador’s largest city Guayaquil in the afternoon, you are today exploring the amazing nature of the Cajas National Park with its forests and seascapes. You can also visit a banana and cacao plantation before continuing your journey!

The last day of your journey through the Andes starts with a tour exploring the city of Guayaquil, visiting the Parque Bolivar, the historic quarter of Las Peñas and the beautiful water front at the river Guayas. The afternoon is free for you to buy some souvenirs before being picked up and carried to the airport.