You don’t want to miss this very complete experience in Ecuador, where you’ll get to see its nature and culture. You’ll visit the lovely cities of Quito, Cuenca and Guayaquil; the amazing wildlife in the Amazon, and the picturesque settings in Otavalo, Baños and Riobamba.
Day 01 Arrival in Quito
Upon arrival in Quito airport you will be transferred to your hotel. Lodging in Quito
Day 02 Quito (B)
After breakfast enjoy a city tour in old Quito. The tour begins with a visit to the Independence Square, where the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral and El Sagrario Church are located. Afterwards we will take you to the church of San Francisco (1535). This is the oldest Ecuadorian church and the main altar inside is a spectacular example of baroque carving. Finally, we will drive up to the highest viewpoint of the city, “El Panecillo” hill from where we will have a spectacular view of Quito. Then, return to the hotel. At 1:30 p.m. we will take you to the Middle of the World Monument. This is the site where, in 1736, Charles-Marie de la Condamine’s expedition made the measurements that demonstrated that this was the equator. A monument was built to mark the site and visitors can take an elevator right to the top, as well as visiting the excellent ethnographical museum inside. Around the monument are buildings and restaurants designed to represent those of a typical colonial town. Lodging in Quito
Day 03 Quito – Otavalo (B)
In the morning we’ll drive north to the city of Cayambe and then towards the city of Otavalo, home to the famous Otavalo Indians. We will visit the beautiful Cuicocha Lake, located inside a spectacular volcanic crater. Later on we’ll continue to Cotacachi, famous for its quality leather goods, where we will have some shopping time. Later on we will visit Peguche, an indigenous village. Lodging in Otavalo
Day 04 Otavalo – Quito (B)
After breakfast we will head towards the textile market of Otavalo. The main market is running every Saturday, however every day the local Indigenous sell their textile goods in the main plaza. Later on we will continue towards the town of San Antonio de Ibarra where we will visit the many shops that offer beautiful local wood crafts. Drive back to Quito. Lodging in Quito
Day 05 Quito – Cotopaxi National Park – Baños (B, BB)
After breakfast, we’ll drive south towards the beautiful Cotopaxi National Park. This day we will enjoy gentle hikes on the area close to the volcano, considered one of the highest active volcanoes in the world (5,897 m). The views of the snow capped cone are perfect. The surroundings are also of great beauty, as there are other high volcanoes in the area: Rumiñahui, Sincholagua and Pasochoa. During our trip we will have a light box lunch with hot and cold beverages. Late in the afternoon we will drive south towards the charming city of Baños. Lodging in Baños
Day 06 Baños – Jungle Lodge (B, D)
In the morning we will drive eastwards to the intriguing rainforest of the Ecuadorian Amazon area. This trip is plenty of enjoyable views of the rugged landscape. Late in the afternoon we will arrive to our jungle lodge. Lodging in the Amazon Jungle
Day 07 Jungle Tour (B, L, D)
We will make a full day tour in the jungle in company of an experienced Indigenous guide. In the jungle we will see impressive huge trees, beautiful flora and with luck some wildlife. Lodging in the Amazon Jungle
Day 08 Jungle Lodge – Riobamba (B)
After a relaxing morning, we’ll head towards the highlands of the impressive Mount Chimborazo. Enjoy the view of great landscapes before we arrive to our hotel in the city of Riobamba. Lodging in Riobamba
Day 09 Riobamba – Ingapirca – Cuenca (B)
After breakfast we will be transferred south towards the Azuay province. The road follows the Pan-American Highway with spectacular views of Mount Chimborazo (6,310 m) and the highlands of the area. We will pass the small town of Alausi and then we’ll head to the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca. These are the biggest remains of the Inca Empire in Ecuador. Here we will visit the oval temple and many remains of the Inca / Cañar buildings. Then we will continue our drive south towards the beautiful city of Cuenca. Lodging in Cuenca
Day 10 Cuenca City (B)
Cuenca is considered the most beautiful city in Ecuador, with its typical Spanish-style houses, interesting museums, restaurants, hotels, etc. We will take you around the city for a guided tour to visit some of the most interesting touristic areas like the Museum, The Cathedral, the Flowers Market, the “Panama hat” factories, etc. There will be enough time to visit the city and admire its cultural life. Lodging in Cuenca
Day 11 Cuenca – Guayaquil (B)
Early in the morning, we will drive from Cuenca to the city of Guayaquil. Along the way, we’ll visit the beautiful Las Cajas National Park, a protected area where we find beautiful landscapes, lakes, different species of highland birds, Andean flora and with luck perhaps we can observe the impressive condor. Later on we will continue our trip west towards the low lands of the Ecuadorian coast where we will observe the banana plantations, sugar cane and pineapples. We expect to arrive in Guayaquil at about 2 p.m. with enough time to make a city tour visiting the new Malecon of Guayaquil and the colourful Las Peñas neighbourhood. Lodging in Guayaquil
Day 12 Departure from Guayaquil (B)
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Galapagos or back home.
