Ecuador in 10 Days

Early in the morning, we will head north of the city towards the Equatorial line. We will visit the Middle of the World Monument and then go to the cable car, from where we will have a spectacular view of the city. Continuing our tour, we will head to El Panecillo, a small hill located in the middle of the city, which is crowned with a statue of the Virgin Mary. From this location, we can appreciate the historic center. To finish, we will walk through the old Quito, touring its beautiful streets, churches, and squares, learning about the history of our ancestors. In the afternoon, we will return to our hotel.

After picking you up from your hotel, we will leave Quito heading northwest. After about an hour's drive, we'll reach a stop where, while enjoying breakfast, we'll have the chance to observe different species of hummingbirds and even interact with them. We'll then arrive at the town of Mindo in about 40 minutes, which is located at an altitude of 1250 meters. Our first visit will be to the butterfly garden, estimated time 30 minutes. Afterwards, we will head to the upper part, where we can cross a mountain on a cable car to descend in approximately 30 minutes and find a waterfall. If the weather permits and the river is not too full, you will have the opportunity to enjoy its waters and enter the waterfall. We will then return to the cable car and then to the parking lot to drive to the artisanal chocolate factory for a tour. In the afternoon, we will have time to explore the center and the town of Mindo, and at nightfall, return to our respective hotel in Quito.

We will pick you up from your hotel, and drive approximately an hour along the Pan-American Highway to the north of the country. We will cross the Equatorial line, arriving at the Cayambe canton where we will stop for breakfast and taste the typical biscochos and leaf cheese. Then we will continue our journey to Otavalo, where we will visit the craft market for approximately 2 hours. Later, we will drive to Cuicocha Lake, where we will have lunch enjoying a beautiful view of the crater of a volcano that erupted 3000 years ago and formed a beautiful lake called Cuicocha. Then we will visit the town of Cotacachi, where we can observe and purchase items and crafts made of leather. In the afternoon, we will return to the city of Quito to rest in our hotel.

After breakfast, this time we will drive along the Pan-American Highway south from Quito and in approximately 1 hour we will arrive at Cotopaxi National Park. It will take us about 5 minutes to register at the control gate, and then we will continue our journey to the parking lot, which is located at an altitude of 4600 meters. From here, after preparing ourselves with our hiking gear, we will begin the ascent to the José F. Rivas refuge at an altitude of 4860 meters. This will take us approximately 1 hour at a very relaxed pace. Here we will have the opportunity to enjoy a hot chocolate or coca tea, which will help with altitude sickness. Depending on the weather conditions and the individuals, we will continue for about 30 minutes to the glacier to observe the perpetual ice that the volcano still retains. After taking some photos, we will start the descent. It will take us approximately 40 minutes to reach our vehicle and then drive to a restaurant where we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we will continue our journey to the Quilotoa community, where we will spend the night.

After enjoying a well-deserved rest, we will hike down from the rim of the crater to the lake, approximately 40 minutes. In this lake, you have the option of renting a motorboat or kayaking. Then we will ascend by the same trail that we descended in approximately 1 hour. If you don't wish to walk, you have the option to rent mules. In the afternoon, we will take our vehicle and after driving for about 2 hours we will arrive at the canton of Baños de Agua Santa. Here we will have the opportunity to visit the viewpoints where many tourist attractions are located, such as: the Swing at the End of the World, an extreme swing, a glass viewpoint, the Animal Park, etc. At night, we will go to our hotel to rest.

In the morning, not too early so you can rest a bit more, we will do the famous waterfall route. This activity can be done cycling or in our transport. We will take the route that leads to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Along this route, we can make stops to do extreme activities if you wish, such as: Canopy, crossing in a tarabita, bridge jump, and many more. Our final destination will be the biggest and most famous waterfall known as El Pailón del Diablo. In this area, we will also have the opportunity to have lunch and taste a delicious river trout. Then in the afternoon, we will return to the city of Baños. The afternoon will be free for you to go to the thermal waters from the volcano, which are open until 9 at night.

After our usual breakfast, we will take the route to the Ecuadorian Amazon, specifically to the parish of Misahuallí. Here, we will take a canoe trip on the Napo River to an indigenous community (Shuar), where we can observe and learn about their customs and also experience some of them. We will watch the preparation of yuca chicha, and also have the opportunity to interact with Amazonian animals. In the afternoon, we will go to our hotel.

Today, we will visit a cave, which has an entrance of approximately 8 meters high by 10 meters wide. The tour lasts from 45 min to 60 min. As we explore the cave, we will learn about the story of Jumandi, who was a Chief who discovered the caves, which now bear his name, during the time of the conquest. The caves became the natural refuge of the inhabitants of the east while Chief Jumandi was fighting to ward off the conquerors. Men, women, children, and the elderly came to this place while the warriors fought for their freedom. In the afternoon, we will have the opportunity to stroll along the Malecón of the city of Tena. At night, we will return to our hotel.

After a well-deserved rest and tasting a typical Amazonian breakfast, we will drive approximately 4 hours to the parish of Papallacta, where there are many complexes with thermal water pools coming from the volcano. We will have the opportunity to enjoy their healing and relaxing waters for approximately 4 hours. After lunch, we will drive one hour to the town of Tababela, which is 15 minutes from the Quito International Airport.

We will take you to the airport three hours before your return flight, and this is where our services end.