Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Quito
At your arrival in Quito, we will welcome you at the International Airport for your adventure to begin! Depending on your arrival time, extra activities at an extra price can be arranged, such as cooking classes, bike trips, hikes, shows and much more.
Day 2: Exploring The Middle of the World: Quito
In the morning, we will begin our exploration of Quito, a culturally rich city in the high Andes that has incredible weather, rich natural landscapes, incredible history, as well as outstanding food and music.
We will head into the old town, or “El Centro” as it’s called by locals, to visit the spectacular Churches of La Compañia and San Francisco in a walking tour that takes us through the small cobbled streets. We will then head up to “El Panecillo” hill from where we have an amazing view of the whole city.
Afterward, we will cross the modern part of town heading north to visit the equator monument and explore the great museum of the area. We can try lots of local flavors, and learn about the past of the country.
Day 3: North of Quito: Cayambe, Otavalo & Cotacachi
Driving north on the Pan-American highway, we will stop by Cayambe town, famous for its delicious biscuits called Biscochos. We will visit a local Biscochos factory where we can stock up, before continuing towards our hotel in Otavalo.
After we drop our things in the hotel, we head to the beautiful Cuicocha Lake. Close to the lake, we find the village of Cotacachi, where we can enjoy shopping locally made leather goods. On our way back, we stop by Peguche town, where we have some time to meet the Otavalo indigenous people and share some experiences with them. We’ll head back to Otavalo to our hotel for the night.
Day 4: Otavalo City & Machachi Highlands
This morning we’ll head to the famous Otavalo indigenous Market, considered the biggest in South America and of vital importance to national pride and cultural heritage. The colorful products at sale here are very appealing to visitors who enjoy haggling for prices and finding the perfect gifts or souvenirs to take back home.
We will the head to the Mojanda lake region to visit the highlands and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the region. Afterward, we will head south to Machachi, where we will overnight in a nice local hacienda that highlights the Spanish colonial heritage.
Day 5: Quilotoa, the Princes, and the Lake
The Quilotoa Lake, our primary objective this day, has a wonderful legend surrounding it. As one of Ecuador’s most notable visitor sites, the volcanic crater formation with the turquoise lake on its inside makes up for a nice visit where we can hike around some parts of the crater, and enjoy of the region of Zumbahua. After our visit, we will head to the city of Riobamba, located at the foothills of Chimborazo Mountain.
Day 6: The famous Devil’s Nose Train, and Baños town
As one of the most daring railways in the world, the Devil’s Nose train ride has become one of Ecuador’s most famous attractions. The unique landscape that forced engineers to create this design, gives visitors incredible views of the high Andes.
We will depart from Riobamba towards Alausi, where we can participate in the train ride, before traveling to the small adventure town of Baños, a popular destination for adventure seekers due to its abundance in waterfalls, rivers, and mountains close by.
Day 7: The Amazon Rainforest
We will have a relaxing morning in which to participate in adventure activities, head to the hot springs or simply relax in this small and charming town. This day we will head into the Amazon Rainforest, the most biodiverse are in the world, sometimes referred to as “The Lungs of the Earth”.
We will follow an impressive canyon on the way, as we see the ecosystems change from those of the mountains to that of the jungle. As we arrive at the Napo River, we will board a canoe, which will take us deep into the jungle reserve of Yacuma to sleep in this wonderful EcoLodge.
Day 8: Yacuma EcoLodge, A place for nature-lovers
The Yacuma Jungle EcoLodge is one of the few places in the world that has almost zero emissions in its daily operation. Through an interesting process of building the bungalows where you will stay, the usage of solar panels for warm water in bathrooms and solar panels for electricity and lighting of social areas, the energy consumption of the lodge is almost zero.
The food is locally harvested or produced organically, and everyone working in the project is part of the indigenous community. There are many fun activities to partake in during your stay including many river-based activities, as well as sharing cultural experiences with the locals. Truly a unique experience for visitors!
Day 9: Return to Quito
We will have a final jungle activity before we begin our way back to Quito. On the way up the Andes, we can stop by the famous Papallacta Hot Springs where we can enjoy a relaxing dip in the pools. This route is very interesting as we cross multiple types of ecosystems on the way up the Andes. We’ll arrive in Quito late for a well-deserved rest.
Day 10: Departure
After breakfast and according to your flight schedule, we will depart towards the airport to say goodbye to our team and to Ecuador. If you like, we can also extend your adventure to Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, Bolivia, or other attractions in South America.
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