Ecuador Andes, Volcanoes & Native Inhabitants - 11D/10N

Train in Riobamba photo courtesy of Ecuador Tourist OfficeExplore Quito, the largest historical centre in the Americas. Visit to the Peguche. The Otavalo Indigenous market is the most famous and colourful in South America. Train ride “Chaski Antawa” from Ibarra to the first station. Go through tunnels and bridges, see large sugar cane plantations and experience a unique landscape in just two hours ride. We reach the Papallacta Thermal Springs complex, located in the high moorlands. Visit Antisana Reserve home of the condor. An impressive Andean landscape and observing the crater of Quilotoa and its volcanic lagoon. We head south of Baños. The largest of the waterfalls in the area are known as the “Devil’s Cauldron” Continuing south we visit Ingapirca ruins before arrive to Cuenca. Visit one of the prettiest colonial city in the country. Departure to the coast, passing through El Cajas National Park. Arrive in Guayaquil, “Pearl of the Pacific”.

Departure days: Sunday & Thursday

Included: Hotels, 10 breakfast - 1 lunch - 1 box lunch, Seat in a car, van or bus on a sharing basis. Guides. Entrance fees to National Parks, churches & museums. Meals, visits & excursions as specified.

Hacienda in the Highlands photo courtesy of Ecuador Tourist BoardNot Included: INGALA tax: $ 10. Meals not specified as include, Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Medical services, travel insurance, tips & personal expenses

Day per Day Itinerary

  • Day 1 Quito - Transfer from the airport in Quito. Accommodations at a hotel.

  • Day 2 Quito – Peguche – Otavalo - Explore the bustling streets and squares of the largest historical old town in the Americas. Visit some of its most important churches such as the majestic La Compañía and iconic San Francisco, repositories of a stunning multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage. Drive through the traditional neighborhood of San Juan. Finish the day at the Panecillo hill with its breathtaking views of the old and modern city. Drive to Imbabura province. Visit the village of Peguche, famous for its textiles. Visit an Andean musical instrument workshop. Accommodations at an old hacienda.

  • Day 3 “Chaski Antawa” - Visit Otavalo Indigenous Market. Departure to the Chaski Antawa train station in Ibarra. During the trip you will be able to be part of the green landscape and breathe fresh air. You will enjoy the delicious “tunas” and the famous sugar cane juice and learn about its many uses in the valley of El Chota. Enjoy lunch at the Chaski Antawa restaurant. After lunch visit the volcanic lake of Cuicocha and then the village of Cotacachi, known for its leather articles. Accommodations.

  • Day 4 Papallacta - We reach the Papallacta Hot Springs complex, located in the high moorlands of the last range of mountains before the Amazon Region. The hot springs swimming pools and baths can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. After a bath, take advantage of a relaxing massage in the exclusive spa. This amazing place offers excellent opportunities to walk, observe birds, horseback ride or simply enjoy the landscape, featuringthe Polylepis tree (paper bark tree) with its unusually textured bark. Accommodations atn a local inn.

  • Day 5 Papallacta – Antisana - Drive to Antisana Ecological Reserve. Antisana is the fourth-highest volcano in Ecuador, rising to 18,875 feet (5,753 meters). While exploring the area, make your way past a gigantic and relatively recent lava flow and a series of cliffs where condors spend the night. Discover the virgin wilds around Lake Mica; observe the rich variety of flora and stunning landscapes fed by the snowy peaks above. Drive to Lasso. Cotopaxi Volcano sightseeing. Accomodations at a local inn.

    • Night scene in Guayaquil photo courtesy of Ecuador Tourist Office

  • Day 6 Lasso – Quilotoa – Baños - Visit the region of Tigua, home of naif paintings on lamb hide and figurines carved in wood (wood masks) that depict the animals of the region’s traditional folk festivities. Visit Zumbahua, an indigenous community famous for its handicrafts and beautiful colorful ponchos. Opportunity for visitors to share time with its people and to enjoy an impressive Andean landscape while observing native Andean animals such as llamas. Visit Quilotoa Crater and its volcanic lake, turquoise and green waters surrounded by mountains full of ancient tales. Box lunch and drive to Baños.

  • Day 7 Baños – Riobamba - Continuing southeast, you will arrive at Baños which is the gateway to the Amazon region. Observation of waterfalls and the devil’s cauldron. In the afternoon, arrival at Riobamba. Panoramic tour of the city. Accommodations.

  • Day 8 Riobamba - Alausí - Ingapirca – Cuenca - Start your day with a drive through some of the most picturesque indigenous areas of the country, before reaching the Alausí train station. Train ride experience on a railway through the Andes where there is a unique zig-zag portion called the Devil’s Nose. Box lunch. Farther south we will visit the Inca ruins of Ingapirca before reaching Cuenca for the night.

  • Day 9 Cuenca - Visit the country’s prettiest colonial city. After breakfast let its cobblestone streets, graceful wrought-iron balconies, and flowered plazas captivate you. Visit the Central Bank Museum, which has permanent archaeological, ethnographic, colonial and republican art collections, as well as old photographs of Cuenca. After this visit, we’ll go to the Conceptas Monastery. The cloister, built between 1682 and 1729, was recently restored. The cloister contains an unusual collection of religious art. Visiting a straw-hat export enterprise is scheduled in the afternoon. Accommodations in Cuenca.

  • Day 10 Cuenca - El Cajas - Guayaquil - Departure to the coast, passing through El Cajas National Park. This area is known for its beautiful landscapes and at least 200 lakes, like the famous La Toreadora- This ride takes you from 4,000 mts to sea level in three hours, allowing you to observe Ecuador’s different habitats, the moorlands, the Andean forest, the subtropical forest, and the rainforest. Guayaquil, “Pearl of the Pacific”. The tour begins with a visit to the 19th-century neighborhood of Las Peñas, topped by the Santa Ana Hill with its lighthouse and panoramic views of the city and the Guayas River. Walk by the beautiful Malecón 2000, past La Rotonda monument paying tribute to the heroes of the South American liberation, along the banks of the Guayas River and 9 de Octubre Avenue.

  • Day 11 Guayaquil - Transfer out. End of services.

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Also tagged with: Cruise Expeditions, South America, Archaeology, Ecuador, Special Destinations, Ecological Travel, Educational, Cultural, Bird Watching, Special Interest, Family Vacation, Andean Region, Join-In Tour, Eco-Lodges, Special Offers


Vantage World Strongly Recommends Insurance for all your Travel Programs

Insure My Trip We provide, through TravelSafe Insurance, one of the nation's largest and most respected providers of travel insurance, a TravelSafe Custom Plan, where you decide the benefits YOU want and the levels of protection YOU desire including access to their 24-hour emergency assistance service from anywhere in the world. Click the link below the Plan Benefits table for plan details.