Discovering Ecuador
21 Days of adventure: Colonial Heritage, Volcanoes, Jungles, and Galápagos. Get carried away by the charm of the Three Wolds of Ecuador.
This trip gives you the opportunity to get to know Ecuador’s different ecosystems, its inhabitants, its culture and gastronomy. You travel through the highlands, the Amazon rainforest (National Park Yasuní) and the beautiful Galapagos Islands. In 21 days you will visit Ecuador’s most beautiful cities, charming villages, national parks, Latin America’s largest and best preserved colonial historic city center, an ancient Inca city, the middle of the world, a unique train ride, an indigenous market, monuments, museums and much more. Local professional guides will accompany you throughout the journey. We are waiting for you with open arms.
Discovering Ecuador
Travel Package
MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 0 m – 3.000 m
TYPE: Small group trip with max. 6 participants
REQUIREMENT: Low physical condition
DIFFICULTY: BW-1 bis BW-2
Day 1: Arrival in Quito
Welcome to Ecuador. We will wait for you at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport and bring you to the hotel in Quito.
Day 2: Otavalo indigenous city
Your adventure begins with the most popular tourist destination in northern Ecuador, the indigenous city of Otavalo. We will visit the colorful market in Plaza de los Ponchos. Before we arrive in Otavalo, we visit the waterfall of Peguche, where we take a short walk to the waterfall. You will spend the night in Otavalo.
Day 3: Otavalo – Cuicocha Lake – Quito
After a delicious breakfast, we will continue enjoying the kindness of nature that Otavalo. We will visit a park where wild birds are rescued. None of the birds in the park were taken directly from nature. Many of the species that lodge in the park are rescued from illegal captivity or inadequate environments. Then you will visit Cuicocha which is a 3 km wide caldera and crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano. Its name comes from the Kichwa indigenous language and means “Lago del Cuy” or Guinea Pig Laguna in English. In the afternoon you will return to the capital city Quito.
Day 4: Middle of the World – Pululahua Crater
On this day you visit one of the most visited monuments of Ecuador, the Equatorial Monument (“La Mitad del Mundo”). The purpose of the equatorial feature is to emphasize the exact position of the equatorial line, which determined a Franco-Spanish geodesic mission of the eighteenth century. With the advent of GPS technology at the end of the 20th century, it is now known that the entire structure is located approximately 240 meters south of the actual equinoctial line. However, it is still a very touristy place as it offers the Ethnographic Museum Mitad del Mundo, a museum on indigenous ethnography in Ecuador. A small town that surrounds the monument acts as a tourist center and offers a replica of the Spanish colonial town of “Ciudad Mitad del Mundo”.
Afterwards visit an interactive museum “Solar Intiñán” where the actual equator line was measured. You participate in some activities that relate to curious physical phenomena that can only occur in the middle of the world. Finally, visit the lookout point of Pululahua Crater, which is an extinct crater.
Day 5: Transfer to airport – Trip to Yasuní National Park
This day begins your adventure to a unique place in the world, The Yasuní National Park located in the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador. You will take a domestic flight to the city of Coca (flight lasts 30 minutes), from this point the trip will continue in canoes until entering the Yasuní National Park.
Arriving at lodge, you have the outstanding chance to step onto the aboriginal territory of the kichwa Añangu community, whose members will welcome you with a traditional and refreshing ice-cold “wayusa”, the local hotel manager will give quick instructions and immediately will take you to your comfortable room with views of the rainforest in order to get ready for the first activity in the afternoon.
Hike along “Playas” trail to experience amazon wildlife for the first time in the river islands and shores amidst one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included during your stay at Yasuní National Park.
Day 6: Culture, nature and wildlife
Enjoy the sunrise at breakfast, visit the sustainable community projects, talk about the world view Kichwa Addition to medicinal and walk in the Mama Cuna road, excellent opportunity to see more wildlife, ceiba trees, strangler, bamboo cane, vines and shrub sendemic from Yasuní.
In the afternoon after a delicious local lunch paddle around “Añangu” stream, a black water ecosystem where you can spot monkeys jumping from tree to tree, caiman and sometimes even giant river otters trying to catch fish.
You can prepare for a traditional typical dinner to taste local flavor sof the amazon, such as “maito” which is grilled fish wrapped in a “bijao” leaf and if you have an adventurous palatetry the grilled worm sof the “chonta” locally known as “chontakuru”. After dinner, prepare your flashlight for a night walk around the lodge to see different kind of insects, reptiles and even nocturnal mammals like the night monkeys.
Day 7: Culture, nature and wildlife
Early breakfast and then head in the motor boat to one of the highlights of Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. Then walk around 30 min, through “pericos” trail to reach the blind in the forest with a direct view to the amazing parakeet clay lick, which brings visitors face to face with up to 11 species of parrots and parakeets (including parrotlets and macaws), sometimes even mammals like howler monkeys, tapir and peccaries come to this place to drink water and get vital minerals for their body.
We return to the center of the community to have lunch at the dining hall and take a break in the lodge before hiking one hour in order to climb up the observation tower reaching 35 meters above the surface with high chances to spot a variety of birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, toucans, parrots and sloths.
Day 8: Nature, Wildlife and Adventure
Wake up with the chirping of Amazonian birds, to enjoy our local and organic breakfast buffet. After this, put on your rubber boots to start hiking the terra-firme forest at “Samona” trail, where you can feel like “Indiana Jones” in the middle of century-old kapok trees, spot capuchin, woolly and saki monkeys, look under the leafs to spot bizarre insects and tune your eyes and ears for the birds, monkeys and reptiles among the dense forest. Return to the eco-lodge for a refreshing drink and prepare for an exquisite lunch, including local specialties.
In the afternoon after a delicious local lunch, visit our second canopy observation tower to see more of the 600 hundred species of birds with specialized telescopes for wildlife watching.
Day 9: Wayusa ritual and farewell – Transfer to airport
To close with a flourish, take part on the optional “wayusada” ritual, in which at dawn around 4:30 a.m. is the time when the kichwa family share together the sacred “wayusa” and has been away to past their ancient knowledge to the new generations, here you also share traditional chants and have the chance to “interpret dreams” with the wisest “mama kuna” at the community, a mystique experience indeed.
Then head back for breakfast, while our staff pick you luggage for your return to Coca town, on board our comfortable motor boats for the last chance to appreciate the Ecuadorian rainforest landscape, until you reach “La Mision” river port. In Coca town you will take a domestic flight (flight lasts 30 minutes) to the city of Quito.
Day 10: Free day in Quito
This day you have it free to rest (if you wish) and prepare for the next adventure to the Galapagos Islands.
Day 11: Transfer to airport – trip to Galapagos Islands
Journey to Galapagos the most famous national park of Ecuador. You will take a domestic flight from Quito to Galapagos (flight lasts 1 hour 40 minutes). In Galapagos you will be welcomed by our personal who will take care you in the next 5 days. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included during your stay on the Galapagos.
Day 12 to day 14: Galapagos
During their stay in Galapagos you will perform activities such as shore excursions in different islands of the archipelago, swimming in the ocean and snorkeling.
Day 15: Back to Quito
On this day we say goodbye to the Galapagos Islands and return to Quito, but the adventure is not over yet.
Day 16: Cotopaxi National Park
Today you will visit the Cotopaxi National Park in the Andes, where you will be able to observe one of the most famous and favorite volcanoes for mountain climbers that visit Ecuador the Cotopaxi Volcano (5.897 m). You will also take a short walk around the Limpiopungo lagoon located in the park, and you will visit Tambopaxi which is the only hostel-restaurant in the park, to enjoy a hot drink. After visiting Cotopaxi National Park you will return to Quito.
Day 17: Tour in the south of the Andes of Ecuador – Riobamba city
You will leave Quito heading south to the city of Riobamba. Here we will stay in a luxurious Hacienda (ranch) where you can enjoy nature, the comfort and peace of the place, and observe the largest volcano in Ecuador, the Chimborazo (6.310 m).
If you are lucky enough to be there on a Thursday, we suggest you visit the colorful market of Guamote. This colorful market takes place on Thursdays only. Here you can watch the many locals dressed in colorful costumes while they show off their negotiating skills.
Day 18: Alausí town – train to La Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose)
After a luscious breakfast, we drive to Alausí, a small town in the Andes, from where we take the train to the Devil’s Nose (“La Nariz del Diablo”). In the train journey, you can enjoy the landscape of the Andean mountains. The train makes a stop in another small town called Sibambe where, after visiting the museum, we will return Alausí. There you will spend the night.
Day 19: Ingapirca – Cuenca city
On this day you will travel to the city of Cuenca which is the third most important city in Ecuador after Quito and Guayaquil. On the way to Cuenca you will stop in Ingapirca, the most important pre-Columbian archaeological site in Ecuador. At first, Ingapirca was a place of worship of the Kañari culture, later the Kañari were conquered by the Incas. Then, Ingapirca became part of the Inca empire which expanded the city. Upon reaching the city of Cuenca we will check into the hotel and after cooling off, we will go on a tour in the beautiful city.
Day 20: Cuenca city – Fly back to Quito
It’s your last day in Cuenca, and the last day of the tour, if time warrants we will make a final tour of Cuenca. After, we will take a domestic flight to the city of Quito (30 minute flight). Transfer to the hotel, and the rest of the day is free.
Day 21: Transfer to the International airport of Quito
Back home. You will have the last breakfast in Ecuador. Afterwards, we will transport you to the Mariscal Sucre International Airport.
Included
Not Included
Recommended equipment (not included) for the Amazon Rainforest
BW-1 (gentle walk)
The simplest form of hiking uses only wide and well-developed roads. Mainly on flat terrain and little inclined, without descents and exposed stairs. Usually well marked trails. No special equipment is required, it is recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes. More comfort and less physical activity. Cultural walks with contact with people. No prior knowledge required.
BW-2 (challenging walks / activities)
Activities partially challenging or longer than BW-1 (hiking and cycling). Partially difficult terrain (very steep terrain). Good health and good physical condition are required. Availability to light physical efforts, such as cycling and hiking.
BW-3 (mountains tours / outdoors activities)
Activities or hikes that are often demanding and / or extensive. Trails with considerable slopes, narrow, and not always well marked. For mountaineering an acclimatization process is required (heights more than 4.000 m). Safety when walking. Predisposition for heights. It requires very good health and good physical condition. Adventurous spirit.
BW-4 (Heavy Mountain Tour / outdoors activities)
In this category, mountaineering begins on a high alpine landscape (heights more than 5,000 m). For mountaineering, an acclimatization process is required. Use of crampons, ice axes, harnesses, and helmets are required. It requires excellent general health and physical condition. A sporting spirit and predisposition for demanding weather conditions.
BW-5 (extremely heavy mountain tour / outdoors activities)
Very serious mountain tours that demand a high level of risk-taking even for experienced mountaineers. Routes over very steep, and very exposed rock. As a rule, these alpine excursions are unmarked. The knowledge of the use of the equipment is extremely important. Technical mountains are climbed on this type of tour.
Our active trips are generally not suitable for people with reduced mobility. Do not hesitate to contact us, we will be glad to advise you.
Booking Request
Ask for this offer or contact us for further details and queries. Of course, we can tailor your dream trip to your individual needs.
Please fill out the form, with your information, the planned travel date and the number of participants. Of course we also advise you by phone or directly by email at the following contact options:
