Day 1: Europe Quito
Flight to Quito. Reception upon arrival and private transfer to the hotel. A short afternoon outing to immerse yourself in the neighborhood and some local traditions. Visit La Ronda Street, where you will taste a traditional specialty while enjoying a small Andean music concert. Introduction to the team that will accompany you throughout your stay. Welcome drink.
OUR PLUS: A single point of contact from the beginning.
Day 2: Visit Of Quito
Visit Quito with its white-walled houses and tiled roofs, its majestic churches, cobblestone streets, and courtyards that bear witness to its colonial past. The itinerary includes visits to the La Compañía, San Francisco, La Catedral, El Panecillo, and Basílica del Voto Nacional churches.
Meals at traditional Quito restaurants.
OUR PLUS: A cooking class with an Ecuadorian family or a "sensory" meal.
Day 3: Quito – Otavalo
Visit the Mitad del Mundo monument, latitude 00°00'00''. Excursion to Otavalo with its famous artisan market, discovery of Cuicocha Lagoon, and the city of Cotacachi, the leather capital.
In the afternoon, arrival at a community where you can enjoy a snack by the fire.
OUR PLUS: Visit an indigenous family to learn about Andean medicinal plants and also participate in workshops to see how the items sold at the market are made and learn how the wool is dyed. Visit Cochasqui and the Inca pyramids.
Day 4: Visit Pondo Wasi
After a good night’s rest, preparation of a traditional Inca dish: PachaManca – followed by a short hike to Cubilche Lagoon.
OUR PLUS: Full preparation of the PachaManca with the local community, making corn tortillas, and the famous spicy sauce: "ají." Pondo Wasi is a lodge where the rooms are built exactly like native homes, immersed in nature. We also offer ancestral ceremonies such as "ayawashca," "temazcal," and "shamanic cleansing."
Day 5: Nono
Departure to Nono. Activities will be offered according to the preferences of the day, such as birdwatching and yoga. Doris House.
OUR PLUS: Nono is a paradise for hummingbirds, and at Casa Doris, our guests will discover a very natural region ideal for wellness and rejuvenation walks. Casa Doris is managed by its owners. This is where we organize tree planting activities to promote reforestation in Ecuador. This activity is carried out with the indigenous community members, a group of entrepreneurial women, and the local schoolchildren.
Day 6: Nono Cotopaxi
A relaxing outing that will allow you to admire the landscapes of this change in climatic levels. Excursion to Cotopaxi National Park, dominated by the majestic cone of the world’s highest active volcano at 5,897 meters. Several activities are offered: hike to the refuge and admire the start of the glaciers, take photographs at 4,800 meters (almost the height of Mont Blanc), enjoy an impressive walk around the lagoons surrounding the volcano, or go horseback riding on the slopes of the volcano.
OUR PLUS: A short and energizing hike, visit to a rose garden with cultivation and preparation of roses for export “Qhapaq Ñan” (Inca trail) + rose liqueur workshop. Option to organize a downhill mountain biking experience.
Day 7: Cotopaxi Baños
Visit to Quilotoa volcano, with a descent to the lagoon. Optional half-hour walk around the lake. OUR most popular painting workshop with the locals. Visit a local family who grows quinoa, other cereals, and guinea pigs. We offer second-hand clothes and toys in one of the communities in the region. Traditional meal prepared by the community.
Route to Baños, the city of adventure sports, SPA, massages, and relaxation.
Day 8: Baños
You will see the Virgin's Mantle and the different waterfalls in the region. In Baños, we will also visit the famous Pailón del Diablo.
OUR PLUS: We offer a trip to Patate, including a visit to a family distillery. You’ll also visit the cultivation of fruit trees like avocado, mandarins, and papayas, and experience the distillation of some of these products with a tasting at a family farm.
Day 9: Baños – Rio Arajuno
A short getaway to the Amazon. After a canoe transfer along the Arajuno River, we will be comfortably settled at Lodge SAYANI. The connection with nature and the local communities is immediate.
OUR PLUS: A river bath and a wildlife guide in a region where you can observe various species of fauna and flora, such as green parrots.
Day 10: Amazonie
The communities in the Amazon are always happy to welcome our guests. You will learn about their food, ancestral family customs, dances, and taste traditional dishes from the region. Don’t forget the preparation of Amazonian chocolate.
Day 11: Amazonie
We offer a stay in the Amazon with members of local communities near Puyo, Cuyabeno, or Yasuní. This gives us the opportunity to engage in various activities and share in the community's rituals, celebrations, and have privileged contact with the region's SHAMAN.
Day 12: Amazonie Riobamba
We will continue our journey south to Riobamba. The volcanoes are an integral part of Ecuadorian life. Our trip south will bring you in touch with nature and indigenous communities. Visit to a local market and tagua crafting. Activities available include horseback riding, mountain biking, and hikes in another energetic spot in the region at the foot of Chimborazo.
OUR PLUS: Native market and time spent with a local family offering llama meat for the meal. Harvesting vegetables and ingredients for food preparation. Meals within the community.
Day 13: Ingapirca
After a unique journey through different landscapes, we will discover the legendary path known as the Devil's Frame. A meal is planned at a restaurant/viewpoint with a magnificent view of the valley. After lunch, we will head to the Ingapirca site, the most important Inca site in Ecuador. Visit the site and the museum.
OUR PLUS: A short hike along the Qhapaq Ñan in the region. Meeting with the indigenous people who manage an organic cereal farming project and traditional meals.
Day 14: Ingapirca Cuenca
A colorful breakfast with friendly and welcoming people. After touring the Inca Bath and the Inca Face, we will head to Cuenca. Visit the colonial part of the city, with free time to explore.
OUR PLUS: Spend time with the local communities to learn about the region's customs, the Tambo, and traditional outfits with the entrepreneurial women of the area. This region also has families and groups who weave "Panama" hats from generation to generation. We will visit these authentic weaving groups.
Day 15: Cuenca
Tour of the city. Visit Gualaceo and Chordeleg. Meet artisans dedicated to goldsmithing (jewelry) and cotton weaving (shawls).
OUR PLUS: On our return to Cuenca, we will have the classic chocolate at the market, where a guided tour is planned to explore the "flavors of Ecuador." A cooking class will take place in a local person's home.
Visit to a "Panama" hat factory.
Day 16: Cuenca Cajas Guayaquil
Departure to Cajas National Park. Hiking through the park's 700 lagoons.
OUR PLUS: During the hike, stops at the park's energy points. After a delicious meal at La Chorrera, we will head to the Ecuadorian coast. In the evening: sea and seafood. A stop at a tropical fruit farm for a tasting of fruit cocktails.
Arrival in Guayaquil, check-in at the hotel, and departure.
In the city, visit the most picturesque and attractive places: Iguana Park, Las Peñas neighborhood, and climb the 444 steps to the main port lighthouse.
OUR PLUS: Seafood tasting on a "bandeja" (platter) in the Ecuadorian coastal style, at the market.
Day 17: Departure From Guayaquil
Tour through the mangroves, visit to a local cacao producer.
OUR PLUS: You will also discover their farm, which is home to endemic bird species, howler monkeys, and see where the palm used to make the Toquilla straw hat (known as Panama, but originally Ecuadorian) grows. You will even make your own chocolate bars for the return journey.
Airport support and logistics.
