Itinerary:

DAY 1

This journey is the best choice for first-time-travelers to Ecuador, or for guests with limited time on their journey. You will start early in the morning, at 8:00 a.m., towards the “Amazon basins”. After traveling through the Valley of Tumbaco across the eastern cordillera of the Andes and then descending through the cloud forest to reach the small village of Papallacta, you will stop to enjoy its hot springs! This waters give you the opportunity to enjoy its incredible healing and relaxing properties! Papallacta is a small village located at an altitude of 3.300 meters above sea level (10,826 ft), in the Andes mountains, just off the Eastern Cordillera on the road from Quito that leads into the Amazon jungle. You will stop at a Hummingbirds' Paradise to experience the privilege to spot hundreds of them flying around you from a very close distance, then you continue towards Baeza, that is located in between three important national parks: Antisana, Sumaco-Napo-Galeras and Cayambe-Coca! You will stop at the “Macao’s viewpoint”, from where you can appreciate a large green carpet with exuberant Amazon vegetation! Then you arrive to the dock where your motorized canoe awaits to take you to your lodge! After a 10 minutes ride you will arrive to Itamandi Lodge. Immediately you will have time to acclimatize and adapt to the new weather conditions. There you begin your Amazon adventure! Dinner, night walk and overnight at the Jungle Lodge.

DAY 2

Breakfast. You go on a canoe ride through the Arajuno River, enjoying stunning views of the jungle and its local communities. Then we do a walk into a primary forest in order to learn about the local vegetation and its particular local uses, as well to have a great taste about how is making a living in such extreme conditions! Eventualy it will be possible to walk around a Quichwa Community, to learn more about their way of living, thoughts and believes, and also to keep watching local creatures in the wild. Then you'll be ready to try one of the most popular adventure water sports well-known as “tubing”! After your fascinating experience by yourself on the friendly waters of the river, you will go back to the lodge to have a tasty lunch. During your walk in the jungle, you will enjoy the incredible landscape of the tropical rainforest! At night you will share your experiences at the pool area, which is located next to the bar! You will enjoy the lovely atmosphere of the lodge for the rest of the night.

DAY 3

Early in the morning, before breakfast, you'll have the opporutnity to take a canoe ride to visit a especial location where every morning a large group of parrots and parakeets join to lick stones rich in minerals, which is necessary to help them digest other products that they will eat on the rest of the day. You return back to the lodge to have breakfast. Then your next destination is Puyo, where you will learn all about the wooden carvings made out of balsa wood. Continuing with our trip you cannot miss the well-known and famous “Avenue of the Waterfalls”; where you will visit the “Devil's Cauldron”, where you will walk through narrow trails and hanging bridges, until you arrive to the 72-meters-tall waterfall, that give you the opportunity to enjoy three more waterfalls! Going back to the Andes, you will stop to take a ride on a 500-meters-long cable car, which give you the privilege to admire another beautiful waterfall called “Manto de la Novia”. You go through several tunnels built inside the mountains until you arrive to the “Agoyán waterfall”. Finally you arrive to “Baños de Agua Santa”, wich is at the foothills of the majestic “Tungurahua Volcano” (5.016 m - 16,456 ft) that has been in activity since 1999! You will stay the overnight at Hotel Monteselva SPA & Resort, located in a privileged area of the city! Time to relax in the SPA or at the picturesque streets of Baños.

DAY 4

After having a tasty and filling breakfast, you start your drive back to Quito. During your journey you will visit the “Salasaca's Indian Market”, and San Agustin de Callo, a unique colonial hacienda in Ecuador, built over impressive Inca foundations, where you will have the privilege to enjoy a traditional lunch, surrounded by Inca walls and llamas, while you learn all about the history of this charming farmhouse!! After lunch, you go to Cotopaxi Volcano (5.897 m - 19,347 ft), which is a beautiful and unique national park to admire the local flora, lagoons, wild horses and the majesty of the second highest active volcano of the world! You also will enjoy the variations of landscapes while you walk around “Limpiopungo Lagoon” (3.800 m - 12,467 ft). After your first hike, we drive up to the parking lot located at 4.500 meters above sea level (14,763 ft), and then you will have the opportunity to hike up to 4.800 meters above sea level (15,748 ft), where the "José Rivas refuge" is located, very close to the glaciers!! Then you start the drive back to Quito, and that is how we finish this unforgettable lifetime experience journey!

RECOMMENDED DAYS: Any day of the week.

Include:

• Private Transportation
• Certified English speaking guide
• Canoe rides
• Native guides
• Mentioned hotels or similar (depending on availability)
• Hotels breakfast
• Amazon lodge full board
• Entrance fees
• Mentioned itinerary and visits

Exclude:

• Drinks
• Extra meals

Level de Difficulty: 

• Moderate

Recommendations:

Important outfits: Camera, sunscreen lotion, insect repellent, cap or hat, sunglasses, gloves, bathing suit, towel, sandals, binoculars, backpack or handbag, comfortable walking shoes or tennis shoes, T-shirts, long sleeves shirts, long and short trousers, windbreaker and waterproof jacket, warm sweaters, passport, and some cash (US dollars) for additional entrance fees, meals or drinks.

Tour average temperature: 12 C° - 26 C°  /  53,6 F° - 78,8 F°  

Insurance: It is responsibility of every traveler that he/she is adequately insured against personal accidents and medical expenses during his/her trip to Ecuador, as well as having travel cancellation and baggage insurance to protect himself/herself.

Tour booking policy: Our tours are based on private transportation and guiding services. - All tour prices are given in US dollars. - All services should be fully prepaid before starting the tour. - Bookings must be done through www.ecuadorbesttours.com, or by paying directly at our offices. - For last minute bookings, our clients must request availability via phone call or email. After confirming availability, bookings must be fully prepaid before starting the tour. - Especial physical conditions, allergies and dietary restrictions must be informed to a EBT's representative in advance. - Our tours will be guided in fluent English or Spanish languages, as it is required. - EBT shall have no liability with passengers in case of accidents or sickness. Therefore, EBT deeply recommends a private travel insurance. - EBT reserves the right to cancel or suspend tours depending on weather conditions, natural disasters, government regulations, suspicious diseases, etc. Always regarding for the safety of the passengers. - Under no circumstances, EBT will refund any money on the same day that the tour takes place. - Cancellations must be done 5 days previous departure day. - Flights cancellations, or last minute flight changes are totally out of control or responsibility of EBT. - Children under 3 years old don't pay. - EBT never offers any refund if a cancellation happens within 5 days before tours departure date. - EBT always offers a 60% refund of the total amount if the client decides to cancel a tour 6 days or more, before tours departure date.