Itinerary:

Day 1

This is the perfect way to start discovering Ecuador, without missing a single highlight on your journey! According to your flight schedule; after landing in “Mariscal Sucre Airport" of Quito, your certified bilingual tour guide will be waiting for you, holding a sign with your name on it, in order to pick you up and drive you approximately 40 minutes up to Quito! Once you arrive to the city, you will relax and stay the overnight at Hotel Reina Isabel, which is in a very privileged location in new town!

Day 2

Your guide will pick you up at 7:30 a.m. from your hotel to start this fantastic adventure!! You will drive up to the eastern cordillera towards the town of Pintag, from where you start driving uphill way to the foothills of Antisana Volcano, the fourth highest volcano in the country (5.704 m - 18,713 ft)! It is a perfect volcanic cone, consisting of two volcanic cones; the oldest one was eroded by an ancient glacier. At 12,500 feet above sea level, you will have great opportunities of finding interesting wildlife such as: eagles, carunculated caracaras, white-tail deer, foxes and of course, the majestic Andean condors, considered the largest flying birds in the world and one of the rarest species that may have survived since the era of the mega beasts (10.000 years approx.)! It is in this reserve where you have the best chances of spotting these huge birds! You also walk through the Andean foothills to the Mica lagoon (4.050 m - 13,287 ft), result from the end of the last ice age. At the end of our first experience at the Ecuadorian Andes, you will stay in Chilcabamba Lodge, with a spectacular infrastructure and privilege location!

Day 3 

During breakfast time you could admire Cotopaxi Volcano (5,897 m - 19,347 ft), which is the second highest active volcano of the world! Upon entering the national park you will be surrounded by pristine forests, mountains, lakes, wild horses and ecosystems that are changing as you get higher in the reserve. You will appreciate the wildlife in its own natural habitat while you are participating in the walk around Laguna Limpiopungo (3.800 m - 12,467 ft)! Here you will have the challenge of driving up to the parking lot (4.500 m - 14,763 ft), and then walking up to 4.800 meters (16,000 feet), where the Refuge "José Rivas" is! Having completed this walk, you will know you have been higher than Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain in the Alps! After hiking in the park, you visit San Agustin del Callo, a unique colonial hacienda in Ecuador, built over impressive Inca structures. Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy a typical meal, surrounded by Inca walls and llamas, while you learn all about the history of this cozy place! Then you will take the Pan-American Highway to head south along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes" driving up to Tigua. You visit the hut of an indigenous family where you will have the opportunity to interact with the local people and also learn some Kichwa words, which is the native language of the Andean region! You will stay the overnight in a charming farmhouse called “Posada de Tigua”. 

Day 4 

You start at 9:00 a.m., after having breakfast. You will visit the crater lake of Quilotoa Volcano, which has an emerald colour in its waters, and it is located at 3.600 meters (11,811 ft), from here you'll enjoy a spectacular view of the foothills of the Andes. This day includes a steep hike down to the crater of the Volcano, which takes about 25 minutes going downhill. The way back will take about one hour to the parking lot; otherwise, you have the option of renting a mule to make it more comfortable! After this magical adventure, you go towards the city of Baños de Agua Santa. On the way you will visit Salasaca Indian Market, and you'll have a great view of Tungurahua Volcano, that has been active since 1999! Once you arrive to Baños, you'll walk through the picturesque streets of the city and have time to visit the convent of the “Virgin of Agua Santa”, where you can see paintings with clear descriptions of different eruptions of the volcano! You will stay at the Hotel Volcano. 

Day 5 

Breakfast. You start at 9:00 a.m. straight down to the "Avenue of the Waterfalls"! On the way you will admire the hydroelectric dam and waterfall of Agoyán and the cascades "Puerta al Cielo", and "Manto de la Novia" where you use the cable car to cross the Pastaza River Canyon, which is located between the edge of the Sangay National Park and the Llanganates National Park. You will hike about one hour to "Pailón del Diablo", experiencing a big climate change and Amazonian vegetation! After lunch, you will return back to the city of Baños, to relax and enjoy all the facilities that this city offers: restaurants, hot springs, SPA, zoo, healing treatments and massages; or you could arrange some other excursion as white water river rafting, canyoning, paragliding, etc. Overnight at Hotel Volcano, and time to enjoy its great and peaceful nightlife! 

Day 6 

Breakfast. You start the drive at 8:00 a.m. towards Chimborazo mountain, which is the highest volcano in Ecuador (6,310 m - 20,702 ft) and the farthest point from the centre of the Earth, it means the closest point to outer space; reason why it is known as "the closest point to the Sun", because the Earth's diameter in the equatorial latitude is wider than in the latitude of Mount Everest (about 28° north)! Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 A.C. It is in this magical mountain where Alexander von Humboldt made important annotations that contributed to the study of the geology of the planet. From the city of Ambato, you start driving up to "El Arenal" (4.200 m - 13,779 ft), where you can observe the three types of South American camels that Ecuador has, living in between inhospitable places and indigenous communities! You will have the opportunity to hike up to 5.000 meters (16,404 ft), to appreciate the majesty of its glaciers! Around 4:00 p.m. you'll arrive to the city of Riobamba, and will stay at Hacienda Abraspungo. If the weather permits, you'll enjoy watching the Tungurahua volcano (5.000 m) and the Altar volcano (5.319 m) from its gardens! 

Day 7

Breakfast. At 8:00 a.m. you start your journey towards the most beautiful city of Ecuador! on our way it will be possible to visit the first Catholic Church of Ecuador built by the Spaniards on 1534, and the Alausí Train Station, which is located at 2.346 meters (7,696 ft) to have a coffee or a snack. You continue with your journey through the Ecuadorian Austro, but not before visiting the fantastic archaeological complex of Ingapirca, considered the most outstanding one in Ecuador! Here you can clearly learn all about the Inca and Cañari cultures, which were very important pre-Columbian civilizations in South America! You will stay your overnight at Posada Ingapirca to keep enjoying the misteries of our past. 

Day 8

Breakfast. You'll travel at 8:00 a.m. from Ingapirca to Cuenca, which is the third largest city in Ecuador and also considered as a World Cultural Heritage Site (UNESCO 1999). This city offers fascinating streets, bridges and colonial squares. As soon as you walk towards the main square, known as the “Abdón Calderon Park”, you can observe the Old Cathedral, also known as "El Sagrario" (recently renovated), built over Inca structures! Some of the Incas stones still can been seen clearly! The second Cathedral is the "New Cathedral"; which is considered the largest one in South America. You'll stop at the potteries workshops and the famous straw hats known as "Panama Hats", here you will know its history and tradition! You will stay the overnight at Hotel Victoria, located in an important sector of the city, along the river-banks of Tomebamba River. 

Day 9 

After having breakfast you will have free time to explore the city by your own! In the afternoon, you will be picked up by your local vehicle to be transported to the Mariscal Lamar Airport of Cuenca, to take the flight back to Quito. End of our unforgettable adventure in the Ecuadorian Andean mountains!! End of services.

RECOMMENDED DAYS: Any day of the week. 

Include:

• Private Transportation
• Certified english speaking guide
• Entrances fees
• Mentioned itinerary and visits
• Lodging in mentioned hotels or similar (depending on availability)
• All hotel breakfasts
• Lunch and dinner day # 3
• Flight ticket Cuenca – Quito
• Transportation Cuenca hotel – Cuenca airport

Exclude:

• Drinks
• Additional meals
• Additional hotel nights

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: 11 C° - 24 C°  /  51,8 F° - 75,2 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. - This tour is recommended for people over 8 years old. - 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.