Welcome to Ecuador !

A proverb says "Traveling leaves you speechless at first, before turning you into a storyteller"

... Let the adventure start in the country of the middle of the world ! Chulla vida !

Reception at the airport by an english-speaking guide.

Private transfer with driver from Quito airport to your hotel.

Night at Illa Experience hotel in Luxury room (Standard category).

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Quito stands out for its topography spread out from north to south, in an Andean corridor flanked by the Pichincha volcano and the valley where the airport is located. But it is above all the largest and most preserved colonial city on the continent.

Then you will visit the colonial and republican center of Quito :

• the Panecillo, the statue of the Virgin of Quito, located on top of a hill overlooking the city;
• the Church of the Society of Jesus (of the Jesuits), the most gold-laden church in South America;
• the Church of San Francisco (of the Franciscans) and its convent/museum;
• the Plaza Grande where the Presidential Palace (Carondelet) and the Cathedral of Quito are located;
• the district of La Ronda for its craftsmen.

Night at Illa Experience hotel in Luxury room (Standard category).

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Journey to the Eastern cordillera, with great views on the mountain lakes and the green valleys. You will arrive to Papallacata after passing a saddle at 3200m.

Break at the Papallacta Hot Springs, in the private part of the Termas Papallacta Hotel. A little bath in the hot waters with an invigorating air when you come out can only make you gain colors.

Be aware, however, that it can get cold at times and if you are afraid of sudden changes in temperature, it is best to refrain from doing so.

In this case, a restaurant-cafeteria will serve as a refuge to admire the superb high altitude vegetation of this area.

You will also be able to use all types of treatments (massage,...) whose cost will be paid on the spot.

Departure from Papallacta for a trip to San Isidro. You will enjoy on the way various landscapes as you will cross a mountain pass at 4000 meters.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Departure from San Isidro to Archidona.

A short walk through the jungle will take you to this magnificent waterfall which falls into a large natural pool, the perfect place for a refreshing dip on a hot day.

Along the way you will be able to appreciate the flora and some typical jungle animals and insects.

You will spend the night at the Hamadryade Lodge. You will have various activity options:

- Relaxation by the pool;

- Walking on the trails of the lodge;

- Visit the village of Misahualli on the banks of the Napo River;

- Take a walk to the Latas waterfalls;

- Dinner at the lodge's panoramic restaurant from where you can enjoy the view of the jungle and the Rio Napo.

- Option of a relaxing massage next to the fire in the outdoor massage room.

NOTE: these options have different prices to be agreed on site or with your guide.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

You will join the community of Santa Rita where you will learn more about the origin of the cocoa selected by the manufacturer Pacari. You will see how the cocoa is processed as well as all the technical process necessary to create the unique taste of Pacari chocolate.

During your walk through the plantations, you should go through petroglyphs. These are the ancestral traces of the native cultures that inhabited this area, known as the Sacred Valley of the Anaconda. You will also look for ripe cocoa pods to taste the flesh coating the beans, sweet and slightly tart .

You will also learn how to make chocolate paste and hot chocolate. You will learn the complete process of cocoa making with local secrets.

You will spend the night at the Hamadryade Lodge. You will have various activity options:

- Relaxation by the pool;

- Walking on the trails of the lodge;

- Visit the village of Misahualli on the banks of the Napo River;

- Take a walk to the Latas waterfalls;

- Dinner at the lodge's panoramic restaurant from where you can enjoy the view of the jungle and the Rio Napo.

- Option of a relaxing massage next to the fire in the outdoor massage room.

NOTE: these options have different prices to be agreed on site or with your guide.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

You will take the road toward the south until the little village of Fatima, just before the city of Puyo.

Half day of participation in a solidarity activity of reforestation:

You will take part in solidarity reforestation activities such as weeding, fertilizing and/or planting a tree. This in order to better understand this complex environment that is the Amazon and the fragile balance of these ecosystems threatened by human activities. It will be a way to make your contribution to this fundamental struggle.

Lunch at the Reserve before or after the activity, depending on your program.

Vegan menu.

Vegan dinner and night at the Yapas Reserve hotel in Standard room.

You will participate in a 1h30 yoga class at the Los Yapas Reserve.

You will enjoy 1h30 of massage Full Body.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

On the way to Banos you will follow the "Ruta de Cascadas" along the deep gorges of the Pastaza river and observe the evolution of the ecosystem from 950 to 1800 meters of elevation with spectacular views over the upper Amazon basin and a dozen of waterfalls.

You will visit the "Pailón del Diablo", the most famous waterfalls in the country. You will discover them by descending to a viewpoint where you can appreciate this powerful waterfall, which is made up of three sections, the highest of which is 80 metres high. From its vertiginous stairs try to find the shape of the face of the devil who gave the name to the waterfall.

Further on the road, following the inca style, you can use a suspended basket called locally tarabita to cross the Pastaza and reach a waterfall called "Manto de la Novia".

Visit of about an hour to the Mama Tungurahua family project of organic and artisanal soaps. You will be able to discover the whole process of making a soap, with local fair trade ingredients.

The flagship product is an exfoliating soap made from the ashes of the Tungurahua volcano, near the town of Baños!

A great initiative!

The road to Riobamba follows a fertile and green valley where you can observe recent lavas from the Tungurahua.

Night at La Andaluza hacienda in Standard room.

Access to the spa for two hours with Jacuzzi, steam bath, sauna, polar zone and meditation.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Visit to the Chimborazo Natural Reserve:

In a landscape of "paramo", these Andean plateaus with high grass swept by the winds of altitude, you will certainly come across herds of vicuñas. You will drive up to the first refuge.

Then you will be able to get closer to the summit (you don't have to, of course, you can stay at the refuge), the highest in Ecuador, at 6,263m / 20,548 ft. when you reach the second refuge.

You will not be far from the first snows and never so close to the sun because due to the bulging of the earth at the level of the equator, the summit of Chimborazo is considered the furthest from the center of the earth.

NOTE: Altitudes: 1st refuge (Carrel): 4800m. / 2nd refuge (Whymper): 5100m.

Journey on the Panamerican road to the Cotopaxi park.

Night at Hacienda El Porvenir in Tradicional room (Standard category).

You can enjoy the hot tub and the sauna of your hotel.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Today, visit of the Cotopaxi national park with Ecuador's second highest summit at 5897 meters. It is also the highest active volcano in the world although it mainly shows a few fumaroles from its ice covered crater. But sometimes it launches a huge column smoke and ashes right upon its center.

Afterward, you will walk around the Limpiopungo laggon with stunning view on the Cotopaxi. You will appreciate the flora and some fauna, typical of the "paramo", those wide plains swept by the cold winds of the Andes.

After driving up to the car park at 4600 meters you will continue by foot to the José Rivas hut 200 meters higher.

The most motivated can also go and reach the snowline.

Night at Hacienda El Porvenir in Tradicional room (Standard category).

You can enjoy the hot tub and the sauna of your hotel.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Horseback riding El Porvenir:

You will start your 2 hour show towards the slopes of the dormant Rumiñahui Volcano on exclusive trails inside the hacienda. You will be totally charmed by the Andean landscapes that surround you and if the weather permits, you will have the opportunity to see 13 volcanoes in total.

You will then get back on the road to Quito Airport.

Free connection for your international flight from Quito. According to your flight schedule, you will dispose of more or less free time.