Take a glimpse out of the window while approaching Quito Airport and have a first look at the beautiful Andean scenery that surrounds Ecuador’s capital. Upon arrival, your driver will welcome you and escort you to your hotel in the city center. Depending on your time of arrival, just relax a bit in your hotel or head out for a first exploration of the city.

A cultural experience is waiting for you today: a visit to the famous indigenous market of Otavalo. Explore the countless small passageways and meander around the main square full of small stands with handmade jewelry, traditional clothes, and typical food. The surroundings of Otavalo are also worth a visit: head to the less-known Mojanda Lakes for a walk around the most prominent lagoon, or – if you are into hiking – summit the Fuya Fuya volcano (4.279 m).

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

You will explore Quito's historic city center today! Quito stands at an altitude of 2.850 m and the city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Stroll through the narrow streets and visit some of the most important churches such as La Compañía (its interior is covered in gold), a great example for the "Baroque School of Quito". Explore "La Ronda", one of the oldest streets, and enjoy the 360° view from Panecillo Hill. In the early afternoon, it is time to cook up some traditional dishes. But before we can do that, we need to head to the local market to shop for fresh ingredients. Take a stroll through the hallways and be amazed by the variety of exotic fruits offered here. After our shopping tour, we return to the restaurant for some hands-on culinary experience. The chef will take you step by step through the process and of course, you will get to taste your creation for lunch. Visit the Equator Monument, which highlights the exact location of the equatorial line according to the Franco-Spanish mission that determined its approximate location. It's also the location of the Ethnographical Museum that showcases the indigenous culture and ethnography of Ecuador.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, head south to Cotopaxi National Park. Stop at Limpiopungo Lagoon for a short hike to take in the panoramic mountain views. You'll also see the El Salitre Inca Ruins, located in the park highlands. Keep an eye out for wildlife—Lake Limpiopungo is home to a variety of birds and occasionally even wild horses. In the afternoon, explore the national park on foot. Hike through beautiful páramo (typical Andean landscape) before enjoying the rest of the evening in front of the chimney in the cozy traditional hacienda.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a nice breakfast on your traditional hacienda then head to the stunning turquoise crater lake of Quilotoa, the pinnacle of the ecological reserve of Ilinizas. Here you hike down into the crater for an hour. At the bottom, there is the opportunity to hire and try kayaking into the middle of the lake and take another glimpse of the jaw-dropping 360-degree views. You can also hike around the crater rim and take beautiful pictures. In the evening, continue to Baños.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we will explore the border of the lush Amazon basin where we will visit the famous Pailón del Diablo, the Devil’s Cauldron waterfall. This powerful cascade forms a small gorge; you can admire its majesty not only alongside but also from above thanks to an overhanging bridge. In the afternoon, we will return to Baños and stop by Casa del Árbol, famous for its swing overlooking the valley of Baños and the Tungurahua volcano.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning begin your car ride toward the city of Riobamba. Stop at Ecuador's highest mountain, Chimborazo, then enter the park to enjoy some beautiful hiking in the area. If you're lucky you may even see a few vicuñas on the plateau landscapes. Stop in Guano, known as the "Artisan Capital" of Ecuador, famous for its rugs. You can also visit the "Guano Museum" where you can see a local mummy, a Spanish monk found in La Asuncion Church, built about 500 years ago.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Today we will visit the Balvanera Church, considered the first Catholic temple built on Ecuadorian territory, later we will be able to visit the Colta lagoon where we will take amazing photos of this beautiful lagoon. Then visit the Palmira desert where we will take a short trek in the middle of the desert dunes and the pine trees. Afterward, we would have time to take pictures and sandboard.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Keep on going south, stop on the way at Ingapirca, one of the main Pre-Inca ruins. Finally, you arrive to Cuenca, which is said to be one of South America's most stunning towns.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Take a 4-hour city tour through the historic center of the city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to get to know the city, before heading to Turi to enjoy the amazing view. In the afternoon we will visit the nearby rural villages. Visit an orchid farm in Gualaceo with over 6,000 different varieties of orchids, then continue to Chordeleg to discover the city's well-known gold and silver craftwork.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

We are leaving the highlands today and head to the Pacific coast. On the way there we have to cross the El Cajas National Park. Here, glaciers over thousands of years have formed hundreds of smaller and bigger lagoons that connect directly with the Pacific Ocean. El Cajas with its countless lagoons, valley, and peaks is an excellent place for hiking. With a bit of luck, you will spot some of the endemic or endangered species that call the park it’s home, for example, the Andean Condor, the Spectacled Bear, or the Giant Hummingbird. Afterward, we finally reach lower altitudes, the weather gets warmer and the vegetation changes strikingly from bare Páramo grassland to lush banana plantations.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

In Guayaquil, your guide will show you some of the highlights of the city. At the Parque Histórico, discover some of the native species such as sloths, monkeys, and parrots, in a park recreating the natural mangrove habitat. The next stop is the Cementerio General, an early 20th-century cemetery, in which artistic tombs are witnesses of the prospering cocoa trade of that time. Finally, you will walk the historical cobblestone streets of Puerto Santa Ana, and the busy boardwalk Malecón 2000 along the River Guayas.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Time flew by way too fast, so now it’s already time to say goodbye. On time for your international flight, your driver will pick you up at your hotel and accompany you to Guayaquil Airport. We hope that you’ve had an unforgettable time in Ecuador and that you’ll visit us again one day!

Meals: Breakfast