20 Day itinerary in Ecuador, South America
There are destinations that remain forever in the heart, famous for their culture, for their people, for their biodiversity. Places that awaken your senses with colors, smells and flavors, peculiar cities full of music, nightlife and Ecuador that has it all. This small country is located in South Am... Read More
By Karem and Responsible
Physical Difficulty
Recommended Age
Operated in
GUIDANCE
starting point
trip type
trip attributes
Indigenous culture
Hiking
Meet local people
Visit markets
Nature & Wildlife
Start
Night
End
Middle of the World - equator line
South American biggest indigenous market
Beautiful Amazon sunset
Andes avenue
Middle of the World - equator line
South American biggest indigenous market
Beautiful Amazon sunset
Andes avenue
TOURIST CLASS
Accommodation Categories
TRANSFER INN
Our tour starts at the time of arrival in Ecuador, a specialized guide will pick us up at Mariscal Sucre airport on the outskirts of the city of Quito to accompany us to our hotel.
CITY TOUR QUITO
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel. We start in the old city of Quito, which contains a rich and attractive diversity of churches, structures and historical sites, such as "La Plaza de la Independencia", "La Iglesia de San Francisco" and of course, the mighty "Basilica de Voto. National "We will then drive approximately 1 hour to Mitad del Mundo while simultaneously in the southern and northern hemispheres. Learn about Ecuador's rich culture with a visit to the national museum. During our visit to the Intiñan Museum, you can see for yourself the uniqueness of this halfway point: watch as water spins down the drain clockwise and counterclockwise or defy gravity by balancing an egg on the end of a nail. After you wil have a transfer to Mindo
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
MINDO-OTAVALO
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel. Prepare to be amazed by the colorful attractions of Mindo, where we will visit you at a beautiful waterfall and then head to a butterfly farm where you will have the opportunity to encounter hundreds of different species of native butterflies. Afterwards, we will enjoy a tasty chocolate making tour where we can see the steps to make chocolate and the products that can be created along the way. In the afternoon we will go to Otavalo for approximately 3.5 hours.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
OTAVALO MARKET
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel. Discover the most famous indigenous artisan market in Ecuador, the Otavalo, where our guide will give you an explanation of the local indigenous culture. We continue to the town of Cotacachi, then to the beautiful Cuicocha Lagoon. In the afternoon, we will admire the beautiful scenery of El Lechero, Otavalo, and San Pablo Lake, followed by a meeting with the Yachack or shamans of the Andes.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
OTAVALO COOKING CLASS
In an exclusive place for lovers of Otavaleña cuisine with native Andean products of our town. In our typical family house with tapiales and roof tiles, we expose the ancestral kitchen with the stove (tulpa), accompanied by a wood oven and the modern kitchen where we create flavors, texture, aroma and fascinating colors of the Andean dishes. In the afternoon, we will return and make a stop in Cayambe where we will taste the famous bizcochos of the city (cookies cooked over an open fire). Return to Quito to take the night bus to Cuyabeno
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast, Snacks
CUYABENO - ADVENTURE IN AMAZONAS
In the morning you will reach “El Puente” (“The Bridge”), the main entrance to the Cuyabeno Nature Reserve. From there you will make your way to your lodge in a motorized canoe. The drive along the Cuyabeno River takes about three hours, and with a bit of luck, you can see the first species of monkeys and birds. Since the river is not too wide in this region, there is a good chance you will get a close look at the flora and fauna. After you have arrived safely at the lodge, you will have time to rest a little and go on a first tour of the area around the lodge. After dinner, your bilingual guide will give you a brief introduction to the next few days' activities.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
CUYABENO - ADVENTURE IN AMAZONAS
Early in the morning you will explore and observe some species of monkeys and birds, activities of the awakening tropical forest. Breakfast. After a relax time we will hike through the rainforest your guide will share his knowledge and experience with you. You will learn how the most diverse life forms can coexist in the jungle and survive side by side within a delicate balance. Watch out for colorful butterflies, frogs and birds as you learn more about the great variety of flora. Later you will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you will take a trip on the Cuyabeno River, which will lead you through the dense forest landscape. You will be able to observe the wildlife found on the riverbanks, especially monkeys, macaws, toucans and sloths. Here you also have good chances to see pink river dolphins (Iniageoffrensis and Sotaliafluviatilis) in the impressive river landscape. Before dinner, after dusk, you will explore the lodge’s surroundings to look for nocturnal animals become active when the sun sets, such as insects, spiders, snakes and frogs.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
CUYABENO - ADVENTURE IN AMAZONAS
Early morning excursion, you will have a canoe ride to enjoy the awake of the nature. After having your breakfast, you will take a motorized canoe to visit the Seoqueya community, home to some Siona indigenous families. The family members will show you how to make ‘Cassave’ (typical Yuca bread for the region). Your guide will explain the local customs and traditions of their past and present culture while we have lunch. Later return to the lodge. In the afternoon you will travel by motorized canoe along the Cuyabeno River to the Laguna Grande. As you explore the lagoon, you will get to know ‘Igapó’, the flooded rainforest. This is a very special rainforest ecosystem dominated by giant macrolobium trees which, provide habitat for epiphytes and specialized bird species. After exploring the lagoon, you can refresh yourself off with a swim in the calm waters while watching the spectacular sunset of the Amazon. Later you will continue your adventure and observe the nocturnal fauna of the river landscape. In particular, watch out for caimans before returning to the lodge. Dinner.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
CUYABENO - ADVENTURE IN AMAZONAS
Today’s morning excursion includes a short trip by canoe. Take advantage of the early morning hours to observe the animals during their morning activities and to say goodbye to the jungle. After breakfast at the lodge you will have sufficient time to pack up your luggage for the return journey. The ride takes us upstream back to the civilization, ‘El Puente de Cuyabeno’. After lunch (box lunch), a private bus will take you back to Lago Agrio at 15h00 and from there you will return back to Papallacta Town
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
PAPALLACTA – COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK
Early in the morning after breakfast we have time to , we will head to Cotopaxi National Park. One of the highest snow-capped volcanoes in the world, the symmetrical cone of Cotopaxi rises from a vast plain that is home to lamas, condors, and herds of wild horses. This incredible adventure includes hikes and scenic drives through the park's majestic landscape. We will also share information about the different fauna, flora, and history of the park. Cotopaxi has its microclimate, and the weather in the area is very unpredictable, so be prepared with warm clothes.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
COTOPAXI-QUILOTOA-BAÑOS
Enjoy beautiful views of the Andes on the way to the Quilotoa lagoon, where we will pass through the ancient canyon of Zumbahua and many towns and farmlands. We will continue visiting an indigenous house where you will have the opportunity to interact with the local people (as long as we meet them at home). The excursion concludes with an option to hike into an extinct volcano crater to the Quilotoa Lagoon, a unique sparkling emerald lake. The return hike is steep and takes about an hour with the option to rent a mule at an additional cost.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
VISIT - BAÑOS
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel. Beautiful waterfalls and lush forests surround the quiet town of Baños. Baños de Agua Santa, also known as Baños, is a city in the east of the province of Tungurahua, in central Ecuador. Baños is one of the most popular cities in Tungurahua for adventure and tourism. It is known as the "Gateway to the Amazon" as it is located on the Pastaza River in the Upper Amazon Basin. The city is an important religious center, as most Catholic believers say that the Virgin Mary appeared near the waterfalls to protect the city from natural disasters. The city is closely linked to the Tungurahua volcano, which is very active. The city has a beautiful central park and waterfalls that include the magical "Pailón del Diablo" and the "Manto de la Novia".
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
BAÑOS – CHIMBORAZO-GUAMOTE
After breakfast we will head to the Chimborazo Faunistic reserve which is 6,384,416 km long. Measured from the center of the Earth it is bigger than Everest, and it is the closest point to the sun, here you will do some hikes in the altiplano where you can see different landscapes very memorable, then we will continue to the town of Guamote where we will rest after the activities.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
GUAMOTE – INGAPIRCA-CUENCA
After breakfast, we will head to the most important, Cañari-Inca archaeological complex in Ecuador: Ingapirca, which means "Wall of the Incas. The complex has patios, terraces, temples, and a "castle. We will visit the Site Museum and admire the stone fortress that has several thresholds, as well as the stone walls that combine perfectly with each other, without having any mortar in the middle, and after lunch, we will continue to the city of Cuenca. (if the day we are in Guamote is a Thursday, we will also visit the market)
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
CITY TOUR -CUENCA
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel. The tour begins with a city tour in the Historic Center of the city: San Sebastian, a picturesque and traditional neighborhood of Cuenca, houses the Museum of Modern Art, where the famous International Biennial of Painting takes place permanently. In addition, tourists visit Calderon Park (central park), the Plaza de las Flores, Church "del Carmen". They visit the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, better known as the "New Cathedral", considered one of the largest churches in Latin America. There is also a visit to the Cathedral "El Sagrario", commonly known as the "Old Cathedral", the first cathedral of the city. Afterward, tourists visit a Paja Toquilla hat factory, where they observe the process of making the best hats. The route continues with a visit to the "Barranco", which is a communion between architecture and the natural environment. The houses are attached to the slope, showing their majesty and charm. The visit ends at the "Mirador de Turi" (a panoramic viewpoint) where the landscape of a valley full of red roofs and church domes is framed by imposing mountains.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
NATIONAL PARK CAJAS – GUAYAQUIL
After breakfast, you will leave Cuenca and head westwards to the Cajas National Park. This National Park comprises more than 200 interconnected high-altitude lagoons. The Cajas is not only source of many rivers, but even connects to the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. After a hike around the most prominent lagoon, you will be taken to Guayaquil.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
VISIT MANGLARES CHURUTE-UNOCACE
Only 50 kilometers southeast of Guayaquil is the Manglares Churute Ecological Reserve, one of the best preserved natural regions of the Ecuadorian Pacific Coast, a must for nature lovers. A large part of the almost 60,000 hectares of the natural reserve are mangroves, after lunch we will continue to UNOCACE We start with a visit to UNOCACE which is the Union of Cocoa Farmers Organizations where you can see the complete process of cocoa and its derivatives.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
CITY TOUR GUAYAQUIL
City tour in the city, we will start the tour in Seminario Park, where you can admire many of the exotic green iguanas. Passing by the neoclassical Municipal Palace and the Morisco Clock Tower, we will arrive at the Simon Bolivar Malecon, an impressive and beautiful promenade more than two kilometers long on the banks of the gentle Guayas River. Next, we will visit the historic neighborhood of Las Peñas, at the foot of the picturesque Santa Ana hill. We will also visit the General Cemetery, famous for its mausoleums and tombs made of Carrara marble by Italian artists in the first decades of the 20th century. continuamos después del almuerzo a recorrer la Aerovía es un sistema de transportación pública Aero suspendida que conecta a las ciudades de Guayaquil y Durán, en la provincia del Guayas, Ecuador. El proyecto empezó a tomar forma en el 2014, luego fue presentado por la M.I. Municipalidad de Guayaquil en el 2015 y su construcción inició en el 2019.
Guide: Included for the day
Meals: Breakfast
VISIT -EL MORRO -ISLA DE LOS PAJAROS
Our guide will pick you up from your hotel. We begin Puerto El Morro is the departure point for countless tourist attractions such as the mangroves, the estuary of the dolphins, the island of birds, where we find more than 38 species of birds, etc.. Among its most significant flora are the carob tree, cullulle, muyuyo, aromo, cascol, plum, junquillo, ceibo, pitajaya, balsa, among others. In some places there are carob and algarrobito plants. The tour is interesting because there are motorboats that travel through the "Manglares El Morro Wildlife Refuge", a captivating place where more than 120 different species of birds can be admired in their natural habitat, in an area that has been declared a protected heritage site
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer out
You will be picked up in time for your return flight home, have a nice trip.
Meals: Breakfast
Meals
Transport
Activities
Extras
Not Included
TEAM LEAD
+1 Local experts
Baboo Certified
4.95 (22 reviews)
Hiking
Snorkeling/Diving
Visit markets
Meet local people
Indigenous culture
Rafting
Kayak & Canoe
Nature & Wildlife
Hi, I am Karem, your local expert for your next adventure in South America! I´ve worked and lived in various locations in Ecuador including Galapagos and the Amazon Jungle. Lately, I enjoy connecting with Nature by peaceful trekking in the mountains
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