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 in the Casa Rocafuerte guest house in Standard room.

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 in the Casa Rocafuerte guest house in Standard room.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Visit of the house of the Agave:

The agave, known as the plant used to make the famous Tequila in Mexico, is also traditionally used in Ecuador in the manufacture of various other products.

This stop at the House of Agave will permit you to discover a garden where several species of this plant are cultivated. Then, you will visit a small museum about the history of this plant and its uses in the Ecuadorian culture. Afterward, you will heading to the distillery where you will observe the different stages of the process from the raw material to the final product.

You will taste the different products made from agave such as jam, syrup and taste the house's tequila. A cocktail from the bar will also be served at the end of the experience.

You will go to "La Mitad del Mundo" (the middle of the world) to set one foot in the southern hemisphere and the other in the north! Beware, this is only for the photo because make no mistake, the site was built in homage to a scientific mission that came to determine the passage of the equatorial line, but not to indicate it. The site also includes various pavilions that deal with the geographical and cultural subjects of Ecuador, including the French pavilion dedicated to this expedition led by Charles-Marie de La Condamine in 1736.

Experience Toak "Chocolate y Arte" :

You will visit the house of the famous painter Guayasamìn. Internationally renowned, he made a gift to Unesco of a fresco that still adorns the entrance to the Executive Council Chamber in Paris.

You will have the privilege of accessing the painter's private collection, usually closed to the public.

You will finish this visit in the wine cellar of Guayasamín: on the programme, a chocolate tasting, and not the least, since it is simply one of the most qualitative and expensive chocolates in the world : To'ak.

Recognised experts will explain the history and processes of cocoa and the brand, and then you will taste three editions (corresponding to the years of the cocoa harvest) as well as three vintage chocolates.

Finally, if you wish, you will be offered the opportunity to pair this chocolate with a rum, whisky or similar.

To'ak is an initiative that aims to safeguard the endemic Ecuadorian variety that made the wealth of the country at the end of the nineteenth century and of which they found specimens of 100 years old in the province of Manabi. A very strict protocol was put in place to identify each cocoa tree and isolate its production. To'ak chocolate is therefore made from this cocoa whose taste results from variations in production (climate change, soil, etc...) and aging methods.

Night in the Casa Rocafuerte guest house in Standard room.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

You will get out of Quito direction to Otavalo, passing through one of the regions where they grow the famous ecuadorian roses and you will appreciate a beautiful landscape made of numerous summits of the northern Andes.

You will meet Claudia, originally from the Otavalo region, who will introduce you to the traditional Quechua cuisine. An authentic experience, in the heart of a local village and in contact with locally produced ingredients.

Take advantage of your host's generosity to learn more about her customs. She is the perfect ambassador to introduce you to the cosmovision of her people.

You will visit the indigenous market of Otavalo, the most famous Ecuadorian handicraft market in the Andes.

There you will meet the indigenous Otavaleños wearing espadrilles, brown felt hats and a blue poncho on their shoulders. They are the most prosperous indigenous people in Ecuador and are formidable traders.

Obviously this market has a very developed tourist aspect, but it is one of the country's must-sees.

Visit of the village of Peguche, where you will discover the Andean music instrument fabrication workshops. You may attend to a local music session and the weaving process, an old art well established in the area.

Night at the Hacienda Pinsaqui in Suite room.

Note that this place is full of a rich history, with the passage of illustrious characters such as Simon Bolivar, the Libertador, enough to feed your dreams!

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

You will take the route towards San Clemente village, south of Ibarra.

You will spend some time with your host family, a privileged opportunity to discover their way of life, their culture and their traditions. During your walks in the community with your hosts, you will discover San Clemente, its people, its artisans, the workers in the fields, its medicinal plant trail carefully maintained because they use it frequently, the guinea pig farms, the llamas and much more.

Presentation of the andean calendar and the agricultural cycles in relation with the ancestral medicine. You may participate to agricultural tasks as preparing the soil with the help of bulls, with the idea to understand the link between food safety and previous obligations in the andean cosmovision.

You will take a tour of the medicinal plant path used by the community for its care. Then you will spend some time with the village healer and other plant connoisseurs to learn about their uses. You will also learn about the importance of these plants in the cosmovision of the Kayambis Indians.

Dinner and overnight in the Karanqui indigenous community of San Clemente. You will be hosted in a family where you will share the meal.

This stay is one of the most genuine exchange experiences within an indigenous community.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Morning wake up to prepare breakfast with your host and probably then, to accompany and help the people of the community in their morning work with their animals.

NOTE: activities correspond to the needs of the community at the time of your stay.

The pamba mesa is a community meal where everyone contributes to the common table. It is also an opportunity to show gratitude to Mother Earth through offerings. You will therefore have the chance to participate in such a collective ritual, typical of Andean cultures.

On the way to the eastern cordillera, you will reach a pass at 4200m. before getting to Papallacta. Mountain lakes, viewpoints on the green valleys, Antisana volcano on your right if clear, will animate this journey in the Andes.

Night at San Isidro Lodge in Standard room.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Departure from Papallacta for a trip to the exotic Oriente. You will enjoy on the way various landscapes as you will cross a mountain pass at 4000 meters before descending to the Amazonian basin at an elevation of approximately 900 meters. You will have many opportunities to take photos on the road to Archidona, of the green valleys and the amazing waterfalls.

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 wil go to Puyo.

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

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

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.

Journey to Baños.

Visit of Baños, a pleasant little spa town for a little stroll. Its basilica is worth a visit. You can also visit a workshop of tagua, the vegetable ivory. Or let yourself be tempted by the local "candy cane", the melcocha.

And why not at the end of the day a swim in one of the thermal baths of the city to relax.

You will also enjoy the local sweets known as Melcochas, is a thick and very sweet candy. The sweetness comes from its main ingredient: sugar cane. It is easy to find melcocha all year round in Ecuador and especially in Baños, where the manufacturing process takes place.

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.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Lunch in a communitarian restaurant, next to the lama museum, with a traditional andean dish : the lama meat.

Journey to the South and to Guamote, a typical Andean village.

It's time for your Andean culinary preparation session. Guamote being known for quinoa, you will learn how to prepare a typical Andean dish based on this ingredient. Another typical dish that you will be able to cook is the empanadas de viento.

You will have even more pleasure afterwards to taste the fruit of your own work. A simple and authentic experience in about 1 hour.

Night at the Inti Sisa Inn.

Inti Sisa is a community-based housing initiative in the village of Guamote. You are in the heart of the most indigenous region of the country. And your hosts will be able to guide you or give you the keys to understand this unfamiliar Andean world.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

Visit of the Guamote market (Thursdays only), one of the most authentic, popular, original and colorful markets in Ecuador. Its animal market is considered to be the most important in Latin America. All kinds of animals are bartered or sold there. And the mix of Andean populations with colorful traditional clothing is a real spectacle.

Night at Ikala hotel in Junior Suite room.

English-speaking guide in a private transport.

It's time to stock up on exotic flavors and put on the apron! Accompanied by a chef from Claroscuro, a gastro-bar located in the historic center of Quito, during this Cooking Class you will learn how to cook typical Ecuadorian dishes in an elaborate manner. Between preparation secrets, tastings and sharing of know-how, this moment is a real travel experience that allows you to bring a little bit of Ecuador once you get home.

Straight now 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.