ECUADOR HIGHLIGHTS
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Arrive in Quito
Welcome to Quito! After the arrival, guest
will be taken from the airport to the hotel.
Free time to relax after the journey and to
relax during an overnight stay.
Quito
Visit Quito and its iconic gold-bathed churches
and squares in the city center. As well as,
the modern attractions such as the Middle
of the World Complex.
Otavalo Market & Surroundings
Otavalo is a one-of-a-kind Indigenous market in
the continent and is filled with handcrafts such
like tapestries, jewelry, clothing, musical
instruments, spices and much more to offer.
Karanki Magdalena Community, Train Ride to Salinas (B,L)
A fantastic experience awaits the
Karanki Magdalena Community, mild adventure
experiences and multicultural activities with the
community’s members. Guests take the train up north
to the Salinas Afro-Ecuadorian Community for lunch.
Cotopaxi – Riobamba – Baños (B)
View the majestic Cotopaxi Volcano on the way to
Baños city. Baños is known for its surroundings
in a humid rainforest that can be explored by
various adventurous activities.
Riobamba – Devil’s Nose Train Ride -Ingapirca Ruins – Cuenca (B,BL)
Historical Riobamba is where the Devil’s Nose
Train departs to the old Ingapirca Ruins. A temple,
that once was a symbol of the
mysterious Incan Empire.
Cuenca City Tour(B)
City tour in Cuenca, visiting its cathedrals, squares,
monuments and the Panama Hat factory. There is
also a visit to the Turi Viewpoint with a panoramic
view of the entire city.
El Cajas National Park (B)
The protected National Park Cajas is a good trekking
opportunity in the incredible highlands sceneries
amongst its flora and fauna. It is home to various
lagoons, especially the famous “Toreadora.”
Guayaquil (B)
On the last day, guest will be transferred to the
airport for their return flight.
Day by Day Activities
Day 1: Arrive to Quito
The transfer will drop-off guests in the hotel for a warm welcome in Quito. Overnight stay.
Day 2: Quito (B)
The tour starts in the city center of Quito among churches with baroque designs, stoned carved facades and columns. The admirable work of the biggest amount of colonial art in the southern continent. Quito is filled with heritage sites.
Later on, there is a visit to the Middle of the World Complex where the Equatorial line passes through in a 0º0’0” latitude. Overnight Stay.
Day 3: Otavalo Market & Surroundings
Otavalo is located just from a two-hour drive from Quito and is well-known among visitors for being the largest and unique Indigenous market in Latin America. Indigenous people gather with stands in a city square to sell their arts and crafts which reflect their traditions and culture.
Colorful tapestries, hand-made jewelry, hand-carved wooden sculptures, Andean musical instruments are some of the items that can be found in this open market.
Other nearby towns such as “Peguche” and “Cotacachi” are also known for their weaving skills and their manufacture artisanal leather goods.
Day 4: Karanki Magdalena Community, Train Ride to Salinas (B,L)
The Karanki people are a small community by the slopes of the Imbabura Volcano. The main focus is working the land with their knowledge of traditional agricultural techniques. It is a community filled with history and nowadays, they welcome visitors so they can have a multi-cultural exchange to learn more about their customs and culture.
In a short drive to Ibarra, there is the Liberty Train that will take you between great landscapes on green mountains, tunnels going through hills, to admire the highlands sceneries until it arrives in Salinas.
Salinas is another opportunity for a multicultural exchange with local Afro-Ecuadorian people that will share with visitors their local knowledge of handcrafted jewelry, local food, and their agricultural skills.
Day 5: Cotopaxi – Baños – Riobamba (B)
Going through the highlands to the west, the majestic Cotopaxi Volcano will make his appearance among smalls pine forests. The Cotopaxi is one of the highest volcanoes on the planet and his majestic appearance can also be seen in a clear morning from Quito.
Baños is a small touristic town, with a humid weather but cold temperature. It is located by the sloped of the Tungurahua volcano and it is surrounded by green humid rainforest. Main attractions and activities include the visit of several waterfalls, canopying, bunge jumping, and taking tours to the nearest rainforests to see the fauna.
After the visit in Baños, the trip continues south to reach the city of Riobamba; rich in historical architecture, for an overnight stay.
Day 6: Riobamba – Devil’s Nose Train Ride -Ingapirca Ruins – Cuenca (B,BL)
Riobamba is a small city with rich natural beauty, surrounded by volcanoes located right at the center of Ecuador. It is also a jewel when it comes to colonial history, with architectural buildings that date back the XIX and the XX centuries.
A favorite attraction if the Devil’s Nose train ride that will take visitors to outstanding landscapes of the Highlands going all the way south to Ingapirca Ruins. The Ruins date back from the Incan time where they built a temple to the sun and the moon. Rich in Incan history, Ingapirca will take visitors back in time.
Afterwards, guests will arrive in Cuenca for an overnight stay.
Day 7: Cuenca City Tour(B)
Cuenca is another historic city in Ecuador and is where the third largest population of the country lives. Four rivers pass through different zones of the city and its city center is filled with historic churches, cathedrals, and squares from the colonial times. The visit starts in the Cathedral, the Main Square, The Flower Market, the San Francisco and Sto. Domingo Churches and the Central Bank Museum.
After the visit of the old town, there is also a visit to a Panama Hat factory, where there is the opportunity to learn more about the “toquilla” fiber and the artifacts that can be made with it. The modern side of the Cuenca, where modern buildings, restaurants, cinemas, are located. The tour will continue at the highest hill of the town, the “Turi” viewpoint where the splendor of the city can be appreciated from the top.
Day 8: El Cajas National Park (B)
The trip continues from Cuenca to Guayaquil passing through the National Park “El Cajas”. A protected area filled with more than 200 lagoons that drain into the rivers of the city, the most famous being the “Toreadora”. It is a great natural place for hiking and being in touch with the landscapes of the highlands.
The journey continues through tropical and sub-tropical forests of banana, cocoa, rice or sugarcane plantations until arriving in Guayaquil. Accommodation in Guayaquil.
Day 9: Guayaquil (B)
Transfer out. End of services.
