9 Days/8 Nights
ITINERARY
1st Day. Transfer in Airport-Hotel Guayaquil
2nd Day. Guayaquil City tour
3rd Day. Guayaquil – Cajas National Park- Cuenca
4th Day. Cuenca City Tour
5th Day. Cuenca – Ingapirca Complex- Riobamba
6th Day. Riobamba – Devil –Nose Train – Quito
7th Day. City Tour Quito & Middle Of The World
8th Day. Quito – Otavalo- Quito
9th Day. Transfer out for individual flight.
Included
- Overnight on double occupancy.
- Daily Breakfast
- Transportation in private car or minivan according to number of participants
- All transfers, sightseeing and excursions according to the program
- National guide in English
- Entrance: Panecillo, La Compañia, Inti-ñan, Pailon del Diablo waterfall, Devil´s Nose Train ticket, Ingapirca.
Not Included
- Meals, drinks and extras not mentioned in the program.
- Tips to guide and driver
- Extra expenses not included in the program
- Transfer Costs
- International flights
Day 1
Arrival in Ecuador and transfer to the hotel in Guayaquil.
Day 2
Guayaquil city tour. This is a populous city in Ecuador; and the nation's main port. The Malecón 2000 is a restoration project of the historic Simon Bolivar Pier. It will be a symbolic center of the city, a mix of green areas and shopping. Las Peñas Neighborhood in the northeast corner of the city's center, is the artistic center of the city. Many of the area's 400-year-old houses have been converted into art galleries and several notable artists have studios in the area. Overnight.
Day 3
As soon as you will leave Guayaquil you will appreciate the change of vegetation by crossing from the coast to Cuenca, onto the Andean cloud forests w hich lead you to the high and abandoned moor with many grass, crystalline streams and rocky peaks. Here you will find the most impressive areas covered by mysterious lakes and enchanted forests, colourful flowers such as gentians and chuquiraguas. Further on you will get to a small Polylepis forest extension. The Polylepis tree, with its funny paper-like barks of a red-brownish color, is one of the oldest and highest growing tree species in the world. Once in the forest you will have the feeling to be in the middle of fairy tale like surroundings. Accommodation in Cuenca COTOPAXI VOLCANO” where you have different activities such as walking around of Limpiopungo Lagoon or if you want more effort, you can walk up to the refuge of this volcano located at 4800m high (14400 feet), after that you enjoy a spectacular riding down biking in this National Park where you feel real adventure; then you drive to Baños city a beautiful county where you have your overnight.
Day 4
Early in the morning, you will start a city tour through the Colonial Cuenca. This city is one of Ecuador's colonial jewels, with orderly classified cobblestone streets, houses and buildings characterized by their elegant and unique metal balconies, adorned with abundant spring plants. Typical markets and stores show the region's cultural wealth, a heredity of its Indigenous ancestors. Cuenca is one of Ecuador's most visited cities. You will admire lovely balconies, tiles, pink marble stone and wood with which most of its fantastic houses are built. The city tour ends with a walk around the ancient city, where you will find enchanting churches, cloisters, museums, and houses. Also we are tasting the traditional “Cuy” tha is a famous food of Ecuador. Overnight.
Day 5
We will leave from Cuenca, through the Panamerican Highway to Ingapirca. Ingapirca ruins are located in the province of Cañar. Ingapirca means “Incas stone wall”. It is believed today that Ingapirca was both a religious and administrative center, as well as a fortress. The Incas built the complex on top of an old Cañari settlement. The vast archeological complex of the ruins includes a roofless fortification, courtyards, terraces, temples, houses and a “castle”, possibly the “Temple of the Sun”. Finally, you will continue to Riobamba. Overnight.
Day 6
Early in the morning, you will travel to Alausi where the train experience start. Several plans were made to build the railway from Guayaquil to Quito, since 1860 until 1874, this project was called at that time “the most difficult railway built in the world” because the tracks reached a huge obstacle, an almost perpendicular wall of rock, called the "Devil´s Nose". Many lives were shed in the building of what until now is called a masterpiece of railway engineering: a zig-zag carved out of the rock, which allows the train, by advancing and backing up, to reach the necessary height to the town of Alausí. Then you will be driven by a private transport towards the Volcano Avenue. The first stop will be the Cotopaxi National Park, this natural reserve lies at the foot of the world’s highest active snow-capped volcano (5897 m.). You will continue your way into the park and stop at the Limpiopungo Lake at 3800 mts. Our trip will finish in Quito. Accommodation
Day 7
Today, you will have a visit to downtown Quito, one of the most beautiful and historical cities in South America, which was declared by UNESCO a “World Cultural Heritage”. You will start the tour visiting modern and colonial districts. First, the “Balcon Quiteño”, the Legislative Palace, the colonial center, the Independence Plaza, the Carondelet Palace (Government Palace) the Metropolitan Cathedral, “La Compañía” and “San Francisco” churches and a drive to “El Panecillo”. Here, you will have the best views of Quito and the surrounding snowcapped volcanoes! You will continue towards the Middle of the World. There, you will find a monument, where you can put one foot in the North Hemisphere and the other foot on the South Hemisphere. Just outside the Middle of the World, there is an interesting open-air museum called Inti-Ñan. It explains the solar system; the effect of the equator position has on gravity and ancient cultures and their peculiarities. This is definitely worth a visit!. Overnight.
Day 8
In the morning, you will be picked up from the hotel. In about two hours you reach Otavalo. This town is famous for its weaving, music and culture. The Otavalo´s indigenous community is one of the most prosperous in Ecuador. Nowadays, you find their handicrafts and music all over Ecuador and the world. The town of Otavalo is the heart of their culture and at the marketplace you will find all possible souvenirs at cheap prices. On Saturdays, there is also an animal market taking place just outside town. In the afternoon, you will visit the main sites in the surroundings of Otavalo and the town of Cotacachi, famous for its leather products. Afterwards, you will visit the Lake of Cuicocha. This lake is situated in an old crater of a still active volcano. There, you will have beautiful views of the Imbabura and Cotacachi volcano, as well as, the surrounding valley with the cities of Otavalo and Ibarra. Return to Quito.
Day 9
Transfer to the airport for individual flight.
