19 Days Pure Ecuador

Pure Ecuador

19 Days/ 18 Nights

Tour Includes:

Accommodation in selected hotels and jungle lodge as mentioned
Meals according to program, including lunch in Yunguilla, full board in the Amazon lodge, and other local specialties
Transfers and transportation throughout Ecuador
Guided sightseeing tours in Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil
Visit to “Mitad del Mundo” Equatorial Monument and Inti Ñan Museum
Visit to Yunguilla community project and lunch with locals
Visits to butterfly farm, coffee plantation (with tasting), and cocoa project
Entrance to Pahuma Reserve, Papallacta hot springs, and Cotopaxi National Park
Excursions in the Amazon, including canoe and hiking tours, indigenous village visits, and chicha preparation experience
Visit to Otavalo market, Peguche school project, and Kichwa family cooking experience
Hikes to Quilotoa Lagoon, Limpiopungo Lagoon, and Pailón del Diablo waterfall
Visits to Salasaca and Huasalata weaving villages and Inti Sisa Foundation
All mentioned activities, entrances, and excursions with local English-speaking guides
Airport transfers on arrival and departure

Pure Ecuador

19 Days/ 18 Nights

Itinerary:

Day 1 – Quito
Arrival at the airport in Quito and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2 – Quito
City tour through Quito to dive into its colonial history. Afterwards visit to the Equatorial Line Monument “Mitad del Mundo”.

Day 3 – Quito – Mindo
Transfer from Quito to Mindo. On the way there visit to the community Yunguilla. Upon arrival the guests will be welcomed at the community and get an impression of their various projects during a walk through it. Lunch in the community is included. Afterwards drive to Mindo.

Day 4 – Mindo
Visit to a butterfly farm to get to know the diversity of the endemic species. Afterwards visit to a coffee plantation with tasting. There you will get to know all about the process of producing coffee and the cultivation of coffee plants.

Day 5 – Mindo – Otavalo
Visit to Pahuma Reserve. With its hundreds of native species of flora and fauna it is a truly paradise for lovers of nature. Later on the journey will continue to Otavalo.

Day 6 – Otavalo
Visit the school project in Peguche. This project looks after the education and adequate care of children in need. Upon arrival in Otavalo, you will visit the worldwide known Indian handicrafts market.

Day 7 – Otavalo
Participation in a kawasaymi cooking project of an indigenous kichwa family. Typical Andean dishes and their preparation will be explained and tasted.

Day 8 – Otavalo – Papallacta
Visit to the thermal baths of Papallacta, which are known as the most beautiful and cleanest ones in the country. After the bath it is possible to go for a walk to explore the typical flora and fauna of this region.

Day 9 – Papallacta – Amazon Region
Transfer from Papallacta to the lodge El Jardín Alemán in Misahuallí. Depending on the time of the arrival exists the possibility to enjoy a first short walk on the premises of the lodge. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 10 – Amazon Region
Participation in one of the offered excursions, e.g. a full day canoe-tour to reach the protected forest “Misicocha” for a hiking tour through the forest and visit of an indigenous village to learn how to prepare “chicha”, a fermented yuca drink which you can try afterwards. Fullboard at the lodge.

Day 11 – Amazon Region – Baños
After breakfast, visit to an indigenous community, to learn more about their culture, music, habits and medical plants. After that transfer to Baños.

Day 12 – Baños
Hike to the famous waterfall “Pailon del Diablo” east of Baños.

Day 13 – Baños – Cotopaxi
Today visit to Salasaca, a kichwa village between Ambato and Baños. Afterwards, continuation to Huasalata to watch the natives weaving in a traditional way and manufacturing ponchos. Finally transfer along the “Avenue of the volcanoes” to the hotel near Cotopaxi.

Day 14 – Cotopaxi
Visit to the National Park Cotopaxi. Walk near the “Laguna de Limpiopungo” to learn about the typical vegetation of the so-called “Páramo”. Optional: Horseback riding to the viewpoint “Guardianes del Volcan” or Mountain Biking tour.

Day 15 – Cotopaxi – Riobamba
Visit to Quilotoa, the lagoon inside a crater. On a hike at the wonderful lagoon the guests will be able to enjoy the beautiful landscape, including a big variety of flora and fauna. The journey will continue southwards to Riobamba, where a great number of indigenous communities live.

Day 16 – Riobamba – Cuenca
Visit to the IntiSisa foundation, a non-profit foundation that supports the local population of Guamote. The education center, a weaver and an indigenous family will be visited. The ride continues to Cuenca.

Day 17 – Cuenca
City tour in Cuenca to see the historical buildings, the “Todos los Santos” ruins, the flower market and the main square. Afterwards visit to the small district of Sigsig, famous for its handicrafts.

Day 18 – Cuenca – Guayaquil
Transfer to Guayaquil. On the way, visit to a cocoa project to watch the single production steps which are necessary to produce chocolate and taste the final product. After arrival in Guayaquil the guests will go on a short panorama city tour.

Day 19 – Guayaquil
End of the roundtrip. Transfer to the airport for individual homebound flight.