10 Days Boutique Tour – Meet the people!
Boutique Tour – Meet the people!
10 Days/ 9 Nights
Tour Includes:
-
Accommodation in charming boutique hotels and hosterías with breakfast daily
-
All transfers, ground transportation, and train ride as per itinerary
-
English-speaking local guides throughout the tour
-
All entrance fees to sites, museums, and national parks mentioned in the itinerary
-
Visits to indigenous communities (Yunguilla, Salasaca, Peguche)
-
Cultural experiences and handicraft demonstrations
-
Guided city tours in Quito, Otavalo, and Baños
-
Visit to the Cotopaxi National Park and Laguna de Limpiopungo
-
Visit to the Equatorial Line and Ethnographical Museum
-
School and community project visits
-
Meals as indicated in the program
-
Taxes and service charges
Boutique Tour – Meet the people!
10 Days/ 9 Nights
Itinerary:
Day 01 – Quito
Arrival to Quito, welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Situated in a circle of mountainous peaks of the Andes, Quito has one of the most magnificent settings in the world.
Day 02 – Quito
Experience the colourful history of colonial Quito during a city tour and a visit to the city museum. Continue to the Equatorial Line monument called Middle of the World and visit the Ethnographical Museum, which shows the history of the Indian cultures of Ecuador.
Day 03 – Quito
Drive to Yunguilla to visit the community of Yunguilla, located just one hour from Quito, to get an impression of the various projects which take place there. Get to know the community and their work! You have also the possibility to visit the finca and to see the different local products people produce here.
Day 04 – Quito – Otavalo
Transfer to Otavalo. On the way you make a stop at Cochasquí, the largest Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Ecuador. Visit the famous handicraft market in Otavalo with its central square Plaza de los Ponchos. Overnight at a Hostería.
Day 05 – Otavalo
Today you will visit several indigenous villages, where you learn about different kinds of handicrafts and how they are made. Continue to visit the Peguche Waterfall, the town of Cotacachi, which is famous for its leatherwork, and the spectacular Lake Cuicocha.
Day 06 – Otavalo – Quito
Transfer back to Quito. En route you will visit a school project in Peguche that looks after the education and adequate care of children in need in Ecuador. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 07 – Quito – Baños
Continue southwards to Baños, along the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. Visit the National Park Cotopaxi and walk near the shallow lake “Laguna de Limpiopungo” at an altitude of almost 4.000m. Continue to visit one of the typical Indian markets offering a colourful variety of handicrafts, food and herbs, and authentic tools and household articles. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 08 – Baños
Visit the Salasaca, a Kichwa village between Ambato and Baños. The Salasaca Indigenous people are one of the most independent in Ecuador and have largely preserved their original traditions. You will first visit the museum of the village and later be introduced by a local to different traditions and rites to learn more about their history.
Day 09 – Baños – Ambato – Quito
Early transfer to the city of Ambato for a train ride where you can see the Tungurahua volcano, the snow-capped Altar, Chimborazo and Carihuayrazo. In Urbina you will visit the Interpretation Center of Ice to learn more about the “Icemen of Chimborazo“. Drive back to Quito. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 10 – Quito
Departure flight or start of an individual extension program, like a 4D/3N package at the Napo Cultural Centre.