Day 1
Upon arrival at the airport a host will meet and assist you in transferring to the hotel and in registering.
Hotel - Alameda Real
Upon arrival at the airport a host will meet and assist you in transferring to the hotel and in registering.
Hotel - Alameda Real
American Breakfast at you hotel.
Ecuadorian Roots: Andean Cultures, Volcanoes, Amazon and Incas, Seven Days - At about 8.00am our guide will pick you up from your hotel to begin a day full of interesting opportunities of learning the secrets of Ecuadorian folklore and furthermore be able to accomplish purchases at very attractive prices. 15 Km. north of Quito is found Carapungo, a small parish that keeps the tradition of honoring to the deceased by manufacturing "guaguas de pan", those are colorful dolls made of bread bulk that are used as decorations, the smallest ones are beautiful on the Christmas three. The following stop is Guayllabamba, the "green valley" where we will taste the delicious Chirimoyas. We will cross the canyon of the Rio Pisque where we will learn the geological formation of the Andes to arrive at the monumental zone of Cochasqui where there are 15 mounds in the form of pyramids built with volcanic ash blocks. The pyramids are of different sizes and some have an access ramp, furthermore exists an ethnographic Museum to investigate the cultural roots using the wisdom of the aboriginal and the nature of the sector. Luncheon will be served at Chorlavi Estate. After lunch we visit Caranqui where we can find the Museum of Atahualpa (last Inca) and optionally an archaeological project in quarry. We also visit the embroidery fair of Mariano Acosta and the woodcarving center of San Antonio de Ibarra. Late afternoon departure to Peguche where we will be guests of an Indian community, will be served a traditional dinner while we enjoy a Folklorical show. Optional visit to the Witch Doctor (Shaman) for a spiritual experience.
Lunch and dinner are included
Hotel - Hacienda Pinsaqui or Hosteria Chorlavi
Breakfast at your hotel.
Otavalo Country - After an early breakfast we visit the animals market, the crafts fair and the Institute Otavaleno of Anthropology and the archaeological museum of the area. Lunch will be at an authentic Ecuadorian Hacienda with plenty of time to enjoy the ambience and beautiful gardens. Afternoon visit to Cotacachi where leather crafts are made.
Lunch and dinner are included.Hotel Hacienda Pinsaqui or Hosteria Chorlavi
Breakfast at your hotel.
Equatorial Monument and La Cienega - Return towards Quito, pass Cayambe to visit the Equatorial Line monument and its interesting museum. The Equatorial Monument, which marks the spot where an 18th century French scientific expedition, established the exact geodetic position of the Equator. At 0 degrees latitude, you can have one foot in both hemispheres at the same time. A visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Indian groups living in Ecuador, is included. Besides the monument there is a colonial style town with a main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and gift shops.
Continue your trip south of Quito, along the beautiful Avenues of the Volcanoes to arrive at Hacienda La Cienega.
Lunch and dinner are included.
Hotel - Hacienda La Cienega
Breakfast at your hotel.
Cotopaxi Volcano National Park - Morning excursion through fields of lava boulders, right to the base of Cotopaxi. From there look almost directly up to the magnificence of its 19,700-foot peaks and perhaps a condor of the Andes flying by. As a park it was only recently set aside for an ecological sanctuary, which offers unusual opportunities for nature lovers. You can observe the treeless vegetation of the Andean moorlands or "paramo". You will see herds of llamas, wild horses and perhaps deer, the Andean puma, rabbits, frogs and lizards.
Afternoon scenery-packed descend into the heart of the Amazon to the City of Banos.
Lunch and dinner are included.
Hotel - Sangay
Breakfast at your hotel.
Banos Cloud Forest and Riobamba - We descend into El Puyo at the heart of the Amazonian region, in the road we will visit the most impressive and dazzling world of waterfalls, The Devil's Bowl in the Pastaza River. We will visit the private ethno botanic reservation where we will learn the plants of the Amazon, its medicinal qualities and the inhabitants of the Jungle and its different life styles according to the zone that they originate. We will be in a Shuar house, in a Huaorani house.
The day ends in Riobamba; nestled in an amphitheater at the foot of the Chimborazo - the highest of the Ecuadorian Andes - the setting is magnificent.
Lunch and dinner are included.
Hotel - El Troje
Breakfast at your hotel.
Ingapirca Inca Fortress en route to Cuenca - Very early morning start over the Andean route for the long journey to the Valley of the Inca Fortress of Ingapirca. Its origin shrouded in mystery -- is now accessible to tours. The secret it held or still holds, its fort-like design, its uniquely design chambers, the strange bathtub carvings in stone cliffs far from water, the natural or not-so-natural stone face -- all are being studied and excavated by scientists.
Drive a beautiful route to Cuenca through Azogues, Biblian, Canar and El Tambo. Late afternoon arrival at Cuenca, one of the most beautiful cities of South America.
Lunch and dinner are included.
Hotel - El dorado
Breakfast at your hotel.
Cuenca Scenic Tour - The city many Ecuadorians consider the most beautiful. Neatly situated in a fertile valley called the "Flowery Plain". The gentle Tomebamba River hops and skips through the city's heart. Tall houses cling to its steep banks. And history is alive. Once the capital of the Canari Tribe. See the huge Cuenca cathedral of lovely marbles, facing across the plaza the small and more colorful Indian cathedral; the La Merced Church and Convent; and visit the Crespo Toral Museum. Today, Cuenca is the center of the country's craft industry. Silversmith and ceramic workshops, handicrafts of every nature, so bright with color, so skillful in design.
Lunch en route.
Gualaceo Valley Tour and Chordeleg - Continue to discover the rich beauty of southern Ecuador. Roam through the markets of Gualaceo, straw Panama hats, a wealth of appealing folklore items, craft shops. Also visit the craft and jewelry shops of Chordeleg, stroll through its attractive central plaza and exceptional museum.
Transfer to the airport for departure.
Flight - Cuenca / Quito
Hotel - Alameda Real
Upon arrival at the airport transfer to the hotel.
Breakfast at your hotel.Transfer to the airport.
Prices available upon request.
The Ecuadorian Roots package or a portion of it can be combined with any of the Galapagos Islands Cruises and with Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru. There is a large offer of cruises in the Galapagos Islands. Small, mid-size and large boats; tourist, first class and deluxe boats; three, four and seven night itineraries. Please call us so we can suggest the best boat within each category that will meet your requirements.
Important:
For customized packages the services included are specific to each passenger request. When taking cash to Latin America, take bills in good condition, old bills or broken bills are most likely not to be accepted.
Breakfast Codes:
B Breakfast, CB Continental Beakfast, AB American Breakfast, BB Buffet Breakfast, CBB Continental Buffet Breakfast, ABB American Buffet Breakfast.
Visa Information:
Please verify all visa requirements for your chosen destination. At the time this page and our useful information page were updated Brazil is the only Latin American country requesting visas to U.S. citizens. For crossing the border from Argentina to the Iguassu Falls in Brazil, a visa is also needed. Chile does not require a visa but they collect a $100 administration fee to enter the country, this must be paid in cash.