Classic trip of 13 days
6 nights in Andes
3 nights in Amazon
3nights at the coast
Classic trip of 13 days
Itinerary
day 1 arrival in Quito + transfer to Otavalo
day 2 Acclimatization – indigenous market – Peguche
day 3 Journey around Lake Cuicocha and to Papallacta
day 4 Laguna de Baños and to Quito
day 5 Daytrip to Cotopaxi National Park
day 6 (flight) to Amazon – day 1 Amazon
Day 7 Day 2 Amazon
Day 8 Day 3 Amazon
day 9 day 4 Amazon – (flight) to Quito
day 10 flight to Manta – day 1 Machalilla
day 11 Machalilla National Park: Los Frailes
day 12 Machalilla National Park: Isla de la Plata
day 13 to Guayaquil and return flight
- all excursions with private English-speaking guide
- all transfers with private car!
- For info and support you can always contact our EN-speaking colleague in Ecuador.
STANDARD
2 081 USD / person
based on 2 persons
Hotels
Otavalo: Posada del Quinde
Papallacta: Thermas de Papallacta – standard room
Quito: Antinea Hotel Junior suite
AMAZONE: CUYABENO LODGE
STRAND: MANDALA LODGE – standard room
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COMFORT
2 752 USD / person
based on 2 persons
Hotels
Otavalo: Hotel Otavalo – deluxe room
Papallacta: Thermas de Papallacta – suite
Quito: Casa el Eden – superior room
AMAZONE: NAPO CULTURAL CENTER
STRAND: MANDALA LODGE – superior room
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LUXURY
4 247 USD / person
based on 2 persons
Hotels
Otavalo: Hacienda Cusin – standard room
Papallacta: Thermas de Papallacta – deluxe room
Quito: Casa Gangotena – luxury room
AMAZONE: NAPO WILDLIFE CENTER
STRAND: LAS TANUSAS – standard suite
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Includes
* All hotel nights with breakfast, transfers, domestic flights and excursions as mentioned in the program.
* Lunch and dinner in accordance with the program if stated.
Excluding
* Drinks, tips and expenses of a personal nature.
* International flights to and from Ecuador.
* Travel or cancellation insurance.
This is a sample trip. The order of the trip and the choice of hotels and excursions can be adapted to your wishes. You can combine this trip with another example trip or a cruise to the Galapagos Islands. The extensive range of hotels, excursions and cruises can be found elsewhere on this website.
DAY 1
Arrival in Quito
Transfer from Quito to Otavalo in private car (SP-language driver)
You will be picked up by a Spanish-speaking driver at the hotel (or airport) and taken in a private car to the hotel in Otavalo. This drive through the Andes Mountains takes about 2 hours.
DAY 2
Acclimatization – we suggest two activities that one can do on one’s own:
Otavalo – visit to the indigenous market (on your own)
This market in the Plaza de Ponchos is without a doubt the most famous indigenous market in Ecuador. You will find a huge selection of artesanate. The best day to visit this market is on Saturday. There are 4 markets going on simultaneously in different parts of the city. But the artesanate market now also goes on the other days of the week – it is much quieter then. This in turn has its advantages.
Hike to Peguche waterfall (on own)
The 18-meter-high Peguche waterfall is located 4 kilometers south of Otavalo in a beautiful natural park… The local population of Otavalo celebrates the solar festival of Inti Raymi there on June 21. During several days purification rituals are held here. But also during the rest of the year the park is worth a visit.
DAY 3
Hiking around the crater lake of Cuicocha.
Cuicocha is one of the most famous lakes in Ecuador. With a private car we drive to the entrance of the reserve Cotacachi-Cayapas, where we start a 5-hour hike that goes between 3100 and 3500 meters above sea level. Along the way we enjoy the biodiversity, the views of the picturesque Lake Cuicocha with its two islets and the view of the peaks Cotacachi, Imbabura and Cayambe.
Difficulty: moderate
Duration: approximately 7 hours
Included: English speaking local guide, private transport, meal or packed lunch
Required: good walking shoes, sun protection, mosquito repellent, fleece or pullover, water (min. 1 liter)
Recommended: camera, binoculars, rain jacket, reasonable physical condition also at altitude
Transfer from Otavalo to Papallacta in private car
You will be transferred from Otavalo to Papallacta. During this 3-hour drive through the Andes, just after Cayambe you pass a small equatorial monument and the El Quinche pilgrimage site, known for its cathedral and typical Indian cemetery.
DAY 4
Hiking tour – The lakes of Baños (Papallacta)
This hike takes about 3 hours and starts at the entrance of the thermal baths in Papallacta. By car we drive 15 minutes steep up the mountain to the entrance of the National Park Cayambe-Coca at 3800 meters above sea level. From here we walk to the lakes of Baños. On a clear day you have a beautiful view of the Antisana volcano. Along the way we look out for the spectacled bear, the mountain deer, the mountain tapir, paramo wolves etc.
Included: local guide with limited knowledge of English, transportation by private car H/T from the entrance of the thermal baths.
Transfer from Papallacta to Quito in private car (SP language driver)
You will be picked up at the hotel and taken to Quito in a 2-hour drive by private car.
DAY 5
Cotopaxi National Park
At 5 897 meters, the Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world. The National Park is just over an hour’s drive from Quito. We first visit a small museum in the park and then walk around the Limpiopungo Lake with its typical flora and fauna. Then we continue by car to the terminus at 4500 meters. From there it takes us about an hour to reach the hut at 4800 meters. On Thursday you can combine this visit with a visit to the beautifully authentic indigenous market of Saquisili. In the late afternoon we are back in Quito.
Included: English speaking guide and transportation in private car. Not included: meal en route. Duration: full day
DAY 6
Transfer from hotel to Quito airport in private car (SP-language driver).
You will be picked up at the hotel and transferred to the airport.
Flight from Quito to Coca
You will be met at the airport by a representative of the lodge who will help you check in. After a 30-minute flight over the peaks of the Andes, we land at the small airport of Coca from where we take a small van to the pier on the Rio Napo.
Canoe ride from Coca to the lodge
A large comfortable covered motor canoe now takes us in a 2.5 hour trip to the lodge pier. On the way we take a packed lunch. During this trip you can already spot several local bird species (herons, kingfishers,..). At the pier we refresh ourselves and then continue for about 1.5 hours with a tree canoe, paddling along a narrow creek, under the trees to the lodge on the other side of the lake. Along the way there is a good chance of seeing monkeys, and several larger bird species such as parrots, toucans and macaws. In the late afternoon you arrive at the lodge on the edge of the beautiful Añangu Lake. You will have a welcome drink and get to know the lodge and its people. After dinner there is the opportunity to participate in the search for caimans around the lake.
If you go to Cuyabeno Lodge (standard) you don’t fly to Coca but to Lago Agrio.
DAY 7
Day 2 Amazon.
You will follow the program of the lodge where you are staying.
DAY 8
Day 3 Amazon.
You will follow the program of the lodge where you are staying.
DAY 9
Day 4 Amazon
You follow the program of the lodge where you are staying.
Flight from Amazon to Quito
The canoe and plane will take you back to Quito from the lodge in a few hours.
Transfer from Quito airport to hotel in private car.
You will be met at the airport and taken to the hotel.
DAY 10
Transfer from hotel to Quito airport in private car (SP-language driver).
You will be picked up at the hotel and transferred to the airport.
Flight from Quito to Manta.
A 30-minute flight will take you to Manta airport.
Transfer from Manta to Puerto Lopez in private car (SP-language driver).
A Spanish-speaking driver will pick you up and take you to the hotel in Puerto Lopez. Time duration: approximately 1.5 hours.
DAY 11
The beaches of Los Frailes and Agua Blanca
Today you will visit Ecuador’s most beautiful beach. You can get to the beach by car or by bike. Los Frailes is about three kilometers away from Puerto Lopez. At the beginning of the hike you will first get some explanation about the area. The hike then leads you to La Tortuguita, a beach with black sand, a lookout with a view over the coast to finally reach a beach with beautiful white sand. Here you can stay for a while before we leave for Agua Blanca. Agua Blanca is an archaeological site in the middle of a nature reserve. Here you can immerse yourself in a lake that has medicinal properties due to its volcanic origin. Then we return to the hotel.
Difficulty rate: light.
Duration: approximately 6 hours.
Included: English speaking guide, transportation, entrance to the archaeological site and lunch.
Bring with you: protection from the sun and rain, sport shoes and swimming gear.
DAY 12
Isla de la Plata or little Galapagos
During this excursion you will visit this beautiful island, also called little Galapagos. It is located 25 km (about 1.5 hours by boat) off the coast of Puerto Lopez. You will find, besides frigate birds and tropicbirds, blue-footed, masked and red-footed boobies and even some Galapagos albatrosses. The island can only be visited with a guide from the park and you may not deviate from the official paths. You take a 2 hour and a half hike there with the nature guide. Then you return to the boat where you can spot turtles. Then you can snorkel in the bay for an hour among sea turtles and colorful fish. On the way to the island you can spot humpback whales between June and September, which use the area in large numbers as a nursery.
Level of difficulty: light.
Duration: 7 hours approximately.
Included: English speaking guide, transportation, lunch box and snorkel gear.
Excluded: entrance to National Park 1 USD pp.
Bring: windbreaker for the boat, sneakers, water bottle, sun protection, swimming gear and camera.
DAY 13
Transfer from Puerto Lopez to Guayaquil airport in private car (SP-language driver).
You will be transferred from the hotel in Puerto Lopez to the airport in Guayaquil (drive of +/- 4 hours).
Return flight from Guayaquil.
Comments
* All transfers are done with private car and Spanish-speaking driver unless otherwise stated
* Mentioned trips and excursions are examples from a wider range. Check out our website for more options.
* This travel proposal is based on standard double rooms, unless stated otherwise. Surcharges for single rooms or deluxe rooms are on request.
* This travel proposal is without obligation, depending on the travel period and subject to availability.
* In the final travel program, certain fixed days of activities must be taken into account, such as Indian markets, departure dates of cruises and flights, etc. We do everything possible to optimally integrate the mentioned activities into the program.
I am Tom from Belgium and I have been living in Ecuador for more than 10 years. I got my guiding diploma here. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion. Together with the travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland.