Family trip 11 days
7 nights in Andes
3 nights in Amazon
Family trip 11 days
Itinerary
Otavalo: two nights + horseback riding excursion
Quito: city tour Quito and visit to the equatorial museum
Amazon: three nights in an all-inclusive Amazon accommodation with child-friendly excursions
Baños: two nights + excursion to the waterfalls and rafting
All transfers with private car!
- 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
1 453 USD / person
based on 2 persons
Hotels
Otavalo: Native family
Quito: San José de Puembo – colonial room
Amazone: Hakuna Matata – Family trip in Cabin
Baños: Isla de Baños – standard room
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COMFORT
1 567 USD / person
based on 2 persons
Hotels
Otavalo: Posada del Quinde – standard room
Quito: San José de Puembo – superior room
Amazone: Hakuna Matata – Family trip in Lodge
Baños: La Casa del Balcón
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LUXURY
1 931 USD / person
based on 2 persons
Hotels
Otavalo: Hotel Otavalo – deluxe room
Quito: La Palma Polo Club – deluxe room
Amazone: Hakuna Matata – Family trip in Supreme
Baños: Luna Volcan – standard room
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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
You will be picked up by a Spanish-speaking driver and taken to the hotel in Otavalo in a private vehicle. This drive through the Andes Mountains takes approximately 2 hours.
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 2
Acclimatization: we suggest two activities that you can do on your own:
Otavalo – visit to the indigenous market (under your own steam)
This market in the Plaza de Ponchos is without a doubt the most famous indigenous market in Ecuador. You will find a huge range of artesanate there. The best day to visit this market is on Saturday. At the same time, 4 markets take place in different places in the city. But the artesanate market now also continues on the other days of the week – it is then a lot quieter. That in turn has its advantages.
Hike to the waterfall of Peguche (under your own steam)
The 18 meter high waterfall of Peguche is near the hotel. The local people of Otavalo celebrate the Sun Festival of Inti Raymi on June 21. Purification rituals are held here for several days. The falls are located in a small nature reserve.
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 3
Horse riding to Alpaca farm
In this activity, you will be picked up at your hotel in the morning and then driven for 20 minutes to the Arrayanes community. There we get some instructions from the guide and we meet the horse that will accompany you during this trip. After this, a beautiful horseback ride starts where we ride along beautiful landscapes and have a view of the surrounding volcanoes. After about three hours of driving we arrive at the alpaca farm where we get an explanation about these very beautiful animals and we also have some time to rest. There is certainly also some time allowed to take beautiful pictures together with the animals. Afterwards we start the return trip and are brought back to the hotel by private vehicle. Duration: about 5h. Included: English speaking guide, return transport, horse and helmet. Mandatory: sun protection, a fleece or a sweater, water (min. 1 liter), minimum experience with horses. Recommended: camera, clothes that can get dirty and a snack.
Transfer from Otavalo to Quito in private car
You will be picked up at the hotel by a Spanish-speaking driver and taken to Quito in a private vehicle. This drive through the Andes Mountains takes approximately 2 hours.
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 4
Colonial Quito and the Equatorial Museum
First you will visit the historic colonial center of Quito with the English speaking guide, its churches and squares, the modern city and the Panecillo hill panorama point. Then we drive to the monument at the equator Mitad del Mundo and the Intiñan museum, where various tests show that we are indeed on the equatorial line. Included: English speaking guide and transport in private car. Not included: entrance to museums and meal on the way. Duration: 5 to 6 hours
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 5
Transfer from Quito to Archidona in private car (with visit to Papallacta)
This car ride first takes you high into the Andes – where we stay for a while in Papallacta – and then descends to the Amazon forest, towards Archidona. Papallacta is a small village on the edge of the Cayambe Coca National Park. It is best known for its beautiful volcanic thermal baths. You can also walk very nicely. You will stay a few hours in Papallacta where you can take a walk in the National Park or relax in the thermal baths (the entrance of the baths
worth USD 8 is not included). Duration: 3 hours driving and 2 hours stop in Papallacta.
Hakuna Matata – Explorer trip (4 days / 3 nights – all-in) – day 1
This 150 ha private hacienda is the place to fully enjoy the Amazon rainforest. Hakuna Matata is located on the banks of the crystal clear Río Inchillaqui between 600 and 850 m altitude. There is a large swimming pool of 22 by 27 meters, a fine restaurant with bar. All rooms (there are three classes: cabaña, lodge and supreme) have their own terrace and bathroom with
hot shower. You can make beautiful walks and set up excursions. Depending on the weather conditions, we may have to adjust the order or content of the tours. We arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon. We have dinner in Restaurant Pangea. Included: dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 6
Hakuna Matata – day 2 Explorer trip 4D / 3N
Breakfast in Restaurant Pangea. Then an introduction to the Amazon region – day excursion.
We leave the lodge at 5:30 am to the Rio Arajuno, a small tributary of the mighty Napo River. With a small canoe we trek through the forest and the guide points out the great variety of birds. We take a short walk to a clay lick where parrots and parakeets appear in large numbers in the morning. With a bit of luck we also encounter monkeys. We use breakfast in Santa Barbara, a small Indian settlement of 23 families in the forest. They serve a local for us
meal on – freshly harvested from forest and river! We stay in the village to visit some families and then go on a trek in the 2,500 acre Jantun Sacha reserve, where the guide takes us around giant ceibos, walking palm trees and much more. Around noon we return by canoe and car to Misahualli where we have lunch and see the capuchin monkeys in the village. Around 3:00 PM we are back at the lodge, where dinner is served in the evening
is served. Includes: transfers, English speaking guide, breakfast, lunch box, dinner and overnight.
DAY 7
Hakuna Matata – dag 3 Explorer trip 4D/3N
Breakfast in Restaurant Pangea. Then Rafting Class 3/3 + – day excursion.
Today we offer you a unique tropical water adventure! For this excursion you will leave after breakfast for a trip of half an hour to Tena. For this class 3/3 + (no prior experience necessary) the ride then continues another 45 minutes (25 km) upstream of the Río Jatunyacu (the “big water” in Quichua). There follows a safety briefing for all participants.
During the rafting, rapids alternate with quiet stretches on this mighty river. Beautiful views, waterfalls, almost untouched forest: all this will be an unforgettable day in the Amazon! Along the way there are stops for a number of activities, depending on the water level. Arrival in Puerto Napo is foreseen around 4 pm. During the trip, lunch is served on a beach along the river. This rafting only takes place if the weather conditions and the water level are optimal.
Arrival in Hakuna Matata around 5 pm. Dinner at Restaurant Pangea. Includes: transfers, top quality canoe equipment, English speaking guide / escort, breakfast, lunch box, dinner and overnight.
DAY 8
Hakuna Matata – day 4 Explorer trip 4D / 3N
Breakfast in Restaurant Pangea. After breakfast there are three possibilities for excursions.
Option 1: Horseback riding tour with guide (s) – This excursion is suitable for both the novice and the most experienced rider. Under professional guidance and on well-maintained riding horses you will make an extremely varied tour of approximately 2.5 hours. The ride goes through rivers and streams, along sloping slopes and beautiful flora. You can enjoy beautiful views along the way.
Option 2: Guided nature walk – An experience in itself is the guided walk of about 3.5 hours. The medicinal properties of medicinal plants and trees, insects and ancient customs are explained in an entertaining way by a professional guide.
Option 3: Chocolate preparation – you start with the freshly harvested cocoa fruits and then learn the full process of the chocolate preparation until you have a perfect chocolate bar.
Lunch at Restaurant Pangea. Included: breakfast, excursion and lunch.
Transfer from Archidona to Baños in private car
This 3 to 4 hour drive takes you through the Amazon forest via Tena to Puyo, at the foot of the Andes mountains. From there it goes up steeply against the Andes to Baños in an hour and a half.
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 9
Cycling in Baños: the route of the waterfalls
You leave Baños by bike and follow the road to Puyo through forests, through tunnels and along rivers and waterfalls. An English-speaking guide accompanies you permanently by bicycle. On the way you will see the Agoyan waterfall, the Manto de la Novia where you go by cable car and finally the impressive waterfall Pailon del Diablo where we make a nice hike. We return to Baños by car. We choose to eat a snack at the end point in Rio Verde or on return
Baños. Duration: 5 hours. Included: equipment, English speaking guide, cable car entrance, Pailon del Diablo entrance, snack and return transport.
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 10
Rafting on the Rio Pastaza (class III – beginners)
You can make this trip in the morning as well as in the afternoon. You will depart by car from Baños to Cumandá, where there will be a brief explanation of the safety regulations on board. The descent along the river takes about an hour and a half. Afterwards you will have a small lunch and return to Baños. Duration: half a day. Included: neoprene suit, life jacket, helmet, water shoes, kayak, guide, transport and packed lunch.
Transfer from Baños to Quito in private car
This 4-hour drive through the Andes mountains takes you via Ambato (you first pass the Indian area of Salasaca) and Latacunga to Quito.
Overnight in the hotel of your choice
DAY 11
Transfer to Quito airport
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 double standard 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.