Active Tour Mainland Ecuador
Active Tour Mainland Ecuador
Active Tour Mainland Ecuador
13 Days Starting in Quito and ending in Quito, Ecuador
Visiting: Mercure Alameda Quito, Rucu Pichincha, TelefériQo Cable Car, Alambi Reserve, Mindo Valley, Chuquiragua Lodge, Pasochoa, Rumiñawi, Parque Nacional Cotopaxi, Illiniza, Chimborazo Lodge, Quilotoa Lake, Papallacta Hot Springs, Chimborazo, Papallacta, Rio Quijos, Sangay Spa Hotel, Baños de Agua Santa, El Pailón del Diablo
Tour operator:
Tour code:
2
Group Type:
Private
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 3
Age range:
14-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Vegans
Tour operated in:
English , SpanishTrip Styles:
Activities:
Climbing-Mountaineering, Hiking, Trekking, Walking, White water rafting
Private Available:
Request A Private Tour
Tour Overview
Enjoy an active tour around Ecuador from Quito to Guayaquil. The Sierra, or Andean region, is famous for its majestic snowy peaks: Chimborazo, Altar and the active volcanoes of Cotopaxi and Tungurahua; rich in lush vegetation of rainforests and fertile lands. In addition to interesting terrain, we you'll be able to see historic cities. Due to the cultural diversity of the region, various towns and villages such as Quito and Baños are of a particular interest. Here you can find several national parks with a huge variety of flora and fauna: Cotopaxi National Park, Cayambe Coca, Los Ilinisas, Chimborazo Reserve, etc. These places are ideal for trekking, camping, climbing, exploring colonial architecture, enjoying the Andean landscapes, etc. During the tour you're going to visit and experience Ruco Pichincha Volcano Trekking; Mindo Cloud Forest; Trekking Central Andes 5d/4n; Papallacta Hot Springs; Quijos River Rafting; Baños Waterfalls; Chimborazo Natural Reserve; and more.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Quito In
Location: Mercure Alameda Quito, Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mercure Hotel 4* or similar
Arrival at Mariscal Sucre Airport, Quito. Transfer to Hotel.
Check in – 14:00
Day 2 : Rucu Pichincha
Location: Rucu Pichincha, TelefériQo Cable Car
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mercure Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast
Ruco Pichincha 4696m Full Day
We pick you up at your hotel un Quito. Early in the morning we head to the Telefériqo cable cars where we ride the gondola up to 4000m with amazing views of Quito and the Andes. From here we start our trekking towards Ruco Pichincha 4696m, the beautiful rocky mountain overlooking Quito. We pass moorlands and the last section a small rocky easy hike. The trekking takes us about 5-6 hours total.
Includes:
-Professional mountain guide
-Box-lunch
-Private transportation in guide car
-Helmet
-Teleferiqo tickets
Return to the hotel
Day 3 : Quito - Mindo - Quito
Location: Alambi Reserve, Mindo Valley
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mercure Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast at the hotel.
Mindo is a tiny town set amidst some of the most beautiful and peaceful countryside in the entire country. It is a centre for both nature and adventure activities. You are going to visit a butterfly farm where you will also be able to see orchids and an array of colourful humming birds. Mindo has a great biodiversity. The forest landscape is home to over 500 species of birds and 400 species of orchids. You cross the forest area in a cable car, located approximately 30 meters above the ground, then you will walk through the woods.
You will visit:
ALAMBI RESERVE: The garden of Alambi is an ideal place to enjoy nature, you will find a refuge for hummingbirds, you can see varieties of species. The Hummingbirds are the smallest birds and are the most characteristic group of Ecuador, in our country we have 124 species of the 320 in the world.
CANOPY: It is a journey through 3 different cables, using safety equipment and accompanied by a specialized guide, where you can enjoy the adventure and adrenaline that the sensation of flying between the mountains of the cloud forest of Mindo offers.
BUTTERFLY GARDEN: it’s a butterfly breeding farm dedicated to the exhibition, reproduction and conservation of the butterflies in the cloud forest of Mindo.
ORCHID GARDEN: Ecuador is home to more than 4000 species of Orchids. In fact, 1 out of every 4 plants will be an Orchid. Visit the Garden of Orchids to discover a few of these amazing and beautiful plants.
QUETZAL CHOCOLATE TOUR: In this experience, we will work together to roast, grind, and mix your own xocolatl, a traditional chocolate beverage. Together we will recharge our energy by working side-by-side to make this delectable chocolate drink. You will get the opportunity to pitch in or just observe as you learn how chocolate has been made and consumed as a beverage for thousands of years.
Day 4 : Pasochoa Trekking
Location: Chuquiragua Lodge, Pasochoa
Accommodation: Lodge, LodgeLodgeLodge
Accommodation Name: Chuquiragua Lodge 3* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast
Trekking Central Andes 5d/4n
We pick you up from your hotel in Quito.
Pasochoa / Altitude 4200m / Accommodation Altitude 2500m / 5 hrs walking / 1 hr drive.
The Pasochoa, an extinct volcano that is very fertile in consequence of the lava and the thousands of years that passed by the eruption. Covered in Andean forests and moorlands, you can find many different species of plants, trees, animals and insects. Our trekking takes about 6-7 hours in total. After reaching Pasochoa Summit (4’200 m / 13’779 feet) we head to our lodge to rest for the night.
Box-lunch included.
Day 5 : Rumiñahui
Location: Rumiñawi, Chuquiragua Lodge, Parque Nacional Cotopaxi
Accommodation: Lodge, Lodge
Accommodation Name: Chuquiragua Lodge 3* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Rumiñahui / Altitude 4600m / Accommodation Altitude 2500m / 6 hrs walking / 1 hr drive.
We continue to Cotopaxi National Park. We start our tour at the edge of the stunning Limpiopungo lagoon at 3900m. Rumiñahui is a beautiful rocky mountain which its name means: face of rock: Rumi (piedra) Ñahui (cara). We hike to the summit and back in approx. 4-5h. We traverse beautiful moorlands and the last part to the summit is a fun rocky easy climb to Rumiñahui Central. The view is amazing to active Cotopaxi volcano, Sincholagua, Pasochoa and surrounding valleys. We return to our lodge to rest.
Box-lunch included.
Day 6 : Ilinizas Reserve Trekking - Iliniza Norte 5116M
Location: Illiniza, Chuquiragua Lodge
Accommodation: Lodge, Lodge
Accommodation Name: Chuquiragua Lodge 3* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ilinizas trekking / Altitude 4600-5116m / Accommodation Altitude 2500m / 6-7 hrs walking / 0.5 hr drive.
The journey takes us about 30min to the Virgin statue nearly at 4000m. The hike to the hut will take us about 2hrs and one hour back. Traversing moorlands and a small polilepis forest, the hike is very scenic with great views of the valley. If guests desire, we can try for the summit of Iliniza North adding additional 2 hours from the hut up, and 2 hours descent total.
Box-lunch included.
Day 7 : Quilotoa Loop
Location: Chimborazo Lodge, Quilotoa Lake
Accommodation: Lodge
Accommodation Name: Chimborazo Lodge 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Quilotoa Loop / Altitude 3914m / Accommodation Altitude 4000m/ 5 hrs walking / 2 hrs drive.
Breakfast
We head to the central Andes. The Quilotoa Lake is one of Ecuador’s most spectacular sites, although relatively off the beaten path. The crater lake was formed when the volcano erupted many thousands of years ago. It is about 250 meters deep and is characterized by its stunningly bright turquoise color. We walk around the lake about 4-5 hours to complete the loop around the crater. Then we will be transferred south to Chimborazo province to our hotel to spend the night.
Box-Lunch included.
Day 8 : Chimborazo Trekking And Transfer To Papallacta
Location: Papallacta Hot Springs, Chimborazo, Papallacta
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Termas de Papallacta Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Chimborazo Trekking / Altitude 5000m/ Accommodation Altitude 3200m/ 4 hrs walking / 2 hrs drive.
Breakfast.
Afrer breakfast you go for a wonderful trekking around the area and base of the mountain to admire the moorlands, views and meet the Andean camelid, alpacas and vicuñas. You reach the mountain refuge and reach up to 5000m at the base of the mountain. Box-Lunch included.
Transport will take you to Termas de Papallacta.
Papallacta is famous for its hot springs,. It is a small village in Ecuador located at an altitude of 3,300 m in the Andes just off the Eastern Cordilleras on the road from Quito which leads into the Amazon jungle. Descending from the peak to Papallacta, one passes through the portal where the ecosystems transform from andean to tropical jungle.
There are three important reasons to visit “Termas de Papallacta”: Health, recreation & relaxation.
The thermal baths are located on the banks of the Papallacta River in a unique natural environment; here you can find nine hot thermal pools and three cold water pools. The source temperature of the thermal baths varies between 30°C and 70°C (86°F and 158°F). At the pools the temperature ranges from 36°C to 40°C (97°F to 104°F). Papallacta´s thermal waters contain sulfates, sodium, calcium, chloride and traces of magnesium which are odorless, colorless but have a slightly salty taste.
The baths’ curative properties are anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and anti-rheumatic.
Day 9 : Quijos River Rafting
Location: Rio Quijos, Papallacta Hot Springs
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Termas de Papallacta Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast.
THE HEADWATERS RUN
(1 DAY TRIP, 27Km, IV-IV+ CLASS)
The Quijos is set to become Ecuador’s premier whitewater trip with mile after mile of IV-IV+ class rapids and spectacular jungle scenery. Expect to run more whitewater in a day than you’d do in a week elsewhere. This trip is for experienced rafters that are confident swimmers. No wimps please!
Depart from your hotel. Drive to Baeza. On arrival you’ll be issued with wetsuits, life jackets and helmets. After a short drive to the put-in the Trip Leader will give a thorough safety briefing. Then you’ll split into groups for an intensive in-boat paddle practice with your guide.
Once you set off you’re straight into the action but with some easier rapids to warm up. Along the way you’ll stop for a riverside picnic lunch. In the afternoon we’ll raft through the first canyons of the Quijos running big, technical rapids including the famous “El Toro” and the spectacular Linares canyon.
Season: September to February
Includes: Professional guides, top-of-the-line rafting equipment, safety kayakers,
transportation to the river and back, a delicious riverside lunch, and unsurpassed safety.
Day 10 : Papallacta - Baños
Location: Papallacta Hot Springs, Sangay Spa Hotel, Baños de Agua Santa
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Sangay Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast.
Time at Leisure enjoying Papallacta Hot Spring.
Continue to Baños.
Day 11 : Baños
Location: El Pailón del Diablo, Baños de Agua Santa
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Sangay Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast: at the hotel.
Baños is known as “The Gate of the Amazon Region.” Baños is located on the outside of the Eastern range of the Andes. It is a perfect place to relax and explore. This small town is famous worldwide for its natural crystalline waterfalls. You will arrive to Río Verde, where the Pailón del Diablo is located, considered one of the ten largest jumps. Pailon del Diablo is the most majestic among the waterfalls in La Ruta de las Cascadas. This waterfall is 80 meters tall and 1,410 meters above sea level.
Then you will continue on the waterfalls route, you will make several stops to explore the waterfalls in the area. First you will visit the Agoyan Waterfall, you will continue to the Manto de la Novia waterfall where you will have an opportunity to cross in tarabita. You will also visit the famous swing of the End of the World, located in La Casa Del Tree, it is a long swing located on top of a steep slope, with a beautiful mountain view. The unique location of the swing at 2600 meters above sea level, offers visitors a beautiful and scary view of the Tungurahua volcano.
After that you return to the city and see how the famous “marshmallow” (candy, which is made from sugar cane) is made.
Day 12 : Baños - Quito
Location: Baños de Agua Santa, Mercure Alameda Quito
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Mercure Hotel 4* or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast.
Free morning in Baños.
Rest at the hotel or optional activities. The guide will provide all the information.
Return to Quito: 4 hours. Free evening.
Day 13 : Quito Out
Location: Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport, Mercure Alameda Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your international flight.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Accommodation as listed on the itinerary;
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Private transfers;
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Fully Guided
Transfers/tours with English/Spanish Speaking Guide in Mainland Ecuador as described on the itinerary;
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Meals
Meals as listed on the itinerary;
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Transport
Private transportation.
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Shared Tour
Shared Rafting Tour;
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Entrance Fees
Entrance fees as listed on the itinerary;
What's Not Included
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Additional Services
Additional services not specified;
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Insurance
Travel Insurance (optional); Health insurance (obligatory);
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Meals
Meals not specified;
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International Travel
International flights;
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Equipment
Personal camping equipment;
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Tips
Voluntary tips.
Mode of Transport
Car or Minivan depending on the number of people.
Accommodation
Quito: Mercure Hotel 4* or similar, 3n
Machachi: Chuquiragua Lodge 3* or similar, 3n
Chimborazo: Chimborazo Lodge 4* or similar, 1n
Papallacta: Termas de Papallacta Hotel 4* or similar, 2n
Baños: Sangay Hotel 4* or similar, 2n
Quito: Mercure Hotel 4* or similar, 1n
Check out our Q&As
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes.
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No. Citizens of most countries do not require a visa to visit Ecuador.
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Children over 14 years old are permitted.
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
All entrance fees for the mentioned tours/services are included, except for the optional tours/services, as Baños optional activities, etc.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes, it will indeed.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
Please contact us. And we'd do all possible to change the dates. We also would notify if there is a supplement for the new dates.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Ecuador Wonders is a tour operator registered in October 2010. We've been trading since February 2011.
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What documents are required to enter Ecuador?
According to Ecuadorian Immigration regulations, every foreign passenger entering the country must have a passport with a time validity of at least 6 months beginning from the day of your departure from Ecuador. Contact the nearest Ecuadorian embassy for the latest visa requirements.
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Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Ecuador Wonders allows you to make 1 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 38 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Ecuador Wonders allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform ecuador wonders, 65 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Ecuador Wonders requires a minimum deposit of 30% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of ecuador wonders charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.