Ecuador Complete – 15-Day Example Tour Experience

Arrival in Quito

Arrival to Quito’s international airport and transfer to selected hotel.

Overnight Casa Gangotena / Illa Experience Hotel

Quito City Tour

Today we will have a walking tour of Quito, Ecuador’s mountain capital and the second highest capital city in Latin America. Quito is considered one of South America’s most beautiful cities. The city lies in a narrow valley at the foot of Pichincha Volcano. We will visit some of the main sites, including the Plaza de la Independencia, the cultural heart of the colonial city, La Compañia and San Francisco churches. We will also climb the nearby Cerro Panecillo that has one of the best views across the city and the surrounding mountains.
Overnight Casa Gangotena / Illa Experience Hotel

Otavalo Market

This morning we will explore the small market town of Otavalo that’s located 2 hours away approximately from Quito downtown. The Otavalo Market is one of South America’s most important areas for ethno- tourism and its regular markets attract traders and artisans from as far away as Peru and Bolivia. The market is a rich confusion of goods and styles from across the region, with jewelry, rugs, woven linen bags, woodcarvings and leather goods on display.
Overnight Hacienda Zuleta

Around Hacienda Zuleta

Escorted by your own private guide, you will explore the beautiful Hacienda Zuleta and the surrounding areas. You can choose from different activities like 2-hour horseback riding, hikes around the Hacienda’s trails, condor preservations projects or Zuleta’s own cheese factory. Other activities may have an additional cost.
Overnight Hacienda Zuleta

Cuicocha Crater Lake

Today we will visit Cuicocha, a turquoise crater-lake located 30 minutes away from Otavalo and at a height of 3100 meters over sea level. Located in the Western Cordillera of the Andes, at the foot of Cotocachi volcano, this lake has a beautiful scenery. We may have a walk along a segment of the trail that goes around the lake (1.5 hours).

Overnight Hacienda Zuleta

Cotopaxi National Park

Today we will visit the Cotopaxi National Park, where we shall see the world’s highest active volcano. This National Park has an impressive mountain scenery. Cotopaxi is a classic volcanic cone, snow covered and rising an imposing 5897m from the valley floor below. Here we will walk around the Limpiopungo Plateau (1.5 hours), where we will explore flora and fauna of the paramo (high altitude Andean grasslands).
Overnight Hacienda el Porvenir / Hacienda San Agustín de Callo

Chimborazo National Reserve

In the morning after breakfast we will visit the Chimborazo. This mountain is Ecuador’s highest peak at 6,263 meters high over sea level. We will admire the volcano’s particular landscape and admire its flora and fauna. The high mountain shelters of this volcano have been named in honor of the explorers who reached the summit for the first time in 1880, Englishman Mr. Edward Whymper and the Carrel brothers (Italians).
Overnight Hacienda Andaluza

Devil’s Nose Train Ride / Ingapirca / Cuenca

Today we will drive to Alausi to take the Devil’s Nose Train to Sibambe. This famous railway is a triumph of engineering. From Alausi the track drops 800m down a ridge and into the gorge of the Río Chanchan. This is known as the ‘Devil’s Nose’, one of the most exciting train rides in the world. The train returns to Alausi where we will meet our driver. From here, our trip continues south along the scenic Panamerican Highway to Cuenca via Ingapirca. Ingapirca is the largest Incan Empire archeological complex in Ecuador.
Overnight Hotel Cruz del Vado

Cuenca City Tour

Today we will visit the most important neighborhoods and streets of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage city. We will visit the downtown historical area, the central market, Abdon Calderon Park with its new and old cathedral. We continue the tour to the Homero Ortega factory to observe the complete process of manufacturing of the so called ‘Panama hat’ which is undoubtedly of Ecuadorian origin and manufacturing. Finally, we will visit the ‘Turi’ where we can see a panoramic view of the city of Cuenca.
Overnight Hotel Cruz del Vado

Around Cuenca

Today you will have the opportunity to enjoy from Cuenca at your own pace. Free Day.
Overnight Hotel Cruz del Vado

Cuenca / Chocolate Culinary Experience

After breakfast we will drive for about 4 hours to reach Hacienda La Danesa, a traditional Cocoa and Milking Farm in the Ecuador’s lowlands. After a delicious lunch, we will visit the cocoa plantation to learn the history and process of the cocoa in Ecuador and at the same time you will have the opportunity to elaborate artisan chocolate at the cacao plantation and taste 100% pure raw chocolate. After experiencing the cocoa process, the farm will offer you a unique gastronomic experience inspired in a Farm-to-Table ethos with products that are produced at the farm.
Overnight Hacienda la Danesa

Hacienda La Danesa

Today you can enjoy from several inclusive activities on your package that include Horseback riding, traditional farm Milking, tubing down a lazy river or biking. All of your meals are inclusive in your package
Overnight Hacienda La Danesa

Hacienda La Danesa / Guayaquil City tour

After breakfast, we will drive for about 90 minutes to reach Hotel Del Parque. On the afternoon, we will have a city tour of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s economic capital. We will visit the administration square, where the local government buildings are located. Then we’ll go Parque Seminario, also known as ‘Parque de las Iguanas’ due to the colonies of land iguanas that can be found there and visit the Metropolitan Cathedral of Guayaquil. We will walk to the Malecon 2000 to visit Torre Morisca and La Rotonda before our transport takes us to the bohemian neighborhood of Las Peñas, which was declared as a Cultural Heritage Site in 1982.  

Overnight Hotel del Parque

Wine Tour Culinary Experience

Today we will embark on a culinary experience by traveling to Dos Hemisferios Winery. This winery has achieved the unthinkable by producing high quality wines where the two hemisphere’s meet (the equator).
During this journey, which started 13 years ago, the winery discovered the paradox of producing an Ecuadorian wine. A voyage of unique scents and tastes that reveals the enigma of producing wines from our own land.
The vineyard is located in San Miguel del Morro, Playas, on the coast side of Ecuador. This area is characterized for its sunny days, mild nights, chalky soils, and an everlasting sea breeze. Dos Hemisferios winery has defied the theory that the ideal conditions to produce wine are to be on specific latitudes of the planet and with four seasons.

Overnight at Hotel del Parque

Guayaquil / Home Destination

After breakfast transfer to the airport for flight back to home destination or connections to the Galapagos Islands.