Holiday Itinerary
Day One - Arrival in Quito
As your holiday in Ecuador begins, we’ll be there to pick you up and take you to your hotel, which is in the heart of Quito. You will probably be wanting some time to rest and get used to the altitude so we have left the rest of today free for you to relax. Your hotel is close to dozens of restaurants and cafes, as well as all the other facilities you'd expect from a capital city, so if you're feeling up to it then why not head on out and explore?
Day Two - City tour of Quito
After a free morning to relax and settle into things, we will pick you up after lunch and take you for a tour of Quito. We’ll focus on the beautiful colonial Old Town, with its winding cobbled streets and grand plazas. The area is a designated World Heritage Site, and it’s home to some of South America’s finest colonial architecture, including the stunning Cathedral and several other churches, all overlooked by the winged Virgin of Quito statue on the nearby Panecillo hill.
Day Three - Otavalo market
An early start today, as we head out of Quito into the mountains to the north for a slice of the Real Ecuador! We'll be heading to the bustling local market at Otavalo - a typical mountain town that just happens to be home to the largest market in Ecuador! You can check out the beautiful local textiles, haggle over some excellent leather goods, or just sit back with an Ecuadorean coffee and take it all in! After a full day here, we will return to Quito in the evening.
Day Four - Into the cloud forest
We will be seeing a different aspect of the Andes today, as we pick you after breakfast this morning for the drive down the western slopes of the Andes, towards the town of Mindo. This area is known throughout Ecuador as “Mindo Lindo” (Beautiful Mindo) for the stunning scenery you will see along the way. We will arrive at the El Monte cloud forest lodge in the later afternoon and we will take you to your cabin and show you around the lodge and the beautiful private gardens before one of El Monte’s superb lunches! In the afternoon, we will walk out into the forest along the banks of the Rio Mindo to appreciate the huge variety of bird and plant-life we can find here. We will then return to the lodge to relax before dinner and a short briefing on tomorrow’s activities.
Day Five - Amazing wildlife in the cloud forest
This morning we will rise early to head out and see some more of Mindo’s amazing wildlife – toucans, parrots, quetzals, flying squirrels and agoutis can all be seen in the area and we’ll hope to see as many as possible. We will then head back to the lodge for breakfast, before going for a longer walk up into the Nambillo valley in the hills behind the lodge. As well as the chance to see more fantastic wildlife, we will end our trail at a beautiful waterfall with a crystal-clear pool underneath, where we can cool down and swim. We will then head back to the lodge for lunch before driving back to Quito.
Day Six - Cotopaxi National park
The snow-capped mountain of Cotopaxi is one of the enduring symbols of Ecuador, and no holiday in Ecuador is complete without a trip to see it. Today we will take you on a full-day tour through the Cotopaxi National Park, giving you the chance for some breathtaking photos along the way.
Day Seven - Lake Quilotoa
Today we will head away from Cotopaxi to the volcanic Quilotoa lake. We guarantee you've never seen anything like it - climbing up to the lip of the (extinct!) volcano, you look down into a bluey-green lake that seems utterly surreal. You can then head down to the lake and take out a rowing-boat or canoe, before coming back up by horse to your waiting driver. In the evening, we'll head further south through Ecuador, to the town of Riobamba, where we will spend the night in a traditional Hosteria.
Day Eight - The Devil's Nose
An early start again today, as we pick you up and take you to the train station in Riobamba, for a ride down the Devil's Nose! This infamous switchback took decades of work to complete but is now used mainly by tourists. You have some spectacular views as you travel down the line - especially for the adventurous ones who decide to ride on the roof... At the end of the line we will pick you up and take you on to the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca, where you will stay tonight.
Day Nine - Tour of Cuenca
Today we will take you on a tour of this lovely city - probably the prettiest in Ecuador. We will visit the two cathedrals, the colonial riverside district and two of Ecuador's best museums, among several other sights. We will finish off by heading to a hill just outside Cuenca, from where you have some gorgeous views over the city and the countryside beyond.
Day Ten - Free day in Cuenca
We've left today free for you to wander around Cuenca. With its pleasant, tree-lined streets and squares, gorgeous domed churches, and some of the best food and drink in the country, we're sure you'll find lovely plenty of places to sit and write those postcards - we can even recommend a few!
Day Eleven - Back to Quito
After breakfast this morning, we will pick you up and take you back to Quito, where you can get ready to head out for a final full day here in Ecuador. Postcards sent? Souvenirs bought? Then you're all set to enjoy a traditional meal before it's salsa time...
Day Twelve - Onward bound
Most flights back to the UK and to the Galapagos leave in the morning, so you’ll just have time for breakfast today before it’s time to say goodbye to Ecuador as we pick you up and take you to catch your flight either home, or on to your Galapagos cruise...
Options
Easy upgrades
As we've said, we can tailormake your itinerary to your exact specifications, and you can have a look at our Ecuador Guide or some of our other Ecuador Holidays for ideas about how to add to this holiday, but we can also offer you some easy optional extras which fit into this exact itinerary:
Upgrade accommodation - from £50pp
This price is based on our standard 3-star hotels, which all have ensuite bathrooms, cable television, full buffet breakfasts, etc. However, if you'd like to upgrade your hotels to something with a little more luxury then please just ask and we'll make some recommendations!
Trekking in the Andes - from £200pp
If you like a bit of adventure, why not have a look at some of our treks in the Andes... We have treks from 2-10 days in some of South America's most beautiful National Parks.
The Inca ruins of Ingapirca - from £80pp
The largest and best preserved Inca site in Ecuador, known as Ingapirca, is just to the north of Cuenca and a tour to see these mysterious ruins, with the Inca houses and Temple of the Sun all amazingly intact is a great way to extend your stay in Cuenca.
Relaxing on the Pacific Coast - from £400pp
If you want a bit more relaxation time after your jungle adventure, then why not head to the warm Pacific Coast and soak up some sun? We have a range of excellent beach hotels so you can enjoy some comfort and relaxation after all that culture and wildlife...
Tailormade for you
Of course, what we want you to remember is that we're here to offer you any guidance and advice you need. We're not about trying to sell you more than you want - we want you to have the holiday that's right for you, so give us a call or send us an email and we can start to find out what sort of Ecuador holiday is right for you!
Prices
Because all our Ecuador holidays are tailormade, our prices are flexible and depend on the accommodation and activities you want. If you want to change the length of this holiday, or the activities you do, or the type of accommodation you use - let us know! We can send you a tailormade itinerary, including price, absolutely free!
Our standard price for this trip is £1295 per person. This price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room in our standard 3-star accommodation (details available on request).
And what does it include?
We know that you need to be able to see how much things are going to cost you, so everything that you read about on the previous page is included in this price. The only "biggie" that we don't include is your international flight to and from the UK as these can vary depending on the time of year. However, we will do all the research for you and find you the best deal going, so you don't to have expend any effort here.
Just to be absolutely clear, here is what you're getting for your money on this holiday:
- All accommodation in superior hotels we have personally checked out
- All transfers
- All internal transport, including the Devil's Nose train from Riobamba to Alausi and Flight from Cuenca-Quito
- All entrance fees
- Half-day tour of Quito
- Full-day tour of Cotopaxi National Park
- Full-day tour of Otavalo market
- Full-day tour of Quilotoa lake
- Half-day tour of Cuenca
- Full buffet breakfast every day
- All meals in the cloud forest
- Packed lunch on your Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, and Devil's Nose trips