Discovering the Ecuadorian Andes with VivaEcuador

DAY 1: Arrival at Quito city “La carita de Dios”

Tourists will be picked up at Quito airport and taken to the hotel by a driver/guide who will give information of each place, speaking visitor’s mother tongue. Once in the hotel, clients will have an entire day to adapt and enjoy the surroundings of this beautiful city. Lodge and dinner are included.

Day 2: Baroque Art and the capital city, Quito. (World Cultural Heritage)

A day to discover the amazing capital of Ecuador; we will make a complete tour in which the users can choose between two options:

1. a) To visit the colonial sector of Quito and its churches: the cathedral, ‘’La iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús’’, San Francisco Church and its cloister, among other baroque masterpieces.
2. b) To visit the Carondelet Palace (available between 9:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday) and a stroll through the colonial city centre. At the end of their visit, travelers will be accompanied by a tourist guide to ‘’Panecillo’’ (10 minutes by car), to a hill that houses a giant statue of the Virgin of Quito. This place offers a wonderful panoramic view of the city. We will then have time for lunch.

Day 3: To “La Mitad del mundo” (Middle of the World).

To start the day, we will go to La Mitad del Mundo monument, making a stop in “latitud 0º” (0 degrees latitude) point, where a round platform (54 meters in diameter) represents the equator.  This monument shows us a popular city divided into two hemispheres: the north and the south. At the foot of the monument we will see a drawn representative of the imaginary border connecting the two hemispheres of the globe.  The most wonderful experience that our travelers will have is the opportunity to swing by walking on the equinoctial line, putting their foot in both hemispheres, and to take a picture in ‘’La mitad del mundo’’.

Tourists will be on the equator, where the gravity has a remarkable decrease, for this reason when the traveler is in the middle of the world his/her weight is less than in any other place on Earth. Lunch, return to hotel (lodge), and the rest of the afternoon free.

DAY 4: Quito- Latacunga

We will start our excursion early in the morning in order to take a towering gondola lift (Teleférico) that reaches the Pichincha volcano, it is one of the highest urban gondola in the world, rising to 3.945 m (12,943 ft) above sea level.

Then, the group will return to the hotel to have lunch, and continue our trip to Cotopaxi during the afternoon. Next day, the group will visit the Cotopaxi volcano as part of the excursion, and we will be able to appreciate all its majesty.

An interesting fact about this place is its population that is around 480,000 people, most of them indigenous. Each province has a traditional dress, so Cotopaxi people generally wear red ponchos to show that they come from that region. Here people live from agriculture, sheep farming, and handicraft sales.

The National Cotopaxi park or “Parque Nacional Cotopaxi”, the Cotopaxi volcano is an active stravolcano that is part of the Pacific Ring of fire. It was formed as the result of large explosions over time and alternating layers of magma that created the shape of a cone that we see today.We will take a close look of the National Cotopaxi park surroundings, where we will have a free afternoon to appreciate the nature around with the Cotopaxi volcano as a backdrop. Lodge and dinner included.

5° DAY 5: Quilotoa “The turquoise lake”

To start the day we will have breakfast early in the morning, then we will start our tour to the Quilotoa lake, its popularity is based on the beauty of its landscapes and calm waters. Withing this community, visitors can explore ecological tourism and a strong dose of adrenaline, or simply contemplate the view. This place is also close to what many researchers consider the last home of the Inca leader, Atahualpa and may be the last sacred legacy of the Incas. Visiting Quilotoa is an extraordinary experience at 4 thousand meters above sea level; we will go to the lake’s shore at the end of our excursion. The ascent to the top takes more time (depending on whether you want to rent horses). Quilotoa stunning landscapes are a must for photography lovers. Return to hotel, lodge and dinner are included.

DAY 6: ‘’Baños de Agua Santa’’

We will have breakfast early in the morning to start our trip to Baños city, the Tunguragua is the nearest volcano, also known as throat of fire, and it is 5023 meters high (16,479 feet). Along the way we will stop in a place called “Cañón del Río Toachi”, a landscape that is worth admiring. In ‘‘Baños de Agua Santa’’ city you will find numerous waterfalls and even a route of the waterfalls (you can opt for this excursion and also include it in the program) we will be happy to fulfill your needs during this wonderful experience. Once we leave our luggage at the hotel, we will dress comfortably to start our new adventure; we will visit the “Tree House”, where visitors have the chance to admire the Tungurahua volcano, sit in the front row, without missing any detail. This place is considered one of the best places to observe the Tungurahua Volcano and without a doubt one of the best and most visited touristic places in Ecuador, some modifications has been made keeping the visitor’s safety, yet it is a beautiful touristic attraction.

In this place visitors can see the majesty of the Tungurahua volcano, while have a typical lunch in the surroundings. We will return to the hotel for a free afternoon, (you can choose to know the surroundings of Baños city, visit the hot springs or take an excursion with activities on the river). Accommodation included.

DAY 7: ‘‘Baños de Agua Santa’’

We will have breakfast and continue with our tour; We will go to the “Pailon del Diablo” which is 30 minutes from Baños de Agua Santa, once in that place you will enjoy the natural and jungle wealth of the enclosure, when approaching the waterfalls we recommend wearing waterproof clothing since entering and Walking around the place will surely get wet in the humid area around. When reaching the viewpoint you can visualize the immensity of the waterfall, surrounded by rocks and the dense vegetation. The waterfall falls along a natural rock formation, which is hidden behind a dense cloud product of moisture … A fantastic experience that you cannot miss, and we can simply classify as magnificent.

Lunch. Return to hotel and have relaxing afternoon, or you can also choose to visit one of the places that offers hot spring baths, as well as activities on the river if you prefer the adrenaline. Lodge included.

DAY 8: Baños- Guayaquil.

Arrival to the hotel. After the arrival at the hotel, tourists will visit Guayaquil city center in a 4-hour excursion by the main avenues and streets of the city. Our first stop will be the Seminario park, also known as Simon Bolivar park. Also, visitors will have the privilege to admire its beautifully ornamented garden, and an artificial lagoon, we will know why this park is called ‘’Parque de las iguanas’’. With Guayaquil’s Cathedral as a backdrop, we will see up the exotic iguanas from Guayaquil, those animals can measure up to one meter in length and they are one of the main tourist attractions of the city. While we cross the popular Malecon 2000, a place that has been declared a ‘healthy public space’ by the Panamerican Health Organization (PAHO).  We will see a variety of museums, gardens, docks and viewpoints. This walk along the Guayas River has become the most visited place in Guayaquil.

Next destination will be ‘’La Rotonda’’, where the monument of the liberators of South America was constructed, we will learn about the famous “Guayaquil Conference” that took place in 1822 between the Venezuelan Simon Bolivar and the Argentinian Jose de San Martin. We will visit to the oldest sector of the city to explore the colonial neighborhood of ‘‘Las Peñas’’. The colorful houses built in wood represent true masterpieces. Before concluding our Guayaquil city tour, we will go to Las Peñas viewpoint (The Old Guayaquil during 16th Century) where we will appreciate a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and the popular Guayas River.  After this last stop, we will return to your hotel. Lodge and dinner included.

Día 9. Return to the original destination.

Breakfast; free morning to enjoy the place, and transfer to the airport to take the flight back to the highlands. End of the tour…

“We can provide you information about the program “Hotel experiences:  first class & Spa””