We Love —
- Discovering local traditions and know-how thanks to a visit to a cocoa and straw hat factory.
- Exploring the stunning route of volcanoes and waterfalls.
- Extending the adventure by extending to the exotic Galapagos Islands: an idyllic setting with incredible wildlife.
New Voyage Privé —
Carefully selected by our experts especially for you
Your Itinerary in Brief —
Our offer:
7-Night Tour
Day 1: arrival in Quito
Day 2: Quito
Day 3: Quito - Banos
Day 4: Banos - Riobamba
Day 5: Riobamba - Cuenca
Day 6: Cuenca
Day 7: Cuenca - Guayaquil
Day 8: departure
10-Night Tour
Day 1: arrival in Quito
Day 2: Quito
Day 3: Quito - Banos
Day 4: Banos - Riobamba
Day 5: Riobamba - Cuenca
Day 6: Cuenca
Day 7: Cuenca - Guayaquil
Day 8: Guayaquil - Galapagos
Day 9 - 10: Galapagos
Day 11: departure
Your Itinerary in Detail —
Day 1-4
Day 1: Upon arrival in Quito, your driver will welcome you at the airport and drive you to your hotel for check-in.
Day 2: After breakfast at your hotel, you have a full day to enjoy Quito at your own pace! The city of Quito alone has a lot to offer with its colonial district, its churches, convents, and colonial squares. This urban treasure was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1978.
Day 3: After breakfast, you drive through the Route of the Volcanoes towards the small town of Baños. On the way, you have the opportunity to observe Volcanoes: Cotopaxi, Illinizas, among others (subject to weather conditions). After visiting Baños, a small pilgrimage town known for its thermal springs, you visit a craft workshop of tagua, a palm seed known as vegetable ivory. Then, you go for a walk in the small town and the church. Finally, you take the alley of waterfalls located along the canyon of the Pastaza River.
Day 4: After breakfast, you leave for the Chimborazo wildlife reserve to appreciate the highest volcano in Ecuador culminating at 6310 m (the point closest to the sun). Then, continue to a local community to discover the work of a community development organisation, and take the road to Riobamba in the evening.
Included :
D1: Private transfer from airport to accommodation in Quito
D3: Excursion on the route of volcanoes and waterfalls
D4: Excursion to the Chimborazo Reserve
Day 5-8
Day 5: After breakfast, take the road to Cuenca. On the way, stop at the church of Balbanera, the first church built by Spanish settlers in Ecuador. Then, take the Andes road towards the Sangay Volcano National Park Reserve. Discover the complex of lakes of Ozogoche. These lagoons are shrouded in myths and legends, as during the month of September the arrival of the birds is said to herald the rainy season in the Andes. Then, continue to Ingapirac, the most remarkable Inca archaeological site in Ecuador.
Day 6: Today you are going to visit the city of Cuenca declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Visit the flower market, Calderon Square, the old and the new cathedral as well as the San Francisco market. You also have the opportunity to discover a toquilla straw hat factory. Enjoy the afternoon at your own pace!
Day 7: This morning, descend through the Andes mountain range towards the plains of the Pacific side. Then, go through El Cajas National Park with a panoramic view of Lake Toreadora (4000m above sea level). Take the opportunity to visit a cocoa farm. Discover the whole process of cocoa harvesting, processing and exporting. Have lunch within the plantation (lunch included). Then, take the road to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador known in particular for its port.
Day 8: Your journey has come to an end... Your driver will drive you to Guayaquil airport for your international flight back home.
Included:
D5: Excursion to Lake Ozogoche and Ingapirca
D6: Excursion to Cuenca
D7: Excursion to the cocoa factory with lunch (drinks not included)
D8: Private transfer private to Guayaquil airport
10-Night Tour
Day 1-7: same as 7-night tour.
Day 8: Your driver takes you to Guayaquil airport to take your domestic flight to the Galapagos.
Your naturalist guide welcomes you and you take the ferry on the Itabaca channel. Then, for an hour, you continue to Puerto Ayora where your hotel is located. Along the way, you make a first stop at the edge of the gemelos crater: two huge craters that were formed as a result of the movements of tectonic plates. You will see Escalecia trees, an endemic species of the Galapagos. Visit the heights of the islands to observe giant tortoises in their natural habitat. A unique experience. The Galapagos are probably the only place in the world where you can approach animals so closely. Have lunch in a ranch on the heights of Santa Cruz.
Day 9 - 10: Enjoy two free days on the Galápagos Islands. Walk on the beach of Tortuga Bay, a 3 km long beach which is made through an endemic cactus forest, or opt for a diving session in this marvellous natural setting, or quite simply, enjoy life in this enchanting location. ...
Day 11: After breakfast, you will be driven to the airport and for your international flight.
Included :
D8: Transfer toGuayaquil airport for internal flight Guayaquil / Galapagos
D8: Excursion to the Galapagos
D9 and D10: Transfers in shared service between the islands by water taxi
D11: Shared transfers to the Galapagos airport
Your Hotels —
HAND-PICKED JUST FOR YOU
Throughout your tour, you’ll stay in Standard Rooms in the following 4* hotels (or similar):
- Quito: Dann Carlton Hotel
- Banos: Sangay Hotel
- Riobamba: La Andaluza Hotel
- Cuenca: Santa Lucia Hotel
- Guayaquil: Tryp by Whyndam Hotel
- Galapagos: Acacia Hotel
Your Dining Choices
This offer is based on a Bed and Breakfast stay.
Your Optional Excursions —
Sailing to a Bartolomé Island, or Seymour, or Plaza or Santa Fe
Discover these islands, each more spectacular than the next, which will leave you speechless...
Visit to the Antisana volcano and the Papallacta thermal baths
Head east from Quito, crossing the eastern mountain range to reach a small town known as Pintag and the Antisana Volcano: one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the country and the habitat of Ecuador's national bird, the Andean Condor.
With a little luck you will be able to observe its majestic flight. Then you will pass by Papallacta, a small spa town at the bottom of a valley famous for its thermal baths whose hot waters produced by the volcanic activity of the area can reach 40ºC – 48ºC. A time of relaxation surrounded by a splendid mountain landscape.
Visit of the historic district
You will start with Independence Square, the most important in the city, surrounded by the Government Palace with its splendid wrought iron balustrades.
Then, visit the Archdiocese Palace with triangular pedimented windows, the Town Hall and the Metropolitan Cathedral where you can see paintings from the Quito school. Visit to the Church of the Society of Jesus, one of the most remarkable in Latin America thanks to its Baroque and Mudejar style and its decoration in gold leaf that completely covers the interior of the temple which gave it the title of the richest church in South America. Then visit the convent and the church of San Francisco, the oldest in the city. Inside, the church mixes several styles: baroque, mudéjar and plateresque. The visit of the city will end with hill, from where one can contemplate a superb view of the city.
Lake District
Visit of the famous Otavalo Market (Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday) where the natives of local populations offer their products: weaving, carpets, embroidered shirts, ponchos, sweaters, scarves, hats as well as jewellery, paintings and others.
You can appreciate the natives in their traditional outfits. Then, drive to Lake Cuicocha located in the Cotacachi volcano, and formed after one of its eruptions. After this visit, depart for a charming little community, where you can meet and exchange with the native population of the region.
Your Optional Extras —
Discovery dive for non-divers
During this activity, you will discover the fauna of the second-largest marine reserve in the world, with a Dive Master and an Instructor to perform a dive between 3 and 8-10 meters deep.
Your Journey —
Flights:
You may choose from Economy, Premium or Business class flights on sectors that they operate, at the next stage of the booking process. The flights included are with either a scheduled or no-frills airline and are subject to live availability and prices can change. You can choose your preferred departure times during the booking process. Please select your flight options carefully as departure and arrival airports may differ.
Your Destination —
Quito
A city located high in the Andes, cosmopolitan Quito is a city of contrasts. Expect a warm and relaxed, traditional Ecuadorian Sierra culture with market stands and artisans mixed with a vibrant and sophisticated culinary and nightlife scene. The city's historic centre is a declared UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can discover the Carondelet Palace, the Basilica del Voto Nacional, the Botanical Gardens and the Plaza Grande.
Visit the Quito Cathedral, the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace. Be sure not to miss a jacchigua show and try llapiganchos (fried potato pancakes). Head to Mitad del Mundi, where you'll visit the monument to the Equator - Quito is sure to win you over!
