Adventurous Ecuador with Amazon 8D/7N

Airport – hotel transfer (1 hr), accommodation.

08:00 Departure from your hotel. Visit Cotopaxi National Park, located 70 km southeast of Quito. The tour begins with a walk around the “Limpiopungo” Lagoon, offering the chance to see birds, wild horses, and chuquiraguas, known as the flower of the Andes, all surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Time for lunch, followed by a stop at an export rose farm (included). Return to Quito.

08:30 Departure to the Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the Basilica (includes entrance to explore its towers and impressive stained-glass windows), Plaza Grande, Government Palace, and La Compañía de Jesús Church (includes entrance and guided visit). Continue to San Francisco Square and Church, and the viewpoint of the Winged Virgin of El Panecillo. Afterwards, transfer to the Middle of the World City, with time for lunch and visits to the Monument to the Equator Line (included) and the “Intiñan” Museum (included). Finally, optional stop at the Teleférico for those who wish to visit (entrance not included), otherwise return to your hotel. Accommodation.

07:30 Departure from Quito (approximately 4 hours) toward the Ecuadorian Amazon. Arrival at the Napo River, where we will board a motorized canoe to reach the lodge. Welcome lunch. In the afternoon, take a guided walk through the Amazon rainforest, discovering a variety of medicinal plants and insects of all kinds. With a bit of luck, you may spot monkeys and a wide range of bird species, accompanied by a native guide. Return to the lodge, dinner, and overnight stay at Casa del Suizo (2 nights). Consult for Huasquila itinerary in Archidona.

After breakfast, we will prepare our gear, boots, and rain ponchos for the day’s adventure. By canoe, we’ll travel downstream along the Napo River to the Arajuno River to visit the Amazon Wildlife Rescue Center, where you can see toucans, macaws, parrots, several species of monkeys, jaguars, and capybaras. Lunch included. There will be an opportunity to swim in the river. We will also visit a Quichua family to learn about their ancestral traditions, such as gold panning, pottery making, preparation of chicha (a fermented cassava drink), and the use of blowguns for hunting. Return to the lodge, enjoying a short walk through the secondary forest. Dinner and overnight stay.

09:00 Departure from the lodge and transfer to Puyo, another Amazonian city, where we will visit local handicraft workshops specializing in balsa wood carvings. We then continue to the city of Baños, with time for lunch and a walk to the famous Pailón del Diablo waterfall. Afterwards, enjoy a thrilling cable car (tarabita) ride over the Pastaza River at the Manto de la Novia or Agoyán waterfalls. Panoramic visit of Baños and its main attractions. By late afternoon, we will arrive in Riobamba. Accommodation.

08:00 Brief panoramic visit of Riobamba, including Neptuno Park and the Loma de Quito viewpoint. Then, we will ascend toward the Chimborazo Highlands, where you’ll have the chance to admire the breathtaking landscapes surrounding Ecuador’s highest volcano (6,310 m / 20,703 ft). Along the way, observe native Andean camelids such as alpacas and vicuñas in their natural habitat. We will continue around the volcano before descending toward the city of Ambato and returning to Quito, or optionally extending the trip overland to Guayaquil for an additional supplement (*). Accommodation.

Departure transfer and return flight from the selected city.