14 Days Andean Cultures Tour Ecuador

The trip starts in the morning with the meeting of the participants. After the luggage is stowed, we will go to the colonial old town of Quito (UNESCO World Heritage site), where you will walk through the small streets and get to know the beautiful plazas and magnific...

In the morning, we will go up to the Cuicocha crater lagoon, which is located at 3200m on the foothills of Mount Cotacachi. A 4–5-hour hike leads through the flora of the Andean highlands around the lagoon, where open grasslands and small tropical cloud forests altern...

The first excursion today will take you to the community of Kachiviro (San Rafael), where you will witness the process of processing the Tortora plant—this aquatic plant grows on Lake San Pablo and is the main material many families use to make their handicrafts. Afte...

Otavalo is the home of the Otavaleños, known all over the world for their handicrafts. In the morning, take the opportunity to stroll through the streets of this Andean town; observe the market hustle and bustle in the Plaza de Poncho; and learn about the Andean cultu...

This morning you will go on a hike through the protected rainforest surrounding the lodge. At first, you will walk uphill through the secondary forest, but soon the forest changes to the primary forest and you can enjoy the untouched nature of the jungle. Your natural...

Today it's time to get up early: at 5:30 am you will go with your naturalist guide to the small river Arajuno. In the canoe, you will pass the high, densely vegetated banks to discover the many birds; there are herons, caciques, tanagers, and many more. The destinatio...

After breakfast, you will leave the lodge and drive south to Puyo. In the "Yanacocha" rescue center, you can observe some of the tropical animals, including ocelots, parrots, and caimans. With your visit, you support the important work of these projects, while at the ...

A short drive brings you to the botanical garden of Sucua. After a tour, you will continue to the territory of the Shuar, an indigenous people living here in the Amazon lowlands of Ecuador, where you will be welcomed by a Shuar. Before you can leave with your guide fo...

In the early morning, you will experience the traditional Andean market of Guamote. This market is today one of the last authentic markets in the Andes where the farmers from the surrounding mountains come together to exchange goods and news. Guamote and the surroundi...

Today the journey takes you from Riobamba to the heights of the mighty volcano Chimborazo. Due to the ellipse shape of the earth and the location of Chimborazo close to the equator, this mountain is the highest in the world measured from the center of the earth. It go...

From Latacunga we go up to the western Cordillera of the Andes via the small community of Pujili. Continue to the Andean market of Zumbahua. Experience the loud and chaotic market activity before heading to the crater lagoon Quilotoa, one of the most beautiful lagoons...

In the morning you will drive out of the Eastern Cordillera back into the Andine High Basin, first to the approx. 400-year-old Hacienda La Cienega, which takes the visitor back in time with its noble colonial main building a flower garden lined with ancient trees, and...