This tour will take you through all continental Ecuador's splendor in 17 days.  You'll begin touring the Higlands, including the glaciers of Cotopaxi, before heading into the rainforests of the Upper Amazon River Basin where you'll spend 5 days in a jungle lodge before spending the night at some of Ecuador's most beautiful hot springs.   Then you'll visit Otavalo's indigineous market and the cloud forests of the Andean slopes before heading to the beautiful beaches of Machalilla National Park on Ecuador's central coast to top off this unforgettable journey.  You also have the option of choosing between mountain biking or hiking on some excursions.   

 

 

 

Itinerary:

Day 1:  Arrival in Quito . Transfer to hotel

Day 2: Quito city tour.  Get acquainted with one of Latin America ’s most beautiful cities.

Day 3:  Day trip to Pululahua Caldera.  Great for acclimatization.

Day 4: 

Option 1:  Day trip up Pichincha volcano, one of Ecuador ’s most active volcanoes.  Return to Quito in the afternoon.

Option 2: Mountain Bike Pichincha !!

Day 5: 

Option 1: Day trip to the world’s tallest active volcano, Cotopaxi.  Return to Quito in afternoon.

Option 2: Mountain Bike Cotopaxi !!

Day 6:  Catch a flight to Lago Agrio from Quito. Begin our comfortable Cuyabeno Jungle Tour.

Day 7:   Cuyabeno Jungle Tour

Day 8:  Cuyabeno Jungle Tour

Day 9:  Cuyabeno Jungle Tour

Day 10:  Cuyabeno Jungle Tour.  Bus to the fabulous hot springs of Papallacta.  Spend night in comfort after soaking in the hot springs.

Day 11:  Short hike, soak in Papallacta's hotsprings then return to Quito.

Day 12:  Day trip to one of Latin America ’s most famous indigenous markets in Otavalo.  This is a great place to pick up souvenirs.  In the afternoon we visit the crater lake of Cuicocha, hike a bit and return to Quito in the evening.

Day 13:  Day trip to the Mindo Cloud Forest.  Enjoy the warm weather, verdant forests, butterflies, countless bird species and waterfall-clad rivers in this magical valley.  Return to Quito in late afternoon.

Day 14:  Flight to Manta, where you'll spend 3 days exploring the beautiful Machalilla National Park on Ecuador's central coast.

Day 15:  Day trip to Machalilla's Isla de la Plata (Silver Island), also known as the "little Galapagos".

Day 16:  Hike to Los Frailes Beach in the heart of Machalilla National Park.  Transfer to Manta to catch your afternoon flight to Quito.

Day 17:  Transfer to Quito International Airport for flight home/ or combine with other trip (see Galapagos to complete a full tour of Ecuador)