Ecuador And Its Andes Highlights Tour

This tour offers you the best of Ecuador Highlands visiting the beautiful city of Quito, the magic Cloud forest where you will see many colorful birds, orchids, and waterfalls. Besides you will enjoy of incredible landscapes, you will see majestic mountains like Antisana, and Cotopaxi, and lakes formed inside the crater of an active volcano. To complete this adventure you will visit traditional indigenous markets of the Cotopaxi region and the famous Otavalo Ponchos market.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO QUITO

Arrival in Quito, where you will be met at the airport by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Overnight.

DAY 2: QUITO & ITS HIDDEN AND SWEETS TREASURES

Quito is a labyrinth with treasures made by artisans of every trade, for example, Luis Banda, who works in the San Roque neighborhood, is perhaps one of the most well-known; he and his sweets, known as “Colaciones,” are part of the city’s heritage.

Then you can visit a famous corner where is possible to find packages of roasted peanuts and sweet toasted corn covered by panela (unrefined cane sugar) and chocolate. The peanuts are known as “Garrapinañada” and the corns are like “Caca de perro”, dog poop.

The colonial site is considered one of the most beautiful ones in South America, you will walk through the Main Plaza, visit the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries like La Compañía de Jesús that is one of the most beautiful and perfect churches, it is the finest example of Latin American baroque architecture, especially in its facade that is an amazing work of art carved out on Andean stone. The altars, pulpits, pillars, and arches are all covered with gold leaf.

Later you will continue to “La Ronda Street”, one of the most famous bohemian neighborhoods. We can find restaurants with typical cuisine, and stores with traditional products like Zabala shop you will learn how to transform a piece of wood into a top. Chez Tiff Chocolate Factory where you will learn how to make this magnificent chocolate; Humacatama Hats where Luis López can show you the process of making hats with different materials like Paja toquilla (Panama hats) and felt.

Finally, you will visit an art gallery, where you can observe beautiful paintings and sculptures. Late afternoon you will return to your hotel.

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DAY 3: AUTHENTIC PRODUCTS FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD

After breakfast you will depart to Pomasqui town where you will visit an interesting museum in honor of the Andean Agave, you will learn about the history of the Agave in Ecuador, their uses, and the benefits of this marvelous plant. At the end of this excursion, you will enjoy a delicious taste of the different 100% organic products that we can obtain from this plant like the Chawarmishqui which is the juice of the agave, the Miske, Agave syrup, Alcaparras (the flower of the Agave) and the famous tequila.

Lunch and then you will continue to the north of the city to visit the famous Equator Line or Mitad del Mundo which is located just 40 minutes north of Quito. This monument marks the closest point from where the Equator passes. Archaeological evidence indicates that the pre-Incan and the Inca civilizations recognized and worshiped the path of the equator as the marker of the equinox.

The Fungus Garden is close to Calacali town, where you can learn about the production of five different organic fungi like shitake, white and pink oysters, and many others. Besides the owner will let you about all the medicinal properties and uses of the species of this magic fungus’s world and you can taste different kinds of fungus prepared in different ways.

After this visit, you will depart to Mindo in the cloud forest.

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DAY 4: THE AMAZING COCK OF THE ROCK

Early in the morning, after a cup of hot coffee, you will visit the famous Paz de las Aves Refuge where you will have the opportunity to have one of the most amazing experiences, visiting the cock of the rock lek, where, during the breeding season, the males produce a special sound and fly like real acrobats waiting for the female to choose one of them to mate. Besides here it is possible to see four species of Antpittas, the Giant Antpitta, the Moustached Antpitta, Ochre bellied, and the Yellow Breasted Antpitta.

Then you will visit the feeding station to see black-chinned and blue-winged mountain tanagers, toucan barbet, dusky piha, sickle-winged guan, crimson-rumped toucanet, etc. Return to the main house of this reserve to enjoy a typical breakfast of this region and keep birding to find an ocellated Tapaculo being fed with worms, yellow-vented woodpecker, powerful woodpecker, crimson mantled woodpecker, orange-breasted fruiteater, etc.

Then you will return to Mindo where you will visit a butterfly farm, here The local guides will explain to you about the metamorphosis of these insects and will introduce you to a different world, the butterflies' world where they can eat from your hands. Then you will visit the Quetzal of Mindo which is a chocolate farm where you can see and experience the process of making the chocolate from "bean to bar". Late afternoon you will return to Quito, overnight in the city.

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DAY 5: QUITO – ANTISANA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE – COTOPAXI

After breakfast, our guide will be waiting for you in order to depart to the east range of The Andes at the Antisana Ecological Reserve, where you will admire the beautiful Mica Lake and the Majestic Antisana Volcano (5,758 mts, 18,886.24 ft.).

This reserve is considered a hot spot for birdwatching, where you can find the Carunculated Caracara known as Caracara Curiquingue, This bird is famous because of its movements and characteristics and always in the local festivities you will find people dressed in costumes Caracaras, also there is a folkloric song about this bird. Besides Antisana is one of the best places to spot for Andean Condor in a Natural habitat.

Lunch in a local restaurant where usually you can see a couple of condors flying around the property and if you are lucky the amazing Andean Spectacled bear, and then you will depart to Cotopaxi Province to overnight in Volcano Land / Hacienda El Porvenir one of the most beautiful haciendas located close to the National Park, dinner and overnight.

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DAY 6: COTOPAXI: FOLLOWING THE AMAZING PARAMO

After a delicious breakfast your horses will be waiting for you for a horseback riding trip visiting the surroundings of Hacienda El Porvenir that is one of the most beautiful and privileged places in Ecuador Highlands, It is surrounded by an amazing view where beautiful mountains stand out like Rumiñahui, Pasochoa and especially Cotopaxi volcano.

You will ride side by side with herds of wild horses and bulls, you will wear the typical clothes of the “Chagra” the person in charge of looking for the cattle like a cowboy. Also, you will enjoy the amazing landscape of the volcanic avenue. In case you are not interested in horseback riding you will visit the hacienda and you will learn about the Chagras and their activities.

Return to the main house where a delicious lunch will be waiting for you and in the afternoon, you will visit Cotopaxi National Park, where if the weather conditions permit, you can hike up to the Cotopaxi refuge (4,800 m. / 15744 ft) and know about the Cotopaxi volcano considered as the highest active volcano in the world. Late in the afternoon, our guide will drive you to a local hacienda where you will have dinner and overnight.

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DAY 7: COTOPAXI: INDIGENOUS MARKET – QUILOTOA LAKE – QUITO

Early in the morning depending on the day of your tour you can visit an indigenous market, where you will see how the local people trade their products, (on Sunday and Wednesday: Pujilí Market; on Thursday: Saquisilí Market and on Saturday: Zumbahua market).

Then you will visit Quilotoa Lake, on the route you can stop in Tigua a small town where you can find amazing handicrafts made from animal skins and beautiful and colorful masks that represent some local animals.

Then you will arrive at Quilotoa Lake, which is a water-filled caldera of 3 m (2 miles). This caldera was formed by the collapse of the volcano in an eruption that took place approximately 800 years ago. The caldera has since accumulated a 250 m (820 ft) deep crater lake, which has an extraordinary turquoise color as a result of dissolved minerals. Lunch in a local restaurant and then you will return to Quito where you will overnight

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DAY 8: THE MOST IMPORTANT INDIGENOUS MARKET IN SOUTH AMERICA

This day our guide will be waiting for you at the lobby of your hotel in order to travel to the north of Quito until arrive at Otavalo. En route, you can stop in some places like Guayllabamba and enjoy exotic fruits like the delicious chirimoyas and tangerines. Then you can stop in Cayambe where you can try the delicious biscuits with cheese.

Upon your arrival to Otavalo, our guide will drive you to Carabuela, a small town close to Otavalo where you will visit an old master weaver who will explain to you the traditional process that the Otavaleños use to make their handicrafts. With this knowledge our guide will drive you to the Otavalo market or the Ponchos market which is considered the most important indigenous market of South America; here you can find different and colorful handicrafts like rugs, tapestries, clothes jewelry, etc.

After a full morning of shopping time, you will enjoy a delicious lunch in a local hacienda and in the afternoon you will visit Cotacachi, a town known for its famous leather handicrafts, here you can find interesting products like purses, shoes, boots, wallets, hats, jackets, pants, etc. Late afternoon you will return to Quito, overnight

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DAY 9: QUITO – GALAPAGOS EXTENSION OR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

After an unforgettable experience in Ecuador, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your extension to the Galapagos Islands or an international flight home.

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END OF THE SERVICES

A NOTE ON THE ORDER OF THE ITINERARY:

The itinerary is subject to change based on local conditions. It could be flexible according to the client’s interests.

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B- BREAKFAST; L-LUNCH; D-DINNER; BL-BOX LUNCH

PRICES INCLUDE:

Private transportation, transfers airport-hotel-airport, bilingual naturalist guide, accommodation based on double room in all hotels (single supplement under request), lodges and haciendas included in the itinerary or similar depending on availability, all excursions described in the itinerary, meals as described in the itinerary, entrance fee to: churches and museums in Quito, Middle of the World, Casa Agave, The fungus garden, Paz de las Aves reserve, Butterfly farm, El Quetzal farm, Antisana Ecological Reserve, horseback riding, Cotopaxi National Park, Quilotoa Lake.

NOT INCLUDED:

Travel insurance, meals not specified, soft and alcoholic drinks, tips, and personal expenses.