6 days and 5 days
Starting every Wednesday
Day 1 Cotopaxi National Park, the highest free standing active volcano
Depart in the early morning from Quito to the Cotopaxi National Park. Visit to the Limpiapunga Lake and start of a little hike. Afterwards we drive up to the parking lot of the refuge. Those who feel fit enough start to hike up to the refuge José Ribeira at 4800m and further on to the glacier.
On the way lunch or box lunch. We spend the night in one of the traditional Haciendas with dinner.
Day 2 Indian market Pujilí - Chugchilán
After breakfast we drive to Pujilí to its traditional Indian market. Then we drive on to Sigchos. On the way we stop for a little walk in this lovely scenery of the patchwork fields. Box lunch and overnight stay with dinner in Chugchilán.
Day 3 Quilotoa crater – Ambato
After breakfast, depart to the Quilotoa volcanic crater and we hike down from the rim to the emerald lake. On the way down to Ambato, visit the little museum of Tiga with its colourful naive paintings of the region. Lunch on the way and in the early evening we arrive in Ambato.
Day 4 Chimborazo, the highest mountain of Ecuador
Early morning we drive over the north slope of the Chimborazo to the first refuge at 4800m. On the way we observe the Vicunas, one of the three lama species in Ecuador. From the first refugee we hike up to the second refuge at 5000m.
Afterwards we visit a Hacienda where they breed the bulls for the traditional bullfights of the country. There we enjoy a typical lunch of the area. Overnight stay and dinner in Riobamba.
Day 5 Train Riobamba to Alausí and devils nose - Incapirca
In the early morning we start the famous train ride to Alausí and down to the devil’s nose and back to Alausí. Weather permitting and depending upon space availability, we sit on top of the train. On the way we enjoy the area with its flora and indigenous habitants. On the way, box lunch. From Alausí, we drive south to the Incan ruins of Ingapirca. Overnight stay in the Posada Ingapirca.
Day 6 Ingapirca – Cuenca
In the morning, we visit the biggest Incan ruins in Ecuador and go on a little walk here in the Incan and Cañari mystical landscape. Lunch in the Posada and journey to the third largest city in Ecuador, Cuenca. In Cuenca we have the possibility to fly directly to Quito or Guayaquil, or, to start one of the Cuenca tours.
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