The Best of Ecuador

Sample the best of Ecuador's diversity in this compact introduction to the Andean nation.  Look for hummingbirds on the slopes of Pichincha Volcano.  Hike to waterfalls amid the lush cloud forest of the Mindo-Nambillo Reserve, and visit a butterfly farm.  Spend two nights at a delightful hacienda in the Avenue of the Volcanoes.  Visit the Equatorial monument, and have your picture taken with one foot in the southern hemisphere and one foot in the northern hemisphere. Spend a day in the spectacular highlands at the base of Chimborazo Volcano, viewing troops of vicunas.  Discover the color and excitement of a traditional highland market.  And explore the amazing colonial treasures of Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The program works well as a base to build a longer custom itinerary.  We can add on Hacienda Cusin and Otavalo in the north, or Cuenca in the south;  an Amazon lodge visit, and of course the Galapagos Islands.

Use these Activity Level Ratings as a general guide to help determine which of our adventures is best for you. Your perception of level of difficulty may vary from ours according to your own level of fitness and travel experience. Whether or not you stay in your comfort zone on the trip you select may also be influenced by the pacing we build into the itinerary, and your own preparation for the trip. While relatively high elevations are unavoidable when you're traveling in the Andes Mountains, we may judge a trip as "moderate" so long as passengers have sufficient time for acclimation. Our detailed trip itineraries give much more information about what you can expect. If you are unsure which trip is best for you, please call us. We'll help guide you toward the right fit.

Moderate

These adventures involve fairly easy travel. There is no camping: you sleep in hotels and country inns each evening. Trips may include short hikes and/or walks of two to three hours. Our itineraries include excursions in passenger mini-vans, over roads with many curves and potholes. Elevations rarely exceed 12,600'. At Machu Picchu and other Inca sites, we climb and descend relatively steep stone staircases. Trips to Amazon lodges involve travel by boat and canoe, plus hikes on forest trails at a moderate pace. In the rainforest, you may encounter rain, mud, and pooled water. Trips to the Galapagos include optional hikes on sometimes uneven rocky and/or slippery terrain. Passengers must get into and out of dinghies on beaches and at docks.

Active

These adventures include more hiking than in our moderate trips. You negotiate a variety of terrain, at elevations no more than 15,000'. Some trips include long days of overland travel. You sleep comfortably in hotels each evening.

Strenuous

While we rate all of our treks as strenuous, there is a substantial range of challenge between the easiest and the most demanding of our treks. Expect to hike 6-8 hours each day over steep and rugged terrain. You may hike to elevations of 17,000', with options to hike higher from several camps. Many include camping multiple nights at relatively high elevations. On most treks in the Andes, night-time temperatures can drop below freezing on one or more nights. On our Inn to Inn based treks, you'll spend each evening in a comfortable mountain lodge.

Extreme

Our toughest treks are suitable for those that enjoy a good physical challenge. You trek (and in some cases climb) over steep, rugged terrain at high elevations with substantial altitude gains. Some glacier travel requires knowledge of basic climbing techniques including use of crampons, ice axe, and ropes. These trips are in remote wilderness areas and include camping as high at 17,700'. Successful summit bids top out at 18,871' (Nevado Pisco), 19,347' (Volcan Cotopaxi) and 20,945' (Nevado Ausangate).

Departures available year-round, on request, custom program

2010 Rates, per person based on sharing accommodations

"Hotel Type" specific hotels in Quito below:

Tourist: Vieja Cuba; Superior: Cafe Cultura

Superior Plus: Hilton Colon; Deluxe: Plaza Grande

Day One  Arrival in Quito

We meet you as you arrive into Quito airport, and transfer to a comfortable hotel for overnight.  Quito is at 9,350', on the eastern flank of the twin volcanoes Rucu Pichincha and Guagua Pichincha (15,725').

Day Two  Into the Cloud Forest

We depart bright and early, leaving the city behind and driving up into the moorlands on the northern slope of Pichincha Volcano.  We're following the El Quinde Ecoroute, the so-called Route of the Hummingbird.  Within half an hour our surroundings are transformed from urban streets into the lush greenery of the Ecuadorean highlands.  We stop to look for hummingbirds in the high pasture, then continue down past the quaint village of El Nono.  Soon the fields and pastures are replaced by the steep mountainsides and cloud forest of the Mindo-Nambillo Reserve as we descend alongside a rushing river.  In mid-afternoon we emerge at the main highway and soon reach our country inn just outside the town of Mindo at 4,200'.   We include lunch and dinner

Day 3   Mindo

We spend the morning hiking on trails in the lush forest of the private reserve surrounding our country inn.  We'll view waterfalls, many birds, and an exotic forest full of epiphytes.  We return to Sachatamia for lunch, then drive down into Mindo town to visit the Mariposarium, a butterfly farm.  In the afternoon you have time for optional activities -- tubing, rafting, zipline, or more nature observation in the forest.

Day 4  Equatorial Line/Hacienda

We return toward Quito following the main paved highway, to Calacali and the Solar Museum.  Located almost exactly on the Equatorial line, the Solar Museum is a small, privately-owned institution with fascinating exhibits on the indigenous awareness of the Equator.  We continue south, bypassing Quito, and reach our lovely highland hacienda (Hacienda Hato Verde or similar) where we settle in for a two-night stay.  We include lunch and dinner

Day Five   Chimborazo Volcano

We visit a native market in the Avenue of the Vocanoes.  On market day, indigenous highland farmers congregate to buy and sell, to get haircuts and baptisms, and to socialize.  These traditional markets continue to be an integral social foundation for the regional community.  Following the market, we climb steadily toward massive Chimborazo Volcano (20,696').  Above the level of the highest pasture, we traverse the "despoblado", the vast slopes of volcanic ash and sand.  Part of this highland country is a Chimborazo Fauna Reserve, where we may view troops of the elegant vicuna grazing near the highway.  We continue our circuit of the mountain, and descend back down into the Avenue of the Volcanoes at Riobamba.  From here we turn north and return to the hacienda for overnight.  We include lunch and dinner.

Day Six  Quito

We depart the countryside, returning in the morning to Quito.  After settling into our hotel, we enjoy an afternoon tour of the colonial heart of Quito.   We visit the Plaza de Independencia, the church of La Compañia, and the San Francisco Plaza.  You also have time for some shopping.  Lunch is on your own;  farewell dinner tonight at the Itchimbia Park.

Day Seven   Depart for home

We transfer you to the airport for your flight home.

Included: 

• Breakfast daily, and all meals except on arrival and departure days, 1 lunch in Quito on Day 6.
• Private transportation with excellent English-speaking guide
• Entrance fees to sites and reserves
• 2 nights hotel in Quito
• 2 nights Sachatamia Lodge (or similar) in Mindo area, in double standard room with breakfast and dinner; use of facilities (pool, jacuzzi,) guided walk to bird canopy; self-guided trails at the private reserve
• 2 nights Hacienda Hato Verde in double standard room with dinner included

Not included:

• Horseback riding tour at Hato Verde
• Alcoholic beverages
• Tips to guide, driver and hotel staff
• Long distance charges, laundry and other personal expenses

Suggested Optional Add-ons --  choose from a wonderful array of possibilities, including the list below:

• Amazon Lodge Stay (4 or 5 days or more)
• Galapagos Island cruise (4, 5, or 8 days)
• Stay at Hacienda Cusin, visit Otavalo market, or your choice of any of Ecuador's large variety of haciendas
• Visit colonial Cuenca in the South

What about the elevation?

At 9.350 feet elevation, Quito is in the middle of our elevation range on this trip.   If you have trouble adjusting to elevation, you'll feel better once we drop down to Mindo.   We then climb back into the highlands, and spend a night in the Avenue of the Volcanoes at 9,840'.   We then reach our highest point on the trip during the circuit of Chimborazo Volcano -- we'll exceed 15,000' along this otherworldly route.

Which traditional market will we visit?

Since we work up the itinerary on request, we choose a traditional market according to the days of the week that we are in the Avenue of the Volcanoes.  We may visit Pujili, Ambato, Latacunga, Zumbahua, or Saquisili.  We may transpose the order of activities in order to reach a best fit between the market day and other activities.

Currency?

Ecuador uses the US dollar.

How strenous are the hikes?    We categorize this trip as Active.   We can adjust the hiking according to the preferences of each group.

• 6 nights/7 days in hotels and country inns
• in/out Quito
• explore exotic cloud forest in Mindo Reserve
• view vicunas on the slopes of Chimborazo
• markets, churches, and delicious Ecuadorean cuisine

• Map