7 Days Quito - Montañita Visiting Andes, Amazon and coast

Day 1: Quito - Cotopaxi - Quilotoa - Baños

1. Quito
   5m
   Departure from Quito:
   
   Blue house Hotel 06:15 or
   Café Zular 06:30 (Nex to San Blas Squarea)
2. Cotopaxi National Park
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Hiking at Limiopungo Lake inside Cotopaxi National Park, home to one of the world’s highest active volcanoes.
   There you can visit the Limpiopungo Lagoon which is at the foot of a volcano and there is possible to see some species of flora besides the volcano
3. Canon del Rio Toachi
   3h · Admission ticket included
   Transfer from Cotopaxi National Park to Cañon del Río Toachi. (2:30)
   Here we can take some pictures and the guide will explain you about its formations wich are product of pyroclastic flows whose source was the Quilotoa volcano (0:30). The materials that form the base of the canyon are pumiceous elements, lapillis, and volcanic bombs. The emission of these flows has a suggested age of 1800 years.
4. Laguna Quilotoa
   1h · Admission ticket included
   You will arrive to the Crater and inside it the lake, the guide will explain to you about its origin and about the flora of this zone, if the day is clear you can see all the scenery from the top of the crater and if the time is enough is possible to go down to the lake and go boating (not included)
5. Salcedo
   5m
   Stop for famous Ecuadorian ice cream on the way to Baños.
6. Banos
   10m
   Transfer from Quilotoa to Baños
   Drop off in the Central Park of Baños
   You can add our extra tour for your free days in Baños

Day 2: Free day or add extra Amazon Tour Full day

1. BioParque Yanacocha
   2h · Admission ticket included
   Visit to the Yanacocha Animal Rescue Center to see all kinds of rainforest animals
2. Jardin Botanico las Orquideas
   1h · Admission ticket included
   This place contains many stories that began with the rescue of threatened and endangered flora species. The guide will explain you about the diferent species.
   
   Time for Lunch (not included)
3. Puyo
   20m
   On the road, we will visit a hatchery Paiche. The Paiche, inhabiting the Amazon jungle, is the largest freshwater fish in the world.
   Time for lunch (not included)
4. 1h · Admission ticket included
   Hiking through the jungle to a stunning waterfall and the lookout at Indichuris from there you can see "Cordillera de los andes" there the guide will explain you about the importance of Pastaza river and and of the communities located on the banks of the river and when the day is clear you can see the active Sangay volcano
   1 hora , Entrada incluida

Day 3: Free day or add extra Chimborazo Tour

1. Volcan Chimborazo
   5h · Admission ticket included
   Transfer From Baños to Chimborazo (2:30 hours)
   Enjoy our full-day tour to Chimborazo Volcano, the highest volcano in Ecuador for just a small additional cost. More details are below.
   
   Visit and guidance at Chimborazo Volcano: hike up to the refuge and see amazing landscapes
2. 2h
   Hike from the first refuge, enjoying the stunning landscapes and wildlife, until you reach the maximum hiking limit of Chimborazo Volcano at 16.732 ft. in Condor-cocha, a small lagoon with a curious view of the summit.
   
   After get down and time for lunch (1:00 Not included)
   Here you can visit also a Vicuna hatchery and Alpca

Day 4: Baños - Alausí

1. Pass by
   Our Pick up will be here (central Park) to continue the trip
2. Iglesia de Balbanera
   2h 20m
   Transfer from Baños (2:00)
   
   La Balbanera is one of the first examples of colonial architecture in South America. It is also the first Catholic church in Ecuador. A true survivor of the great earthquake of 1797, the temple is not only standing but is also in use today.
3. Market Guamote
   Pass by
   If your trip match on Thursday with this place we will make a stop for 1 hour to visit this market.
   This is the most emblematic indigenous market in the province of Chimborazo. Every Thursday the streets are full of people coming to the market. The vast majority are indigenous people from the surroundings of Guamote who come to sell their products and their animals.
4. Lakes of Ozogoche (Lagunas de Ozogoche)
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Transfer (0:45 )
   
   This is a set of lagoons where we will visit the "Cubillín" lagoon It is located at an altitude of 3,788 meters above sea level and has 5,3 Km, which has transparent water fanned by the wind that creates waves of unique charm.
   
   Time to Lunch (not included) in a traditional family. Typical dishes in the Andes region: Trout or sweet corn with "Locro" traditional soup.
5. Estacion Ferrocarril
   2h 10m
   Transfer from Ozogoche to Alausí train station 2:00
   
   Drop off

Day 5: Alausí-Cuenca

1. Estacion Ferrocarril
   Pass by
   Pick up in this place to continue with the trip
2. 30m
   This viewpoint is located approximately 30 minutes from the Alausí in Chimborazo province in the Ecuadorian Andean center. We have to go down steps to have a better view and there, from here you can see the nature that this area offers, here the guide will explain to you about legends and the origin of the name "Nariz del Diablo" Devil Noise and the history related to the construction of the Ecuadorian railway. (not operational now)
3. 2h 30m
   Transfer from Pistishi Viewpoint to Caguanapamba (1:30)
   This is a Cañari town, 99% of its inhabitants speak Quichua, this town has its own laws and everything is based on a council elected by the members of the community.
   Here you will visit a traditional family and one of its members will perform a spiritual cleansing. Time for lunch in this place (not included)
4. Ingapirca Archaeological Complex
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Transfer to Ingapirca (0:20)
   If your trip matches this day from Wednesday to Sunday you will visit "Ingapirca" the Kichwa word that means 'wall or wall of the Inca', is the name by which this pre-Columbian site in the Andean south of Ecuador is designated.
   
   This entire four-hectare archaeological complex is an obligatory step for all those who want to know the Qhapaq Ñan
   
   If your trip matches these days Monday or Tuesday we will visit "Baños del Inca"
   This monument is possibly the most notable archaeological evidence of the site or, at least, the one that has been best preserved, they form a sculptural complex located in the central part of the area, which is known by the name of "Baños del Inca" due to the fact that occupying a prominent place, there are two ponds that give the appearance of interconnected tubs. These decorations are carved on an extensive rock, in the form of reliefs.
5. Santuario de la Virgen del Rocio
   1h 30m · Admission ticket included
   Transfer to Biblian (1:00)
   One of the most important tourist attractions in the Biblián canton is the majestic Sanctuary of the "Virgen del Rocío".
   If the sanctuary is open we can see its interior and all its art.
   On the road, you can taste the traditional "Cascaritas" baked pig leather
6. 50m
   Transfer to Cuenca (0:40)
   Drop off Parque Calderón (Central Park)

Day 6: Free day or add extra Cuenca tour

1. Cuenca
   5m
   Pick up in Cuenca at Parque Calderón for our day tour.
2. La Casa de la Makana
   30m · Admission ticket included
   Stop at a local workshop of ancestral “ikat”-style weaving technique and see the complete process of the handmade Macanas.
3. Ecuagenera - Orchids from Ecuador
   1h · Admission ticket included
   The largest botanic garden specialized in Orchids of South America, with thousands of orchids and tropical plants.
4. Chordeleg
   1h
   It is located in the Santa Bárbara river basin in the province of Azuay.
   Chordeleg was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in the year 2000. It is famous for its fine filigree jewelry (you can find excellent quality gold and silver necklaces, bracelets and earrings)
5. 1h
   Time for lunch
6. 1h 30m · Admission ticket included
   The Museum and the Ethno-botanical Park of Pumapungo are ideal places to get to know the Cañari and Inca cultures up close.
   It is an alternative educational space, in which a permanent program of training and research in archeology is developed to educate the public about the ancient Andean worldview, represented here by the Cañari and Inca cultures.
7. Mirador de Turi
   45m · Admission ticket included
   The name of Turi comes from the indigenous word kuri, which means gold. It is located 10 minutes from the city center. The mountain of Turi, according to Inca history, was a place of worship of the gods.
   This viewpoint has a unique panoramic view that allows you to see the city in all its splendor.
   
   After Drop off at Parque Calderon.

Day 7: Cuenca - Guayaquil- Montañita

1. Cuenca
   30m
   Drop of at Parque Calderon
   time for Breakfast on the route (not included)
2. El Cajas National Park
   1h · Admission ticket included
   Cajas National Park is located in the province of Azuay, in southern Ecuador, where the Andes mountain range is older, with less volcanic activity, and without the lofty peaks that are so common further north. In this area, the mountain range forms extensive highlands of great beauty where water accumulates in large amounts of water. Nearly 165 lagoons with a surface area of more than 1 hectare and 621 with less than 1 hectare have been counted; there are a total of 786 bodies of water.
3. Laguna La Toreadora
   1h · Admission ticket included
   It is reached by the Cuenca – Molleturo – Puerto Inca road, approximately 40 kilometers from Cuenca. On this site are the Park's Technical Office, an interpretation center and access to the different trails.
4. 1h 30m · Admission ticket included
   This is an agricultural farm focused on agrotourism; Here agricultural tours, typical food and recreational activities are offered.
   Time for lunch in the farm (1 hour) not included.
5. Pass by
   Drop off in Guayaquil or continue to Montañita
6. Montanita
   3h
   Transfer from Guayaquil to Montañita
   Drop off Montañita

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Service animals allowed
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness