Day One - Arrival in Quito
As your holiday in Ecuador begins, we’ll be there to pick you up and take you to your hotel, which is in the heart of Quito. You will probably be wanting some time to rest and get used to the altitude so we have left the rest of today free for you to relax. Your hotel is close to dozens of restaurants and cafes, as well as all the other facilities you'd expect from a capital city, so if you're feeling up to it then why not head on out and explore?
Day Two - City tour of Quito
After a free morning to relax and settle into things, we will pick you up after lunch and take you for a tour of Quito’s Old Town, including the plazas, Cathedral and other sites of interest before heading out of town to the “Mitad del Mundo” (Middle of the World) centre, located right on the Equator, so you can stand astride the world!
Day Three - Otavalo Market
An early start today, as we head out of Quito into the mountains to the north for a slice of the Real Ecuador! We'll be heading to the bustling local market at Otavalo - a typical mountain town that just happens to be home to the largest market in Ecuador! You can check out the beautiful local textiles, haggle over some excellent leather goods, or just sit back with an Ecuadorean coffee and take it all in! After a full day here, we will return to Quito in the evening.
Day Four - A chance to relax
You'll be heading out of Quito again today as your Ecuador holiday continues, but everything will be very relaxed as you head to a luxurious spa. As you sit in the hot springs, by the banks of the Papallacta river, surrounded by the peaks of the Andes, you'll wonder if it gets any better than this... then we will take you for an expert massage and you'll realise that yes - it does!
Day Five - Back to Quito
After another morning here at the Spa, where as well as relaxing you can enjoy some of the superb nature trails in the area, we will pick you up and take you back to Quito, hopefully thoroughly relaxed and ready for the rest of your Ecuador holiday!
Day Six - Cotopaxi National park
Day Six - Cotopaxi National Park
The snow-capped mountain of Cotopaxi is one of the enduring symbols of Ecuador, and no holiday in Ecuador is complete without a trip to see it. Today we will take you on a full-day tour through the Cotopaxi National Park, giving you the chance for some breathtaking photos along the way.
Day Seven - Lake Quilotoa
Today we will head away from Cotopaxi to the volcanic Quilotoa lake. We guarantee you've never seen anything like it - climbing up to the lip of the (extinct!) volcano, you look down into a bluey-green lake that seems utterly surreal. You can then head down to the lake and take out a rowing-boat or canoe, before coming back up by horse to your waiting driver. In the evening, we'll head further south through Ecuador, to the town of Riobamba, where we will spend the night in a traditional Hosteria.
Day Eight - The Devil's Nose
An early start again today, as we pick you up and take you to the train station in Riobamba, for a ride down the Devil's Nose! This infamous switchback took decades of work to complete but is now used mainly by tourists. You have some spectacular views as you travel down the line - especially for the adventurous ones who decide to ride on the roof... At the end of the line we will pick you up and take you on to the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca, where you will stay tonight.
Day Nine - Tour of Cuenca
Today we will take you on a tour of this lovely city - probably the prettiest in Ecuador. We will visit the two cathedrals, two of Ecuador's best museums, and a factory where they make traditional 'Panama' hats. We will finish off by heading to a hill just outside Cuenca, from where you have some gorgeous views over the city and the countryside beyond.
Day Ten - Free day in Cuenca
We've left today free for you to wander around Cuenca. With its pleasant, tree-lined streets and squares, gorgeous domed churches, and some of the best food and drink in the country, we're sure you'll find lovely plenty of places to sit and write those postcards - we can even recommend a few!
Day Eleven - Back to Quito
After breakfast this morning, we will pick you up and take you back to Quito, where you can get ready to head out for a final full day here in Ecuador. Postcards sent? Souvenirs bought? Then you're all set to enjoy a traditional meal before it's salsa time...
Day Twelve - Onward bound
Most flights back to the UK and to the Galapagos leave in the morning, so you’ll just have time for breakfast today before it’s time to say goodbye to Ecuador as we pick you up and take you to catch your flight either home, or on to your Galapagos cruise...
Because all our Ecuador holidays are tailormade, our prices are flexible and depend on the accommodation and activities you want. If you want to change the length of this holiday, or the activities you do, or the type of accommodation you use - let us know! We can send you a tailormade itinerary, including price, absolutely free!
Our standard price for this trip is £1200 per person. This price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room in our standard 3-star accommodation (details available on request).
And what does it include?
We know that you need to be able to see how much things are going to cost you, so everything that you read about on the previous page is included in this price. The only "biggie" that we don't include is your international flight to and from the UK. We ask you to buy these yourself, but we will do all the research for you and find you the best deal going, so you don't have expend any effort here.
Just to be absolutely clear, here is what you're getting for your money on this holiday:
- All accommodation in superior hotels we have personally checked out
- All transfers
- All internal transport, including the Devil's Nose train from Riobamba to Alausi and Flight from Cuenca-Quito
- All entrance fees
- Half-day tour of Quito, including the "Middle of the World"
- Full-day tour of Cotopaxi National Park
- Full-day tour of Otavalo market
- Full-day tour of Quilotoa lake
- Half-day tour of Cuenca
- Full buffet breakfast every day
- Packed lunch on your Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, and Devil's Nose trips