Welcome to Quito, the capital of Ecuador! Arrive at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), where your driver will meet you to transfer to your accommodation in the city center, a one-hour trip.

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The entire city of Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, standing at an altitude of 9,350ft (2,850m). It welcomes visitors with its picturesque plazas situated between mountain peaks. The city has an abundance of market stands, shamanistic healers, and fourth-generation hat makers, as well as a vibrant and sophisticated culinary and nightlife scene.

Meals included: None

Group type: Private

Today, after breakfast, your English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you on a walking city tour.

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The colonial center of Quito was already named world cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1978 and is home to many beautiful, historic buildings and squares. You will visit the Plaza Grande and the beautiful churches La Compañía and La Basílica, and walk down the oldest street of Quito—La Ronda.

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Afterward, you will visit the equatorial monument, Mitad del Mundo, located just 26 km (16 miles) north of Ecuador’s capital city, Quito where French scientists determined the position of the central line many years ago. Ecuador is the place to come to stand on the Equator line, nowhere else on the planet is it easier to visit the Equator line or strike a pose with one foot in each hemisphere. Even Ecuador’s name was born of its location at latitude zero. You will visit the museum exhibits including a planetarium, ethnographic museum, art exhibits, a small-scale model of Quito city, an old train station, a beer museum, cocoa & chocolate exhibits, and a small chapel, for an unforgettable experience today. Then you will continue to Otavalo.

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Meals included: Breakfast

Group type: Small group

Wake up early to enjoy the biggest indigenous city in Ecuador and home of the well-known indigenous market where artisans come to sell colorful textiles and other traditional goods. Snack on fruits and other snacks while you browse the stalls for paintings, carvings, handpainted bowls, and much more.

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Enjoy some street food (try the salted mango or fritada con mote—fried pork with cooked corn, then continue to the nearby town of Cotacachi for some free time and more shopping (the town is famous for its leather products).

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In the afternoon, stroll along the shores of the volcanic crater lake of Cuicocha. Your guide will tell you about the high-altitude flora and fauna and the history of the lake. You can even take a boat ride around the two islands.

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Meals included: Breakfast

Group type: Private group

Today you will visit the picturesque volcano lagoon Quilotoa. This 2-mile (3 km) wide crater lake is filled with 820 feet (250 m) of mineral-rich green water. You have the option to walk along the crater’s rim or hike down a path to the crater lake. The return can become a bit longer, so you have the option to rent a mule for the uphill hike. Here, you are going to spend the night.

This small town is known for two things: naturally heated thermal baths – the namesake of Baños, Ecuador – and nature! Nearby Baños, you’ll find mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and hot springs.

Arriving in Baños, you will visit, the most famous treehouse in the world, the Casa del Arbol, which is home to the Swing at the End of the World, a simple playground ride perched on the edge of a mountain overlooking Baños, Ecuador, you will have the chance to see all of this from the Swing at the End of the World is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Finally, you will enjoy a hot springs bath.

Meals included: None

Group type: Small group

Early in the morning, you will head towards the "Devil’s Cauldron" (In Spanish, Pailón del Diablo) which is located specifically 17 kilometers from the city of Baños de Agua Santa, on the road from Baños to Puyo. Passing a number of waterfalls, you will reach the village of Rio Verde, where you will stop for starting the hike down towards the waterfall, you will be amazed at its height which is approximately 80 meters high and without a doubt one of the most important waterfalls in Ecuador, as it is awe-inspiring, in addition that its location on Rio Pastaza guarantees a constant water supply for the surrounding areas. We then continue our journey to Quito.

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Meals included: Breakfast

Group type: Private group

Today get ready to leave Ecuador with your heart and soul full of good memories in Ecuador.

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Meals included: Breakfast