Along the roads – 10 days

10-day local bus tour accompanied by your guide to melt into local life at the pace of public transport. We will begin the tour with a visit to the Otavalo region with its famous market full of colors, kindness and joy of living.

We will continue to the heights of the Andes and its Andean populations with the visit of the Quilotoa region that inhabit 4000 meters above sea level and then we will go to the warm spa town of Baños with a more humid and tropical vegetation.
We´ll finish with a hike in the wildlife reserve of Chimborazo, vicuñas reserve, but it is also the highest mountain in Ecuador with an altitude of 6268 meters.

Itinérary :

Day 1 – Colonial Quito – Local bus to Otavalo – Otavalo

Meeting with your guide and then departure to colonial Quito, walking with your guide: Basilica, Plaza Grande, San Francisco square and convent. In the afternoon, departure to Otavalo by local bus. Hotel night in Otavalo.

Day 2 – Otavalo market – Peguche community – Otavalo

Breakfast. Visit of the traditional artisan market of Otavalo. In the afternoon, excursion to the community of Peguche and its waterfall. Continuation to the banks of the sacred lake of San Pablo. Return to Otavalo by local bus. Hotel night in Otavalo.
B

Day 3 – Otavalo – Cuicocha Lagoon – Cotacachi – Otavalo

Breakfast. Departure to Cuicocha. Walk around the lagoon. Box lunch during the excursion. Visit the town of Cotacachi famous for its leather crafts. Hotel night in Otavalo.
B – L (Box lunch)

Day 4 – Ruins of Cochasquí – Middle of the World – Quito – Private transport

Breakfast. Departure to Quito by private transport. Along the way, we will visit the Cochasquí pyramids and the site of the “Middle of the World”. Hotel night in Quito.
B – L

Day 5 – Free morning in Quito – Latacunga

Breakfast. Free morning in Quito. At 14 hours, departure to the south bus station of Quito to take a local bus to Latacunga. Hotel night in Latacunga.
B

Day 6 – Latacunga – Quilotoa

Breakfast. Departure by local bus to the Quilotoa lagoon, located 2 hours in the Western Andes mountain range. Visit of the community. Descent of 320 m of difference in altitude inside the crater along a path of approximately 1600 m. This volcano is still active and we can observe the presence of carbon dioxide that leaves the surface of the water, a source of water that contains an appreciable amount of iron. Possibility of riding in mules from the bottom of the crater to the community (optional). Dinner and overnight in lodge at Quilotoa.
B – L – D

Day 7 – Hike from Quilotoa to Chugchilán

Breakfast. At 8 am, walk from Quilotoa to Chugchilán following the edge of the Quilotoa crater at ¼ of its circumference before beginning the descent to Guayama and the bottom of the Sigüe river canyon. The end of this hike will be an ascent of 400 meters from the bottom of the canyon to the town of Chugchilán (12 km in total). Box lunch during the day. Dinner and overnight in lodge at Chugchilán.
B – L (Box lunch) – D

Day 8 – Chugchilán – Baños – Free in Baños in the afternoon

Departure to Baños all morning by local bus. Breakfast in Latacunga. Continue to Baños by local bus. Afternoon free to walk around Baños or if you prefer to relax and enjoy the hot springs of the town. Hotel night in Baños.
B

Day 9 – Baños – Smugglers Route – Manto de la Novia – Pailón del Diablo – Baños

Breakfast. Visit the route of the orchids walking along the smugglers’ path to the Manto de la Novia waterfall. Ascent of the bottom of the canyon in tarabita (cable cart). Continue to the Pailón del Diablo waterfall. Waterfall excursion, box lunch during the walk. Return to Baños in the afternoon. Hotel night in Baños.
B – L (Box lunch)

Day 10 – Chimborazo wildlife reserve – Private transport

Private transport this day.
Breakfast. Departure to the Chimborazo wildlife reserve. Ascent to the refuge at 5000m above sea level. Box lunch in the refuge. Observation of vicuñas and approach to the glacier. Possibility of climbing to the Whymper Needles at an altitude of 5250 meters (according to the wishes of the group on this day). Return to Baños or Quito. Hotel night in Quito o Baños. End of program.
B – L (Box lunch)