.png)
.avif)
.svg){kind=icon}
Day 1 – Arrival in Quito: Gateway to Your Ecuador Adventure
Welcome to Ecuador! Your ecuador nature and culture tour begins in the capital, Quito — a city nestled high in the Andes and surrounded by snowcapped volcanoes. Upon arrival at Mariscal Sucre Airport, your private driver will transfer you (≈50 min) to your boutique hotel in the lively La Mariscal district. Stroll the neighborhood, discover local cafes, and soak in your first impressions of Ecuadorian culture.
Overnight: Ikala Quito Hotel (or similar).
Day 2 – Quito Historic Center, Equator & Pululahua Crater
Dive into Ecuador’s cultural heart with a full-day guided tour of Quito’s UNESCO World Heritage historic center. Wander through cobblestone streets lined with colonial churches like San Francisco and La Compañía, climb up to El Panecillo for sweeping views, and feel the city’s vibrant rhythm. After lunch, travel north to the Intiñan Museum, where you’ll straddle the equator line and explore quirky exhibits. End the day at Pululahua Crater, one of the world’s only inhabited volcanic craters — a true highlight of your ecuador travel itinerary.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch – Overnight: Ikala Quito Hotel.
Day 3 – Into the Cloud Forest: Santa Lucía Eco Lodge
Leave the city behind and head into Ecuador’s Chocó-Andean cloud forest, one of the planet’s most biodiverse regions. After a 2-hour drive, hike through lush trails alive with orchids, butterflies, and birdsong until you reach Santa Lucía Eco Lodge, a community-run retreat accessible only on foot. Lunch is served with panoramic views before you explore the orchid garden and self-guided trails. Tonight, fall asleep in your private cabin to the sounds of the forest — a signature experience on this ecuador eco lodge tour.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Overnight: Santa Lucía Eco Lodge.
Day 4 – Birds, Bears & Andean Traditions
Rise early for a once-in-a-lifetime sight: the Cock-of-the-Rock lek, where flamboyant red birds gather at dawn to perform their mating dances. Hike deeper into the primary cloud forest, keeping an eye out for spectacled bears and rare orchids. Back at the lodge, enjoy lunch and join a workshop at a nearby sugarcane plantation, learning about traditional Andean treats like quimbolitos. After dinner, take an optional nocturnal walk to discover frogs, spiders, and the mysteries of the forest at night. This is the wild side of your ecuador nature and culture tour.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Overnight: Santa Lucía Eco Lodge.
Day 5 – Waterfalls & Return to Quito
Start your morning with birdwatching from the lodge balcony before choosing your adventure:
Option 1: A full-day hike along pre-Incan trails to a hidden waterfall in the Umachaca River valley (≈6h).
Option 2: A shorter 3h hike rich in orchids, butterflies, and cloud forest flora.
After a picnic lunch in nature, descend back to the reserve entrance and transfer by private vehicle to Quito. Tonight, enjoy a relaxed evening at your boutique hotel — the perfect pause before continuing along the Avenue of Volcanoes.
Meals: Breakfast – Overnight: Ikala Quito Hotel.
Day 6 – Cotopaxi National Park Hike
This morning, your ecuador travel itinerary takes you to one of the highest active volcanoes in the world: Cotopaxi (5,897 m). After a 2-hour drive, enter Cotopaxi National Park, home to golden páramo landscapes and the shimmering Limpiopungo Lagoon. Hike gently around the lagoon to admire reflections of both Rumiñahui and Cotopaxi peaks, while spotting wild horses and Andean birds. For those seeking more challenge, drive higher and walk up to the José Rivas refuge (4,800 m) — a breathtaking cotopaxi hike experience. Lunch is served locally before you settle into a cozy hacienda near the park.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch – Overnight: Hosteria Papagayo or similar.
Day 7 – Quilotoa Lagoon Adventure
Today’s highlight is the turquoise jewel of the Andes: Quilotoa Lagoon. Stop en route at the dramatic Toachi Canyon and, depending on the day, visit a bustling indigenous market (Saquisilí on Thursdays, Pujilí on Sundays). Continue through Andean villages until you reach Quilotoa, a crater lake shimmering in shades of emerald and blue. Descend to the lakeshore on foot (or by mule for an extra fee), and feel the cool mountain air as you hike back up. This quilotoa tour blends natural wonder with cultural encounters, ending with a hearty Andean lunch.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch – Overnight: Hosteria Papagayo or similar.
Day 8 – Otavalo & Hacienda Cusin Leisure
After breakfast, travel north (≈3h) to the town of Otavalo, world-famous for its textiles and Andean artistry. Check into the historic Hacienda Cusin, surrounded by lush gardens and colonial courtyards. The afternoon is free: stroll the hacienda grounds, visit nearby Cuicocha Lake, or explore Otavalo’s smaller artisan shops. This relaxed pace offers balance in your ecuador nature and culture tour, letting you absorb the beauty of the northern Andes at your own rhythm.
Meals: Breakfast – Overnight: Hacienda Cusin.
Day 9 – Otavalo Cultural Day Experience
Dive deep into the cultural heartbeat of Ecuador with a full day in Otavalo. Begin at San Pablo Lake with biscuits (bizcochos) and coffee against the backdrop of Imbabura Volcano. Visit the sacred Peguche waterfall, then explore the legendary otavalo market, bursting with color, crafts, and music — one of the largest indigenous markets in South America. Lunch is served locally before visiting Peguche Wasi, where artisans demonstrate traditional weaving techniques. This day captures the essence of ecuador cultural tours, connecting you with both landscapes and people.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch – Overnight: Hacienda Cusin.
Day 10 – Mojanda Lagoons Hike
Head into the highlands to explore the Mojanda Lagoons, a trio of serene volcanic lakes: Caricocha, Huarmicocha, and Yanacocha. Nestled among rolling páramo hills, these landscapes are perfect for a peaceful hike with spectacular views of native flora and volcanic peaks. A picnic lunch is enjoyed along the trail before returning to Quito in the afternoon. This mojanda hike is a hidden gem, often overlooked yet deeply rewarding — a true ecuador off the beaten path moment.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch – Overnight: Ikala Quito Hotel.
Day 11 – Quito at Leisure
After days of adventure, enjoy a free day in Quito to explore at your own rhythm. Wander through artisan markets, sip a coffee in La Mariscal, or revisit the colonial old town for museums and plazas you may have missed. If you’re craving more nature, you can add an optional day trip to the Mindo cloud forest or Papallacta hot springs. This flexibility makes your ecuador travel itinerary adaptable — culture, nature, or relaxation, the choice is yours.
Meals: Breakfast – Overnight: Ikala Quito Hotel.
Day 12 – Journey into the Amazon & Arrival at Cuyabeno Lodge
Tonight your adventure shifts gears as you travel east into the lush Amazon basin. A semi-private overnight bus will take you from Quito to the Cuyabeno Bridge (≈12h), where your jungle guide awaits. After lunch, board a motorized canoe and drift along the blackwater Cuyabeno River, watching monkeys leap in the canopy, caimans bask on the banks, and bright macaws fly overhead. By late afternoon, you’ll reach Cuyabeno Lodge, perfectly located on Laguna Grande. Sunset swims and pink river dolphin sightings make your first evening unforgettable on this ecuador amazon tour.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Overnight: Cuyabeno Lodge.
Day 13 – Wildlife Exploration in the Cuyabeno Reserve
Wake up to the sounds of the rainforest — howler monkeys, tropical birds, and buzzing insects. After breakfast, take a canoe to a rainforest trail and set off on a guided jungle walk. Your naturalist guide reveals secrets of medicinal plants, fungi, and tiny jungle creatures often overlooked: poison dart frogs, leafcutter ants, and camouflage insects. After lunch and a siesta in hammocks, head back out by canoe to explore flooded forests. Search for anacondas in the reeds, watch dolphins play, and spot troops of squirrel monkeys. At night, a flashlight walk uncovers nocturnal life — owls, giant grasshoppers, and maybe even night monkeys. This is the heart of your cuyabeno lodge tour.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Overnight: Cuyabeno Lodge.
Day 14 – Visit to the Siona Indigenous Community
This morning, journey downstream by canoe (≈1.5h) to a Siona community, where culture and daily life unfold authentically. A local woman welcomes you into her home and shows you how to make casabe, a manioc tortilla, from harvesting roots to baking them over an open fire. Learn about the Siona’s spiritual traditions, their connection to the rainforest, and the challenges of preserving their heritage. After lunch back at the lodge, enjoy a swim in Laguna Grande, followed by a magical Amazon sunset. In the evening, glide silently in a canoe to spot caimans, snakes, and nocturnal birds — a highlight of your responsible travel Ecuador journey.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – Overnight: Cuyabeno Lodge.
Day 15 – Departure from the Amazon & Return to Quito
At dawn, savor your last birdwatching outing on the lagoon — parrots, toucans, and herons fill the skies as the rainforest awakens. After breakfast, journey by canoe back to the Cuyabeno Bridge, keeping your eyes peeled for wildlife on the way. From here, take the semi-private bus back across the Andes to Quito (≈9–10h), arriving in the evening. Your ecuador nature and culture tour ends here, but the memories — from Cotopaxi’s snowcapped peaks to the wildlife of the Amazon — will stay with you long after.
Meals: Breakfast – End of services.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
.svg){kind=icon}
_result.webp)
.webp)
