Day 1 - Fly to Quito
We depart London Heathrow and fly via Amsterdam to Ecuador. Our
flight arrives into Quito, capital of Ecuador. From here we travel
by coach to San Pablo del Lago, a sleepy village set on the shores
of the sparkling San Pablo Lake, beneath the Imbabura volcano with
its distinctive angled cone. We stay at the Hacienda Cusin, a
charming, hacienda hotel located at the edge of the village.
Day 2 - Otavalo and Quito
This morning we immerse ourselves in local life and culture with
a trip to Otavalo, an indigenous town with a now world-famous
market. The town is surrounded by a mesmerising terrain of rugged
mountains, steep-sided volcanoes, lush valleys and cloud-covered
peaks. Otavalenas are easy to spot - all have long, thick black
hair; the men wear black trousers, ponchos and dark felt hats,
whilst the women adorn themselves with dozens of gold necklaces and
cover their heads with woven blankets or the famous Panama hats.
Every Saturday (the day of our visit), Otavalo comes bursting to
life as it welcomes South America's most celebrated market.
Indigenous people travel to the market from across Ecuador and
beyond to sell their wares. The immense, colourful and noisy market
has a truly native feel; native visitors and stallholders wear
traditional shawls, ponchos and panama hats. Like nowhere else, the
market at Otavalo allows you to experience South American life as
it has existed for generations. Leaving the market, we visit the
Equator Monument before continuing south to Quito, a city wedged
into a space between volcanoes high up in the Andes - one of the
most spectacular locations for a capital city anywhere in the
world. We take a tour of Spanish colonial Quito, passing elegant
buildings, pretty churches and charming colonial squares, including
Plaza San Francisco and Plaza Independencia. Following the tour we
check in to the Hilton Hotel.
Day 3 - Avenue of Volcanoes
Today we travel on a newly re-constructed railway line which
takes us through the awesome 'Avenida de los Volcanes' - the Avenue
of Volcanoes. The views from the train are permanently spectacular
as we pass rolling valleys, snow-covered peaks and through high
Andes 'Páramo' terrain. The weather in this region can change
without warning, from bright, baking sunshine to torrential rain in
an instant. Throughout much of the journey we can see across to the
perfect cone of the Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes
in the world. We leave the railway and continue our journey by
road, passing the Tungarahua and Chimborazo volcanoes, to the town
of Riobamba, where we stay at the Hacienda Abraspungo.
Day 4 - Chimborazo
Today we enjoy an excursion by coach which takes us up the
Chimborazo volcano - the closest point on Earth to the Sun, due to
the bulge of the Earth at the equator. The Chimborazo, was once
thought to be the world's tallest mountain and is a truly
spectacular sight. We ascend to 15,745 feet for views across the
surrounding valleys and volcanoes; one of the most impressive
mountain viewpoints in the world. We return to the hotel in
Riobamba for a relaxing afternoon at leisure enjoying the hotel
facilities.
Day 5 - The Devil’s Nose train
This morning we board the incredible 'Nariz del Diablo', the
Devil's Nose Train. Conquered in 1902, the railway is a
truly staggering feat of engineering which traverses the
treacherous terrain of the Conda Punana Mountain (mountain of the
Condors) and twists and turns through a series of switchbacks,
giving us a thrilling ride through rugged mountain scenery. This
afternoon we continue south to Ingapirca, the best preserved Inca
site in Ecuador, set on a ridge surrounded by the higher Andes. The
Inca trail leads through Ingapirca to its best-preserved building,
the Temple of the Sun. Leaving Ingapirca, we travel further south
to the beautiful city of Cuenca for two nights at the Hotel El
Dorado.
Day 6 - Cuenca
A sightseeing tour this morning introduces us to the sites of
Cuenca's beautiful Spanish colonial centre, which has been awarded
UNESCO World Heritage status. We walk through the charming cobbled
streets of the elegant Old Town, passing historic cathedrals,
colonial parks and beautiful squares before visiting Cuenca's
colourful and fragrant flower market. We then enjoy a visit to a
local hat factory to see how the famous Panamas are made.
Day 7 - The Cloud Forest and the Rice Train
Today we travel through a region of ever-changing scenery, where
we encounter dramatically different landscapes and views around
almost every bend in the road. We leave Cuenca and climb above the
tree line into the high Páramo, a barren, rocky mountain setting.
We reach the highest point of the road at 13,800 feet, before
descending into the immense and mysterious 'cloud forest'. Here,
fog created by the humid, tropical air clings to the tree tops,
creating an eerie atmosphere. As we descend deeper and lower into
the rainforest, the vegetation becomes thicker and less penetrable.
We arrive in Yaguachi, where we visit a local cocoa farm to see a
mouth-watering demonstration of the chocolate-making process in its
most basic form. The final leg of today's journey is made on board
the 'Tren de los Arrozales' - the Rice Train. The train
takes us slowly and lazily through the paddy fields and farmlands
of indigenous communities, passing stilted houses and shacks. One
of the most striking things about this region is the variety and
abundance of birdlife which inhabit the paddies. This evening we
reach Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, located on the immense
Guayas River. The traditional, haphazard Old Town of Guayaquil
covers the hillside above the city, looking down at the modern and
colonial parts of the city. Our evening tour allows us to avoid the
mid-day heat and explore the city at leisure. We visit the Plaza
Iguanas, which takes its name from its many reptilian inhabitants,
and also see the stunning cathedral, the Municipal Palace and the
waterfront park. We spend tonight at the Hotel Oro Verde.
Days 8-9 - Rodeo Grande and Bananas
This morning we travel by coach to the Rodeo Grande, a large
cattle and buffalo ranch and banana farm outside Guayaquil. Here we
enjoy an informative guided tour, which includes seeing traditional
cowboys herding cattle on horseback. We also see how the bananas
are grown, managed, picked and packed. We return to Guayaquil by
coach.
Those who are returning home will transfer to the airport for the
overnight flight to London, arriving on Day 9.
Tour Extensions
AMAZONIA EXTENSION
A 5-day pre-tour extension into Amazonia is available for this
tour, staying in the rainforest at the Napo Wildlife Centre.
GALAPAGOS EXTENSION
A 10-day post-tour extension to the Galapagos Islands is available
for this tour, featuring a 7-night cruise on the fantastic MV
Explorer II.
For further details about either of these extensions,
please call us and speak to one of our Tour Advisors.
