Ecuador four wheel drive tours & jeep expeditions
Sample itinerary 4 x 4 tours
Overland travel in Ecuador is part of the fun, going off road takes you away from where everyone else goes. You venture off the main highways to visit sleepy towns of the Ecuadorian Andes, explore the countryside and the most remote corners of Ecuador form the Amazon lowlands up to the Andes and back down again into the coastal plains.
We Ecuador Boutique Travel jeep safaris you get to see the TRUE ECUADOR. A country with amazing landscapes and incredible geography and one of the highest biodiversity levels in Ecuador. Discover archaeological sites, rich local culture and amazing wildlife off the beaten paths to places only a 4-WD jeep can take you.
Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? Jeeps are well equipped with mud jacks, shovels, chains, winches, ropes and a specially trained driver/guide to help you through the rough spots! And if you are up to more adrenaline you can join a jeep caravan where you get to drive on the most incredible dirt roads.
Below is sample route that can be customized to your travellers needs.
Day 1 - Quito
Arrive in Quito. Transfer in to your eco-lodge.
Day 2 - Quito
We starty out today with a short city tour of downtown Quito and the colonial district. We return to our ecolodge where we pickup our jeeps of the first 4x4 experiences in the surrounding area of the lodge. We visit the Equator line and a the Inti Ñan museum at the middle of the world.
Day 3 - Quito - Bellavista cloud forest lodge
Today we depart on the old road from Quito to Nono, this is a true off the path 4x4 experience. Our guide leads the way as we drive off in our caravan. We will visit the Tandayapa valley and have 4 wheel drive fun. Other activities for today include nature trails and birdwatching at the lodge.
Day 4 - Bellavista - Maquipucuna - Intag valley - La Florida cloudforest reserve
After a last visit to the nature trails at the lodge we depart on our jeep safari through cloudforest and more off-road excitement. We will enjoy a short visit to Maquipucuna cloudforest reserve and on to the Intag valley. Roads are full of more 4x4 action. There is some great birdwathing en-route and La Florida is protected forest teaming with wildlife. With much luck we may get to spot a mountain tapir or a spectacled bear.
Day 5 - La Florida cloudforest reserve - Zuleta
Our dirt roads take us to the crater lake of an extinct volcano at Cuicocha, we will also enjoy majestic views of nearby Cotacachi, Imbabura, Cayambe and other volcanoes. Today we will visit the Otavalo market and surrounding artisan villages, we will stay off the beaten path and continue passing Andean valleys and zigzaging on 4x4 trails through the countryside until we reach hacienda Zuleta. A 17th century farmhouse that still is active and has some fun activities for everyone.
Day 6 - Zuleta - Cayambe - Cotopaxi national park
We will enjoy a full morning at Zuleta as we drive around the hacienda to visit the Condor rehabilitation project and Caranqui archaeological pyramids. We get a chance to see the many farm activities, cheese factory, stables and a community embroidery project. After lunch we head out south bypassing Quito on to Cotopaxi national park where we will spend the night at foothills of this majestic volcano at another historic hacienda.
Day 7 - Cotopaxi national park - Quilotoa crater
We will drive around the park in search of Condors, Cara Cara birds, Andean foxes and other wildlife encounters as we enjoy more 4x4 action, crossing streams, driving on sand and reaching the refuge for a majestic view of the surrounding Andes. We will head out southbound visiting indigenous villages and markets, we will end the day with a visit to another crater lake at Quilotoa volcano. We will spend the night at a lodge by the rim of the crater.
Day 8 - Quilotoa crater - Quito
Today we complete the Quilotoa loop as we drive through small villages and hidden andean valleys. We will pass by artisan shops and head back to Quito. We will spend the afternoon at our ecolodge near the airport and enjoy its inhouse spa facilities with jacuzzi, steambath and swimming pool.
Day 9 - Quito - ?
Return home or join a trip extension into the Choco at Kumanii lodge or enjoy a Galapagos cruise trip or Amazon river tour
Trip Notes
The above is a sample itinerary prepared for a jeep safari trip. It can be customized to fit the needs and special interests of your travellers.