Ecuador travel vacations - Andes tour Quito - Cuenca
Andes tour Quito to Cuenca, 8 days
Start out exploring the beautiful city of Quito, one of the first cities to be declared a UNESCO heritage site. Enjoy visiting gold covered churches, colonial plazas, art & history museums. Cross the Equator line and get your picture taken by the middle of the world monument.
We also visit the indigenous market at Otavalo, where you will find textiles, sweaters, arts and crafts. Visit small villages where we will meet artisans and learn their trade as we immerse in the vast Andean cultures of Ecuador`s north Andes.
Traverse the Avenue of the volcanoes South of Quito, and continue on the most famous train ride in the Andes “The Devils Nose”, continue on to Ingapirca and Cuenca UNESCO heritage city. Stay at country inns and enjoy a comfortable adventure.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive in Quito
Your Tame vacations tour leader will great you at the airport. After a short drive he or she will assist you in checking in at your hotel. Overnight.
Day 2 - Quito & Equator line
Today we explore the city that enamored both Spaniards and Incas. The capital of Ecuador is a true colonial gem with a mystical blend of indigenous and hispanic cultures. You will appreciate how the mix has influenced art and every day culture.
We will visit the Equator line and its monument. The Intiyan museum is included (Sun Path), here we will prove with experiments that you are at the exact location where the Equator line divides the world in two hemispheres.
Overnight in Quito. B, L
Day 3 - Quito - Otavalo - Quito
Drive north from Quito to Calderon (famous for its bread dolls) and to Peguche, where the Otavalo indians do their weaving. Visit the famous Otavalo Indian market. The Otavalo Indians are propsperous tradespeople and their outdoor emporium is loaded with baskets, ponchos, hats, tapestries, leatherwork and woodcarvings. After lunch at a country inn or local hacienda, continue to Cuiocha Lake and Cotacachi Village, known for their leather goods. Afternoon journey back to Quito.
Overnight in Quito. B, L
Day 4 - Quito-Riobamba
South of Quito, visit Mount Cotopaxi and its national park, world’s highest active volcano (5.907 m / 19.400 feet). Lunch en route. Continue to Riobamba, visit a Indian market and see Ecuador's highest snow capped mountain, Chimborazo (6.310 m. / 20.697 ft.). Brief tour of Riobamba.
Accommodations at a country inn by Riobamba. B, L
Day 5 - Riobamba-Devils Nose-Ingapirca-Cuenca
Take the Andean train, through the Devil's Nose and admire the great scenery. Visit Ingapirca Inca and Canari ruins, the most important archaeological site in Ecuador.
Overnight in Cuenca. B, L
Day 6 - Cuenca
Cobblestone streets, wrought-iron balconies, and flowered plazas. Market places and handicrafts. Colonial cathedral, convents and museums. Visit a straw-hat export enterprise. Free afternoon to continue exploring this beautiful city, there are many options, you can walk around the dowtown of Cuenca for days and always find something interesting.
Overnight in Cuenca. B
Day 7 - Cuenca - Cajas - Quito or Guayaquil
Today we visit the boxed lakes at Cajas National Park, more than 200 lakes and spectacular landscapes. Great opportunity to see andean flora and highland birds. If you are very lucky, you might spot an Andean Condor. Lunch at a local trout farm. Afternoon flight to Quito or Guayaquil.
Overnight in Quito or Guayaquil. B, L
Day 8 - Quito - Home ( or trip extension )
Your tour leader (or local guide in Guayaquil) will say farewell as he or she escorts you to the airport for your flight home. B
Tour details
Departs: Every Monday, all year round. Minimum 2 passengers.
Includes: Private transportation, all airport transfers, English speaking tour leader throughout itinerary, guided excursions, park and museum entrance fees, meals as listed in itinerary (B= breakfast, L= lunch, D= Dinner), flight Cuenca to Quito, 7 nights lodging at 4 star hotels throughout the itinerary.
Does not Include: Meals not listed, gratuities, personal expenses, trip insurance, airport departure taxes, all other items not listed.