DISCOVER ECUADOR TOUR
(departures on: Mon. and Wed.) (7 nights / 8 days)
Day 1 - arrive Quito, where you will
be met and transferred to your hotel
Day 2 - (Tuesday or Saturday) breakfast,
Departure from Quito through The Panamericana North Highway. Brief stop
at Calderon, a town where the famous "masapan" dolls are made,
we will continue passing through Guayllabamba town with its typical fruit
cherimoyer, we will stop at the highway that conduces to Cayambe to admire
and take pictures of the beautiful landscape and snow caped mountains
of the zone, crossing the equatorial line at Cayambe we will pass by Guachala
(used to be the middle of the world monument), before we head up to Otavalo
we will make a stop at Mira Lago to take pictures of the beautiful San
Pablo Lake. The tour then continues to Otavalo here the Otavaleños
(natives) set up a market in which a bartering manner of shopping is taken.
The market hosts a variety of different handcrafted items. Continuing
the trip, we will go to the town of Peguche and visit a typical house
of this zone. Finally, a visit to the leather shopping stores at Cotacachi
is planned before returning to Quito through the Cajas-Tabacundo road.
Day 3 - breakfast, then a comprehensive
city tour includes visits to residential neighbourhoods at the northern
end of the city, visiting the " Guapulo Mirador", passing through
the 12 of October Avenue up to the Culture House and the Legislative Palace
(Congress) where the rock murals that are related to the history of Ecuador
can be appreciated.. The tour will then continue through the Gran Colombia
Avenue up to the Basilica Church. Walking through the colonial streets
we will then stop at the Independence Plaza admiring the Cathedral, the
Government's Palace, and the Archiepiscopal palace. Furthermore, we will
visit La Compañia Church where adornments and gold altars can be
appreciated, a visit to the Sagrario Church and San Francisco which was
built in the XVII century will be also done ( entrances are not included)
Then we will be heading to the "Panecillo Mirador" (entrance
is included) a beautiful place from where a sight of colonial and modern
Quito will be taken. We will continue at the northern part of the city
heading up to the "Middle of the World City" (entrance is included)
where the monument that divides the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern
Hemisphere will be visited. It was built during the XVII century when
a French Expedition defined the precise location of the equatorial line.
The Ethnographic Museum can be also be visited ( entrance is not included)
Finally we can visit the Sky lift complex (ticket not included), passengers
returns to hotels by their own in this case.
Day 4 - (Thursday) breakfast, Departure
from Quito through the ¨Avenue of the Volcanoes¨ admiring the
beautiful Andean landscape this is a great opportunity to take pictures,
brief stop at the Cotopaxi National Park, lunch is included, arrival to
Riobamba and accommodation in a typical hacienda of the region, dinner.
Day 5- Breakfast and departure by
train aprox. at 7:00 a.m. From Riobamba train station to the Devil Nose
a unique piece of engineering in the middle of the Andes (ride of 7 hours
aprox. Includes a Box Lunch). After the train ride visit to the Ingapirca
Inca Ruins, the biggest Inca archaeological complex in Ecuador from the
XV and XVI centuries, (ticket to the complex not included) trough the
ride you will be to watch the weavers of the famous "Panama Huts"
artisans typical from the area. Lunch Included. Arrive to the City of
Cuenca to spend the night. Lodge included.
Day 6 - Breakfast and city tour of
the city of Cuenca visiting the Calderon Park, new and old Cathedral The
park of the Flowers, the City Museum and modern art, the Cañari-Incas
of all saints ruins, Canon of the Tomebamba and Turi River free afternoon
Day 7 - Breakfast and free morning
to take any optional tour in Cuenca, in the afternoon transfer to the
airport for flight to Quito. (air ticket included)
Day 8 - breakfast, then transfer to the airport
** Train Operation is subject to change
note: tour dates may be changed to fit into scheduled
departures, as mentioned above