Ecuador 8 Day Multisport Tour
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Witness the spectacular Avenue of Volcanoes while hiking and biking on the slopes of the Andes. Explore the waterfall canyons and raft along the Jatunyacu River whose waters flow into the mighty Amazon River. Trek the rim of the Cuicocha Crater Lake and spend an evening relaxing in the volcanic hot springs of Papallacta. Experience truly unique cultural encounters like spending an evening with an indigenous family in the Amazon, learning about their customs, food, knowledge and life-style.
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Day 1 - Quito Arrival Day Meet your trip leader and group at 18:00 pm.
Welcome to Quito! The largest, best preserved colonial city of America - declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and is located on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano. Depending on arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area. We can help you to organize a day trip (please request in advance). In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you at the hotel’s lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00 hours. At this time, we will discuss the details and questions you may have regarding the adventure. Our first day is an acclimation and information day. Accommodation: Swissotel Quito Meals: In-flight. Day 2 - Trek in Cotopaxi National Park After breakfast, we leave Quito driving southwards along the gorgeous Avenue of Volcanoes, getting the chance to see the colorful Andean fields. On our way, we will reach 12,000 feet. (3657 meters). After arriving at the Cotopaxi National Park, we will go hiking around Limpiopungo lagoon of the foot hills of the Rumiñahui volcano. From here, we have the best views of Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. If the weather conditions permit, we will attempt to trek to the basecamp at 16000 ft. (4876 m). In the afternoon we continue our drive towards the Llanganates National Park, known as the sacred mountain, until we reach the town of Baños, located at the entrance of the Amazon. Here we can enjoy the best night life by drinking cocktails and dancing salsa. Trekking Activity Level - Moderate, this adventure is at high elevation, make sure you drink a lot of water or coca tea (in case of altitude sickness). The trail is on dirt surrounded by bushes and grass. Trekking Time: 3 hours Trekking Distance: 4 miles (6.4 km) Elevation Gain: 1200 feet (366 meters) Minimum Elevation: 12700 feet (3870 meters) Maximum Elevation: 13850 feet (4222 meters) NOTE - In case the weather and physical conditions are good you may trek to the Basecamp and the maximum elevation would be 16000 feet. (488 meters) What to wear today: Pants, t-shirt, fleece, hiking shoes, gloves, hat, buff, bring rain jacket and pants, water bottle, sun cream, binoculars. Accommodation: La Casa de Luis or similar Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Day 3 - Biking in the Cloud Forest This morning we cross country mountain bike from the Llanganates National Park down to the Pastaza River Canyon, enjoying the beauty of the special cloud rain forest climate. The road brings us through some Andean farms and a great canyon with many waterfalls, while descending into the jungle, we will have a breath-taking view of Baños, a town well known for its spectacular location right at the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano, which has been active since 1999. The volcano is the main attraction of this region. In the afternoon we will have some time to explore the town and also go to The Swing of the End of the World, where the winner of the 2014 National Geographic photo contest took his photo. Biking Activity Level - Moderate, mostly downhill, the first 45 minutes up hill and then afterwards just down. You will be riding on cobblestone and dirt roads for the first two hours, and 1 hour on asphalt. Biking Time: 3 hours Biking Distance: 20 miles (32.18 km) Elevation Gain: 500 feet (152 meters) Minimum Elevation while Biking: 5500 feet (1676 meters) Maximum Elevation while Biking: 10450 feet (3185 meters) NOTE - In case you want to avoid the uphill, there will always be the support of our transportation, and our driver will be happy to give you a ride till you decide to join the biking group. What to wear today: Shorts, t-shirt, fleece, tennis shoes, buff, bring rain jacket and pants, water bottle, sun cream, mosquito repellent. Accommodation: La Casa de Luis or similar Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Day 4 - Canyoning in the Amazon This morning we will hit the road of the waterfalls. The first stop will be at the Bride´s Veil waterfall, where we will take the Tarabita (cable car) to get across the Pastaza River. Then we will hike down to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall, the second highest in Ecuador, later, we will go deeper into the jungle inside the Llanganates National Park. The name “llanganates” comes from “beautiful mountain” in the local native language. Here, 600 years ago, the Incas hid their golden treasures. Many explorers have spent years looking for these treasures, some have even disappeared with no luck in this dense pristine jungle. During a hike through the tropical rain forest, we will climb through several waterfall canyons. Our local native guide will teach about the incredible flora and fauna that thrive in this unequaled habitat, we will spend the night at the Local Basic Jungle Lodge run by a kichwa indigenous family. Canyoning Activity Level - Moderate, the jungle exploration will be done while hiking on the canyon that has been formed by the waterfalls and the Pimpilala river, so you will be hiking on irregular terrain and water surrounded by rain forest. The weather can be hot and humid which would make this a very refreshing activity. The highest waterfall to climb is 16 feet (4.87 meters) and the rest are smaller, we will use helmets, ropes and bring optional harnesses for people that want to use them. Canyoning Time: 3 hours Canyoning Distance: 2 miles (3.22 km) Elevation Gain: 500 feet (152.4 meters) Minimum Elevation while Canyoning: 2000 feet (609.6 meters) Maximum Elevation while Canyoning: 2500 feet (762 meters) What to wear today: Shorts, water long sleeve t-shirt, water sandals, rain jacket, water bottle, sun cream, mosquito repellent. Accomodation: Amazon homestay. NOTE - This is a very basic accommodation, you will have your own room but will have to share the bathroom. The rooms are very clean and all the beds have mosquito nets. There is no electricity in the room but there is a social area where you can have access to power to charge your batteries. Meals : Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 5 - Rafting We greet the day by preparing our gear to paddle the wild waves of the Jatunyacu River, located just a 5 minute drive from the homestead. The beauty of this river will inspire you and reveal the magic of the Amazon rain forest, after a very important safety briefing from our rafting guides, we will start our class III rafting expedition down the Jatunyacu River, well known for its clear waters and awesome rapids. We will have a lot of fun playing some games and also exploring one of the canyons. The end of the journey offers us a stop for a picnic, prepared by our guides, we conclude our day with a drive back up to the Andes, stopping to visit the paradise of hummingbirds at the Guango Reserve. Finally, we will continue up to Papallacta, where we will stay the night and recharge in the volcanic hot springs high in the midst of the cool Andes. Rafting Activity Level - Moderate, this is considered a class III river for white water rafting. There are some awesome waves and also plenty of flat water to go swimming. The river is surrounded by amazing views of the Amazon landscape. Rafting Time: 4 hours, depending on the level of the water, it can be less time. Rafting Distance: 18 miles (28.96 km) What to wear today: Shorts, water long sleeve t-shirt, water sandals, water bottle, sun cream, mosquito repellent. Accommodation: Papallacta Spa & Resort Meals : Breakfast, Lunch Day 6 - Otavalo Indigenous Market In the morning we will visit Otavalo Market, Otavalo Indigenous people wearing the traditional blue ponchos, white trousers, and long braided hair. Learn all about their daily activities, typical food, and native language. Explore their famous handicraft market, with its wonderful textiles, alpaca throws and rugs, knitted clothing native paintings, ceramics, jewelry, tapestries, and more at bargain prices.For lunch, we will head to Pijal, a small village located in the heart of the Andes to visit a sustainable project called Sacha WarmiKuna (women from the mountain). This is one fantastic effort developed with the local women with the main purpose of supporting their families and encouraging the position of the women in the local society, providing them an alternative side work besides housekeeping, as a new option for an in-come. Once at the project, you will experience an unforgettable cultural encounter, immersing yourself in the true spirit of the South American woman and their skills for textiles and a deep culinary knowledge coming from the past generations. You will be part of the preparation of “Aji”, a local spicy salsa that is part of their identity, you will also share precious time with them and a tasty traditional lunch in which local women have used the fresh products harvested the same day from the surrounding organic fields. Later we will learn more about the weaving process of their textiles. Don’t miss the amazing opportunity to have the chance to give back, by buying handmade scarfs here. What to wear today: Pants, t-shirt, fleece, hiking shoes, gloves, hat, buff, bring rain jacket and pants, water bottle, sun cream, binoculars. Accommodation: Las Palmeras Inn Meals : Breakfast, lunch This is a Safe Travels Certified tour 
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Day 7 - Cuicocha Crater Lake
Today after a very healthy breakfast we have a very short drive to the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, the main attraction here is the Cuicocha Crater Lake. Our adventure will take us on a trek around this still active volcano, your guide will present many beautiful flowers to you along the trail, at the end of our hike, we will take a boat ride to the center of the crater to observe the activity of this volcano, witness bubbles coming up from the center of the caldera. In the afternoon we will drive back to Quito to take part of the farewell dinner with the guides and members of the group. Trekking Activity Level - Moderate, the trekking trail is on dirt, sand and gravel, located in the Paramo Ecosystem at high elevation. Trekking Time: 5 hours Trekking Distance: 7.5 miles (12.07 km) Elevation Gain: 2500 feet (762 meters) Minimum Elevation while trekking: 10000 feet (3048 meters Maximum Elevation while trekking: 11470 feet (3496 meters) Accommodation: Swissotel Quito Meals: Breakfast Day 8 - Departure day – End of the services Today our trip will end. Take with you your memories and photos and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a "buen viaje"! Meals: Breakfast. Departs every Saturday with a minimum of 2 people 2024 Rates per person in US$: 1862 in double occupancy. Single supplement is US$589 NOTE
• Confirmed departures from 2 passengers. • Program rates based on shared groups. If private departures are required, please add private supplement of US$312 per person INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
ALTITUDE
Quito: 2.810 m (9.186 ft.) Baños: 1.820 m (5.971 ft.) Tena: 510 m (1.673 ft.) Papallacta: 3.300 m (10.827 ft.) Otavalo: 2.550 m (8.366 ft.) AVG. TEMP. Day 15-34ºC / 59-93ºF - Night 12-17ºC / 53-62ºF DIFFICULTY LEVEL Easy to Moderate - Even though we are including many outdoor activities such as: Trekking, Cross Country and Mountain Biking, Canyoning and Rafting, we consider this expedition as a soft adventure. Children and adults can do it with no problem, and for people that want to take a break or just avoid any of these adventures, they can always hang out with the driver doing something else. For people that may want to do a bit more challenging, our guides will be happy to coordinate something to help them. GROUP SIZE Max 16 - Avg. 8 MINIMUM AGE 8 years old START / FINISH Quito, Ecuador SEASON Year Round ADVENTURE GEAR We are very proud to work with the best brands, like Trek bikes, Aire and NRS for white water, Black diamond for trekking and Eureka for Camping. ACCOMMODATION All prices are based on double-occupancy. If you are traveling solo, you will be matched with another participant of your same sex. If you prefer to have a single room, please contact us prior to your departure to arrange your accommodation at an extra cost. MEALS You will have the possibility to experience and taste local food and snacks. Your guide will help you identify typical food and suggest the best places to enjoy it. Some meals are not included in order to give you some flexibility about where, what and with whom to eat. You have the option to share these meals with the group, however there is no obligation to do this. If you have any allergies or food restrictions, please inform us prior to your departure. Vegetarians, Vegans and Gluten Free people are very welcome in our trip, our guides are always ready to coordinate with chefs and restaurants for substitute meals for them, as Ecuador is very well known for its great diversity of gastronomy. YOUR TRIP LEADERS AND GUIDES All guides and trip leaders are highly experienced, licensed from the Tourism University to operate in Ecuador and certified as Wilderness Adventure First Aid respondents. They all have approved several extra training courses for kayaking, rafting, biking and horse riding, besides this they all are Ecuadorian and have a fantastic personality. We always carry a complete first aid kit in our trips. In some locations and for some activities, local guides join the trip leaders to provide an added service and make sure we practice sustainable tourism involving local indigenous people in our operation. SUSTAINABLE ECO AND CULTURAL TOURISM Clients receive interpretation and education about the ecology and conservation of the Andes, Amazon rain forest and Galapagos Islands, and learn about the factors that threaten it. We aim to promote long-term conservation of both local people cultural identity and the environment. We transport out and recycle all non-organic garbage and we prefer to work with local suppliers. Your visit will encourage the local communities to support responsible eco-tourism as a sustainable alternative for their living. HEALTH INFORMATION Please inform us of any existing medical conditions (i.e. pregnancy, diabetes, etc). Yellow fever, Hepatitis B vaccination and Malaria Medication are recommended when traveling to the tropics. Please ask your doctor for advice. PAYMENTS POLICIES: - The invoice will be sent upon booking confirmation by email, 30% deposit will be requested to confirm the booking. - 70% balance will be requested within 30 days before departure.
CANCELATION POLICIES: - Within 70 - 55 days prior to travel 35% cancellation fees. - Within 54 - 40 days prior to travel 50% cancellation fees. - Within 39 - 1 days prior to travel 100% cancellation fees. - No shows 100% cancellation fees. ALTERATIONS: - Any change of itinerary or service before and during the trip will depend on availability and subject to 100% cancellation penalties of existing services. - Leaving the trip at any day/time after arrival will apply 100% cancellation. |
