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Ecuador Travel - Round Trips

Travelling Through the Andean Highlands - 9 Day Tour

Travelling Through the Andean Highlands

important information

Departure Day: Upon Request
Price for 9 days:USD 2,250.-
More prices

Overview Itinerary
Day 01:	Arrival in Quito
Day 02:	Mitad del Mundo - Pululahua
Day 03:	Pasochoa
Day 04:	Quilotoa Lagoon
Day 05:	Cotopaxi National Park - Riobamba
Day 06:	Andean Train - Ingapirca - Cuenca
Day 07:	City Tour Cuenca
Day 08:	Cajas National Park - flight to Quito
Day 09:	international flight

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 01: Arrival in Quito
Arrival in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, which lies at 2.800m above sea level. We pick you up from the airport and take you into the Hotel Mercure Alameda in the modern centre of the city. -/-/-

Day 02: Mitad del Mundo – Pululahua
Today you will drive from Quito 25 km northward to Mitad del Mundo (literally middle of the world) where the Equatorial Line Monument is located. The monument reminds the Frensh-Spanisch expedition from 1763-1744, which, under the leadership of Charles de la Condamine, determined the position of the equator. Here you can stand with one foot on the Northern and with the other one on the Southern hemisphere. You will visit the adjacent park with leisure facilities, which feature a typical Spanish style colonial village and an ethnological museum. Following you will visit the Museo de Sol where you will get to know a lot about the culture and the knowledge of the Incas. After your visit at Mitad del Mundo you will drive to the nearby-protected area Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua, which is situated in the crater of the extinct volcano of the same name. Here you can admire the beauty of the original fauna and the numerous colibries and butterfly species. In the afternoon you will return to Quito. Overnight at the Mercure Alameda B/L/-

Travelling Through the Andean Highlands

Day 03: Pasochoa – La Cienega
We pick you up from your hotel and drive to the extinct volcano Pasochoa (4.200 m). This mountain is a heavily eroded volcano, which is located 30 km south of Quito. Here you get to know the timber forest at an altitude of 2.700 m and the paths, boasting a collection of orchids, bromeliads and rare types of cedar, lead up to a height of over 3.500 m. The Cerro Pasochoa reaches a height of 4.200 m and is covered with lush paramo-vegetation. More than 120 types of birds live here and you have good chances to observe hummingbirds and even see condors. You can choose between hikes of different length to explore one of the last endemic Andean forests. In the afternoon, you will drive to the 300 hundred year old hacienda La Cienega. Dinner and overnight. B/L/D

Day 04: Laguna of Quilotoa – Hacienda La Cienega
During the 6-hour roundtrip in car you will see the region of Chugchilan, which is one of the most impressing places of Ecuador. You begin in direction south to Zumbuahua. It is a small, colloured village with 40 families. 10 km north lays the blue and green glimmering volcano lagoon of Quilotoa. This lake is one of the most beautiful volcano lakes in the Ecuadorian Andes. From the crater you can see the different snow toped volcanoes far-off. After a short excursion you drive back to the Hacienda La Cienega. Dinner and overnight. B/L/D

Day 05: Cotopaxi National Park – Hosteria Abraspungo
In the morning you will go on to the Cotopaxi National Park where you will visit the lagoon Limpio Pungo as well as the Inca ruins El Salitre located in the highlands of the park and have lunch at the Tambopaxi mountain refuge with great views of Cotopaxi volcano. Late afternoon you reach the Hosteria Abraspungo near to Riobamba where you lodge tonight. Dinner and accommodation. B/L/D

Travelling Through the Andean Highlands

Day 06: Train Adventure – Ingapirca - Cuenca
After a good breakfast you start the journey through the Andean mountains south to the beautiful city of Cuenca. You leave your hotel very early in the morning to go to the train station, where a breathtaking day awaits you. The line was completed in 1902 and is the steepest railroad in the world, a true technical masterpiece! The train weaves down the track and down the stretch known as Nariz del Diablo (the Devil’s Nose) 100 m high at a walking pace. After an unforgettable morning, you continue your journey to Cuenca by car. On the way you visit the famous Ingapirca (Quechua for “wall rocks of the Inca”) the most important and well preserved Inca ruins in Ecuador where you can wander around the beautiful site and visit the museum. The last stage to Cuenca takes 2 hours. Overnight accommodation at the Hotel El Dorado. B/L/-

NB Please note that the train runs only on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. In case the train does not operate e.g. due to technical reasons or strike etc. you will go all the way in private transportation without visiting the Devils Nose.

Day 07: Cuenca city Tour
This morning you will explore the colonial part of the city where you will find churches, many art and craft shops and a flower market. All this is located amongst beautiful old houses in an area that was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1999. Cuenca is considered as the cultural metropolis and the arts and crafts centre of Ecuador. The city itself and the surrounding countryside is a fantastic place to buy ceramics, embroidery, leather goods and baskets. At midday you will eat in a typical restaurant in Cuenca. The rest of the day is at your own disposal. Overnight at the Hotel El Dorado. B/L/-

Day 08: Cajas Nationalpark – Quito
From Cuenca you will drive to the Cajas national park which is located in the west. In the park are about 200 lagoons, which are the remains of the last ice age. Small rivers, whose crystal-clear waters flow into the Pacific, connect the lakes. After a short hike through the highland of the country we return to Cuenca in the afternoon. From there you fly over the Avenida de los Volcanoes to Quito. If the weather is clear you can see the enormous snow-covered volcanoes, which stand out from the green paramo vegetation. Transfer to the Hotel Mercure Alameda. B/L/-

Day 09: Quito – Transfer out
Transfer to the airport according to your flight time and return flight! B/-/-

B= breakfast; L= Lunch; D= Dinner

Price 2011:
4-5 participants USD 1,785.- per person
3 participants USD 1,895, - per person
2 participants USD 2,250, - per person
1 participant USD 3,940.-
Group prices upon request

Single Supplement: 280,- USD per person

In the price included:
All transfers in private transportation, accommodation in the above mentioned hotels or similar and in the haciendas based on double rooms according to the itinerary, domestic flight Cuenca - Quito, meals as mentioned in the itinerary, train ticket, National Park entrance fees and museums entrance fees, English speaking guide

Not included in the price:
International flight, single accommodation, beverages, tips, personal items and travel insurance, international airport tax Quito USD 44.-