You will land at Mariscal Sucre International Airport, east of the capital.
You will meet your driver there who will welcome you to his country and accompany you to your hotel.
In order to soak up the local atmosphere, you will stay in the heart of the historic center of Quito between cobbled streets and colonial monuments.
The historic center of Quito is the largest and best preserved in Latin America. There is nothing like walking around it to admire the wonders of this Unesco World Heritage site, its magnificent churches and convents, museums, living squares and the Panecillo viewpoint.
The richness and diversity of the flora of the Pululahua reserve make it a space with unique characteristics that are worth seeing! Its geological history has earned it the distinction of being the only one to protect an inhabited volcanic crater. You will have the feeling of being one with nature in this calm and soothing environment, where the clouds form a white coat giving the impression that they too want to protect this reserve.
After lunch you will reach the Intiñan Museum, on the equinoctial line and can try to hold an egg on a nail. Ask to have your photo taken with one foot in each hemisphere.
You will start the day with a walk through a plantation to discover another of the country's riches: the production of roses.
You will then go to the Otavalo market, one of the largest in South America. The perfect place to buy souvenirs!
You can admire the work of craftsmen from Peguche, Agato and Iluman, experts in the manufacture of musical instruments and weaving.
A walk will then take you to the Peguche waterfall before returning to spend the night in Otavalo.
You will leave in the morning towards the village of Cotacachi then explore Lake Cuicocha and its two islands located in the Cotacachi-Cayapas ecological reserve.
You will then meet the San Clemente community who will welcome you from midday and with whom you can share throughout the afternoon.
The inhabitants there aim to promote responsible community rural tourism, putting people at the heart of the project by sharing experiences and cultural exchanges.
San Clemente takes very seriously the education of its young people and the respect of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth), two fundamental themes so that the new generations guarantee the harmonious development of the community by using new technologies without losing ancestral knowledge, their identity, culture and mother tongue, Kichwa.
In the morning, you will take “Avenida de los volcanes” to reach Cotopaxi National Park, where one of the highest active volcanoes in the world rises.
Accompanied by a local guide, you will visit the interpretation center and take a stroll around Lake Limpiopungo. Your driver will then take you to the car park located at an altitude of 4,500 m, from where you will enjoy an exceptional view of the surrounding nature.
For the most motivated, you can go up to the José Rivas refuge a little over 300 m higher to admire the Cotopaxi, or "neck of the Moon", so nicknamed by the impression that the moon comes to rest at- above the volcano at night.
You will then take the road to join Riobamba where you will spend the night.
From Urbina, the Hielo train will offer you magnificent panoramas of the Altar volcano, the majestic Chimborazo - the highest in the world from the center of the Earth - and if you benefit from a completely clear sky, on the Carihuairazo .
Between Urbina, La Moya and Riobamba, you will also be told some of the ancient Andean traditions that still persist in the region. You will learn about the representations of the region's mountains and the myths that relate to the most important of them.
You will then participate in an Andean cooking class and thus have the opportunity to take your friends - or at least their taste buds - on your return from your trip!
To accompany the typical dish that you will have learned to make the day before for your loved ones, what could be better than music? You will therefore participate in a music workshop with the Inti Sisa community in the village of Guamote.
After having lunch in the village, you will discover the best preserved archaeological site in Ecuador: Ingapirca.
This place originally used as an observatory by the Cañaris, then conquered by the Incas in the 15th century, still preserves, among other things, the ruins of a temple and the residence of the virgins dedicated to ritual sacrifice.
You will then take the road to get to Cuenca and spend the night there.
This day will be dedicated to the superb colonial city of Cuenca.
Its historic center, listed as World Heritage by Unesco, is full of magnificent churches and monuments that the Spanish built by incorporating the remains of the Cañari and Inca cultures.
The city's inhabitants keep the craft traditions alive by continuing to work with ceramics, silver and of course, weaving the straw hat, known worldwide as Panama.
In the afternoon, you will soak up the various pre-Columbian cultures represented in the Museum of Aboriginal Cultures which is located in the heart of an old house currently being restored.
Leaving the Andean region, you will have a breathtaking view of the El Cajas National Park which you will cross to arrive in the coastal plain where there are abundant banana and rice fields.
The Manglares Churute ecological reserve will allow you to discover various species making up the region's biosphere, in particular howler monkeys or even colorful crabs and various birds.
You will have lunch on a family farm. The family members will be delighted to introduce you to their rice fields and exotic fruit plantations during the afternoon. They will show you in particular how to make a delicious chocolate from the cocoa harvest.
Finally, you will arrive in Guayaquil, the largest city in the country, nicknamed "the pearl of the Pacific".
Before leaving the country, you can enjoy the city of Guayaquil and its climate for a few more hours.
You can sunbathe with the iguanas in the Seminario Park and take a stroll along the Malecón 2000 to finally climb the steps of the Las Peñas district leading to a panoramic view of the port city.
You will be driven to Guayaquil Airport 3 hours before your international return flight.
