Arrival in Quito
Upon arrival at Quito´s international airport, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel. Our representative will be waiting for you at the arrivals hall, holding a sign with your name.
The Quasar team is always monitoring flights. If flight schedules change, we will be waiting for you at the airport at the right time.
- Please keep in mind that your transfer from the airport to the city of Quito will take approximately 40 to 50 minutes, depending on arrival time and traffic. If your hotel is located near the airport, transfer time will take about 15 to 30 minutes depending hotel location.
- Quito’s average temperatures range from 12 Celsius (53 Fahrenheit) at night to 24 Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) on sunny days and drop down to 7.22 C (45 F) at night in the highlands. It is recommended to dress in layers while in the Andean Highlands, and we suggest you bring a warm jacket if your arrival flight is on the night.
Discover the best colonial center in Latin America
Experience either hot springs, a working hacienda, Condor filled highlands or Hummingbirds in the cloud forest
AM or PM: Quito Colonial Walking Tour
Quito was named as the first “World Cultural Heritage Site” in the world by UNESCO in 1978. This historical city has the most significant and best-preserved historical Center and colonial quarters in Latin America. Quito’s Colonial Center features narrow streets lined with charming balconies filled with geraniums that enhance the beautiful and unique architectural elements that are symbolic elements of our historical legacy.
This walking excursion of the city will take you through small, winding streets, romantic plazas, and the impressive temples that are centerpieces of the numerous significant architectonic icons of this World Heritage Site. You can begin your tour at 9 AM or 1 PM.
Return to your hotel and enjoy a spectacular view of Plaza de San Francisco from the hotel rooftop while enjoying drinks. Dinner is on your own tonight and the hotel offers excellent dining as do the many restaurants in Colonial Quito. Overnight Quito hotel.
Your visits:
- La Plaza Grande (Quito historical Center’s central Plaza)
- Church of La Compañía
- San Francisco Museum and access to the Church Towers
- Chocolatier and chocolate shop
- 3 hours walking tour.
- Good walking shoes are suggested for your excursion.
There really is so much to see and do in Quito and the surrounding mountains and valleys of the Central Andes that for this offering, we've added a full day onto our Colonial Quito package so that you can enjoy a full day of exploring one of four exceptional excursions of your choice. The following excursions are all between a one and one and a half-hour drive from Quito and include a driver and English-speaking guide:
- Condor Adventure at Antisana Ecological Reserve: This is one of the best places in Ecuador to watch condors soar the Andean skies. We start early, to arrive at a birdwatching platform set along a canyon where condors overnight on a perch along the walls. A myriad of hummingbirds and songbirds flit around the observation deck as we wait for the condors to take wing for the day. Beyond the canyon, we head up into the paramo where the reserve opens into sweeping vistas of pastures of fighting bulls, and towering views of Antisana, Sincholagua, and Cotopaxi volcanoes. We'll take short hikes, including one along La Mica Lake, home to waterfowl. As you enjoy a picnic lunch, you can marvel at the micro-ecosystems formed by the reserve's tiny succulents. (B/L)
- Papallacta Hot Springs & Spa: A drive up and over the crest of the Andes brings us to the upper headwaters of the Amazon Basin, where you will arrive at one of the best hot spring spas anywhere in the world, Papallacta. The resort offers an assortment of inviting pools fed by natural hot springs and surrounded by lovingly cared for gardens surrounded by nature. On route, we make a brief stop to visit Guango Hummingbird Reserve. Papallacta offers a range of massage & spa treatments and has its own nature reserve along a lively creek. This is a day trip, but we can also arrange overnight stays. (B/L)
- Andes Adventure at Hacienda El Porvenir: Enjoy a visit to this authentic working hacienda set high in the land of the Chagras, the cowboys of the Ecuadorian Andes. Your visit comes with a full menu of activities, from horseback riding Chagra style to waterfall hikes, mountain biking, and a ropes course. You'll enjoy the welcoming ambiance of the ranch house, and on clear days you'll have an unrivaled view of 19,347 ft / 5,897 m snowcapped Cotopaxi volcano. The dining room serves authentic and delicious Andean cuisine. Ask us about multi-day stays. (B/L)
- Yanacocha Reserve: If you are looking for an inviting nature hike to stretch your legs after the long international flight, this is a great option. The reserve is located on the western slopes of Pichincha Volcano. Though the hike is at 11,000 ft / 3,300 m, the trail is fairly level and not too demanding. You'll marvel at plants with leaves the size of dinner tables in the evergreen high Andean cloud forest. There are over 120 species of birds here, and the real treat comes when you reach a collection of feeders that serve as a hummingbird's airport. (B/L).
In the afternoon, back to Quito and overnight at your airport hotel.
Antisana: Condor´s Ecological Reserve
The impressive glacier of the Antisana volcano is one most fascinating views in the Northern Ecuadorian Andes and one of the most beautiful National Park and Wildlife Reserves at a short distance from Quito. The astonishing National Park is home to the largest living bird, the Andean Condor, and the best place to spot condors and other species of wildlife.
Duration
8 hours approx
Departure Times
08:00
Papallacta Hotsprings & Spa
Experience the natural beauty of the Northeastern Andes on this tour to the hot springs of Papallacta. We'll make a stop at the beautiful Guango Lodge, surrounded by towering peaks and lush forests, where you can spot up to 14 species of hummingbirds along its scenic trails.
Duration
8 hours approx
Departure Times
08:00
Andes Adventure at Hacienda El Porvenir
Nestled within the awe-inspiring "Avenue of the Volcanoes" lies the breathtaking Cotopaxi Volcano, shrouded in a blanket of pristine white snow and magnificent glaciers that tower an impressive 19,348 feet above sea level. Your adventure begins with a scenic one and a half-hour drive from Quito to El Porvenir, a working Hacienda that boasts 1000 hectares of land, with 20% dedicated to crop farming, 20% exclusively reserved for reforestation to preserve the natural habitat, and 60% devoted to cattle farming.
Duration
8 hours approx
Departure Times
08:00
Yanacocha Hummingbird Reserve
For nature lovers staying by the airport or in Quito, this program is a must-do. The day begins with a 7:30 am departure from Quito, ensuring ample time to arrive at the canyon entrance and witness the morning launch of condors from the canyon walls. From a bird-watching deck, you'll be amazed by the multitude of species that stop by, including a stunning array of hummingbirds.
Duration
8 hours approx
Departure Times
08:00
Meet your guide at the lobby for your private transfer to Quito´s International airport for your flight. Your guide will assist you with check-in.
- Please consider that if you are departing from Quito, your transfer will take approximately 45 to 50 minutes; if you are leaving from an airport hotel time can vary from 15 to 30 minutes depending on your hotel location.
- We always suggest being at the airport 2 hours before your departure time for domestic flights.
