Cloud Forests, Incas, Panama Hats and the Avenue of Volcanoes

Sample itinerary
Meals as specified: B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner

Day 1
After breakfast you will be picked up by your guide and driven for about 2 hours northwest of Quito. Here you will enter cloud forests at the southern end of the Choco-Andean Rainforest Corridor. En route, you will stop in the Pululahua Crater Reserve or the Pahuma Orchids Reserve. You will reach your cloud forest lodge in time for lunch, after which you will be taken into the cloud forests for guided treks. Dinner and accommodation at cloud forest lodge. (L, D)

Day 2
In the morning you will go on further guided walks in this cloud forest reserve. After lunch our representative will pick you up and drive you to the Cotopaxi National Park. The drive takes about three hours and takes you along Ecuador's Avenue of Volcanoes. When you reach your hacienda, you will be offered a welcome and a chance to relax at this higher altitude location before dinner. (You will need to pay a Cotopaxi National Park entry fee of $10**.)
(B, L, D)

Day 3
After breakfast you will get ready for your horseback ride trek in the foothills of Mt. Ruminahui. You will be provided with all the equipment you need for your adventure (ponchos, hat, and chaps). The ride will last approx. 3 to 4 hours. You will be back to the hacienda for lunch. In the afternoon you will drive south along the Avenue of Volcanoes towards Chimborazo. He you will stay at a cosy Mountain Refuge hotel located on the foothills of the volcano. (B, L, D)

Day 4
You will spend the whole of today hiking on the slopes of the Chimborazo Volcano. You can either visit the next Refuge or visit the "Hieleros of Chimborazo". The hieleros are people who collect sections of ice from Chimborazo's glaciers and sell them at the markets for local consumption. In the afternoon return to the hotel for dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 5
After a hearty breakfast we will leave the lodge and drive to Alausi in order to take the train ride along the Devil's nose. This is an amazing 2 ½ hours ride through cliffs and gorges where passengers can sit on the roof as the train winds its way though spectacular Andean scenery. In the afternoon we continue our drive towards Ingapirca. Pack lunch on the way. Late Arrival to the ruined Inca citadel of Ingapirca. Dinner and accommodation at Posada de Ingapirca. (B, L, D)

Day 6
In the morning you can visit the Ingapirca Ruins, and then we will continue a one hour drive to the city of Cuenca. Cuenca is Ecuador's second World Heritage listed city, it is regarded as the country's most beautiful city, with an inviting old town full of churches, convents, museums, antiques and craft shops. Lunch in downtown Cuenca. In the afternoon you will have a city tour of Cuenca, including its Cathedral and the most interesting attractions around the town. Dinner and Accommodations at Hotel Victoria. (B, L, D)

Day 7
Early in the morning we will head towards the Cajas National Park for a 3-4 hours hike. We will walk through paramo highland habitat in an area punctuated by many lakes. We will take lunch in Cuenca and in the early afternoon visit the small town of San Joaquin, famous for its women weavers who produce intricate baskets as well as the famous Panama hat. After this visit your guide will drop you off at the airport for your 30 minutes flight back to Quito. (B, L)

 
 
 

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