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Enjoy 11 action-packed days full of adventure activities like biking, hiking, canyoning and whitewater rafting at an unbeatable price!

If you are looking for an affordable, authentic experience in Ecuador full of highlights (all activities included), always accompanied by an experienced English speaking guide, Ecuador on a shoestring is the perfect choice for you!

Highlights/Activities: City tour Quito and Equator line, homestay with indigenous family in the highlands, Otavalo market, hiking at the Cuicocha and Quilotoa lagoon, Cotopaxi volcano Bike & Hike, Canyoning & Biking in Baños, Rafting in Tena on the Jatunyacu River (class III), visit of an indigeous jungle community, cave tour in the Jumandi caves.

Prices:

2 pax: $ 1100 USD p. P.
3 pax: $ 1000 USD p. P. 
4 pax or more: $ 900 USD p. P.

Included:

experienced English speaking guides, all activities and entrances not excluded, meals as mentioned in the itinerary, transport (private or by public bus), accommodation in basic, clean hotels in double rooms, all equipment for the adventure activities

Not included:

Entrance fee Quilotoa ($ 2 USD), mules at the Quilotoa lagoon ($ 8 USD), Cotopaxi National Park entrance fee ($ 2 USD), meals if not indicated, transport from and to the airport on arrival and leaving day, tips for the guides, extra drinks. Please note that travel insurance is compulsory in order to participate on any of our trips!

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival day 
Day 2: Quito Guayasamin museum – Equator line - Otavalo 
Day 3: Otavalo market– Homestay around Cotacachi - Quito 
Day 4: Hiking at the Cuicocha lagoon – Cotacachi leather shopping – Quito 
Day 5: Hiking & Biking at the Cotopaxi volcano 
Day 6: Market in Saquisilí/Pujilí – Quilotoa lagoon - Baños 
Day 7: Canyoning in Baños 
Day 8: Biking in Baños 
Day 9: Baños – Whitewater Rafting on the Jatunyacu river
Day 10: Tena – indigenous community in Misahuallí – tour through the Jumandi caves - Quito 
Day 11: Leaving day 

Detailed itinerary:

1. Arrival day
Arrive in Quito at any time. Check in at the hotel in La Mariscal, the tourist centre of Quito with lots of bars, shops and restaurants. Depending on the time of arrival you could visit the historical centre or enjoy the beautiful views on Quito from the Teleférico.

2. Quito (B, L)
At 10 am your city tour to the Equator line and the New town of Quito starts. Meeting point is Restaurant Q at Plaza Foch. Mitad del Mundo is an absolute must-see when visiting Ecuador! Visit the world’s actual equator and stand with the world in your hands in front of the monument as you are simultaneously in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. In the national museum inside the monument you can take a closer look at the rich indigenous culture of Ecuador. A short walk down the street will take you to the intriguing museum of Inti Nan where you do several surprising experiments that will prove you are actually at the equator including balancing an egg on a nail and the water swirl test. In the afternoon you´ll visit the fantastic art museum of one of Ecuador’s most famous and ingenious artists, Guayasamin. Inspired by the struggles of indigenous peoples around the world, Guayasamin crafted jewelry, sculptures and most notably paintings depicting the human struggle. The tour finishes in La Mariscal, Quito´s new town where you´ll have lunch. Your guide will show you the best places to surf the internet, eat shawarmas, go dancing, and get a margarita! You can pick up your baggage at the hotel and then we head of to Otavalo, 1,5 hours north of Quito by bus. Night in Otavalo.

3. Otavalo (B, D)
Otavalo's beauty lies in its people, the indigenous Otavaleños. The Otavalo Market, which makes this market town famous, is without a doubt one of the most important and interesting markets in all of Latin America. The Otavalo market is a fascinating way to experience traditional Ecuadorian culture and the traditions of the Andes. First of all, by 6am, we head to the Otavalo animal market outside of town. Early in the morning the market is already alive with squealing pigs and clucking chickens. Just enjoy watching the scenes of unloading, buying, selling and bargaining. At 7 am we go back to the center to go shopping at the market. You have enough time to stroll through the little streets, buy souvenirs and have lunch before we meet up again at around 2 pm. The private transport takes you to your indigenous host families in the Cotacachi area. You will live in a separate house built with traditional local materials close to the family´s house. You have a chimney and a private bathroom. This is a unique opportunity to be part of traditional indigenous family life, to exchange experiences and learning about a completely different culture. You have the possibility to participate in everyday life of the families, help them in their daily activities, like the preparation of dinner, work on the fields and strolling through the community. Dinner together with the family.

4. Cuicocha Lagoon / Cotacachi (B, L)
After an early breakfast with your host family, it´s time to say goodbye to head off to the beautiful Cuicocha lagoon, a 3 km wide crater lake at the foot of Cotacachi volcano. Here you´ll hike about 3 hours around the lagoon enjoying spectacular views on the crater lake and observing the wonderful flora and fauna while your indigenous guide gives you a lot of interesting information about the local culture, traditions and wildlife. After the trek you have lunch in Cotacachi and have the possibility to go shopping in this nice artisan town famous for its leather goods and handicrafts. In the afternoon you take a public bus back to Quito. Your guide picks you up at the bus terminal and takes you back to your hotel.

5. Cotopaxi volcano (B, L)
The Cotopaxi National Park tour is an exciting day that begins with spectacular views of the unique Andean landscape in the “Avenue of the Volcanoes”. Inside the national park you hike up to the refuge which is situated at 4,810 m on the Cotopaxi snowline. Depending on conditions you will then hike up to 5,000m where it can be possible to see the glacier. Lunch is served with spectacular views to the valley below and onto the surrounding volcanoes, followed by a safety briefing to commence your downhill descent on mountain bikes! There are two sections to the mountain biking, the first of which we recommend to experienced riders. The journey finishes at the beautiful lagoon at the base of Cotopaxi. Transport back to Hostería Papagayo, a charming 150 year old colonial farmhouse in the Avenue of the Volcanoes.

6. Quilotoa lagoon (B, L)
After breakfast the guide picks you up to your tour to the Quilotoa lagoon (3850m), a volcanic crater filled by a beautiful emerald lake and is reached by one of the most beautiful routes connecting the highlands with the coast. On Thursdays and Sundays you stop at a local indigenous market and visit a local family. You can visit the lake’s edge by walking down a steep path that starts from the rim and back, which usually takes 2-3 hours. Mules can be hired at the place to climb up to the rim. From the rim of the crater, several snowcapped volcanoes can be seen in distance. After lunch you head back to Hostería Papagayo from where a private transport takes you to Baños.

7. Baños (B)
In the morning you´ll go to Baños, one of the most popular tourist spots in the country. You will soon fall in love with this little pleasant town surrounded by green mountains. Baños means 'baths' and that is precisely what the town is famous for. Some are thermal springs from the base of the active Tungurahua Volcano. As Baños is the perfect location for adventure sports, you´ll do a canyoning tour today – you descend down to the canyon of the waterfall and will have the fun of your life, certainly always safely secured by your guide. In the evening you can relax and have dinner before heading off with a chiva to a viewpoint to the Tungurahua volcano – if you are lucky you can see a spectacular eruption of lava!

8. Baños (B)
After breakfast, you´ll be ready for the next adventure: a mountain biking tour along the Route of Waterfalls. The downhill bike run from Baños to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall (Devil´s throat) is the one of the most popular and scenic biking tours in Ecuador. Along the route you can stop at the various waterfalls, take a cable car or do puenting. We hike down to the impressive Pailón del Diablo waterfall. A bus takes you back to Baños, where you can relax at night at the hot springs, a meeting point for the local people.

9. Tena (B, L)
In the morning a prívate transport takes you to Tena in the Amazon jungle, an intimate village surrounded by a series of ancient Kichua tribes. This will be another adventurous day with a Rafting tour (class III) on the beautiful Jatunyacu river! Great rapids and waves and the beautiful jungle scenery will make your day. You have lunch on the shore of the river and come back to Tena in the evening. Time to have dinner and spent the evening in one of the several bars with a cold beer or cocktail 

10. Tena (B)
In the morning you visit a local Kichua community in Misahuallí, where you can observe their customs, dances, preparation of “chicha de yucca” (a drink made from a native root). Fill up your energy tanks at the huge sacred stone of the community and try some guayusa tea. You can also buy crafts made by the women of the community. Try some typical food for lunch in the community! On our way back to Quito we stop at the Jumandi caves named after a courageous Inca named Jumandi who fought against the Spanish conquistadores as a resistance fighter. With rubber boots and flashlights you´ll walk or swim about 45 minutes through the amazing cave system with lots of stalactites and stalagmites that have created interesting rock formations. Smear the therapeutic mud on your face, which is reputed to be good for the skin and wash off your negative energies in a waterfall! In the afternoon we continue our way back to Quito. Drop off at the hotel and time to say goodbye!

11. Leaving day (B)
Depart at any time