Earthblog

Quito – Papallacta – Misahuallí – Jatunyacu river – Baños – Riobamba – Chimborazo – Train to the Devil’s Nose – Cuenca – Cajas National Park - Quito

Highlights & Activities: Equator line, Hotsprings, Home stay with Quichua family in the jungle, rafting the Jatunyaku river, Baños, Chimborazo volcano hike, train to devil's nose, Cuenca, Ingapirca Inca ruins, Gualaceo, Chordeleg, Sigsig.

ITINERARY:

Day 1: Quito Arrival day. Night in Quito.
Day 2: Quito – Mitad del Mundo
Day 3: Papallacta – Misahuallí
Day 4: Rafting on the Jatunyacu river
Day 5: Quichua museum, Amazoonico animal rescue centre
Day 6: Baños
Day 7: Baños
Day 8: Baños – Riobamba
Day 9: Chimborazo refuge
Day 10: Train to the Devil’s Nose - Cuenca
Day 11: Cuenca - Ingapirca
Day 12: Cajas National Park – Baños de Cuenca
Day 13: Gualaceo, Chordeleg, Sigsig - Quito
Day 14: Quito Leaving Quito

Included: Private transport, flight Cuenca – Quito, accommodation, meals as indicated in the itinerary, bilingual English/Spanish or German/Spanish guide (depending on your nationality and preferences), entrances for activities indicated in itinerary, adventure gear, professional rafting guides

Not included: International flight to Quito, airport fees and taxes, transport from/to airport on day 1 and day 14, meals not indicated in the itinerary, activities indicated as optional and on free afternoons (day 7 and 8)

Map:

View Ecuador Explorer 14 días in a larger map

Gallery:

Detailed itinerary:

Day 1: Quito Arrival day. Night in Quito.

Day 2: Quito – Mitad del Mundo
We start our Ecuador Adventure with a city tour of Quito: get to know Quito’s beautiful old town, visit the President’s palace and enjoy the beautiful view of Quito from the Panecillo hill. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the equatorial line at „Mitad del Mundo“, where you can stand simultaneously in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. In the fascinating Inti Nan Museum, we'll be able to prove we are in the Middle of the World by the actual experiments such as balancing the egg and the water swirl test! Night in Quito. (includes breakfast and lunch)

Day 3: Papallacta – Misahuallí
Pick up from hotel in Quito in the morning. On our way to Tena towards the jungle we reach the highest point at 4100 m and might be able to see the beautiful snow-capped Antisana mountain on a clear day. On the descent through the Andes we pass Ecuador’s best thermal baths in Papallacta. Enjoy soothing your muscles bathing in the more than 25 sparkling pools of varying temperatures surrounded by plush grass and red-orange blossoms. For lunch we enjoy the most typical dish oft he region: fresh trout. We continue our way to the jungle and head on to Mishahualli, where you can see the famous monkeys at the popular sandy beaches. We visit the Indian community Shiripuno, where you can observe their customs and supply of their crafts, try typical food of the region like Maito, see how the chicha drink is prepared and supply of their crafts. Charge your positive energies at the community’s sacred giant stone and listen to the indigenous legends. Maybe you want to wash for gold in the close by Napo River. Dinner and night in the community (simple jungle huts with ecological bath and showers). (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 4: Rafting on the Jatunyacu river
After breakfast we start our rafting trip on the Jatunyacu river (class III) - the 26-km-trip is a unique experience you will never forget! The Jatunyacu river is wide and open, has some large waves and is also easy to enjoy for inexperienced rafters. The fun begins right away, as rafters hit large, quick waves interspersed with calm pools. Big sandy beaches, waterfalls, and lush green vegetation make the Jatun Yacu a tropical paradise. The calm sections allow the opportunity to kick back and soak in the Selva Verde rainforest scenery. Since there are no inhabitants in the upper regions of the Jatun Yacu, the river is exceptionally clean. From Puerto Napo, where we finish the rafting, we continue to a beautiful jungle lodge, where you can do a night walk in the jungle to see nocturnal insects and little snakes after dinner. Night in the jungle lodge. (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 5: Quichua museum, Amazoonico animal rescue centre
In the morning we start our tour in motorized canoe. First we’ll visit the museum of a local Quichua community, where you can get an idea of how the local indigenous people were hunting birds and mammals in the jungle. Try to hunt like a Waorani and maybe you are lucky to get close to a Tarantula! After lunch we continue our boat ride to the “AmaZOOnico”, a wildlife rescue center and animal rehabilitation station in a rainforest preserve. It is sheltering a number of different animals, some in danger of extinction. In the late afternoon we go by bus to Baños (approx. 4 hours). Night in Baños. (includes breakfast and lunch)

Day 6: Baños
Enjoy an energizing steam bath before breakfast in the morning! Now you are fit for our mountain biking tour on the road to Puyo, known as the road of the waterfalls. Fun aspects of this journey include sheer cliff drops, dramatic curves, and the incredible and lush scenery all around you. Along the way we stop for a ride in a cable car – if you need more thrill try the optional zip lining or puenting (like bungee jumping from a bridge). In the village of Rio Verde we hike about 15 minutes downhill to the thundering waterfall “Pailón del Diablo” (Devil’s Cauldron). After lunch the next adventure starts: Canyoning down a waterfall! Transport back to Baños where we can relax our muscles in the town’s famous thermal baths and get in contact with the locals. Night in Baños. (includes breakfast and lunch).

Day 7: Baños
After breakfast we go horseback riding in the beautiful surroundings of Baños. The afternoon is free – you can either relax, go hiking to the statue of La Virgen de Agua Santa, visit the town’s zoo. At night we take the chiva to a viewpoint of the Tungurahua, where we have a canelazo and can hopefully enjoy a good view on the volcano. Night in Baños. (includes breakfast)

Day 8: Baños – Riobamba
Enjoy a last bath in the town’s hot springs before we continue our way to Riobamba in the South (approx. 3 hours). Enjoy a free afternoon after lunch to get used to the altitude for our tours during the next two days. (includes breakfast and lunch)

Day 9: Chimborazo refuge
In the morning we head towards the Chimborazo volcano, which is not only the highest mountain in Ecuador – its peak (due to the earth’s equatorial bulge, is also the furthest point from the center of the earth! We hike up to the Whymper Refuge at 5000 (!) m – into thin air! You can keep on hiking up to the glacier (5300 m) if you still have enough breath. Return to Riobamba in the afternoon after lunch. Night in Riobamba. (includes breakfast and lunch)

Day 10: Train to the Devil’s Nose - Cuenca
Today we ride through the Avenue of the Volcanoes in Ecuador’s most famous train – the train heads South to Alausí and the Devil’s Nose, a 765-meter cliff of solid rock. Enjoy views of Chimborazo, El Altar, the Colta lagoon and indigenous communities along the way! From Alausí we take the bus to Cuenca, where we spend the night. (includes breakfast )

Day 11: Cuenca - Ingapirca
We start our day with a city tour of Ecuador’s most important and beautiful colonial city – several churches, plazas and museums are waiting for us and we have the opportunity to visit a Panama hat factory. In the afternoon we’ll drive to Ingapirca, Ecuador’s best-preserved archaeological site. The ruins of an ancient Incan civilization are set in a beautiful landscape and along the Temple of the Sun, the terraces, temples, houses and courtyards you can even see llamas. You will have enough time to walk through, jump on and snap shots all over the complex. Night in Cuenca. (includes breakfast and lunch).

Day 12: Cajas National Park – Baños de Cuenca
In the morning we drive to Cajas National Park west of Cuenca, which is an important conservaton area for birds, mammals and flora. We do a beautiful hike in the rough countryside passing by several lagoons. On the way back we stop at the thermal springs of Baños de Cuenca to relax our muscles in the hot water. Night in Cuenca. (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 13: Gualaceo, Chordeleg, Sigsig - Quito
In the morning we visit small indigenous towns close to Cuenca, Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Sigsig – charming towns especially famous for their traditions handicrafts. In the afternoon we fly back to Quito. Night in Quito. (includes breakfast and lunch)

Day 14: Quito Leaving Quito (includes breakfast)