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From Quito to Baños and back

3 Days

This tour will take us through part of the Avenue of the Volcanos in the Central Andes of Ecuador. Beautiful scenery and landscapes combined with little towns and nice people. We will visit some highlights in the Andes: Quilotoa Crater Lake, Baños Town and Cotopaxi National Park.

This tour will take us through part of the Avenue of the Volcanos in the Central Andes of Ecuador. Beautiful scenery and landscapes combined with little towns and nice people. We will visit some highlights in the Andes: Quilotoa Crater Lake, Baños Town and Cotopaxi National Park.

Details:
Day 1: Quito – Quilotoa – Baños (L)
Day 2: Baños Full day (B,L,)
Day 3: Return to Quito stopping in Cotopaxi NP (B,L)

Notes:
* There is the option of adding a horseback riding activity at extra cost in Cotopaxi National Park.
** It is possible to add an extra day in Baños to have a full day of White Water Rafting or other activities. Extra costs apply

<p>We start our tour from Quito early in the morning. The first day we will drive to Quilotoa Crater Lake but on the way we will have some stops. Depending of the day of departure we will stop at one of the traditional indigenous markets. This can be in Pujilí or Zumbahua that operate once a week and where the locals from the area congregate to sell their products. Another stop Tigua village and their famous painters who have achieved a prestigious name for painting indigenous traditions and Andean landscapes on goatskin. One stop more will be in the Toachi canyons before we continue to Quilotoa. This is our destination, where it will be possible to hike part of the edge of the crater or hike down to the lake (this hike is demanding but it is possible to hire a mule for the return climb. (This cost is not included). We will have lunch at one of the locally own restaurants in the area and will move to Baños. On the way we will stop to try traditional ice-creams elaborated in the area. Our final destination this first day is a little town called “Baños” one of the most popular and interesting towns on the way to the Amazon Rainforest. </p>

<p>We have breakfast at the hotel and we will move east to visit the amazing route of the waterfalls where we have the chance to have a little ride on a gondola crossing the big Pastaza River to get a close view of one of the waterfalls called “Manto de la novia”. We will also visit another waterfall called “Pailon Del Diablo” or Devil’s cauldron in English. To get here we will have a hike along a forest path for around 45 minutes. We will return to Baños for lunch. In the afternoon we will go swinging on the swing at the end of the world and visit the town. The rest of the afternoon will be free for you to explore the area. </p>

<p>This third day we will start our return to Quito. On the way we will visit the Salasacas indigenous group and their textile shops located in the main square of this town. We will continue to “Cotopaxi Volcano and National Park”, a volcano of 5.897-m-high considered the highest active volcano in the world. This is an impressive sight to see if weather conditions are in our favor. During our stay at the National Park we will admire its natural environment, its Flora and Fauna with the explanations provided by your naturalist guide. We have a hike around Limpiopungo Lake which is located at the foot of the volcano. We will have lunch in the area of Cotopaxi and will return to Quito afterwards.</p>

The Trip Cost Include

  • Pick up and Drop off in Quito Hotels
  • Accommodation in Baños
  • Accommodation in Quito at the return
  • Breakfast and lunches
  • Certified bilingual guide
  • Private transportation
  • Entrance fees

The Trip Cost Excludes

  • Dinners and other meals not mentioned
  • Drinks
  • Tips and Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
How difficult are activities on this trip?

The hike towards Quilotoa Lake is demanding but it is possible to hire a mule for the return climb at extra cost.
The rest of the activities are from easy to moderate, however, this can be relative to how used to high altitude you are.

What is the highest altitude reached on this trip?

This will be the Cotopaxi Refuge Camp, located at approximately 4.400 meters high (14.080 feet high)
Quilotoa Crater Lake is located at approximately 3.600 meters high (11.520 feet high)

How are the guides?

Our guides are Certified Naturalist Guides with extensive experience on the destinations.
They speak great English and some of them have experience in photography

What kind of outfit do I need for this trip?

On this trip we will be changing to different altitudes.
For Quilotoa and Cotopaxi we recommend to wear layers. Temperature ranges during the day between 12 and 21 degrees Celsius (50 – 70 Fahrenheit). During the rainy season (October through May) the Andes are cloudy and humid and it is recommended to bring rain gear.
In Baños Town the altitude is lower so weather is warmer and humid. Light weighed clothes will be good for this part of the trip.

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

From Quito to Baños and back
From $ 644
/ Adult

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