Avenue of The Volcanoes

ARRIVAL IN QUITO – TRANSFER IN*

Transfer from the airport to the hotel. A bilingual guide will pick you up from the airport and will transfer you to the hotel. He/ She will be able to assist you in anything you may need. Accommodation in Quito.

COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK AND INDIGENOUS MARKET (B,L)

Drive along the Pan-American Highway known as "The Volcanoes Avenue" towards one of the world´s highest active volcanoes-Cotopaxi (5,897 m). We will reach the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. We drive on a third class road through a pine forest to Limpiopungo lagoon, a glacial Andean lake located at 3,800 m, along the slopes of the magnificent Cotopaxi volcano. If weather conditions allow, we will drive further to the parking lot located at 4,500 meters in order to hike up to the shelter at 4,800 meters. In the afternoon, we will visit an Indigenous Market in this area. (It is also possible to hike towards the Rivas Refuge, if desired). Afterwards we will continue to Riobamba for accommodation.

CHIMBORAZO RESERVE OR DEVIL`S NOSE TRAIN RIDE – INGAPIPRCA RUINS – CUENCA (B, L)

Very early in the morning, after breakfast, you have two options for activities for this day.

Chimborazo Reserve – Tolte Community – Cuenca

After breakfast, drive to Chimborazo Reserve. You will enjoy the drive, passing through rural areas. Chimborazo Reserve boasts Llamas and Vicunas. Drive up to 4,800 meters above sea level and hike up to the Refuge at 5,000 meters or just take your time and enjoy the impressive landscape at this altitude. (On Wednesday, Friday and Sunday it is.

Afterwards, the guide and driver will bring you to Tolte’s Community. Here you will have lunch in the restaurant of the community, while enjoying a traditional dancing show. After lunch you will be able to choose among different activities during your visit-stay in the community: You can descend 330 stairs to a viewpoint, which is a perfect place to appreciate the zig-zag from Devil’s Nose and take fabulous pictures; you may choose between horse-back riding or a biking tour in the surrounding areas of the community, and you are also able visit an organic local farm to see how the community develops agro-tourism.

After this visit, we drive to Ingapirca Ruins where a walk through this place will take you back to the past. These are the best preserved and unique Inca ruins in Ecuador. Arrival in Cuenca and overnight.

Devil´s Nose Train Ride – Ingapirca Ruins - Cuenca

We will drive to the town of Alausi. Here we will get ready for a famous train though this emblematic mountain named “The Devil’s Nose”. Due to the land topography, this portion is a masterpiece of railway engineering, commonly named “the most difficult railway in the world”. The descent is not an ordinary one; we start the ride at an altitude of 2,346 meters and go down to 1,860 meters in just 30 minutes, on zigzag-carved railway tracks.

Afterwards, the guide and driver will bring you to Tolte’s Community. Here you will have lunch in the restaurant of the community, while enjoying a traditional dancing show. After lunch you will be able to choose among different activities during your visit-stay in the community: You can descend 330 stairs to a viewpoint, which is a perfect place to appreciate the zig-zag from Devil’s Nose and take fabulous pictures; you may choose between horse-back riding or a biking tour in the surrounding areas of the community, and you are also able visit an organic local farm to see how the community develops agro-tourism.

In case that passengers don’t want to do the round trip at the devil’s nose train ride, there is an option of riding horses from the Train station up to the Restaurant, this is a wonderful ride that will let you enjoy a great landscape. This activity has a supplement of $ 16.

After this visit, we drive to Ingapirca Ruins where a walk through this place will take you back to the past. These are the best preserved and unique Inca ruins in Ecuador. Arrival in Cuenca and overnight.

This excursion operates daily except on Mondays.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Ecuadorian Railways Company informs that in case operation is not available, the train portions will be operated by van or bus, or in case it is not possible, an alternate visit will be offered. Itineraries are subject to change without prior notice due to local laws from National Parks authorities.

CUENCA CITY TOUR HALF DAY – EL CAJAS NATIONAL PARK (B)

Breakfast. The tour begins with a visit to the city’s Historic Center. We will visit the church San Sebastian, a picturesque and traditional neighborhood of Cuenca, the Modern Art Museum, where the famous International Biennial of Painting takes place permanently, the Calderon Park (central park), the Flower Plaza, the Church “del Carmen”, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, best known as the “New Cathedral” considered as of the biggest churches in Latin America. There is also a visit to the Cathedral “El Sagrario,” commonly known as the “Old Cathedral”, the city’s first Cathedral. Afterwards, we will visit “El Paja Toquilla” Hat Factory, where you can observe the elaboration process of the finest hats. The route continues with the visit to the “El Barranco del río Tomebamba,” which constitutes a communion between architecture and the natural environment. The houses are attached to the incline, displaying their majesty and charm. The tour will be finished at the “Mirador de Turi” (scenic viewpoint) where the landscape of a valley full of red roofs and church domes is framed by imposing mountains.

In the afternoon, only 30 minutes away from Cuenca we will find the El Cajas National Park; it consists of over 200 lagoons and has a surface of 28.544 hectares. It is a very important water resource for Cuenca and Ecuador. Thus achieving the international Ramsar wetland categories in 2002, area of international importance for bird conservation IBA 2003 and Candidate Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO. The rivers and tributaries that originate here flow into the Pacific and Amazon. Also, we can find the “Intercontinental Water Division” in this area. We visit the high part of the park 4.000 m.a.s.l. approximately, 45 minutes of walk. Then we move toward the Toreadora Lagoon, where we have a walk of approximately three hours. Then we will drive to Guayaquil city. Accommodation.

TRANSFER OUT (B)

Breakfast and Transfer to the airport to take your international flight.