Quito is the capital city of Ecuador. It is located at the slopes of an active volcano and surrounded by snowcapped mountains. This makes it a unique city among all other capitals in South America. The legacy and historical testimony from the colonial times are still as they were more than 500 years ago.

Quito is a city full of contrasts and is well known for its colonial churches with altars made of Inca gold, paintings, sculptures and carvings during the colonial time. It will transport you to the past. The city is full of history and culture. It is recognized by Unesco as World Heritage.

The best way to get to know this wonderful place is by taking a city tour that will give you a good idea of this gorgeous city. We will start in the northern part of the city in a place called Guapulo, from here we will have some insights into where Quito was settled. You can enjoy the superb view. We will continue to the Parliament Building where we will be given a description of the mural wall where you will find an explanation of the Ecuadorian saga from independence to its present days. We continue to the Independence Square and visit the President's Palace, Bishop's Palace and The Cathedral. We will continue from here to a church considered one of the richest and most beautiful in America "La Compañía de Jesus" with its extraordinary stone facade. At San Francisco's monastery we will visit its church and continue around the colonial area.

Tour Includes
 Private Transportation
 Bilingual Guide

Quito is the capital city of Ecuador. It is located on the slopes of an active volcano and is surrounded by snowcapped mountains. This makes it a unique city among all the other capitals in South America. The legacy and historical testimony from the colonial times remain as they were 500 years ago.

Quito is a city full of contrast. Well known for its colonial churches with altars made of Inca gold, paintings, sculptures and carvings during the colonial time. It will transport you into the past. The city is full of historical legacy and cultural sites that is recognized by Unesco as World Heritage.

The best way to get to know this wonderful place is by taking a city tour that will give you a good idea of the Ecuadorian capital. We will start in the northern part of the city in a place call Guapulo, from here we will have a better picture of where Quito was settled. Youcan enjoy the superb view. We will continue to the Parliament Building where we will be given a description of the mural wall where you will find an explanation of the Ecuadorian saga from independence to its present days. We continue to Independence Square and visit the President's Palace, Bishop's Palace and The Cathedral. We will continue from here to a church considered to be one of the richest and most beautiful in America, La Compañía de Jesus. At San Francisco's monastery we will visit its church and continue around the colonial area.

Leaving behind more than 500 years of history we will go to the Equator Monument, this popular tourist site is located approximately 25 minutes from downtown Quito. There is a good chance for shopping and to step on the imaginary line that divides the planet on two hemispheres, north and south. After all of this, we deserve a good lunch that we will have in the area.

Tour Includes
Private transportation
Bilingual guide
Lunch

Otavalo is one of the most famous Indian markets in Ecuador and well known around the world for its finest handicrafts and beautiful designs in clothing.

The Otavalo market gives you the opportunity to have a close and personalized contact with the local people which in the majority are native Indians. This area is surrounding by many lakes and unique landscapes that will make your journey more exciting.

This is the best place for shopping and purchasing the best souvenirs. It is also the place to try out your bargaining skills. This becomes a fun game and prices usually go down from their original marked price.

Our adventure starts in Quito heading north, along the way we will stop in the little town of Calderon to take a look at where bread dough figurines are made.

Once on the road we will continue to Cayambe crossing the equator line and making a brief stop to have a picture in the very place where the earth is divided into two hemispheres.

At our arrival, we will spend time at the Indian market. Later, we enjoy lunch at a colonial hacienda or country inn. In the afternoon we will visit the leather market in Cotacachi, and visit Quicocha lake, an extinct volcano where mother nature has created a lake inside its crater, this site is part of the Cotacachi-Cayapas ecological reserve.

After a day of getting to know a bit of the culture, history and nature we will return embracing unforgettable memories of our journey.

Tour Includes
Private transportation
Bilingual guide
Lunch/box lunch

During the Inca times, markets were the base of economic and intercultural exchange among people. Now we have the chance to remember those days by attending this typical market in towns like Otavalo, Saquisili and Latacunga.

At these markets, we can observe different products that come from all over the indigenous communities to be traded and commercialized by these people. We have also the chance to see animals traded for other products, or just simply be able to exchange smiles with the locals.

After a day of shopping we will have a delicious lunch at a colonial hacienda, where you will find interesting contrasts between the people that live there and the land masters of the haciendas. Enjoy all the beautiful places where you can relax and meditate.

Tour includes
Private transportation
Bilingual guide
Lunch

Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world. With a height of 5.897 meter, it has become a highlight for climbers from all over the world. The Cotopaxi National Park has an area of 82.512 acres, and is the home of animals such as deer, rabbits, humingbirds, wolves, llamas, gligles, among others.

The beautiful landscape composed by lagoons and natural springs are just a part of the many places that you can see here.

We will depart from Quito to cross the "Avenue of the Volcanoes", a route surrounded all the way by volcanoes. We will visit the Limpiopungo Lagoon, located at the base of the volcano. From there, a short hike to the refuge offers a challenge for those who want to brave the altitude.

We will return to have lunch at a local hacienda nearby.

Tour includes
Private transportation 4x4
Bilingual guide
Lunch
Park entrance fee.

Imagine a place where flowers bloom year around and the birds flitter by hundreds! Discover these botanical treasures of bromeliads and orchids only two hours from Quito. Mindo is located on the edge of the Choco region, with one of the most diverse hot spots in the world. The scientific community considers it a bird's sanctuary. You can explore its region which contains nearly 2,000 species of plants, 330 species of birds including the active "Andean Cook of the Rock", many kinds of mammals, such as the Spectacled Bear, armadillos, and thousands of invertebrates and butterflies.

This option is an alternative if you do not have time for a trip to the Amazon. Here, you can also discover amazing nature and wildlife.

Our trip begins in Quito, early in the morning, to get the best out of a full day of excitement. Heading northwest on the slopes of the western Ecuadorian Andes we will notice that vegetation and weather change dramatically in just a few minutes.

We will arrive to a place that is considered home to the highest diversity of birds in the world. Here we will have the chance to explore the area, relax and let the place embrace us with its peace.

We will return in the afternoon after having experienced a close encounter with nature.

Tour includes
Private transportation
Bilingual guide
Lunch
Hikes