Extended Itinerary of the 21 Day Adventurous Ecuador Tour:

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Day 1: Arrival at Quito Airport (2850 m altitude) – Otavalo (2532 m)

After arriving at Quito Airport, our transfer will be waiting for you, to drive you in about one hour and a half to Otavalo. This village is one of the few places in Latin America where the indigenous inhabitants are openly proud of their origins and culture. They have every reason to do so, because the inhabitants of this region have been known for thousands of years for their special weaving techniques, the very high quality of their woven products and their keen commercial spirit. It seems that even the Incas took advantage of the skills of the Otavalo residents and the Otavalenios now have their own shops scattered throughout much of the world, including New York and Amsterdam.
Note: If you happen to visit Otavalo on a Saturday, then you can also witness a colourful local/ tourist market in the streets of Otavalo.

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Day 2: Visiting Laguna Cuicocha and local communities

Your first stop of todays tour is at the high altitude (3246 m) Crater Lake called Cuicocha (which means lake of the guinea pig). Then you will visit a local family which still practices the traditional ancient old weaving technics that Otavalo is famous about. After a short demonstration you continue your tour to a flute taller in Peguche, where local craftsmen will show you how they make traditional Andean flutes. If there is time left, you might also be able to visit the small waterfall of Peguche. Our YouTube video gives a short impression of Otavalo and the small waterfall.

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Day 3: Otavalo – Mitad del Mundo + Inti Ñan – Quito – Overnight bus

This morning you will travel by private transport from Otavalo to Quito. On the way you visit the amusement park around the French monument on the Equator, called Mitad del Mundo. You will also visit the adjacent much smaller Inti Ñan museum, through which the real Equator runs. At Inti Ñan you will also find more information about the different indigenous cultures still living in Ecuador. Depending on the traffic, it is another hour’s drive from Inti Ñan to your basic hostel in the center of Quito. Here at Casa Carpe Diem you will have you own room to refresh yourself and then you can enjoy sunset and relax on the rooftop until your overnight bus depart towards Cuyabeno. Check also our short YouTube videos about the Colonial center of Quito and its futuristic Metro system.

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Day 4: Arrival at the Cuyabeno Bridge and start of Amazon Tour

You will arrive around 8:30 am at the so called Cuyabeno Bridge. This is the official starting place for tours into the Cuyabeno Amazon Reserve. From here you continue by motorized canoe downstream the Cuyabeno River to the Nicky lodge.
Note: You will navigate in narrow motorized canoes without a roof (because of low hanging vegetation). The luggage you don’t need will be stored in the front of the canoe, covered with plastic sheets, so you can’t reach this while travelling. If you travel back to Quito after the Amazon Tour, we recommend that you only bring what you need in the Amazon, because even if it’s not raining, the air is very humid.
The canoe ride towards the Nicky Amazon Lodge is beautiful and you have a good chance to observe several species of monkeys and birds. After about 2 hours/ 2h30 min, you arrive at Nicky Amazon Lodge, right on time for a late lunch. Then there is time to relax, before you start your afternoon/ evening tour (16:00h), which will either be a sunset canoe tour, or jungle hike.
After dinner our bilingual naturalist guide will tell you about the program for the next days. To have an impression of the Amazon Rainforest around the Nicky Lodge, you wach our 5 day Cuyabeno Amazon Tour.

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Day 5: Cuyabeno Amazon Tour

Early morning we leave for a canoe excursion, because the brisk morning hours are the best time to see the rainforest’s activity. After breakfast we will make a hike in primary rainforest with our naturalist guide and native guide They show us the practical and medicinal uses of several plants, and we learn how all creatures in the tropical rainforest co-exist in a fragile balance. We may spot amphibians, butterflies, centipedes and millipedes, snakes, birds, monkeys, and the footprints of mammals. After lunch at the lodge, navigation along the Cuyabeno River and around the Kapok Island in search of different species of monkeys. We also have a good chance of seeing the freshwater pink dolphins (Inia geoffrensis and Sotalia fluviatilis). Before dinner we venture into the forest to find insects, spiders, tarantulas, snakes or colourful frogs. The night world of the Amazon is perfect for viewing small mammal species, tree frogs and to enjoy the nocturnal sounds of the jungle.

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Day 6: Cuyabeno Amazon Tour

Get up early in search of monkeys and birds. After breakfast we follow the “taricaya” or turtle trail to the Seoqueya Community. A member of a Siona indigenous family will show how to prepare yucca bread, and our guide will explain about the culture and traditions of the native people. We navigate downstream to visit the shaman who teaches us the ancient healing traditions and natural medicine. Return to the lodge for lunch and relax. In the afternoon we navigate upstream to the Laguna Grande. Here we can admire the flooded forest or igapo, dominated by the famous Macrolobium trees. Take a swim in the lake and enjoy the spectacular sunset. Before returning to the lodge, we will search for caimans and fishing bats.

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Day 7: Cuyabeno Amazon tour – Tourist bus – Quito

Your last day starts with a short canoe excursion (or walk) early morning, to enjoy the sunrise over the jungle. This is a good opportunity for bird watching – you may spot macaws, toucans, parrots, caciques, hoatzin and other tropical bird species. After breakfast you will travel back along the Cuyabeno River, surrounded by lush vegetation, towards the Cuyabeno Bridge.
Around 11:00 am the tourist bus departs for a scenic ride of around 9 hours from the Amazon basin, over the Andes, towards Quito.

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Day 8: Quito – Baños (1800 m)

In the morning you will travel with private transport in about 3 hours to Baños (de Ambato). This bustling, friendly tourist town is located in a green valley, almost at the foot of the still active Tungurahua (literally means: Little Hell) volcano. It is to this volcanic activity and the natural warm water baths formed by it, that Baños (baths) owes its name. Short virtual impression of Baños.

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Day 9: Free day in Baños

If you are in Baños you should certainly not forget to visit the famous Casa del Arbol (tree house). The swing on this tree house was once made by an elderly man who observed the active Tungurahua Volcano that lies behind Baños. The swing on his observation tree house tree house should make it more attractive for his grandchildren to visit him more often. However, one photo in National Geographic with a tourist on this swing and a smoking Tungurahua volcano in the background, has ensured that now not only his grandchildren, but children and adults from all over the world come to visit!
If you want, it is optional possible to book a tour within you visit Casa del Arbol and then ride by mountain bike downhill towards the impressive Pailón del Diablo Waterfall!

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Day 10: Baños – Chimborazo Whymper Refuge (5000 m) – Riobamba (2760 m)

In the morning you will travel past the Pastaza River, the Tungurahua Volcano and over the Panamericano, past the Chimborazo Volcano, to Riobamba.
Around noon you will hike the slopes of the mighty Chimborazo Volcano from 4800 meter to 5000 meter altitude. With a height of 6263m above sea level, the Chimborazo Volcano is the highest volcano in Ecuador. However, due to its location close to the equator, the summit is also the highest point on earth measured from the center of the earth! Even if you visit the refuge Refugio Edward Whymper this afternoon on the flank of the Chimborazo, at 5000m above sea level, you are already higher than the top of Mount Everest!
On the way back to Riobamba we’ve included a mountain bike tour, down the slopes of the volcano. Along the way it is possible to spot the elegant vicuñas. That live in the Chimborazo Reserve.

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Day 11: Baños – Ingapirca – Cuenca (2560 m)

After breakfast you will travel with private transport and driver/ guide towards Cuenca. The first part of today’s route you will drive along the railway from Riobamba to Alausi. While the track descends from Alausi through the famous ‘Devil’s Nose’ into the valley, you look right over this valley from the window of your car. Due to differences in temperature and air pressure, it sometimes seems as if this valley is covered by a white duvet of clouds.
When arriving in Cañar, about 2 hours before you reach Cueca, you will travel uphill to visit the archaeological site of Ingapirca. Different cultures used this location to worship their gods, but the most famous inhabitants were the Incas. Note: Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays…
The rural route from Ingapirca to Cuenca is brightened up by several houses painted in pastel colours. Check out our virtual city tour in Cuenca.

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Day 12: Cuenca – Hiking in Cajas nature reserve

Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador, but while you walk around in the historic center you will hardly notice it. Today’s Cuenca was built on the remains of what must once have been a city of the Incas. However, this city, Tomebamba, was already demolished by the Incas themselves, so that the Spaniards could not take it. Cuenca is now best known for compiling and selling the famous ‘Panama hats’.
For today we’ve included a beautiful hike through Cajas National Park. With a humid climate, unexpected fog banks and more than 200 lakes, this special national nature reserve has a little Scottish feel, but with a gem. altitude between 3500 m and 4200 m. During your hike, you should also try to cross one of the small ‘fairytale forests’. These are relatively small forests, full of large ferns, moss, fairy benches and trees with a papery bark that do not grow straight up, but in many bends and twists!

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Day 13: Cuenca – Limón Indanza (1200 m)

Today we travel along a scenic route from Cuenca to the picturesque town of Limón Indanza. This friendly little town is the starting point for the most adventurous touristic excursion you can find in Ecuador; A Spelunking Expedition in Cueva de los Tayos!
This particular cave became the focus of a popular myth perpetuated by Erich von Däniken about a hidden library of golden plates inscribed with hieroglyphs, variously ascribed to extraterrestrial beings or a lost human civilization. Despite numerous scientific and pseudoscientific expeditions, including one in 1976 that included the Scottish Stanley Hall and American astronaut and engineer, Neil Armstrong, the library has not been found. The consensus from the archaeological community is that the “golden library” was a hoax. In 2022 National Geographic and Will Smith organised another expedition into the cave in search of new species of flora and fauna that live within the extended cave system. More information about their visits you can find in our article about the Cueva de los Tayos Expeditions.

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Day 14: Limon Indanza – Yuquiantza – Shuar community – descending into Cueva de los Tayos

Around 6:30 am – Meeting at the office of Tayos Expeditions and breakfast in Limon Indanza.
After breakfast we will travel with private transport in around two hours to Yuquiantza. From here we navigate around 30 minutes in a motorized canoe on the Namangoza River to the territory of the Shuar Arutam community. After departing the canoe, we will hike around two hours along a muddy ascending trail, through lush rainforest. Our destination is the Shuar family who protects the entrance of Cueva de los Tayos.
After lunch we will participate in a small Shuar ritual with the head of the family, to ask permission for entering their cave. Then we head down towards the entrance of the cave and put on our professional safety harness. The professional guide(s) from Tayos Expeditions will go ahead to instal the extensive rappel equipment, needed rappel the first 55 meters down into the cave. Double securing, descending and releasing takes around 10 minutes p.p. to get everyone down. Then there is a second rappel of six meters and a short adventures hike, before reaching our camp for tonight. Out tents are located in the middle of a huge cave chamber, that’s home to the tayos/oilbirds and has a ceiling of more than 20 meters high. Inside it is dry and there is a comfortable room-temperature. But it is also 24/7 pitch black and the tayos birds can make a lot of noise.
After making ourselves comfortable, it is time for dinner and our first night in Cueva de los Tayos.

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Day 15: Waking up in Cueva de los Tayos and full day of exploring the cave system

… Am ? (who knows what time it is when there is no daylight…) – Waking up in our tents and time for breakfast.
After breakfast we put again our safety harness on. This time it isn’t for rappelling, but to be able to connect ourselves to security rope systems that are located strategical locations within the cave system. These security ropes make it safer and easier to explore some of the challenging tunnels and galleries within Cueva de los Tayos. Which tunnels and galleries we can explore, will depend on the water level in parts of the cave and the physical conditions of our group members. But most likely they will at least include: the ‘Moricz’s Arch’, the iconic ‘Daylight Cave’, the ‘Stalagmite Room’ and ‘Neil Armstrong’s Sinkhole and Stalagmite’. We will also participate in a traditional Shuar tobacco ritual at a small waterfall deep inside the cave. This is a great way to refresh both our body and mind.
At dinner tonight is a good moment to talk about our experiences of today and to exchange other great travel stories. When the Tayos wake up, it is time for us to return to our tents, because tomorrow we will have to get up early.

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Day 16: Waking up in Cueva de los Tayos – Ascending from the cave and back to Limon Indanza

Depending on our group size we get up around 5:30 am to clean up our camp and have breakfast.
After breakfast we put for the last time our climbing harness on and depart to the main entrance/ exit of Cueva de los Tayos. To ascent the cave, we will use a pulley system and physical strength to pull everyone up. Double securing, ascending and releasing takes around 10 minutes p.p. to get everyone up.
Lunch will be in the lunch room of the Shuar family. Then it is time to descend the muddy trails towards the river and our canoe journey past two impressive waterfalls, back to our bus. Along the way back to Limon Indanza we make a short stop in Bella Unión for a cold beer or soda. Around 19:00 h we will be back in the office of Tayos Expeditions, where we will collect all the equipment and say goodbye to our newly made friends from this adventure. Time for a hot shower and soft bed in your hotel in Limón Indanza. Please keep in mind that this Cueva de los Tayos tour in Ecuador is more of an expedition, than a standard sightseeing tour. For this reason the itinerary as written above is meant to give a good day to day description of the activities, but it isn’t a guarantee that all can be accompliced. Much will depend on local circumstances and your own physical abilities. We will always try to do our best to provide you with the best options possible.

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Day 17: Limón Indanza – Vilcabamba/ Izhcayluma Eco Lodge (1700 m)

Today we travel along a very scenic mountain route, with winding roads and great views, from the edge of the rainforest to the highlands of Loja, into the valley of Vilcabamba.
Our final destination is the Izhcayluma Eco Lodge, just outside of Vilcabamba. This lodge makes a great base to relax, watch sunsets, participate in free yoga classes, go on a hike and meet interesting people.

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Day 18: Free day at the Izhcayluma Eco Resort

If you like to wake up early you can join the free yoga class in the morning, right when the first sunlight comes over the green hills and the birds start their morning concert.
Breakfast is served in the spacy restaurant with a panoramic view over the Vilcabamba valley. After a healthy breakfast that includes real fruits, fresh yogurt and homemade granola, you have time to explore the beautiful surroundings of the valley and/ or bring a visit to the small village of Vilcabamba. It is also possible to explore one of the self-guided hiking trails through the surrounding of Vilcabamba.

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Day 19: Free day at Izhcayluma

Today can be another relaxing day at the resort, maybe even book a full body massage. But you can also decide to climb the iconic Mandango Mountain, visit the cloud forest of Podocarpus, enjoy a horseback riding tour, participate in a coffee tour, or maybe even visit the first place in the world where people started to consume chocolate!

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Day 20: Izhcayluma – Loja/ Catamayo – Papallacta (3300 m)

Today you will have to wake up very early to catch the morning flight from Loja to Quito
Upon arrival at the airport, our driver will be waiting for you. To drive you out of the valley of Quito, into the scenic Andean Mountain Range. Your destination is the well known Termas de Papallacta Lodge. This lodge is very well located between the snowcapped Andean mountains and features one of the best-known hot springs of Ecuador. The Papallacta Lodge is a great location to relax and treat body and mind!

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Day 21: Papallacta - Quito Airport

After breakfast you can relax in one of the outside pools, while looking at one side over the tops of the Amazon Rainforest and on the other side towards the Andean Mountain range and the snowcapped Volcanos Antisana, Cayambe y Reventador. Can you think of a better way to wake up?
Your transfer back to Quito Airport will depend on the departure time of your flight.

End of our services.

Included in this 21 Day Adventurous Ecuador Tour:

– Private transfer with English speaking driver from Quito Airport to hotel in Otavalo
– 2x Overnight with breakfast in hotel in Otavalo
– Full day tour, inclusive English speaking guide, driver, entrance fees, lunch, a short walk at Laguna Cuicocha, visiting 3 local communities and the Peguche waterfall
– Private transfer with English speaking driver/ guide from hotel in Otavalo to hotel in Quito, inclusive visiting the Inti Ñan Museum and Mitad del Mundo, inclusive entrance fees Shall we include lunch?
– Overnight in hostel Carpe Diem https://casacarpedm.com/ (we will pay for the whole day/night, but clients depart around 23:00 h)
– Tourist overnight bus from hostel Carpe Diem to Cuyabeno Bridge
– A 4d/3n Cuyabeno Amazon Tour with the Nicky Lodge, inclusive: 3x overnight, 3x lunch, 3x dinner, 3x breakfast, filtered water to drink and daily activities as written in the itinerary, with a guide who speaks English.
– Tourist bus from Cuyabeno Bridge to hostel in Quito
– Overnight with breakfast in Hostel Carpe Diem
– Private transfer with Spanish speaking driver from hostel in Quito to hotel in Baños
– 2x Overnight with breakfast in hotel La Floresta https://laflorestahotel.com/ in Baños
– Private transfer with Spanish speaking driver from hotel in Baños to hotel in Riobamba
– Afternoon tour to the Chimborazo Volcano, incl. transport, English speaking guide, hiking to 5000 m altitude and biking down on good mountain bikes, from 4800 m to just before Riobamba, at 2760 m altitude
– Overnight with breakfast in hotel Rincón Aleman in Riobamba
– Private transfer from hotel in Riobamba to hotel in Cuenca, with English speaking driver/ guide, inclusive visiting the archaeological site of Ingapirca
– 2x Overnight with breakfast in hotel in Cuenca
– Full day, guided hike through Parque Cajas, inclusive transport, English speaking experienced guide and lunch (trout?)
– Private transport with Spanish speaking driver from hotel in Cuenca, to hotel in Limón Indanza
– Overnight with breakfast in hotel in Limón Indanza
– Private 3d/2n tour into Cueva de los Tayos, inclusive experienced English speaking guide, transport, 3x breakfast, 3x lunch and 2x dinner and the use of camping equipment and safety equipment
– Overnight with breakfast in hotel in Limón Indanza
– Private transport with Spanish speaking driver from hotel in Limón Indanza to Izhcayluma
– 3x Overnight with breakfast and yoga in Izhcayluma Eco Resort in Vilcabamba
– Early private transfer in taxi (arranged by Izhcayluma) to Loja Airport
– Early flight from Loja to Quito Airport
– Private transfer with Spanish speaking driver, from Quito Airport to hotel Termas Papallacta
– Overnight with breakfast in hotel Termas Papallacta
– Private transfer from hotel Termas Papallacta to Quito Airport
– 24/7 English speaking emergency contact in Ecuador
– All local administration costs

This Ecuador tour is exclusive:
– International flights
– International banking fees
– Around 20 US$ p.p. on community fees in the Cuyabeno Amazon Reserve
– Drinks and meals that are not written in the inclusive list
– Optional excursions
– Anything that isn’t clearly mentioned in the inclusive list
– Tips (if the service you received was good)

We recommend to bring with on this adventurous tour:
– A valid passport (valid for at least 6 months after returning to your home country), a visa, if necessary and any other necessary travel documents.
– The policy number and contact information of your travel insurance Note: Make sure that your insurance covers spelunking.
– Valid vaccinations (ask a tropical doctor for more and up-to-date information)
– A good backpack, large sturdy sports bag, or medium suitcase
– A comfortable daypack (you will need at least one backpack for the Tayos tour)
– Good walking shoes
– Sandals/ flipflops
– A warm jacket/fleece
– A good raincoat/poncho (especially for in the Amazon) They also sell at the Amazon Lodge
– Two warm sweaters
– Four light trousers (cotton or linen)
– Five T-shirts
– Three long-sleeved shirts
– Two pairs of shorts
– Note: Inside the cave your clothes will get wet and dirty with mud and bat-shit…
– A pair of comfortable working gloves (for holding the ropes during the cave tour)
– Knee protectors, for crawling in narrow cave tunnels (optional, also elbow protectors)
– A good headlamp/flashlight per person
– Minimal nine 3A batteries (possibly extra batteries, better too much, then not enough)
– Waterproof plastic protection for your smartphone/ camera, so you can still use it when it is wet in the cave
– An additional power bank to be able to charge your phone/ camera inside the cave
– Something to store your digital photos
– Protection against sun and mosquitoes
– Badingsuit + small travel towel
– Small US$ bills (for emergencies, taxis, tips, etc. especially handy in the Amazon)