The Best of Ecuador

We’ve combined all the highlights of this wonderful little country into a comprehensive itinerary with some unique twists. You’ll visit colonial cities, experience the lush Amazon rainforest, and “ride the rails” of your Chiva Express down the Avenue of the Volcanoes.

2009 Departures:

• Wednesdays
• Minimum of 2 passengers

2009 Prices: 

• 3 star Quito hotel-Vieja Cuba:  $2250
• 4 star Quito hotel-Dann Carlton:  $2350
• 5 star Quito hotel-Hilton:  $2400
• Luxury Quito hotel-Swissotel: $2675

• Plus Local Airfares
• Rates are per person, based on double occupancy
• Single supplement available on request

Note: This tour is a suggested, customized itinerary that is very flexible. We can make changes in hotels, excursions and destinations to suit your travel dates, style and budget.

Itinerary

Day 1/Wed: Arrive Quito and transfer to your selected hotel.

Day 2/Thu:Quito city tour and the Center of the World. Depart from your hotel this morning, with your private guide for a 4 1/2 hour tour.Start with a visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures of art and architecture. Quito’s colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco, one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of Quito at its main altar. Then continue to the Equatorial Monument, 25 Kms. (16 miles) North of Quito, which marks the exact Center of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador. Beside the monument there is a colonial-style town, complete with main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards and souvenirs. You will get a certificate for having crossed the Equator. Afternoon return to your hotel.

Dress in layers (T-shirt, blouse, sweater, coat). Take a sweater even if the day is warm and sunny. Rain protection advised in the afternoon. This tour includes walking at an altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) and climbing stairs. Sun protection (SPF 40). Good walking shoes. Entrance fees are included. (B)

Day 3/Fri: Chiva Express—Quito to Cuenca Adventure. The adventure starts in Quito with a bus ride to the station of Tambillo, where the "Chiva Express", a colorful one coach train, like a bus on tracks, is ready to depart. A highlight of the trip is to 'ride the roof' with a panoramic view of the stunning Andean region of Ecuador. You will leisurely enjoy the ever-changing scenery as the "Chiva Express" advances along the ancient tracks. Stop for a snack at a dairy hacienda with cows, horses and llamas. Then the Chiva advances up and down the slopes of Cotopaxi volcano and the fertile Valley of Latacunga for a visit to a rose plantation and a taste of the products of the land. Continue by bus to Riobamba, and at the foot of imposing Chimborazo volcano, visit a Tagua workshop and warm up with a canelazo by the fireplace. Dinner and overnight at Riobamba, (B, L, D)

Day 4/Sat: After an early breakfast, transfer to the train station to board the "Chiva Express" for an astonishing ride, twisting and turning over the Andes, along bridging ravines and river gorges. Stop at Guamote, an Indian town, for a short visit to an Educational Center for Adults’ Development and Sustainability. Continue aboard the Chiva to Alausí, where a snack is served, and prepare to go down the Devil’s Nose switch backs, one of the most impressive feats of rail engineering in the world, and back to Alausí. Continue south along the Andes by motorcar to Cuenca, visiting the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca to arrive at dusk, with a stop for lunch. Accommodations and all meals at the hotel in Cuenca (B, L, D)

Day 5/Sun: Today guests will enjoy a full day to discover, at a leisurely pace, the beauty and charm for which Cuenca has been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Its red tiled roofs, cobblestone streets, flowery plazas and museums make it very special. Lunch is served at a cozy restaurant. (B, L, D)

Dress in layers (T-shirt, blouse, sweater, coat). Bring your bathing suit. Binoculars are a must! Rain ponchos and rubber boots are provided. This tour includes walking at altitudes between 2,700 to 1,400 meters, (8,800 to 4,600 feet). Sun protection (SPF 40). Hat or cap. Good walking shoes and extra pairs of socks. Rain occurs throughout the year, although the climate is driest from May to September. Temperature: Day, average 15° to 28° C / 59° to 82° F.Night, average 10° to 15° C / 50° to 59° F (B, L, D)

Day 6/Mon: The day starts with a ride along the Santa Ana valley and then high in the mountains, through very scenic landscapes, which change at every curb. Stops are made at the small towns that produce a variety of handcrafts, such as artistic handmade guitars at San Bartolo and alongside orchards and sugar cane plantations, on to Chordeleg, famous for gold and silver jewelry. Then past the village of Gualaceo, follow the road along the banks of the Santa Barbara River, lined with weeping willows, to Bulcay where shawl and scarves are woven with the ancient technique of Ikat (tie dyed warp to form specific designs, on ancient shuttle looms. Visit lovely orchid gardens with over 2500 species and then lunch at an attractive hostel, surrounded by flowery gardens, close to the Paute River. After lunch, return to Cuenca in time to catch the return flight. On arrival to Quito, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check-in for a one night stay. (B, L)

Day 7/Tuesday: Amazon Rainforest. You’ll be picked up at your hotel, and transferred to the airport where you’ll check in for your flights to Coca, the gateway to the Ecuador’s Amazon basin. On arrival, you’ll be met by a representative of your lodge, who will transfer you to the dock in town, where you’ll board a comfortable, covered motor-boat for the two hour ride to your lodge. You will spend the next 4 days/3 nights at either Sacha Jungle Lodge, or the Napo Wildlife Center (Kapawi Jungle lodge can be used on request, additional transportation charges will apply). Lodging is in comfortable cabins with private baths, flush toilets and hot-water showers.

During your stay, you’ll enjoy guided excursions each morning and afternoon. Nocturnal outings are also possible. You’ll be able to visit parrot clay licks, canopy tower and/or walkways, canoe through lakes and creeks, hike forest trails, and experience some of the most spectacular bird-watching in all of Ecuador. Over 500 species of birds have been recorded in this region, which is more than 1/3 of all the Ecuador birds.

On each of your outings, your professional naturalist guide will point and explain the details of the reptiles, mammals, and flora that you encounter. All meals are included during your stay. (B, D)

Day 8 & 9—Wed & Thu: Days in the Amazon rainforest. (B, L, D)

Day 10-Friday: You’ll return to the Coca airport for your scheduled flights back to Quito. On arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your select hotel, with the remainder of the day at leisure. Your flights are generally scheduled to arrive around 1:00 PM, but they can be delayed. If you have free time today, you may wish to visit the local botanical gardens. Quito also boasts a permanent handicraft market, as well as interesting art galleries and specialty stores. (B)

Day 11/Sat: Otavalo Indian Market. Full day group tour to visit Otavalo--South America's most famous Indian fair. Here Otavaleños barter in silence, in marked contrast to the raucous noise of other markets. Early departure from Quito through dramatic mountain scenery. You will have ample time to visit the famous market and stroll along the narrow cobblestone streets filled with Otavalo Indians wearing blue ponchos, white trousers and long braided hair. Lunch is at one of the charming country inns or haciendas. (B, L)

Dress in layers (T-shirt, blouse, sweater, coat). Take a sweater even if the day is warm and sunny and rain protection from February to May. This tour includes walking at an altitude of 2800 meters (9200 feet) . Sun protection (SPF 40). Good walking shoes. Great Photo ops.

Day 12/Sun: Transfer to the airport, or continue with more sightseeing. (B)

B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner

Trip notes:

• This trip begins and ends in Quito, Ecuador, which can be reach by daily flights on a wide variety of airlines.
• Prices for a 3 star hotel in Quito stay at the Vieja Cuba, 4 star hotel is the Dann Carlton; 5 star is the Hilton Colon, and Luxury is the Swissotel. Other hotels can be substituted and will be charged the corresponding rate.
• Accommodation in Cuenca at hotels Oro Verde, Santa Lucía or Carvalho Accommodations at Mansión Alcázar have extra cost.
• Domestic flights Quito-Coca-Quito and Cuenca-Quito are required for this itinerary. These tickets will be confirmed by our local office along with your tours. Current cost is $230 round-trip, subject to change.
• Weight Limit for the commercial flights in Ecuador
  Passengers on flights Quito – Coca and Cuenca-Quito are allowed to check in a maximum of 20 Kg per person (44 lbs) plus a carry on – hand luggage with reading material, camera, binoculars and personal documents. Additional or excess baggage is charged directly by the airline by pound.
• For your travels to the Amazon, and Cuenca via the Chiva Express, we request you plan to leave behind all un-needed items in luggage storage at your hotel
• Latin American Escapes offers excellent discounted international airfares from most US cities, local airpasses, and complete land packages through-out Latin America.
• Combine this trip with a Galapagos cruise, Amazon adventure, or add a few extra days in Quito to explore the city, or visit the museums and art galleries.

A deposit of $300 per person is required to confirm reservations. In addition, the following payment procedures apply:

Payment for airline tickets is due at the time tickets are issued, but no later than time of final payment.

Last Minute Bookings: Last minute reservations (less than 30 days before departure) will be accepted, subject to availability, if payment has been received, and documents can be delivered. Any special communication costs and delivery charges will be at the client's expense.

Revision Fee: Revision fees will apply once the initial deposit has been received. Charges will vary based on itinerary, and extent of changes, with a minimum charge of $50. Changes requested after documents have been issued (generally with-in 30 days) will incur a minimum $100 change fee, plus additional services requested.

International bookings: We gladly accept bookings from passengers outside the US. However, an additional surcharge of $50 per booking is applied to cover additional shipping charges.

CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS--At the time we receive written notification that you must cancel your trip, money will be returned less the following cancellation fees:

Trip Documents: Trip documents will be forwarded approximately 3 weeks prior to travel, and once all payments and completed application forms have been received.

Risk and Responsibility

In arranging these trips, Latin American Escapes, Inc. acts only as the agents for the owners, contractors and suppliers actually providing tour services for these trips with whom Latin American Escapes, Inc. has no legal connection or joint ownership. These local tour operators attempt to conduct these trips as described in the preceding itineraries. However, it is possible that due to transportation schedule changes, weather, delays and unforeseeable acts of God, humans or nature, itineraries may vary from what is described. Participants are responsible for extra costs due to travel delay or itinerary changes for reasons beyond our control and assume all risks, whether identified in advance or unforeseen, as described under Limitation of Liability, and Trip Member Responsibility, located in our Terms and Conditions, which all travelers agree to sign. Traveler's insurance is not included, but is offered, and is strongly recommended. CST # 2023695-40.