Compare Avenue of the Volcanoes: Ecuador by Travcoa
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| Trip |
0 | Poor
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| Duration | 7 days |
| Price From | $ 5,895 |
| Price Per Day | $ 842 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Luxury |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | |
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
6 Breakfast, 4 Lunch & 2 Dinner |
| Description |
Discover artistic Ecuador with a visit to the Art Workshop School, and meet famed Ecuadorean painter Oswaldo Viteri to discuss his work. Then, uncover the source of the inspiration of so many local artists as you explore the country's natural beauty: high Andes habitats and volcanic mountains painted with verdant forests, and aquamarine crater lakes. Travel the Avenue of the Volcanoes, walk amid the cloud forest, and hike beside waterfalls. Keep an eye out for puma, spectacled bear, and the magnificent Andean condor. Visit the vast Inca Ruins of Ingapirca and the colonial cities of Quito and Cuenca, and complete your picture at colorful Indian markets and a private hacienda. |
Day 1 – 2: Quito, Ecuador
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Casa Gangotena
Upon arrival you will be escorted to your hotel in Quito, a capital city nestled deep within the valley of towering Andean volcanoes, 10,000 feet above sea level. The next day, your full-day tour starts in the colonial center of the city. Visit the Escuela Taller Quito, where young people aged 16 to 22 years are trained in traditional skills and techniques, such as carpentry, stone carving, painting, gold leaf, and metalworking. The aim of workshop is to educate young people from poor families while also promoting the restoration, rehabilitation and conservation of Quito. Next, tour lively Calle La Ronda, and see the baroque Iglesia de San Francisco the first church to be built by the Spanish in the city, and Plaza de la Independencia (also known as Plaza Grande). After lunch, enjoy a private visit with noted neo-figurative artist Oswaldo Viteri, who will take you on a tour of his magnificent private art collection. This evening, relax with champagne and canaps at Casa Gangotena before a private visit to the baroque La Iglesia de la Compaa de Jess.
Day 3: Cotopaxi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hacienda San Agustin de Callo
Today, take a short drive along the Cinnamon Trail, the route that Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana took in 1542 which lead to his discovery of the Amazon river, to visit a private hacienda and 1,200-acre sanctuary for endangered species including the Andean condor, spectacled bear, puma, and the Andean fox. Spend the morning hiking, horseback riding, or fishing amid the magnificent landscape of this pristine pramo (highland moor). Enjoy lunch before taking a scenic drive through the famous "Avenue of the Volcanoes," viewing snow-capped mountains and verdant forests, to Cotopaxi. Stay in the 15th century Hacienda San Agustn de Callo, built on the site of an Inca palace, and one of the two most important Inca archaeological sites in Ecuador.
Day 4: Baños & Riobamba
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hacienda Abraspungo
This morning travel to Baos, the entrance to the Amazon basin and home to the El Otro Lado cloud forest reserve. A short hike reveals majestic cliffs, magnificent waterfalls, archaic thermal baths and diverse plant and animal life. View El Paln del Diablo waterfall, then visit the picturesque village of Baos. Enjoy lunch at the home of a local rock-climbing legend, and continue to the 15th century city of Riobamba. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of this charming village filled with heritage houses set along cobblestone streets.
Day 5 & 6: Ingapirca & Cuenca
Meals: 2 Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Mansion Alcazar
On Day 5, rise early to board the train for an exciting ride down El Nariz del Diablo your spectacularly steep descent passes amazing landscapes and colorful towns. The train stops en route to visit some of the local Indian markets of the Central Andes. Disembark in the early afternoon, and continue by car to Cuenca, stopping along the way to explore the massive Inca ruins at Ingapirca.
On Day 6, enjoy a morning tour of Cuenca; visit the 19th-century blue-domed cathedral, the colonial cathedral museum, the flower market and a Panama hat factory.
Day 7: Cuenca, Quito & Depart for Home
Meals: Breakfast
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Quito where you will catch your flight home or on to your next destination.
