Luxury Tour – 7 days

First of all your guide will meet and greet you at the international airport “Mariscal Sucre”.  Secondly you will drive north to the Imbabura Province. In order to the drive, you will pass the impressive Cayambe Volcano. After two hour drive, you will finally reach the historic Hacienda Zuleta. Absolutely a perfect place to immerse yourself in Ecuadorian culture and traditions. Because it is full of history. Most notably, it has some mysterious pre-Inca mounds and colonial Spanish roots. Besides, two former presidents of Ecuador had lived there.

Meals: Dinner

First order in list will be the visit of Otavalo. Especially infamous for its market. In fact, the market is held every day on the Poncho Square. Also, on Saturdays it even covers nearly a third of the whole town. So you will certainly find different handicrafts. Mostly they are produced in the surrounding villages. Such as fine woven goods like blankets, hammocks, and tablecloths and many other things. In the afternoon, you will explore the Cotacachi Cayapas Nature Reserve. You may visit the Cuicocha Lake, which is inside the crater of the Cotacachi volcano. Besides,  it is at an altitude of 10,040 ft. Due to this, it is called “Lake of the Gods” by the local people. While walking around the lake you will find yourself within the region’s biodiversity.  Hence you will get the chance to enjoy the view. Due to that, you can see the lake with its two small islands. Also, the landscape with the volcanoes Cotacachi, Imbabura, and Cayambe. In the afternoon, you will head to Quito.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch

First of all you will start the day with a visit to Quito’s colonial city center. Most notably, it is Latin America’s biggest and best conserved historic center. Besides it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Due to a walk through the old city, you will certainly see beautiful buildings and churches. Furthermore, you will visiting the “Panecillo”. A hill south of Quito’s center offers you an amazing view over the city. In the afternoon it gets more exciting. Hence, you will visit the “Middle of the World” which is close to Quito. Most noteworthy is that the Equator crosses at this point. Certainly there is a lot to see in the small village. There’s the Equator monument as well as different exhibitions and documentation centers. Also, you may visit the actual Equator and the museum Inti Ñan. It also offers fun interactive experiments to demonstrate the Equator’s effects. For the night, you will return to your hotel in Quito.

Meals: Breakfast

Today you will travel into the cloud forest. Which is a special form of rainforest. Because it is at an altitude between 2,950 and 8,200 ft. As a result, there is a huge diversity of wildlife. Your lodge serves as a luxurious base camp to discover the beauty of this unique region. The best way to explore the beautiful Mindo cloudforest is by hiking. Also, there are various walking trails to choose from here. Accompanied by a naturalist guide, you will also learn about the flora and fauna. Furthermore, you will be looking out for howler monkeys, butterflies, frogs and more. Passing giant ferns and fox fire funghi is one opportunity. You may rather watch clouds of butterflies bring color to a quiet corner of the forest. Your hotel will be the Masphi Lodge. It is a new hotel with an awesome adaption to the Mashpi reserve. It was built with the latest techniques in sustainable building. Moreover, it has been designed to blend beautifully with its surroundings.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Today, more activities await you. First of all, the guided hikes through the unique forest. Also bird watching or visiting waterfalls. Further there is the life center as well as the sky bike and hummingbird viewpoints. You can certainly just relax in the lodge’s peaceful environment as well.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Today you will leave the Mashpi Lodge because you will head back to Quito. Maybe you want to enjoy your last evening in this beautiful city. Probably with dinner at one of Quito’s best restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast/Lunchbox/Dinner

Say your goodbyes to Ecuador – it’s time to catch your return flight. Or you probably want to go on and head to the Galapagos Islands. We would be happy to assist you on various available options!

Meals: Breakfast