Quito City Tour

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This popular and private Quito city tour starts with a trip to the colonial old town in Quito, where you will take a step back in time into a well preserved neighborhood that has earned the city a place on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. Discover Quito's entrancing myths and legends as you explore each street, arriving ultimately at Santo Domino Plaza, where a stunning view of the Panecillo awaits. Continue on to La Ronda, a pedestrian street where artisans craft their work for all to see. The morning ends with a visit to the local market. In the afternoon, we'll visit the equator complex "Ciudad Mitad del Mundo," where we will do unique experiments at Intinan Museum and then stop by the giant monument that marks the equatorial line. Then it's back to your hotel!

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Bright and early, we pick you up from your hotel in Quito to head North. On the way we'll grab some “Bizcochos," the famous and tasty local biscuits. Then it's off to the majestic San Pablo Lake. After this, we will keep driving to the small town of Otavalo. As the biggest indigenous market in South America, you will find all kinds of handicrafts. After spending some time in the market, we will visit the impressive Peguche waterfall and we will also visit a local weaving shop to learn more about the local Otavaleños people. In the afternoon, we will visit the colonial town of Cotacachi, where you will be able to stop in various shops of leather goods, before making our way back to Quito. This is an unforgettable private day tour of this amazing area of Ecuador.

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We will start in the morning with a pick up from your hotel in Quito. Like our other tours, this is private and therefore quite flexible for you to stop along the way to take pictures and enjoy the views. Once we arrive to Cotopaxi National Park we will make a quick stop at the museum and then continue on to Limpiopungo Lake, located at 3,900 meters above sea level. If you feel like it, we can do a leisurely walk around this lake, giving you the chance to see various species of Andean birds. Then we continue on to the volcano parking lot and start an amazing hike up to 4,800 mts above sea level, where we find a refuge and enjoy a hot drink and the amazing views of the Andes. On our way back, your guide will recommend other places in the Park you could visit, depending on your interests.

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Prepare to be astonished! Early in the morning we leave Quito heading south. On the way, we'll get a panoramic view of Cotopaxi Volcano as we drive up into the Andes to reach top of the Quilotoa crater lake. On a clear day you will have great views of the breathtaking Ecuadorian Andes. We then hike to the bottom to see the lagoon. Here you can rent kayaks or just sit and enjoy the view. After this we will hike back up - mules are available to rent in case you don’t feel like doing the whole hike. Once we reach the top again, we will have lunch to recover our strength and enjoy some of the cultural encounters with the locals in the afternoon.

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Welcome to the cloud forest! Your private tour starts with a drive an hour and a half from Quito to the town of Mindo. Our first stop will be at the butterfly farm, which offers a small taste of the biodiversity you will find in Mindo. Later we will hike through the forest to visit the waterfalls. After lunch we'll stop by a chocolate factory to see how it's made from harvest to package. Then we head back to your hotel in Quito. If you want to make your tour even more engaging, it is also possible to include a zip lining tour in town as well as a visit to the orchid garden. Since the tour is 100% flexible our guides will be happy to accommodate all of your preferred activities for this Mindo day tour!

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Soak in the medicinal and relaxing properties of the Papallacta hot springs! It's the perfect tour to end your time in Ecuador. Once you reach the spa & hot springs feel free to book a treatment or massage, rest in the pools, and enjoy the amazing cloud forest landscape. We will pass by the Papallacta lagoon, and if you are in the mood for hiking, we can also take a short hike through the forest to see the local vegetation up close. This is a unique private Ecuador one day tour in every way!

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We begin this private immersion tour by meeting our local resident guide. This tour forms part of a grassroots NGO organization that has created a walking tour of the most representative neighborhoods of Quito to offer tourists the chance to experience real local life first hand. We visit the San Roque Market - one of the oldest and most popular markets where lots of locals make their daily grocery purchases; we will also explore the San Francisco Market, another one of the oldest in the capital. From the market, we will walk downhill to the emblematic La Ronda street, considered one of the flagship regeneration projects in the city. Here we visit the "Manos en La Ronda" project and meet artisans at the workshops. We then visit the chocolatier on the ground floor. A stroll to La Compañía Jesuit church, with its stunning gold-leaf interior, showcases wonderful baroque architecture. After this we will also visit a nice local restaurant for lunch (not included), where we will enjoy a delicious lunch of Ecuadorian specialties prepared by talented chefs.