Quito Natural landmarks sightseeing Trips

We had no idea what Ecuador had in store for us, it honestly wasn’t even at the top of our travel list but glad we booked it. From the moment we landed in Quito, we were hooked. The city is lively and colorful, and even though the altitude made us slow down a bit at first, the views from the top of El Panecillo made up for it. The Otavalo Market was pure chaos in the best way. I kept telling myself not to buy anything… ended up with a bag full of woven scarves. Zero regrets. Papallacta was a whole other vibe. The hot springs were exactly what we didn’t know we needed. If the trip had stopped there, I think we’d still be raving about it. Banos was this hidden gem with waterfalls and fresh air. The small group made everything more relaxed. No rushing, but no wasting time either. We felt like we got to really be in the places we visited. Everything was organized, we barely had to think. Just showed up, enjoyed, and soaked it all in. Would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Interesting overview of Ecuador proper (excluding Galapagos or jungle). The Cotopaxi National Park (hacienda and horseback riding a highlight) but Cuenca is also a lovely colonial city with lots of history, including the option trip to the Inca ruins.

this trip proves you dont need a multi country trip to see it all! volcanoes, cloudforests, the amazon jungle, highlands of the andes... the diversity of what you see in two weeks is unrivalled. often seen as the great Galapagos's less exciting mainland counterpart...this could not be further from the truth. Be wowed by science experiments only possible on the equator, visit local communities in the amazon rainforest and experience the Andean cultures. i would recommend this trip to anyone with a spirit for adventure, who loves to be outdoors experiences lots of different landscapes flora and fauna.

While Ecuador is synonymous with the Galapagos Islands, the Highlands of Ecuador tour provides a diverse set of city and nature experiences. These were brought to life by an experienced, enthusiastic, knowledgable and extremely personable guide. The guide was about to personalize the experiences in cities like Cuenca to accomodate a diverse range of interests.

Ecuador is a wonderful country to visit. This trip had it all as we visited the famous cloud forest, the highlands, the volcano Chimboratzu, the Amazon forest, Cuenca, the Casaj national park and finally the mangrove glades. I would highly recommend going. The hotels were very comfortable and traditional. Our guide, Etiel, was excellent and imparted lots of useful information. The highlight of my trip was on Chimboratzu taking the pony instead of walking. I'm not sure I would have made it without that help. And then in Banos our guide offered to take us to the thermal baths at 5am. It was still dark when we went and the nearby mountain waterfall was lit up. Very magical. I was the only one to take up this very kind offer! Others definitely missed out (from my point of view). We decided to have two extra days in Quito at the start of the trip to get over jet lag and to familiarise ourselves with the city. One couple also did the same but had three days. They booked a guided tour each day. This is well worth considering as the additional accomodation cost is very small.

We had a wonderful trip to Ecuador. The itinerary is well planned with a wide variety of experiences. Our guide, Etiel, was excellent and very knowledgeable and organised. The hotels were very good. Some of the walks were quite challenging but well worth the effort. The scenery is spectacular! With a great group of people, an excellent guide and driver, and a great mix of activities, it is one of the best Exodus tours we have ever been on.