Ecuador Explorer

Overview

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Experience the diversity of this amazing country, combining trekking with cultural visits whilst staying in superb accommodation

Introduction

On this incredible trek we combine 3 different mountain regions of Ecuador: Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Chimborazo. You will be trekking into Cotopaxi National Park of which Cotopaxi is the centrepiece. Then you will enjoy the hilly region of Quilotoa, where you will visit the colourful market of Saquisili and lastly you will trek in the Chimborazo Reserve, where Ecuador's highest volcano, Chimborazo is located. You will end this multiday trip with two night on Baños, a sup-tropical region of Ecuador where we can do many activities including hiking, and of course, maybe a ride on the longest zip lines across the Pastaza Canyon in Ecuador, before returning to Quito.

Highlights of Ecuador Explorer

• Visit Quito, the highest capital city in the world.
• Stay in traditional haciendas.
• Trek in Cotopaxi National Park.
• Enjoy the rugged Quilotoa region with its lovely traditional villages.
• Climb to 5,250m in the Chimborazo Reserve before relaxing in Baños.
• Optional 3-day Rainforest Extension: Itamandi Jungle Lodge.
• Groups accompanied by English-speaking Ecuadorian guides.

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Experience Required

The terrain under foot is never overly difficult on Ecuador Explorer, meaning the trip is suitable for regular hill walkers who are able to walk for up to 6 hours each day.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the trek or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Dates & Prices

Date	With Flight	or Meeting in	Availability
Fri 17 Jul – Fri 31 Jul 2026	UK	Quito	Available Book now »
	£4,795	£2,995
Fri 6 Nov – Fri 20 Nov 2026	UK	Quito	Available Book now »
	£4,195	£2,995

This trek is available to book in GBP, USD and EUR.
Click to Change currency for prices on this site.

Group size: 2 – 8 people.

Single room supplement: £500

For comparison, this trek starts from £200 (GBP) per day (price Without Flights).

With Flight pricing

Our 'With Flight' price includes an Economy class return airfare from the UK. The cost is based on a group fare that we have already reserved, or individual seats that we have budgeted for. Note that in some circumstances, the earlier you book, the less expensive the airfare and the 'With Flight' price.

Know Before You Go

Jagged Globe supports the British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) 'Know Before You Go' campaign. We recommend that you read the FCDO Travel Advice for Ecuador on the FCDO Website.

What the price includes

• Economy class return airfares from the UK (unless otherwise specified.)
• UK airport taxes.
• 3 nights' hostel accommodation in Quito on a bed and breakfast basis.
• 10 nights' lodge/Hacienda or local hotel accommodation on a full-board basis.
• All road transport by private vehicles.
• All meals outside of Quito.
• All costs for English-speaking Ecuadorian guides.
• Jagged Globe kitbag or fleece.

What the price does not include

• Visa fees.
• Overseas airports taxes not paid in advance through the international airline ticket.
• Bar bills and laundry.
• Travel insurance.
• Lunch and evening meals in Quito.
• Optional trips.
• Tips.

We can organise this trek on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. Depending on your trekking experience, you may want a Jagged Globe leader or go ‘self-led’ with the assistance of local guides. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly if you take the self-led option. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Insurance

You will need a travel insurance policy that caters for the activities you will undertake on your trip with Jagged Globe. It is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have such a policy. For a list of insurers who specialise in mountaineering, trekking and skiing, please see our Travel Insurance page »

Itinerary

Here is an outline itinerary for this trip. A more detailed day-to-day itinerary is available as a downloadable PDF »

Outline Itinerary

Day 1:	Fly UK to Quito
Day 2:	Acclimatisation & City Tour Few cities in the world can match the setting of Quito, the second highest capital in Latin America after La Paz in Bolivia, with a height of 2,800m above sea level. The city lies in a narrow plateau running North to South and it is wedged between the slopes of the Pichincha Volcano to the West, and a steep canyon to the East formed by the Machangara River and the Inter-Andean Valley.
Day 3:	Transfer to Rumipampa. Walk to the Pita waterfalls and trek to Cotopaxipungo (3,150m) We leave Quito and after a short drive of 1 hour we arrive high above Los Chillos Valley where we will start our hike from a village called Rumipamba. Rumipamba is located at the base of Pasochoa, one of Ecuador's extinct volcanoes.
Day 4:	Trek to Hacienda Los Mortiños (3,500m) Today we will hike to the rustic Hacienda Los Mortiños. Part of the hike goes through the lush humid Andean Forest where there is a chance to see a variety of colorful hummingbirds. The terrain will change dramatically as, close to Los Mortiños, you will enter the wide open paramo. In the past Los Mortinios was one of the largest working farms in Ecuador.
Day 5:	Trek to Cotopaxi National Park (3,700m), overnight at Tambopaxi Lodge From Hacienda Los Mortiños we follow an ancient dirt road of about 1Km until we arrive at the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. From the entrance we will start hiking, following a winding trail towards the ruins of a hill fort named Pucará Salitre. In general the Pucarás were used for military observation and monitoring. Due to its elevated position, the Pucará Salitre was a strategic military fortress of the Inca Empire, which was used to control the passage of armies, resistance groups and migration within the conquered territories of the northern Andes. After our hike we will spend the night at Tambopaxi Lodge, which is at the base of Cotopaxi and offers incredible views of this iconic volcano. Today's hike takes 4 to 5 hours.
Day 6:	Trek to Cotopaxi Refuge and overnight at Hacienda Cuello de Luna (3,125m) From Tambopaxi we make a short drive towards the car park of Cotopaxi (4,600m). From there we hike to the Jose Rivas Refuge 4,800m and eventually to the glacier. We spend a cool Andean night at Hacienda Cuello de Luna.
Day 7:	Saquisili Market and transfer to Insilivi (3,376m). Overnight at Hostal Llullu Llama From Cuello de Luna we drive to the market of Saquisili, held on Thursdays. According to the local economist, for many years, Saquisilí has been the largest indigenous market of Ecuador. Overnight at Hostal Llullu Llama, short hike in the afternoon.
Day 8:	Trek to the village of Chugchilan (3,200m) From Insiliví we take a trail that leads down to the Cumbijín River. We cross a hanging bridge towards the village of Itualó. The road leads through little villages where you will feel time has stood still for centuries. You will enjoy the peaceful ambience of this area and perhaps interact with the friendly and welcoming locals. In Chugchilán we will stay at El Vaquero Lodge. It is a very friendly, basic and clean hostel where you will be welcomed by Doña Hilda, a very warm-hearted indigenous woman. The hike today takes 5 to 6 hours. Overnight at El Vaquero.
Day 9:	Hike around the mystical volcanic Quilotoa Lake (3,800m) From Chugchilán we have a 30 minute drive to the rim of the crater of Quilotoa. This is a mystical volcanic crater-lake with a diameter of 3 km / 1.85 miles. Its emerald waters span two kilometers. The local legend claims it is connected to the ocean and therefore it is salty and sulphuric. From here we start our hike around the upper rim of the Quilotoa Caldera, which will allow us to have more opportunities to enjoy the different perspectives of the lake, plus reaching its highest point at 3,930m.
Day 10:	Drive to Chimborazo Lodge Today we start with a drive for 1.5 hours to the city of flowers and fruits, Ambato. From there we will continue, following the scenic route via Flores, which was the first road that went from the central Sierra (central mountain region) of Ecuador to the coast. The road follows the canyon of the Ambato River, which is full of small groves of pear trees. When we reach 4,000m, we will pause for a while at the high altitude hot springs of Cunuyacu, run by the local indigenous community. We arrive at Chimborazo Lodge in the afternoon and will do a short hike. The lodge is located at 3,900 at the base of Chimborazo. It is owned by Marco Cruz, who is known to be the first official mountain guide in Ecuador. In the lodge you will see wonderful old pictures that explain the history of Ecuadorian mountaineering. Due to the Equatorial 'bulge' the summit of Chimborazo is the furthest point from the centre of the earth.
Day 11:	Hike to the Whymper Needles (5,250m) on Chimborazo At 8am, we take a short drive to the Carrel Hut of Chimborazo at 4,800m. From there we walk first to the upper hut named after Edward Whymper (the famous British mountaineer who made the first ascent of Chimborazo) at 5,000m and then to the Whymper's Needles. Here you will reach your highest altitude of the trip at 5,250m. Later we drive down to enjoy the oxygen-rich air in the town of Baños (1,900m).
Day 12:	Baños Today we will wake up in Baños, a town located at the edge of the Pastaza River Canyon on top of a lava Plateau. Baños receives a lot of moisture from the amazon basin, which creates many beautiful waterfalls in and around town and it?s known as the gateway to the jungle.
Day 13:	Morning in Baños, return to Quito To make the most out of our day, we'll spend the morning hiking around town. We will be arriving in Quito at arround 5 PM, our journey will end. Travelling back to Quito by bus, we cross the Andes from East to West. Before reaching the highest point we stop for lunch, then in the afternoon we can stop again at Papallacta Hot Springs before arriving back at our hotel in Quito in the afternoon. Overnight lodge.
Day 14:	Depart from Quito to UK In the morning, we are taken to the airport for our return flight to the UK.
Day 15:	Arrive home

PLEASE NOTE: Please note that this itinerary is a guideline only. Although every effort will be made to adhere to it, unforeseen circumstances may force changes to be made at the last moment. Please be prepared to be flexible if necessary.

Optional Itamandi Jungle Lodge

See PDF for detailed itinerary.

Day 13: Travel to Itamandi Jungle Lodge. 12 noon start tour with afternoon and evening jungle activities.
Day 14: Rainforest walk and visit indigenous community.
Day 15: Morning bird walk, then check out and transfer to Quito. Overnight lodge.
Day 16: Depart Quito.
Day 17: Arrive UK.

Price £575 per person

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Reports & Reviews

First Trek: October 2011

Have you been on this trip? If you'd like to contribute a trip report then we'll post it up on the site.

Team Member Reviews

• “Jagged Globe got it right again. Well thought out and planned. A very enjoyable varied two weeks. MM” Ecuador Explorer - August 2014