Signature Ecuador and Galapagos: Volcanoes to the ocean

Day 1

Arrive in Quito and transfer to hotel.

Transfer to your hotel in Quito, the Andean capital of Ecuador. The active volcano Guagua Pichincha, to the east, glowers over the dynamic city which, at 2,850m, is one of highest capital cities in the world. Quito is divided into two contrasting districts. The modern zone is characterised by towering glass buildings and houses banks, international companies, hotels, shops and restaurants, while the central colonial area has well-conserved and recently spruced-up white-washed architecture, open air markets and graceful Spanish-style mansions and churches.

Stay at - Casona de la Ronda

Day 2

Guided walking tour of colonial Quito.

Guided walking tour of old Quito. Visit the colonial centre of the capital, the first city ever to be named a World Heritage site. High on the agenda is a walk through the main plaza, the Plaza de Independencia, where you will see the government palace, the cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the 16th and 17th centuries, including the monastery of San Francisco.

Stay at - Casona de la Ronda

Day 3

By road to Otavalo in the Andean highlands, visit Otavalo market overnight in hacienda.

By road through rolling highland moors to Otavalo, a prosperous town set in a pretty landscape of lakes and volcanoes. The town hosts one of the largest and most vibrant indigenous markets in South America. Stalls are laden with tapestries and woollen goods, some intricate, some brash, and all in a breath-taking array of colours, as well as traditional musical instruments and leather goods. You’re bound to find something to take home.

Overnight in a traditional colonial hacienda, adapted to receive visitors but retaining many of its historic features.

Stay at - Las Palmeras Inn

Day 4

Guided excursions to Lake Cuicocha

Morning at leisure on the hacienda, which has lovely flowery grounds in which to relax. In the afternoon, drive to Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve for the start of a 3hr hike on the volcanic rim around Cuicocha, a deep-blue crater lake with an island marooned in the centre set on the southern flanks of Mount Cotacachi. Enjoy fine views of the surrounding volcanoes Cayambe and Imbabura.

The countryside is extremely pretty, with adobe farmsteads sheltering under columns of silvery eucalyptus shading ancient cobbled lanes and tracks. Birdlife that can be spotted includes ruddy ducks, giant hummingbirds and silvery grebes. After the hike, stop at the picturesque colonial town of Cotacachi, famous for its leather work before heading back to Quito.

Stay at - Casona de la Ronda

Day 5

By road along the Avenue of the Volcanoes; visit Cotopaxi National Park, overnight at a hacienda.

Travel south from Quito by road on a spellbinding journey along the aptly named Avenue of Volcanoes. As its name implies, the route passes an imperial guard of conical snow-draped volcanic cones, surrounded by lush pastures pitted with colonial market towns and tiny indigenous villages.

Visit Cotopaxi National Park, dominated by the superbly photogenic volcano of the same name (5,897m), a (very) occasionally active peak of shimmering ice surrounded by rumpled skirts of highland moor with a tundra-like vegetation of altitude-resistant shrubs and flowers. The park is inhabited by over 90 species of bird from pocket-sized hummingbirds to giant condors and a variety of hardy mammals including deer, rabbits, Andean foxes, and puma, which shelter from view in the lacy veils of frequent swirly mists. You’ll visit the interpretation centre and walk the trail surrounding the stunningly reflective Lake Limpiopungo, ringed by bird-filled reed beds. If inspired to hike some more, you can climb towards the Cotapaxi snowline for bird’s-eye views over the Andean peaks.

Stay at - Chilcabamba Mountain Lodge

Day 6

Visit local artisan markets, overnight in Riobamba.

There’s a lot to do at your hacienda – if you have a penchant for the outdoors, you can go horse riding, mountain biking, zip-lining, hiking (self-guided) on well-marked trails or get involved in farm-based activities. Children are invited to make chocolate and help feed the animals too.

You can also visit some nearby local markets, often robust and vivacious focal points of trade between purveyors of produce from the outlying farms and hamlets. There may be a few tourist items, but these markets have their own socio-economic dynamic and are a fascinating insight into Ecuador’s rural life.

Continue to Riobamba for the night.

Stay at - Hosteria la Andaluza

Day 7

Continue via Ingapirca ruins to Cuenca.

Depart Riobamba heading south for the 2hr drive to Alausi. This little highland town (2,340m) would escape under the radar were it not a famous stop along the railway track crossing the Andes from Quito to Guayaquil on the Pacific coast. The most ambitious and spectacular part – named for its audacity as the Devil’s Nose – was restored for visitors and begins right here.

Alas, Ecuador’s railways have not been operating since 2020, but the good news is that by a mixture of road journeys – and on foot – you can still appreciate the splendid scenery of the region around Alausi. There’s time for a steep hour-long hike to the mirador (look out point) of Pistashi (this can also be done by vehicle if you prefer).

Continue by private vehicle to Cuenca, via Ecuador’s principal Inca ruins of Ingapirca. The remains of the buildings in this raised site date back to the end of the 15th century, before the Spanish conquistadores. The architecture bears hallmarks of Inca construction, with some fine mortar-less stonework. Archaeologists believe that the main structure, known as The Temple of the Sun, was used for religious and ceremonial purposes. Today, however, it simply provides welcome shade for grazing llamas and the occasional tourist.

Cuenca is a beautiful 16th-century town, built on the site of an ancient Inca settlement, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stay at - Hotel Itza

Day 8

At leisure in colonial Cuenca, Ecuador’s second city.

At leisure in Cuenca. Its narrow cobblestoned streets, red tiled roofs and well-preserved Romanesque buildings give it an air of sedate and quiet respectability. It’s a peaceful place to wander around, with coffee shops and interesting little shops. The colonial centre has been beautifully restored; colourful flowers tumble from ironwork balconies and the whitewashed houses have grand wooden doors. The climate here is temperate and you’ll enjoy relaxing with a coffee in a leafy square.

Cuenca is a great place to wander or relax in but if you want to get out of the city you could visit the nearby market towns of Gualaceo, Chordeleg, and colonial Sigsig, set in the foothills of the western cordillera.

Stay at - Hotel Itza

Day 9

By road down to the tropical coast of Guayaquil via a stop at Las Cajas National Park.

Today you travel from the mountains down through the tropical lowlands to the port city of Guayaquil. It is a spectacular drive that truly contrasts the scenery in this small country, as you pass from Andean villages to banana plantations. On the way you stop at the Las Cajas National Park. Beautiful trails pass through this rugged, high-altitude wilderness of grasslands, jagged hills and glacial lagoons.

Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city has gone through a transition in the last few years. The expanse of waterfront has been made into an outdoor architectural showpiece, and restoration work has taken place along the city’s main thoroughfare and in the historical neighbourhood of Las Peñas.

Time permitting, you can take a walk from the frenetic, noisy open market at La Bahia, and past the colonial naval shipyard to the Malecón (the waterfront promenade), Guayaquil’s crowning jewel. Stroll past tropical gardens, markets and street cafés, and head to Santa Ana Hill and Las Peñas, a district of brightly-coloured wooden houses and ramshacklestreets dating back to the 16th century.

Alternatively, you can fly north from Cuenca to Quito and fly on to the Galapagos from there.

Stay at - Unipark

Day 10

Fly to the Galápagos Islands

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the Galápagos Islands (2hrs) where you will embark your vessel for your 5-day cruise around the archipelago. Your naturalist guide will be waiting to take you to the quayside.

Stay at - Treasure of Galapagos

Days 11-13

Land excursions from the cruise around the Galápagos Islands.

The Galápagos Islands emerged in the Pacific Ocean 6 million years ago following a spate of volcanic activity and, isolated from the continental mainland, have become home to unique plant and animal species. Without fear of humans, they are sufficiently trusting to allow you to approach them and observe them up close. The islands were the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which formed the basis for his revolutionary book ‘On the Origin of Species’, published in 1859.

Although geologically constantly on the move, these islands remain suspended in time, with Giant tortoises, iguanas, penguins, Frigate birds, Waved albatross and Blue-footed boobies and a wealth of rare flora all thriving there. For many, the fascinating and unique wildlife and natural beauty of the islands are matched by the thrill of being at sea. Find a spot on deck as you make your way through the ocean, often trailed by flocks of birds and playful dolphins.

The itinerary for your days in the Galápagos will depend on your date of departure,and is subject to change. There are normally two landings a day to seek out the different wildlife that inhabits the islands.

Stay at - Treasure of Galapagos

Day 14

Fly to the mainland, connect with international flight home.