ECUADOR ANDES
PROGRAMS
ECUADOR ANDES
This is an adventure called Ecuador, its magic environment will be interpreted by your experienced Galaper guide, and you will feel transported to an incredible journey through the exiting highlands, where you will discover the Avenue of the Volcanoes, characterized for its cultural and natural diversity, national parks, native markets, active volcanoes, crater lakes, amazing landscapes, powerful waterfalls and heritage cities.
As an important aspect of these tours involve hiking around some awesome landscapes including Cotopaxi and Cotacachi-Cayapas National Parks, Quilotoa crater lake, Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve and El Cajas National Park.
We had designed these programs in order to exceed your expectations visiting Ecuador, and enjoying of the best activities exploring the Andean highlands, always offering you the best service for an unforgettable experience.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO EXPLORE THE ECUADOR´S ANDES?
When you travel to south America and especially to the Ecuadorian Andes, be ready to feel not only its great natural and cultural diversity but also its variable weather. The Andean highlands have two main seasons: wet (December-April) and dry (May-November), with an average temperature between 46°F (8°C) and 72°F (22°C).
The volcanic landscapes of Cultural Heritage cities like Quito and Cuenca, National Parks, crater lakes, waterfalls, cloud forest, native craft markets, Andean towns and another gorgeous tourist sites will have a splendorous blue sky over during the dry season, but the dark clouds on the blue sky during the wet season will become to all these places on perfect sceneries to take photos with a stunning colour contrast.
It means that you are always welcome to visit the Andean region throughout the year.
Select your Program
AVENUE OF VOLCANOES
(3 days program)
This 3-day tour, through the exciting Avenue of the Volcanoes represents an amazing experience for its diversity of tourist sites, its history, geography and culture. Your experienced Galaper guide will join you to this fascinating place to live incredible experiences, also you will create special connections with the local residents as you share with them and learn about their costumes, traditions and views of life.
| DAY |
ITINERARY (departure any day) |
OVERNIGHT |
MEALS |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Quito - Cotopaxi volcano - Latacunga city |
Latacunga |
N/A |
2 |
Quilotoa crater lake - Riobamba city |
Riobamba |
B |
3 |
Chimborazo volcano – arrival to Quito |
|
B |
Prices per person in double room:
-
Standard Hotels US $520
-
Superior Hotels US $590
-
First class Hotels US $645
- Hiking on Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano of the world
- Quilotoa Crater lake of impressive green-emerald water colour
- Chimborazo volcano, the closest point from Earth core
- Traditional and tasty Andean food
- Professional guide service and transportation
- Accommodations in a double room (in selected hotels or comparable ones)
- Service of a professional guide
- Transportation service
- Excursions, as indicated the itinerary
- Admissions to indicated museums and national parks
NOT INCLUDED.
- International flights
- Travel/medical insurance
- Personal expenses
- Items not indicated in the itinerary
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Drinks
Tips and gratuities
NORTH TASTES & ART CRAFTS
The northern of the highlands is always spectacular for its weather, affable people, magic landscapes and the colourful of Andean towns. Your journey in Ecuador will let you visit the exiting cloud forest the last remain of “El Choco Bioregion” that homes a great variety of beauty orchids, colourful birds specially hummingbirds and tanagers. Traveling through an incredible mountain scenery your Galaper guide will take you to discover the “Quitsato” well known for being “The Middle of the World”, later you will be headed to the Andean village of Otavalo to visit the larges indigenous craft market of south America, where you will find fine handmade crafts with beautiful designs in clothing, alpaca and lama wool, weavings, tapestry and jewellery.
| DAY |
ITINERARY (departure any day) |
OVERNIGHT |
MEALS |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Quito - Pululahua crater - San Tadeo birding site - Mindo (cable car and chocolate tour) |
Mindo |
N/A |
2 |
Mindo - “Quitsato” Equatorial monument - Cayambe Andean breadstick (bizcocho) - indigenous weaving workshop |
Otavalo |
B |
3 |
Otavalo Indigeous market - Cotacachi leather town - Cuicocha lake – arrival to Quito |
|
B |
Prices per person in double room:
-
Standard Hotels US $520
-
Superior Hotels US $590
-
First class Hotels US $645
- Pululahua inhabited crater
- Hummingbirds and tanagers
- Waterfalls in the rain forest
- Challenge your skill to balance an egg over a nail head at Equator line
- Tasting tour of Ecuadorian cacao and chocolate
- Andean breadstick and hot chocolate
- “Plaza de los ponchos” the largest craft market of America
- Feel connected with lovely Andean towns
- Professional guide service and transportation
- Accommodations in a double room (in selected hotels or comparable ones)
- Services of professional guide
- Transportation service
- Excursions, as indicated the itinerary
- Admissions to indicated museums and national parks
NOT INCLUDED
- International flights
- Travel/medical insurance
- Personal expenses
- Items not indicated in the itinerary
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Drinks
- Tips and gratuities
SOUTH ANDES ADVENTURE (5-day program)
If you are an adventure traveller, this is the perfect guided tour to meet your expectations. We will take you into the most spectacular landscapes of Ecuador's Andes Mountains where you can do some adventure activities such as: horseback by riding, zip lining, hiking to the volcanos, to taste local food and to share with local residents. Ecuador is also an important archaeological destination due to its large history for the presence of several ancestral groups since the early period of human occupation in the Andean area, and “Ingapirca” (Inca Wall) is a very interesting evidences close to Cuenca another breath-taking heritage city.
| DAY |
ITINERARY (departure any day) |
OVERNIGHT |
MEALS |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Quito - Cotopaxi volcano with horseback riding activity – Baños |
Baños |
N/A |
2 |
Baños, extreme swing, waterfalls, zip lining, cable car |
Baños |
B |
3 |
Baños - Chimborazo volcano - Alausi town |
Alausi or Riobamba |
B |
4 |
Alausi - Ingapirca ruins - Cuenca city |
Cuenca |
B |
5 |
Cuenca city tour - flight Back to Quito |
|
B |
Prices per person in double room:
-
Standard Hotels US $1020
-
Superior Hotels US $1080
-
First Class US $1250
- Horseback riding on the Andean mountains
- Adventure activities such as: zip line, “the end of the world” swing, cable car
- “Pailon del diablo” waterfall
- Ingapirca, the biggest pre-Inca and Inca archeologic site of the country
- Chimborazo volcano, the closest point from Earth core
- World´s Cultural Heritage Site, Cuenca
- Professional guide service and transportation
INCLUDED
- Accommodations in a double room (in selected hotels or comparable ones)
- Service of a professional guide
- Transportation service
- Excursions, as indicated the itinerary
- Admissions to indicated museums and national parks
- domestic flights (Cuenca – Quito)
NOT INCLUDED
- International flights
- Travel/medical insurance
- Personal expenses
- Items not indicated in the itinerary
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Drinks
- Tips and gratuities
THE BEST OF THE ANDES (5-day program)
Complementing the volcanic landscape of Ecuador´s Andean highland you will enjoy museums, rose farms, Inca ruins, handicrafts and the meet to local residents. Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano of the world is on the way to discover around sixty varieties of roses growing in Ecuador. World cultural heritage sites and local magic Andean villages are amazing places where you will have the opportunity to visit and to know about the traditional and the current of their residents. Handmade Ikat shawls (Macanas), Chordeleg candongas (silver and gold earrings), handmade straw hat (Ecuador Hat) are all goods manufactured by the very skilful artisans from this lovely southern part of the Ecuador.
| DAY |
ITINERARY (departure any day) |
OVERNIGHT |
MEALS |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Quito - Cotopaxi park - roses farm - Riobamba city |
Riobamba |
N/A |
2 |
Riobamba “Madres Conceptas” Museum - Chimborazo volcano - Alausi town |
Alausi or Riobamba |
B |
3 |
Alausi - Ingapirca ruins - Cuenca city |
Cuenca |
B |
4 |
Gualaceo and Chordeleg workshops and crafts |
Cuenca |
B |
5 |
Cuenca city tour - flight Back to Quito |
Quito |
B |
Prices per person in double room:
-
Standard Hotels US $950
-
Superior Hotels US $1050
-
First Class US $1160
- Hiking on Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano of the world
- Beautiful and colourful roses
- Religious art work and old monastery
- Chimborazo volcano, the closest point from Earth core
- Ingapirca, the biggest pre-Inca and Inca archeologic site of the country
- Traditional Andean crafts “macanas and candongas”
- Walking on the colonial cobblestones of Cuenca, World´s Cultural Heritage Site
- Professional guide service and transportation
INCLUDED
- Accommodations in a double room (in selected hotels or comparable ones)
- Service of professional guide
- Transportation service
- Excursions, as indicated the itinerary
- Admissions to indicated museums and national parks
- domestic flights (Cuenca – Quito)
NOT INCLUDED
- International flights
- Travel/medical insurance
- Personal expenses
- Items not indicated in the itinerary
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Drinks
- Tips and gratuities
MYSTERIOUS AMAZON & ANDES (5-day program)
The Ecuadorian amazon jungle is characterized by its grate variety of flora and fauna and the rich culture of its several ancestral groups still living there. Be ready for the exiting encounter with a local indigenous family to know about its form of life in the jungle. Wildlife will surprise you like woolly monkeys, spider monkeys, snakes, caimans, etc. Also enjoy the fascinating green environment of the rain forest while sailing on the rivers. After your adventure in the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle, the amazing geography of the Andes waits for you, this place is full of magic towns, shapes, colours, flavours and traditions. All this is part of an unforgettable journey that we had organized specially for you.
| DAY |
ITINERARY (departure any day) |
OVERNIGHT |
MEALS |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Quito - Papallacta hot springs - Amazon lodge activities |
Amazon |
D |
2 |
Amazon lodge |
Amazon |
B-L-D |
3 |
Amazon lodge – Baños activities |
Baños |
B |
4 |
Baños - Chimborazo Volcano - Latacunga |
Latacunga |
B |
5 |
Latacunga - Quilotoa crater lake - Quito |
|
B |
Prices per person in double room:
-
Standard Hotels US $1070
-
Superior Hotels US $1300
- Relaxation time in the hot spring at Papallacta town
- Hiking in the Amazon rain forest beneath the branches of giant trees
- Adventure activities such as: zip line, “the end of the world” swing, cable car
- “Pailon del diablo” waterfall
- Chimborazo volcano, the closest point from Earth core
- Quilotoa Crater lake of impressive green-emerald water colour, trek to its bank.
- Professional guide service and transportation
- Accommodations in a double room (in selected hotels or comparable ones)
- Service of a professional guide
- Transportation service
- Excursions, as indicated the itinerary
- Admissions to indicated museums and national parks
NOT INCLUDED.
- International flights
- Travel/medical insurance
- Personal expenses
- Items not indicated in the itinerary
- Meals not included in the itinerary
- Drinks
- Tips and gratuities
ANDES PACKING ESSENTIALS
- Pack warm, windproof and fast-drying clothes (synthetics and wool are good, avoid cotton).
- Ankle-supporting and water-resistant hiking boots.
- Passport
- Money belt or neck pouch
- Bank card and credit card
- Backpack
- Layered clothes for warm and cool weather
- Raincoat
- First-aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Any medications
- prescribed by your
- doctor
- Watch
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Plastic bags for separating dirty and clean clothes and shoes
- Notebooks, pens or pencils
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Camera
