Quito and Guayaquil

Product Description

ITINERARY

DAY 01 QUITO

Flight to the city of Quito, Ecuador. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Accommodation.

 

DAY 02 QUITO

We will tour the historic center, the largest and best preserved in South America, in one of our original Trolleys, which are a replica of the trams that circulated in Quito in the last century. We will visit the church of the Basilica del Voto Nacional, where we will make a brief stop for an explanation of its façade, to later move to the Panecillo viewpoint, an iconic place in the city, recognized for its beauty, and where there is a statue giant of the “Winged Virgin”, from where you can admire a beautiful landscape of colonial and modern Quito. Later we will continue to the Plaza de San Francisco, one of the representative places of the city, and full of history, from where we will walk to the Plaza Grande, historical and political center of the city, surrounded by innumerable attractions among them: the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Church of La Compañía. We continue our tour getting to know the traditional La Ronda neighborhood, in whose romantic setting we can find workshops where our visitors will learn with a group of authentic craftsmen, how their works are made, and trades of yesteryear that keep alive the cultural traditions of this charming city, in This emblematic street will have the opportunity to visit an ice cream parlor where you can find very traditional flavors of Ecuador, as well as a visit to one of the craft workshops: toquilla straw hats or cabinetmaking or tinsmithery or products made from honey. (Entrance to Churches are not included). We will make a stop in the pink zone of the city, approximately an hour and a half to have free time for lunch (not included) and then we continue with our excursion to the Middle of the World. We headed to the “Middle of the World City”, where you can see the monument that divides the northern hemisphere from the southern hemisphere of the planet. It was built in the 18th century where the French scientific expedition defined the exact position of the Equator line that divides the world and is an unmissable place for those who visit Quito. Includes entrance to the Middle of the World complex where you can live unique experiences that defy the laws of physics and that occur only in this part of the world. After visiting this privileged place and registering it in your passport, you will always see Ecuador and the Middle of the World in a different way. At the agreed time return to the hotel. Accommodation.

 

DAY 03 QUITO

Departure from Quito along the North Pan-American Highway until arriving at Cayambe, where passengers will have the opportunity to taste the delicious “Cayambe Biscuits”, a type of biscuit or bread, made right then and there in a clay oven (accompanied by leaf or dulce de leche). After admiring Lake San Pablo, we will arrive at the Otavalo market (Tuesday and Thursday), the largest in America, where the native indigenous people of the area, known as “Otavalos”, one of the most recognized ethnic groups in Ecuador, make and sell their fabrics and handicrafts. Those who so wish, may choose between staying in this area and enjoying the market for more time, and our bus will pick them up at the end of the tour (they will not have the visit to Cotacachi and Cuicocha), or continue with the tour to the town of Cotacachi, recognized for the clothing and leather crafts. On the way to Cotacachi, we will visit an Andean instrument workshop “Ñanda Mañachi” located in the Peguche area, to share some special moments with the local people and understand the Andean culture. Once in Cotacachi, you will have enough time to visit the town, the leather goods stores and free time for lunch (not included). Later we will visit the Ecological Reserve where the Cuicocha lagoon is located, inside the crater of the Cotacachi Volcano, which originated after a volcanic explosion thousands of years ago. And if time permits, you can take a walk through the lagoon that is, sailing in the crater of the volcano in small boats (at an additional cost). Accommodation.

 

DAY 04 QUITO

Breakfast. Day off to do personal activities. Accommodation.

 

DAY 05 QUITO – GUAYAQUIL

Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Guayaquil. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Accommodation.

 

DAY 06 GUAYAQUIL

Tour of the main streets and avenues of the city, visit to Simón Bolívar Park, El Malecón 2000, the docks and the Rotonda, with the statues of Bolívar and San Martín. Visit to the Colonial neighborhood of Las Peñas, where you can admire its wooden architecture and where many of its houses are art galleries, you will appreciate a beautiful panoramic view of Guayaquil and the Guayas River from the Santa Ana fort. Return to the hotel. Accommodation.

DAY 07 GUAYAQUIL – QUITO

Breakfast and at the scheduled time transfer to the airport for your departure flight. End of our services.