If you want to give sense to your trip, this is what will delight you. This 14-day tour highlights the 5 senses, starting with those related to taste and smell. The circuit follows 4 red threads: chocolate & coffee, wines & liqueurs, culinary heritage and aromas. You will discover the Ecuadorian cocoa whose ancestral variety is in the spotlight, the endemic fruits of this country with multiple ecosystems, the aromas of the most famous roses and finally the wine production. In short, you will see Ecuador as you taste it.
Suggested duration: 14 days
Theme: Food & wine
Difficulty : For all public
Visited countries: Ecuador
Nuevo Aeropuerto Internacional de Quito Tababela S/N - Via, Quito 170907, Ecuador
Quito 170131, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador
Nanegalito, Ecuador
Cayambe, Ecuador
Otavalo, Ecuador
Yaruqui, Ecuador
Cotopaxi, Ecuador
Ingapirca, Ecuador
San Miguel, Ecuador
Av. Pumapungo, Cuenca, Ecuador
Samborondón, Ecuador
Guayaquil, Ecuador
José Joaquín de Olmedo, Av de Las Américas, Guayaquil 090513, Ecuador
Private transfer with spanish-speaking driver from Quito airport to your hotel.
Reception at the airport by an english-speaking guide (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
You will spend the night at Ikala hotel in Quito.
Included: private transport , arrival transfer , arrival transfer with english-speaking guide , room & breakfast
Quito, Ecuador’s capital, is a real treasure between the volcanoes of Pichincha, Cayambe and Antisana. At an elevation of 2830 meters, it is the second highest capital in the world.. It was the first city classified by the UNESCO in 1978 and its historic centre is the biggest and best maintained in Latin America.
Departure at 8:30am: to get a good idea of the city, we will firstly go to the Panecillo, a small hill over the city with a statue of the Quito’ Virginp, with a splendid 360º view.
You will then have a visit of Quito’s colonial centre:
the church of the Compañia de Jesus (If the time allows it because this one opens the doors only at 12:30) or the Sucre theater;
the church of San Francisco;
the Grand Place where are located the Presidential Palace (Carondelet) and Quito’s Cathedral.
You will visit the “Alabado” archaeological museum, which not only retraces the pre-Hispanic history of the country, but also provides an understanding of its cultural heritage. Not only is the building that houses the museum itself worth a visit, but it also offers a structured tour that does not follow the simple logic of dates. It is designed according to the cosmological vision of the Andean peoples, made up of 3 worlds. This site is one of our favorites!
You will participate in a chocolate tasting organized in partnership with one of the most famous Ecuadorian chocolate manufacturers, Pacari.
You will be explained the process of chocolate elaboration, the origin of the “cacao fino de aroma” and the history of cocoa in the world.
You will have the privilege of tasting 10 different chocolates and learn how to smell, crunch and savor it to appreciate all its facets.
NOTE: Pacari works directly with farming families and provides them with a good remuneration for pure and organic cocoa, thus preserving the genetic diversity of cocoa in Ecuador. This initiative has been rewarded many times at the international level both for the quality of the products and the social commitment.
You will spend the night at Ikala hotel in Quito.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , chocolate tasting , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
Departure from Quito to follow a scenic road through the Equatorial cloudy forest to the Mindo area, a unique place for its biodiversity.
Discover the protected ecological forest of Mindo-Nambillo where numerous trails allow you to meet some of the hundreds of bird species in an area popular with bird lovers from all over the world.
Yumbos Chocolate is an initiative that promotes the so-called “fino de aroma” cocoa, certainly the best in the world, and mostly produced in Ecuador.
You will visit their chocolate factory to discover the entire transformation process, from fermentation to the elaboration of the chocolate paste.
Take the opportunity to taste their strongest chocolates (80 and 100% cocoa); they will surprise you!
NOTE: Yumbos is not only a product, but also a way to support cocoa-producing communities, many of which are neglected by the authorities in terms of social protection and education. Yumbos aims to finance teachers and to practice fair trade for a more dignified life.
You will spend the night at lodge Casa Divina in Mindo
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , dinner (no drinks) , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
You are in the north-western area of Quito, in the cloud forest of the Ecuadorian Choco.
During this day, you will discover a high altitude tropical landscape with some of the country’s most popular coffee crops.
You will visit plantations with different varieties of coffee produced. Then after a lunch with local flavors, you will have a tasting of this Ecuadorian coffee.
You will spend the night at El Crater Lodge.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , lunch (no drinks) , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
Visit of the Cochasqui pyramids, classified as World Heritage and considered as the most important archeological site North of the Equatorial Andes. The site is composed of 15 pyramids and 20 funeral mounds built by the Quitus Cara Indians in the IXth century. There are different interpretations concerning the function of the pyramids: ceremony places, houses for important people or even astronomical observatories. The site still keeps many mysteries… which we will try to learn more about…among the many llamas roaming the grounds. You should also know that Cochasqui was ruled by Princess Quilago, whose life is also an enigma.
You will spend 2 hours at the hacienda of the Compañia de Jesús, a French neo-classical style property.
At the heart of this experience: the roses with a visit to the adjoining plantation. We will explain the whole process from cultivation to the preparation of the bouquets before export. You will also learn the technique of colouring the roses.
Ecuadorian roses are reputed to be the most beautiful in the world, due in part to the mineral elements from the volcanoes.
To top it all off, visit the showroom! The old stables have been adapted for the pleasure of the eyes by offering an impressive show of hundreds of roses of different varieties.
You will have lunch at the hacienda, like in a movie set, with all the attentions of the staff.
You will spend the night at the Hacienda Pinsaqui. Note that this place is full of a rich history, with the passage of illustrious characters such as Simon Bolivar, the Libertador, enough to feed your dreams!
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , excursion (private) , lunch (no drinks) , pre-dinner drinks , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
This morning you will visit the indigenous market of Otavalo, the most famous Ecuadorian handicraft market in the Andes.
There you will meet the indigenous Otavaleños wearing espadrilles, brown felt hats and a blue poncho on their shoulders. They are the most prosperous indigenous people in Ecuador and are formidable traders.
Obviously this market has a very developed tourist aspect, but it is one of the country’s must-sees.
Visit of the Cuicocha lake, one of the most beautiful in Ecuador with a shiny blue water.
At the centre of a former crater at 3064 meters, the nature lovers will enjoy a very various vegetation (orchids, “elephants ears”…) with more than 400 species identified there.
For the more sporty, you can walk around the lagoon.
You will spend the night at the Hacienda Pinsaqui. Note that this place is full of a rich history, with the passage of illustrious characters such as Simon Bolivar, the Libertador, enough to feed your dreams!
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: pre-dinner drinks , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
You will then get back on the road to pass Quito and reach Cotopaxi National Park.
Visit of the Chaupi Estancia vineyard. There are very few vineyards in Ecuador. This one in the valley of Quito at 2400m of altitude, will make you discover this beautiful initiative which gives birth, in the white wines, to a Palomino, grape variety coming from Spain and a mixture of Chardonnay, Viognier and Palomino. And for the red wines, Pinot Noir and a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot and other grape varieties. Be careful not to exaggerate during the tasting…
NOTE: the visit lasts about 2 hours.
You will spend the night at Hacienda San Agustin in Lasso.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , dinner (no drinks) , lunch (no drinks) , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
Today visit of the Cotopaxi national park with Ecuador’s second highest summit at 5897 meters. It is also the highest active volcano in the world although it mainly shows a few fumaroles from its ice covered crater. But sometimes it launches a huge column smoke and ashes right upon its center.
Afterward, you will walk around the Limpiapungo laggon with stunning view on the Cotopaxi. You will appreciate the flora and some fauna, typical of the “paramo”, those wide plains swept by the cold winds of the Andes.
After driving up to the car park at 4600 meters you will continue by foot to the José Rivas hut 200 meters higher.
The most motivated can also go and reach the snowline.
You will then go to Baños, town famous for its thermal baths.
Visits suggestions :
Free time in Baños to wander around this nice small town. The Basilica of “Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa” is worth the visit, as well as a swim in the town’s baths. Different sport activities are also available: mountain biking, rafting, canyoning…
You will spend the night at Samari hotel.
You can relax in the spa or enjoy the swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna or turkish bath at your disposal. Possibility to have a massage to reserve on site.
You can enjoy 1 hour of massage included in the hotel’s Spa in the “Integral well-being” version, including different techniques of relaxing massages, transporting you in an ideal state.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , local spanish-speaking guide , spa treatment , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
On the way to the South to Ingapirca you will stop at the Colta lake and at the Balbanera church, the first one built in Ecuador in 1534.
Visit of Ingapirca. It is the most important Inca site in Ecuador and here the stone is full of history and legends. Ingapirca was built by the Inca Huayna Capac in the 15th century. It was an imposing fortress housing a temple, warehouses and an observatory made of stones assembled without mortar. This complex was certainly a tambo (relay) along the Inca royal road from Quito to Cuenca. The locals also see the shape of a puma.
There is a path near the site where Inganahui is located, the face of the Inca that rain and wind carved into the rock, probably inspired by Inca powers.
You will then reach the beautiful city of Cuenca, by a road winding through the middle of the Andes and offering magnificent panoramas of the colorful patchwork of typical agricultural crops and the last high volcanoes of southern Ecuador.
Night at Posada Ingapirca next to the archeological complex.
Dinner included at the hotel.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , room & breakfast , dinner (no drinks) , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
You will then reach the beautiful city of Cuenca, by a road winding through the middle of the Andes and offering magnificent panoramas of the colorful patchwork of typical agricultural crops and the last high volcanoes of southern Ecuador.
The city of Cuenca has an indefinable charm. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it is a city that combines a warm and lively atmosphere with splendid historical buildings, with a French influence added to the colonial and republican architecture.
Also to soak up the warm colors of Cuenca, the best thing to do is to stroll through the cobblestone streets, lined with white houses with Romanesque tile roofs and flowery wrought iron balconies. Cuenca is also unique for the treasures of colonial art that it houses in the heart of its churches and convents from the 17th and 18th centuries.
15 minutes south of Cuenca is the Cave San Miguel.
San Miguel is the producer of the best known national rum in Ecuador.
Here you can visit its small museum and the cellar filled with oak barrels, for a tasting.
You will spend the night at Santa Lucia hotel.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
Behind the museum of the Central Bank you will find the Archeological Park of Pumapungo. You can walk among the vestiges of the ancient Inca settlement which was dismantled by the spanish conquerors in order to build Cuenca. There is also a garden with endemic plants. The Temple of the Sun and the convent of the virgins of the Sun were a part of one of the most impressive and magnificent cities of the former Inca Empire.
It’s time for the cooking class. An opportunity to discover Ecuadorian flavors and especially ingredients that you may not know. Taking home these little touches, which will make a difference with your friends, is a useful souvenir. And of course you will have lunch with what you have prepared.
You will spend the night at Santa Lucia hotel.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: lunch (no drinks) , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
Heading west to the Pacific Ocean to reach Guayaquil, the economic capital and largest city of Ecuador. You will go up the Western Cordillera and cross the Cajas Park where you will have magnificent views of the many lakes that make up this protected area.
If the weather permits, you can stop for a hike in this reserve. Depending on the trail you choose, it will take between 1 and 3 hours to walk.
You will then descend through the mountains until you reach the fertile plains where banana and vegetable gardens stretch as far as the eye can see before arriving in Guayaquil.
Visit of the Cocoa and Chocolate Museum:
The San Juan Cocoa Hacienda, located in the Historical Park of Guayaquil, has been converted into the Cocoa and Chocolate Museum. It is a real place formerly dedicated to cocoa where you will discover the production process of chocolate and the living conditions of a farm.
You shall be proposed a dinner in “3 steps of Nicasio” in the natural environment at the Hotel del Parque.
You will spend the night at the Hotel del Parque in Guayaquil.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: dinner , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
Direction the Pacific Coast but you will stop a few kilometers before the beach, inland to reach the Dos Hemisferios vineyard.
Wine adventure:
This day dedicated to wine is an opportunity to visit one of the few vineyards in the country that produces internationally award-winning wines.
An agronomist will accompany you through the vineyards. Depending on the season you will see the grapes or maintenance work such as pruning.
Then an oenologist will explain the production process and will let you taste 4 of their top-of-the-range wines from the producer’s private reserve.
You will then enjoy a lunch in the open air, accompanied of course by wine.
You will leave this visit with a gift from the vineyard.
Return to Guayaquil.
You will spend the night at the Hotel del Parque in Guayaquil.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: entrance fees mentioned in the program , lunch , wine tasting , room & breakfast , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
You will start your visit to Guayaquil by walking through the main streets of the city. You will pass by the neo-gothic cathedral and next to it the Simon Bolivar park whose main attraction is the hundred green iguanas measuring sometimes more than one meter that wander freely.
You will then continue towards the walk along the Guayas River, called here Malecón 2000. You will visit the colonial district Las Peñas to admire its architecture and its numerous art galleries. From Fort Santa Ana you will have a panoramic view of Guayaquil and its river.
Private transfer with your guide to Guayaquil airport.
English-speaking guide in a private transport (if you are from 1 to 3 persons, your guide will also be your driver).
Included: departure transfer , private transport , local english-speaking guide , guide expenses
