January 2019
Ecuador
South America
Trip Summary
10 Days Total
Arrival Flight: Aeromexico Toronto to Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Car: Avis Rental Quito to Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Car: Avis Rental Cotopaxi to Quilotoa
Quilotoa, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Car: Avis Rental Quilotoa to Banos
Banos, Ecuador | 1 day
Transfer Flight: LATAM Airlines Quito, Ecuador to Cusco, Peru
Cusco, Peru | 1 day
Machu Picchu | 3 days
Cusco, Peru | 1 day
Transfer Flight: LATAM Airlines Cusco, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
Quito, Ecuador | 1 day
Departure Flight: Aeromexico Quito, Ecuador to Toronto
See the full interactive map itinerary here
We only had 4 short full days in Ecuador with some added travel days to and from, which is definitely not enough to see the entire country! However, our short but sweet visit was nothing but of amazing and still one of my favourite places I have ever visited. It is quiet and not too touristy, but has no shortage of beauty and adventures. We combined this trip with a visit to Peru and Machu Picchu, and would highly recommend doing the same if you are going out that way. Here is what you should do if you go:
DAY 01
QUITO
City
Quito is the main airport when flying into Ecuador and it is most definitely worth saving a day or two to explore this charming city. We rented a car for our entire time in Ecuador which, though some of the roads are a bit questionable (on the side of mountains with no guard rails- yikes!), ended up being a great decision and gave us a lot of flexibility with our trip, as well as the ability to truly see and experience the beautiful landscape during our drives. Others hired a private driver which is also a great, though a bit more expensive option. We landed late in Quito and stayed at this Airbnb for the first two nights, which was nothing special but clean, a good location and a great price.
Start out your first full day in Quito with breakfast at your hotel or Airbnb, then drive in your rental car for about 50 minutes to the Middle of the World City (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo), which opens at 9am. This place is so cool and definitely worth the visit. The Middle of the World City is where the equator divides the northern and southern hemispheres and you can see (and climb in) the Middle of the World Monument. You can find parking on the street right out front and it only costs about $4 to get in. Once you are in there, there is a ton of stuff to do beyond just visit the monument, put one foot on each side of the equator, and take a cool photo. There is a beer museum, museum of the virgins (LOL), cultural plaza, old train station, chapel, central plaza, cocoa square, llama farm, and planetary. It is easy to spend a couple hours here and totally worth it- exploring the city, hanging with the llamas, and having a yummy lunch.
Once you are done visiting the Middle of the World, hop back in the rental car and head back towards Quito about 45 minutes to the TelefériQo Cable Car. You should have plenty of time to get here and enjoy it because it runs from 930am-6pm, with the last ticket being sold to go up at 5pm. We went later in the afternoon and it was already getting cloudy, so I would suggest going in the earlier morning for more clear views. The 18 minute cable car ride up the mountain is beautiful and picturesque, and well worth the mere $8.50 a person is costs to go up. When you get to the base at the top, there are tons of activities to do beyond the incomparable viewpoints like hiking, walking the bridge in the clouds, riding horses, and even paragliding, climbing, and extreme cycling if you're looking for a more adventurous trip.
From here, once you enjoy your 18 minute cable car ride down the beautiful mountain, drive about 18 minutes to the famous Artisan Market (Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal) in Quito for some local handcrafted souvenirs and gifts. This lively covered market has local vendors to bargain with selling Ecuadorian textiles, jewelry, and paintings, and is a great stop.
Then, just a quick 14 minute drive or 25 minute walk away from here is The Basilica of the National Vow (La Basílica del Voto Nacional) which is the largest neo-Gothic church in South America. If its open, go inside, give a donation, and light a candle for someone you are thinking of lately. I love doing this on vacation, it is definitely a special activity to add to your list.
By now, you are probably hungry for some dinner so continuing exploring Quito Old Town and find a place here to have a bite to eat, maybe the Casa Gangotena Boutique Hotel just a 15 min walk from La Basílica. If you are feeling up to it, there is also much more to see in this historic area of Quito, depending on what you like. There are more beautiful churches like the huge San Francisco Church & Convent or the intricate La Iglesia de la Compañía (The Church of the Society of Jesus). There are special, antique museums like the Museo del Carmen Alto (Carmen Alto Museum) and the Museo Casa del Alabado (The Acclaimed Pre-Columbian Art Museum). Or even regal theaters like the Teatro Nacional Sucre (The Sucre National Theater) and the Teatro Bolívar (Bolivar Theater). But my favourite stops? Visit the Arco de la Reina (The Queen’s Arch) for great insta pictures under the arch, and Calle La Ronda (La Ronda Street) for live music, drinks, food, and of course, shopping.
Once you are nice and full from dinner, and done exploring the quaint Quito Old Town, buy a bottle of wine and walk or drive up to Itchimbia Park to watch the sunset to finish your day off. Itchimbia Park is a beautiful, clean, well-kept park situated at the top of the slope of the Ichimbia Hill looking over Quito Old Town, and has unparalleled views of the beautiful city for a peaceful sunset. Make sure you get there before the sun starts setting though, because you'll need a picture with the giant Quito sign!
DAY 02
COTOPAXI
Volcano
Day 2 in Ecuador is a more laid back day than our first jam-packed day exploring the city. This day is all about the gorgeous and serene Cotopaxi volcano. Here is a tour of the area from when we were there. We stayed at the Hosteria Tambopaxi Lodge, which is the only hotel inside the Cotopaxi National Park, and would highly (very highly) suggest doing the same- it was amazing. The hotel is situated on the edge the volcano's boulder field, with unbelievable views of the snow-capped volcano peak, which rises to 5,897 meters. Hop in your rental car and make the approx 1h 40 min drive up to Cotopaxi. Once you get to the National Park, park in one of the parking lots and hitch a ride in a 4WD shuttle (usually a pickup truck) up the rest of the way to the hotel.
Once you are there and check in to your room, arrange a horseback ride activity on one of their wild horses and take one of the many hike options to explore the park and the volcano. We did a 2 hour guided horseback ride for $20/ person and it was so much fun, with the added bonuses of gorgeous view and interesting information on the area from our guide. For the hiking piece, one note of caution, the hotel itself is at 3,720 meters above sea level, so the hikes feel a little harder - choose a short one! After your ride and your hike, have a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant and just enjoy the quiet, serenity, and natural beauty the area has to offer.
DAY 03
QUILOTOA
Lake
When you wake up in paradise at the Cotopaxi National Park and look out your window to see clear, open fields and volcano peaks in the distance, enjoy your free breakfast at the hotel and then take the shuttle back down the hill to your rental car. Hop in, and drive about 1h 40 min to Quilotoa Lake (Laguna de Quilotoa) for more beautiful views. Quilotoa is a water-filled crater lake and the most western volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. This stop is a hidden gem, and you'll maybe see just 10 or so other tourists there. You can park just out front, and when you walk in you'll first get to the Quilotoa crater lookout and lose your breath instantly as you see the stunning lake. Once you catch your breath again, trek down the crater to the lake below. The path is clear, wide, easy to find and use, and should take you about 20-30 minutes to reach the bottom. Once you reach the lake, you will see a small dock to your left where you can rent kayaks and kayak around for a while which is an awesome afternoon activity. But of course, once you are done kayaking the lake, it is time to go back up the crater. You might have noticed people riding on mules back up the crater on your way down. Remember, the altitude here is high, so the hike back up is tough! We did it, but with many breaks on the way. I would suggest hiring one of the mules from the locals (usually just $10) for a much more enjoyable ride up :)
Once you climb (or ride) out of the crater, take one more look and one more picture from the lookout, and hop back in the rental car to continue on to Banos, our last stop. The drive to Banos is a bit longer at about 3h, but it is nothing short of beautiful and a great opportunity to see the Ecuadorian landscape. Be careful though and pay attention to the road, there are some parts during this drive where you are going through mountains with narrow turns and no guard rails. An Ecuadorian local driving tip you will notice, is honking your horn around these narrow turns, so other cars know you are coming. Beep beep!
Once you get to Banos, check in to your hotel, and relax for the night in preparation for a big day of exploring tomorrow. We stayed at Luna Volcán Adventure Spa. It is a bit of a splurge compared to the cheap Ecuador prices, but still one of my favourite hotels I have ever stayed at. Jump in the hot tub, order a bottle of champagne, and enjoy the sunset views
DAY 04
BANOS
Waterfalls
Wake up at Luna Volcano and walk out to your patio for another unbeatable view of Banos. Have breakfast and play chess or checkers in the front lobby, followed maybe by a couples massage to help get you ready for your day. Once you are ready to start exploring, head back to the rental car and hop in.
Your first stop today is a can't miss Instagram opportunity. Drive to La Casa del Arbol to visit an authentic treehouse, a cute Banos sign, and the picture-perfect End of the World Swing where you swing off of a cliff into a volcanic valley with photos that look like you are soaring in the clouds. This spot is also the closest observation point of the Tungurahua volcano. It costs just $1 to visit and parking is available at the entrance. There a little cafe here too you can stop at for a bite to eat if you're hungry!
Once you have snapped your photos at the End of the World, head into Banos town for some exploring or bungee jumping (really bridge swinging), if you are the adventurous type. Head over to to the 100m San Francisco bridge right in Banos town, hand the guy standing on the side of the bridge with the cables in his hand a $20, attach your harness, hop up on the platform, and you are ready to jump. We heard about this "tourist attraction" from another travel blog, and were dying to try it. While it looks a bit questionable, and the price is a bit lower than I expected for this type of activity with gave me some unease, it was super fun, I felt safe, and would 100% do it again. It doesn't hurt that the views from the bridge are also un-real. A nice distraction before your big jump :)
Next, we are going to go chasing waterfalls (even if TLC told us not to). The Ruta de Las Cascadas, also known as the Waterfall Highway, is an out-of-this-world scenic route with 12 different waterfalls along the way, ending at the ferocious Pailón del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron). Many people bike the route, and this is my suggested way to go. We drove it (out of laziness) and while of course it was still exceptionally beautiful, some more time to enjoy the scenery and really take it all in on a bike would be ideal. You can rent bikes and helmets from many different places in the Banos City Center for about $10. When you get your bike, make sure to grab a map of the route from the shop- it's pretty straight and easy to follow, but you want to be sure not to miss any of the waterfalls on the way, some are hidden or too small to see from the road. It is an 18km trek one way to Pailón del Diablo, which takes you about 2-3 hours depending on how fast you bike or how long you take at each waterfall stop. The ride is pretty flat and easy, but the first part of the ride is on a highway, so just be aware of your surroundings. Once you get to Pailón del Diablo, park your bike at the entrance and pay the $2 entrance fee. You can probably already hear the sound of crashing water as you are walking in, and you will quickly notice where the waterfall gets its name. Once you are done visiting your last waterfall, if you are too tired to bike back, you can hitch a ride on one of the shuttles (trucks) heading back to Banos for about $3 (don't forget a bit of cash for this in case!) It is definitely not a luxurious ride, but kind of fun and another chance to take in the beautiful scenery without so much leg work.
Following your waterfall tour, if you are out of time for your visit like we were, jump back in your rental car and start the somewhat long, but definitely beautiful drive back back to Quito. The approx 3h 15min drive will take you back through the mountains, so get that honking hand out, and don't forget to take in the beauty as you go. Pick a hotel close to the Quito airport like this one to stay for the night, and then start your journey home or to your next destination the next day. If you are anything like me, you'll be looking back at all your amazing pictures from Ecuador on the plane tomorrow, and already planning your visit back.