13-Day Ultimate Ecuador: Andes, Amazon & Coast

Day 1: Arrival in Quito

Touch down at Mariscal Sucre International Airport where your Intrepid Travel representative will greet you. Transfer to your hotel in the historic center and take the afternoon at your own pace to adjust to Quito’s 2,850-meter altitude. Wander Independencia Plaza to watch the changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace, sample freshly squeezed naranjilla juice from a street vendor, and feel the history embedded in every cobblestone. In the evening, meet your Intrepid tour leader and fellow travelers for a welcome meeting, followed by an optional group dinner at one of Quito’s exceptional restaurants. Overnight in Quito.

Day 2: Quito Colonial Quarter & Teleferico Cable Car

A full immersion into Ecuador’s capital. The morning walking tour covers Quito’s UNESCO World Heritage old town: La Compania de Jesus with its dazzling gold-leaf interior, San Francisco Church and Monastery – the largest colonial complex in Latin America, and the neo-Gothic Basilica del Voto Nacional with its gargoyles modeled after Ecuadorian wildlife. Ascend the Basilica’s towers for panoramic views over the red-tiled roofs of the old city. In the afternoon, ride the Teleferico cable car from 3,117 meters to Cruz Loma at 4,100 meters on the slopes of Pichincha Volcano. The 18-minute ascent reveals the entire Quito valley and on clear days, a horizon punctuated by the snow-capped cones of Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Antisana. For the energetic, a further 45-minute hike leads to the summit of Rucu Pichincha at 4,696 meters. Evening free to explore La Mariscal district’s restaurants and bars. Overnight in Quito.

Day 3: Mindo Cloud Forest – Hummingbirds & Waterfalls

Depart northwest from Quito, descending from the high paramo through mist-draped cloud forest into the Mindo-Nambillo protected area, one of the world’s premier birding destinations. Your first stop is a hummingbird garden where dozens of these iridescent birds – booted racket-tails, violet-tailed sylphs, and velvet-purple coronets – feed from sugar-water feeders mere inches from your face. Walk the orchid garden trails and spot toucans and tanagers in the canopy. After lunch at a local restaurant, embark on a moderate hike through the cloud forest to the Mindo waterfall circuit. A tarabita (cable car) ride across the Nambillo River gorge precedes the trail, which visits several cascades including the Reina waterfall. The forest floor is alive with leafcutter ants marching in orderly columns, colorful poison dart frogs, and an astonishing variety of ferns, bromeliads, and orchids. For the adventurous, optional tubing down the Mindo River or zip-lining through the canopy is available. Return to Quito in the evening. Overnight in Quito.

Day 4: Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Crater Lake

Journey north through the dramatic Pan-American Highway corridor. First stop: the viewpoint at San Pablo Lake with Imbabura Volcano reflected in its calm waters. Continue to Otavalo’s Plaza de los Ponchos, where the Saturday market (the largest of the week) spreads across multiple streets in a riot of color. Otavalenos in traditional dress sell handwoven alpaca blankets, colorful scarves, tagua nut jewelry, Panama hats, and intricate beadwork. The market is not merely commercial – it is a living cultural tradition dating back to pre-Inca times. After time to bargain and explore, drive to the Cuicocha Crater Lake inside the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. A boat ride across the caldera’s turquoise waters reveals the two volcanic islets covered in vegetation, while the rim trail offers views of Cotacachi Volcano and the Imbabura region. Visit Cotacachi town briefly for its famous leather goods before returning to Otavalo. Overnight near Otavalo.

Day 5: Cotopaxi National Park – Avenue of the Volcanoes

Depart Otavalo and drive south through Quito, continuing into the heart of the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Enter Cotopaxi National Park and stop at the Interpretation Center for an introduction to the volcano’s geology and the unique paramo ecosystem. Ascend by vehicle to 4,500 meters, where the air is thin and the landscape starkly beautiful. Hike to Limpiopungo Lagoon, whose still waters mirror Cotopaxi’s perfect cone above. Wild horses graze the paramo, Andean gulls wheel overhead, and the silence is broken only by the wind. Those who wish can continue the trek to the Jose Ribas Refuge at 4,864 meters – the starting point for summit expeditions – where you may see mountaineers preparing for the midnight ascent. After the hike, drive to a historic hacienda near Latacunga for the night. Warm yourself by the fireplace, enjoy hearty Ecuadorian stew, and rest in rooms that have hosted travelers for centuries. Overnight near Cotopaxi.

Day 6: Amazon Basin – Tena & Napo River Jungle Lodge

Today marks the dramatic transition from Andean peaks to Amazon basin. Drive east over the eastern cordillera, descending through cloud forest where bromeliads and orchids cling to mossy branches, into the lush lowland rainforest surrounding Tena – Ecuador’s Amazon gateway. The temperature rises, the air grows humid, and the vegetation becomes increasingly tropical. At the Napo River, board a motorized canoe and journey downstream with your naturalist guide. The river’s tea-colored waters wind through primary forest where the canopy towers overhead. Arrive at an eco-lodge built from sustainable materials and settled on a river bluff. After a welcome drink and briefing, settle into your thatched cabin. As dusk falls, the forest comes alive: frogs begin their nightly chorus, cicadas drone, and distant howler monkeys rumble. Overnight at the Amazon jungle lodge near Tena.

Day 7: Full Day Amazon Immersion – Canoe, Night Walk & Community Visit

Rise before dawn for the best wildlife spotting. After a light breakfast, board canoes and head to a parrot clay lick, where hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather on an exposed riverbank to ingest mineral-rich clay that neutralizes the toxins in their diet of seeds and fruits. The spectacle of blue-headed parrots, mealy parrots, and chestnut-fronted macaws in the morning light is unforgettable. After returning to the lodge for a full breakfast, embark on a primary forest trek with your Kichwa guide. Learn to make a survival bracelet from palm fibers, identify the medicinal sangre de drago tree (used to treat wounds), and taste lemon ants – Amazonian seasoning from nature itself. After lunch, visit a Kichwa community where you will learn to prepare chicha, practice blowgun shooting, and witness a traditional dance. After sunset, gear up with headlamps and rubber boots for a night walk into the forest. The nocturnal Amazon is a different world: tree frogs the size of a thumbnail, tarantulas peeking from burrows, stick insects perfectly camouflaged, and the tapetum lucidum reflecting in the eyes of night monkeys and kinkajous overhead. Overnight at the jungle lodge.

Day 8: Amazon Morning & Banos Waterfall Route

After a final Amazonian breakfast, bid farewell to the jungle. Board the canoe for the return journey upriver to Tena, keeping watch for capybaras on the riverbanks and toucans crossing the canopy. Begin the ascent back into the Andes, climbing through cloud forest until the air cools and the landscape opens into the highlands. Arrive in Banos de Agua Santa, a vibrant town at the foot of Tungurahua Volcano. Check into your hotel, then head out to explore the famous Route of the Waterfalls along the Pastaza River gorge. Visit the Mantle of the Bride fall, the Agoyan dam, and finally Pailon del Diablo – the Devil’s Cauldron – where you descend stairs and cross suspension bridges to stand within meters of this thundering cascade. The evening is free: soak in Banos’s thermal baths, try the local melcocha candy, or enjoy a drink at a cafe overlooking the lively town square. Overnight in Banos.

Day 9: Riobamba & Chimborazo Volcano Viewpoint

Begin the day with a visit to the Casa del Arbol, where the Swing at the End of the World offers an adrenaline-fueled photo opportunity with Tungurahua Volcano as the backdrop. Then continue south through Patchwork fields and indigenous villages to Riobamba, the Sultana de los Andes. Stroll the colonial center with its cathedral square and colorful municipal building. After lunch, drive into the Chimborazo Fauna Production Reserve. At 6,263 meters, Chimborazo is Ecuador’s highest peak and, due to the equatorial bulge, the closest point to the sun on Earth. Scan the grasslands for vicunas – elegant wild camelids that are the ancestors of domesticated alpacas – before hiking from the first refuge at 4,800 meters to the Whymper Refuge at 5,000 meters. Standing at this altitude, surrounded by permanent glaciers, is a humbling and exhilarating experience. Descend and continue south to Riobamba for the night. Overnight in Riobamba.

Day 10: Cuenca – Ecuador’s Most Beautiful Colonial City

Depart Riobamba and drive south through dramatic mountain scenery, passing the Inca ruins of Ingapirca along the way. Stop at Ingapirca, Ecuador’s most significant Inca archaeological site, where the elliptical Temple of the Sun demonstrates the precision engineering of the Inca empire at its farthest northern reach. Continue to Cuenca, arriving by midday. Cuenca’s UNESCO-listed historic center is a masterpiece of colonial urban planning, with cobblestone streets, flower-filled plazas, and whitewashed buildings with traditional wrought-iron balconies. The afternoon walking tour visits the blue-domed New Cathedral (Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion), the Old Cathedral, the Flower Market, and the Tomebamba River with its distinctive hanging houses. The highlight is a Panama hat workshop, where you will learn that these iconic hats have always been Ecuadorian and watch master weavers at work creating pieces that can take months to complete. Evening at leisure to explore Cuenca’s thriving restaurant scene. Overnight in Cuenca.

Day 11: Guayaquil – Malecon & Las Penas

After breakfast, descend from the Andes through Cajas National Park, a stunning landscape of over 230 glacial lakes scattered across the paramo. The drive continues through banana and cacao plantations to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and commercial heart. After checking into your hotel, explore the Malecon 2000, a beautifully revitalized 2.5-kilometer riverside promenade with tropical gardens, monuments, shopping, and the iconic La Rotonda monument celebrating the historic encounter between Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin in 1822. Climb the 444 steps of Santa Ana Hill through the Las Penas neighborhood, a bohemian district of brightly painted wooden houses, art galleries, and small bars. The lighthouse at the summit rewards climbers with sweeping views over the Guayas River and the sprawling cityscape. In the evening, enjoy ceviche or encocado (coconut seafood stew) at one of Guayaquil’s outstanding seafood restaurants. Overnight in Guayaquil.

Day 12: Puerto Lopez – Pacific Coast & Whale Watching (or Isla de la Plata)

An early departure takes you north along the Ruta del Sol, Ecuador’s coastal highway, through fishing villages and past endless banana plantations. Your destination is Puerto Lopez, a rustic fishing town on the shores of the Pacific Ocean inside Machalilla National Park. Between June and September, the waters off Puerto Lopez host migrating humpback whales that have traveled over 7,000 kilometers from Antarctica to breed and calve in Ecuador’s warm tropical waters. Board a boat for a whale-watching excursion that brings you remarkably close to these 40-ton marine mammals as they breach, tail-slap, and spy-hop. Mothers with calves are commonly seen, and the experience of hearing a male humpback’s song through the hydrophone is spine-tingling. Outside of whale season, the excursion heads to Isla de la Plata (the Silver Island), often called the Poor Man’s Galapagos. Here you can hike island trails to observe nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds with their inflatable red throat pouches, and red-billed tropicbirds, while snorkeling in the surrounding waters reveals green sea turtles, manta rays, and vibrant reef fish. After the boat excursion, enjoy a fresh seafood lunch on the Puerto Lopez beachfront before returning to Guayaquil in the late afternoon. Overnight in Guayaquil.

Day 13: Guayaquil Departure

Enjoy a final Ecuadorian breakfast. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have time for last-minute exploration: visit Guayaquil’s Parque Historico, a recreation of the city’s early 1900s atmosphere with a wildlife sanctuary for rescued animals, or shop for Ecuadorian chocolate and coffee at the Mercado Artesanal. Transfer to Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport for your onward flight. After 13 days traversing all four of Ecuador’s geographic worlds – cloud forest, Andes highlands, Amazon basin, and Pacific coast – you depart with memories of condor skies, jungle nights, hummingbird mornings, and whale songs that will last a lifetime.