7-Day Andes & Amazon Jungle Adventure

Day 1: Quito Colonial Exploration & Acclimatization

Arrive at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport and transfer to your hotel in the historic center. After settling in, embark on a guided walking tour of Quito’s UNESCO World Heritage colonial quarter – one of the largest and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas. Visit Independence Plaza, flanked by the Presidential Palace, Archbishop’s Palace, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Step inside La Compania de Jesus, a baroque masterpiece whose interior is covered in an estimated seven tons of gold leaf. Walk up Calle La Ronda, a cobblestone street lined with artisan workshops, traditional sweet shops, and musicians. In the evening, enjoy dinner at a restaurant specializing in Ecuadorian cuisine with views over the illuminated old town. Overnight in Quito.

Day 2: Cotopaxi National Park – Andean Highlands

An early departure takes you south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes, passing snow-dusted peaks like Pasochoa and Ruminahui, before entering Cotopaxi National Park. At the Interpretation Center, learn about Cotopaxi’s eruptions – including the catastrophic 1877 event – and the unique paramo ecosystem. Drive up the volcanic slopes to the parking area at 4,500 meters, where the air is thin and the views immense. Hike across the volcanic plain to Limpiopungo Lagoon, a glacial lake reflecting Cotopaxi’s perfect symmetrical cone. Spot Andean wildlife including gulls, lapwings, and caracaras. For the adventurous, continue on foot to the Jose Ribas Refuge at 4,864 meters, standing at the snowline. Descend and spend the night at a mountain hacienda near Cotopaxi, enjoying a hearty Andean dinner by the fireplace. Overnight near Cotopaxi.

Day 3: Over the Andes to the Amazon – Coca & Napo River

After an early breakfast, transfer to Quito airport for the 30-minute flight east to the Amazon frontier town of Francisco de Orellana, commonly known as Coca. The aerial descent from the Andes over unbroken green canopy is a spectacle in itself. At Coca’s river port, board a motorized canoe and begin the 2-hour journey up the Napo River – one of the Amazon’s major tributaries – into Yasuni National Park. Along the way, spot herons, kingfishers, and possibly pink river dolphins surfacing near the boat. Arrive at your jungle lodge, an eco-friendly retreat built in harmony with the surrounding rainforest. After a welcome drink and briefing, settle into your cabin and listen as the forest orchestra begins its evening performance. Overnight in a jungle lodge in Yasuni National Park.

Day 4: Amazon Jungle Trek & Canopy Tower

Rise with the dawn as howler monkeys announce the new day. After breakfast, embark on a guided trek through primary rainforest with your bilingual naturalist and local Kichwa guide. Learn about medicinal plants, strangler figs, walking palms, and the intricate relationships between forest species. Your guides will reveal the secrets of the jungle – from bullet ants to medicinal tree barks, from morpho butterflies to the calls of hidden birds. In the afternoon, ascend a 36-meter canopy observation tower built around a giant kapok tree. At this height, you enter an entirely different world: look directly into the eyes of colourful tanagers, spot three-toed sloths hanging from branches, and watch troops of squirrel monkeys leap between treetops. The sunset view over the endless green canopy stretching to the horizon is simply magical. After dinner, join a caiman-spotting excursion by canoe, scanning the riverbanks with flashlights for the red eyeshine of these nocturnal reptiles. Second night at the jungle lodge.

Day 5: Parrot Clay Lick, Blackwater Lakes & Night Walk

An unforgettable Amazon morning: depart before sunrise to visit a parrot clay lick, where hundreds of cobalt-winged parakeets, mealy parrots, and yellow-crowned amazons congregate on an exposed riverbank to ingest mineral-rich clay essential for their digestion. The cacophony of squawks and the flash of green and blue wings against the dawn sky is one of the Amazon’s greatest wildlife spectacles. After breakfast, paddle dugout canoes into a blackwater lake system, gliding among giant Victoria amazonica lily pads and searching for giant river otters, hoatzins (the prehistoric stinkbird), and anhingas. In the afternoon, visit a Kichwa community to learn traditional crafts, try your hand at blowgun hunting, and taste chicha, a fermented yucca drink. After sunset, gear up with headlamps and venture into the forest for a night walk, discovering an entirely different cast of Amazonian characters: tree frogs, tarantulas, stick insects, and the glowing eyes of night monkeys. Third night at the jungle lodge.

Day 6: Kichwa Cultural Immersion & Return to Quito

After a final Amazonian breakfast, bid farewell to the jungle. Board the canoe for the return journey down the Napo River to Coca. Keep your eyes peeled for last-minute wildlife sightings – the river often rewards departure days with capybara, caiman, or even a distant jaguar sunning on a sandbank. From Coca, fly back to Quito. Upon arrival, you have the late afternoon and evening at leisure. Consider a farewell dinner in the La Floresta neighborhood, known for its innovative Ecuadorian fusion restaurants and artisan breweries. Reflect on the extraordinary contrast between the icy flanks of Cotopaxi and the steamy heart of the Amazon. Overnight in Quito.

Day 7: Quito Departure

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at your Quito hotel. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have free time for last-minute exploration or souvenir shopping – pick up fine Ecuadorian chocolate, artisanal coffee from the cloud forest, or a genuine Panama hat from one of Quito’s specialist hat shops. Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport for your onward journey, carrying memories of condor skies and jungle symphonies.