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7 days/6 nights car rental + hotel daily from/to Quito, ideally starting on a Sunday Explore Ecuador’s charms and diversity on your own. Having a rental car gives you the freedom to discover all that the Andes and the Amazon have to offer.

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Itinerary

Day 1: Cotopaxi National Park (approx. 125 miles / 200 km)
On a gravel road you wind your way to an altitude of 14,764 feet on the desolate, gray slopes of the Cotopaxi volcano (19,347 feet).  You can hike up to the Jose Ribas shelter at 15,750 feet and see an impressive glacier field nearby. Continue on to Patate. (-/-/-)

Day 2: Patate — Baños or Chimborazo (approx. 90-185 miles / 150-300 km) Discover the scenic beauty of Baños and its surrounding area, both offering a spectacular view of the active Tungurahu volcano. If there is time, you may visit Chimborazo, which, at 20,700 feet, is Ecuador’s highest volcano. (B/-/-)

Day 3: Pastaza Canyon — Liana Lodge (approx. 185 miles / 300 km)
The drive through the Pastaza Canyon with its gorges and waterfalls will be an unforgettable experience. Once you reach the town of Puyo, the Amazon basin opens up in front of you. You will spend two nights at Liana Lodge, inside the tribal territory of the Huaorani. (B/-/)

Day 4: Jungle adventures at Liana Lodge
Venture into the rainforest under the guidance of a native naturalist, who will take you on a jungle hike. Picnic lunch in the jungle. You may want to go for a swim in the crystal-clear river or silently glide through the rainforest in a canoe. (B/L/D)

Day 5: Papallacta hot springs (approx. 155 miles / 250 km) Today, you return to the Andes to visit the thermal hot springs of Papallacta, nestled in an idyllic valley at 3.300 m / 10,800 ft. Indulge yourself at the spa of the hot springs hotel or go for a hike along the Rio Papallacta. (B/-/-)

Day 6: Papallacta — Otavalo (approx. 125-185 miles / 200-300 km)
Today’s drive through the Cayambe-Coca Nature Reserve is memorable for its lush highland vegetation and romantic mountain lakes. You may like to detour to the remote village of Oyacachi, which also offers soothing hot springs. Continue on to Otavalo. (B/-/-)

Day 7: Otavalo — Quito (approx. 95 miles / 150 km)
Today, you visit Cuicocha crater lake and the artisan market of Otavalo. If you are in Otavalo on a Saturday, you will experience one of the largest indigenous markets in all of South America. Before heading back to Quito, you should detour to the pyramids of Cochasquí. (B/-/-)

 
Services:

• Rental car of your choice, including LDW insurance and accident-insurance for the driver
• Travel arrangements as described
• Qualified English-speaking travel guides at Liana Lodge
• Accommodations at good comfort-class hotels
• Meals as described in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, BL=Box Lunch, D=Dinner)
• Maps
• Phone assistance provided by Positiv Turismo in German or English

 Non-included services:

• Admission fees
• Gasoline, oil
• Park fees, road and ferry tolls
• Tickets for traffic violations
• Not specified meals and beverages
• Tips and personal expenses

Please be advised: Services listed in the itinerary may be subject to change due to  organizational or climate factors.

 
Rates:

Minimum number of participants: 1

Andes and Amazon Adventure, 7 days/6 nights

All rates are per person in USD. Valid until 31.10.2012
 

Please Note: The Termas de Papallacta Hotel charges extra on Saturdays and national holidays.

Subject to change. Prices may be higher on national holidays.

 

You can find further details under Rates & Conditions