13 Days Discovering The Andes & Coast

Welcome to Quito, the capital of Ecuador! Arrive at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), where your driver will meet you to transfer to your accommodation in the city center, a one-hour trip. The entire city of Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, standing at an altitude of 9,350ft (2,850m). It welcomes visitors with its picturesque plazas situated between mountain peaks. The city has an abundance of market stands, shamanistic healers, and fourth-generation hat makers, as well as a vibrant and sophisticated culinary and nightlife scene. Overnight: Quito Meals included: NULL

Today, after breakfast, your English-speaking guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you on a walking city tour. The colonial center of Quito was already named world cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1978 and is home to many beautiful, historic buildings and squares.  You will visit the Plaza Grande and the beautiful churches La Compañía and La Basílica, and walk down the oldest street of Quito—La Ronda. Later on, accompanied by your guide, we will head to a cooking class venue, which is located inside a colonial house in the heart of Old Town Quito. Get ready for a packed day filled with incredible sights, tastes, and smells. And at the end of it all …. you will be able to enjoy the delicious meal you cooked.  Afterward, you will visit the equatorial monument, Mitad del Mundo, located just 26 km (16 miles) north of Ecuador’s capital city, Quito where French scientists determined the position of the central line many years ago. Ecuador is the place to come to stand on the Equator line, nowhere else on the planet is it easier to visit the Equator line or strike a pose with one foot in each hemisphere. Even Ecuador’s name was born of its location at latitude zero. You will vis it the museum exhibits including a planetarium, ethnographic museum, art exhibits, a small-scale model of Quito city, an old train station, a beer museum, cocoa & chocolate exhibits, and a small chapel, for an unforgettable experience today. Overnight: Quito Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, you will visit to the market of Otavalo. Otavalo features one of the most important traditional markets of South America. Here, the indigenous people of the surrounding areas gather to trade anything from animals over handicraft to fresh vegetables and fruits. Take a stroll through the streets and maybe try some of the local street food such as salted mango or fritada con mote, fried pork with cooked corn. Afterwards, you will head to the small waterfall Peguche, formed by the river of the same name. This waterfall is considered as an indigenous ceremonial site. After visiting the waterfall, you could also stop by the local artisans who live and work in this area. For your overnight stay, you return to Quito. Meals included: Breakfast