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7 Day Ecuador Multisport

Quito, Cotopaxi, Cloud Forest, Pimpilala, Tena, Papallacta, Otavalo.
Not Rated
Duration

7 days

Tour Type

Specific Tour

Group Size

16 people

Languages

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Overview

Are you looking for a challenge? Ecuador is home to a treasure of unique climates with some of the most biodiversity and spectacular geography on the planet. Witness the spectacular Avenue of Volcanoes while hiking and biking on the slopes of the Andes. Explore the waterfall canyons and raft along the Jatunyacu River whose waters flow into the mighty Amazon River. Trek the rim of the Cuicocha Crater Lake and spend an evening relaxing in the volcanic hot springs of Papallacta. Experience truly unique cultural encounters like spending an evening with an indigenous family in the Amazon, learning about their customs, food, knowledge, and lifestyle. For the one with an adventurous spirit, this expedition is certain to serve your appetite.

“Unique Experiences:”

  • Prepare chocolate in an ancestral way with a native Kichwa family in the Amazon Rainforest.
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Highlights

  • COTOPAXI VOLCANO TREK
  • CLOUD FOREST BIKING
  • AMAZON WHITE WATER RAFTING
  • AMAZON RAIN FOREST CANYONING
  • CLOUD FOREST HIKING
  • OTAVALO INDIGENOUS MARKET
  • PAPALLACTA HOT SPRINGS
  • CUICOCHA CRATER LAKE TREK

Itinerary

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DAY 1: ARRIVAL DAY

Welcome to Quito! The largest, best-preserved colonial city of America - declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and is located on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano. Depending on arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area. We can help you to organize a day trip (please request in advance). In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you at the hotel’s lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00 hours. At this time we will discuss the details and questions you may have regarding the adventure. Our first day is an acclimation and information day.

Meals included: None
Accommodation: Swissôtel Quito or similar.

DAY 2: TREK IN COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, you will leave Quito driving southwards along the gorgeous Avenue of Volcanoes, getting the chance to see the colorful Andean fields. On our way, you will reach 12,000 feet. (3657 meters). After arriving at the Cotopaxi National Park, you will go hiking around Limpiopungo lagoon of the foothills of the Rumiñahui volcano. From here, we have the best views of Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. In the afternoon you continue our drive towards the Llanganates National Park, known as the sacred mountain until you reach the town of Baños, located at the entrance of the Amazon. Here you can enjoy the best nightlife by drinking cocktails and dancing salsa.

Trekking Activity Level: Moderate, this adventure is at high elevation, make sure you drink a lot of water or coca tea (in case of altitude sickness). The trail is on dirt surrounded by bushes and grass.
Trekking Time: 3 hours
Trekking Distance: 4 miles (6.4 km)
Elevation Gain: 1200 feet (366 meters)
Minimum Elevation: 12700 feet (3870 meters)
Maximum Elevation: 13850 feet (4222 meters)
NOTE - In case the weather and physical conditions are good you may trek to the Basecamp and the maximum elevation would be 16000 feet. (488 meters)
What to wear today: Pants, t-shirt, fleece, hiking shoes, gloves, hat, buff, bring a rain jacket and pants, water bottle, sun cream, binoculars.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Casa de Luis or similar.

DAY 3: BIKING IN THE CLOUD FOREST

This morning you will cross country mountain bike from the Llanganates National Park down to the Pastaza River Canyon, enjoying the beauty of the special cloud rain forest climate. The road brings us through some Andean farms and a great canyon with many waterfalls, while descending into the jungle, you will have a breath-taking view of Baños, a town well known for its spectacular location right at the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano, which has been active since 1999. The volcano is the main attraction of this region. In the afternoon you will have some time to explore the town and also go to The Swing of the End of the World, where the winner of the 2014 National Geographic photo contest took his photo.

Biking Activity Level: Moderate, mostly downhill, the first 45 minutes uphill and then afterward just down. You will be riding on cobblestone and dirt roads for the first two hours, and 1 hour on asphalt.
Biking Time: 3 hours
Biking Distance: 20 miles (32.18 km)
Elevation Gain: 500 feet (152 meters)
Minimum Elevation while Biking: 5500 feet (1676 meters)
Maximum Elevation while Biking: 10450 feet (3185 meters)
NOTE - In case you want to avoid the uphill, there will always be the support of our transportation, and our driver will be happy to give you a ride till you decide to join the biking group.
What to wear today: Shorts, t-shirt, fleece, tennis shoes, buff, bring a rain jacket and pants, water bottle, sun cream, mosquito repellent.

Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Casa de Luis or similar

DAY 4: CANYONING IN THE AMAZON

This morning you will hit the road of the waterfalls. The first stop will be at the Bride´s Veil waterfall, where we will take the Tarabita (cable car) to get across the Pastaza River. Then we will hike down to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall, the second-highest in Ecuador, later, we will go deeper into the jungle inside the Llanganates National Park. The name “llanganates” comes from “beautiful mountain” in the local native language. Here, 600 years ago, the Incas hid their golden treasures. Many explorers have spent years looking for these treasures, some have even disappeared with no luck in this dense pristine jungle. During a hike through the tropical rain forest, we will climb through several waterfall canyons. Our local native guide will teach about the incredible flora and fauna that thrive in this unequaled habitat, we will spend the night at the Local Basic Jungle Lodge run by a kichwa indigenous family.

Canyoning Activity Level: Moderate, the jungle exploration will be done while hiking on the canyon that has been formed by the waterfalls and the Pimpilala river, so you will be hiking on irregular terrain and water surrounded by rain forest. The weather can be hot and humid which would make this a very refreshing activity. The highest waterfall to climb is 16 feet (4.87 meters) and the rest are smaller, we will use helmets, ropes and bring optional harnesses for people that want to use them.
Canyoning Time: 3 hours
Canyoning Distance: 2 miles (3.22 km)
Elevation Gain: 500 feet (152.4 meters)
Minimum Elevation while Canyoning: 2000 feet (609.6 meters)
Maximum Elevation while Canyoning: 2500 feet (762 meters)
What to wear today: Shorts, water long sleeve t-shirt, water sandals, rain jacket, water bottle, sun cream, mosquito repellent.

NOTE - This is very basic accommodation, you will have your own room but will have to share the bathroom. The rooms are very clean and all the beds have mosquito nets. There is no electricity in the room but there is a social area where you can have access to power to charge your batteries.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Accommodation: Amazon Homestay.

DAY 5: RAFTING DAY

You greet the day by preparing our gear to paddle the wild waves of the Jatunyacu River, located just a 5-minute drive from the homestead. The beauty of this river will inspire you and reveal the magic of the Amazon rain forest, after a very important safety briefing from our rafting guides, you will start our class III rafting expedition down the Jatunyacu River, well known for its clear waters and awesome rapids. You will have a lot of fun playing some games and also exploring one of the canyons. The end of the journey offers us a stop for a picnic, prepared by our guides, we conclude our day with a drive back up to the Andes, stopping to visit the paradise of hummingbirds at the Guango Reserve. Finally, you will continue up to Papallacta, where we will stay the night and recharge in the volcanic hot springs high in the midst of the cool Andes.

Rafting Activity Level: Moderate, this is considered a class III river for white water rafting. There are some awesome waves and also plenty of flatwater to go swimming. The river is surrounded by amazing views of the Amazon landscape.
Rafting Time: 4 hours, depending on the level of the water, it can be less time.
Rafting Distance: 18 miles (28.96 km)
What to wear today: Shorts, water long sleeve t-shirt, water sandals, water bottle, sun cream, mosquito repellent.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Termas Papallacta.

DAY 6: OTAVALO MARKET

In the morning you will do a hiking exploration in the nearby Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve in the cloud forest, where there are beautiful flora that includes colorful orchids, and if walking slowly and quietly, you may see some beautiful birds too. Later we will travel across the Andes to stop by the equatorial line to witness this great attraction and for standing on both hemispheres at the same time. Your guide will suggest a place to eat before going to the Otavalo Indigenous Market and spend some time shopping and learning about this ancient culture that is still live here today, in the late afternoon we will be transferred to the hacienda and enjoy a welcome cocktail and a delicious dinner.

Hiking Activity Level: Easy, this adventure will be on a very nice trail along the river and that is surrounded by a Cloud Forest, in the early morning will be possible to have great views of the snowed capped Antisana Volcano, the trail can be a bit muddy so make sure you wear your hiking shoes.
Hiking Time: 2 hours
Hiking Distance: 3 miles (4.82 km)
Elevation Gain: 150 feet (45.72 meters)
Minimum Elevation while hiking: 10400 feet (3169.92 meters)
Maximum Elevation: 1550 feet (472.4 meters)
NOTE - This morning if you do not want to go hiking, you can book a spa treatment and pay directly to the hotel, make sure you organize this the night before just by calling from your own room to the Spa.
What to wear today: Pants, t-shirt, fleece, hiking shoes, gloves, hat, buff, bring a rain jacket and pants, water bottle, sun cream, binoculars.

Meals included: Dinner.
Accommodation: Pinsaquí Hacienda or similar.

DAY 7: CUICOCHA CRATER LAKE

Today after a very healthy breakfast you will have a very short drive to the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, the main attraction here is the Cuicocha Crater Lake. Our adventure will take us on a trek around this still active volcano, your guide will present many beautiful flowers to you along the trail, at the end of our hike, we will take a boat ride to the center of the crater to observe the activity of this volcano, witness bubbles coming up from the center of the caldera. In the afternoon you will drive back to Quito to take part in the farewell dinner with the guides and members of the group.

Trekking Activity Level: Moderate, the trekking trail is on dirt, sand, and gravel, located in the Paramo Ecosystem at high elevation.
Trekking Time: 5 hours
Trekking Distance: 7.5 miles (12.07 km)
Elevation Gain: 2500 feet (762 meters)
Minimum Elevation while trekking: 10000 feet (3048 meters
Maximum Elevation while trekking: 11470 feet (3496 meters)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Accommodation: Swissôtel Quito or similar.

Included/Excluded

  • Activities: 3 hours hiking in Cotopaxi National Park in the Andes, 3 hours biking in the Llanganates National Park, 4 hours white-water rafting on Jatunyacu River in the Amazon rainforest, 3 hours canyoning at Pimpilala waterfalls, bird watching and hiking exploration in the cloud forest, soaking in Papallacta hot springs, 5 hours trekking the loop of Cuicocha Crater Lake, share time with local indigenous people in the Amazon, making chocolate, salsa lesson.
  • Accommodation based in double occupancy: Luxury hotel in Quito, 4-star hotel in Baños, homestay in the Amazon, 5-star Spa Resort in Papallacta, Colonial Hacienda in Imbabura.
  • Transportation: Private and comfortable land transportation.
  • Meals: 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners.
  • Trekking or Hiking: Black Diamond trekking sticks.
  • Biking: Trek X Caliber MTB (hydraulic disc brakes, front Rock Shock suspension), Bontrager helmets, full finger gloves.
  • Canyoning: rubber boots, ropes, harnesses.
  • Rafting: Aire and NRS 7-people- rafts, NRS life jackets, NRS paddles, splash jackets.
  • Trip Leader: Certified expert English-speaking adventure trip leader and local guides.
  • International flights.
  • Single supplement.
  • Airport transfers.
  • Travel insurance (mandatory).
  • Meals not described in the itinerary (estimated budget USD $120).
  • Tips for guides, drivers and hotels (estimated budget USD $120).
  • Personal expenses.

Tour's Location

Quito, Cotopaxi, Cloud Forest, Pimpilala, Tena, Papallacta, Otavalo.

FAQs

Packing List
In this journey you will experience a great diversity of ecosystems, including snowcapped mountains, high elevation paramo, middle elevation cloud forest and tropical rain forest or Amazon, this means you must be ready for all kinds of weather as it depends very much in the altitude, the higher you go the colder it gets and the lower you go the warmer it gets. So please see the list below for what we recommend as a packing list.
We recommend the use of a duffel bag (60 liters) for the main luggage and a daypack (20 liters) with a rain cover for the outdoor activities.

REMEMBER: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TRAVEL LIGHT!
-Passport
-Travel insurance
-Airline tickets
-Credit or debit card
-Warm Jacket
-1 Buff
-Fleece top
-1 Rain jacket
-1 Rain pants
-4 Shirts/t-shirts
-1 Long sleeve water t-shirt
-2 Shorts
-2 Long trousers or light hiking pants
-1 Swimming suit
-2 Extra formal clothing for the nightlife
-1 Sport sandals (Chacos, keens or similar)
-1 Flip flop
-1 Hiking shoes
-1 Tennis shoes
-1 Warm gloves
-1 Warm hat
-1 Watch or alarm clock
-1 Binoculars
-1 Insect repellent
-1 Sun cream 50 SPF
-1 Flashlight
-1 Sun hat or baseball cap
-1 Camera – waterproof if possible
-1 Water bottle
-1 Sunglasses
-First-aid kit(should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band-Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
-SMILE
Important Details
ITINERARY DISCLAIMER
It is our intention to adhere to the itinerary described; however, due to our travel style, on occasions, it may be necessary or desirable to make small changes. Weather conditions and unpredictable local circumstances may lead us to make alterations to the route and/or travel times. Hotels and flight schedules might change according to availability. Any mention of specific wildlife in the itinerary or trip details is not a guarantee that it will be seen during the trip.

DRIVING TIME
2 – 4 hours a day.

SEASON
All year

PROVINCE
Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Tungurahua, Pastaza, Napo, Imbabura.

TERRITORY
Andes Mountain Range and Amazon Tropical Rain Forest in Ecuador

ALTITUDE
Quito: 2.810 m (9.186 ft.)
Baños: 1.820 m (5.971 ft.)
Tena: 510 m (1.673 ft.)
Papallacta: 3.300 m (10.827 ft.)
Otavalo: 2.550 m (8.366 ft.)

AVG. TEMP.
Day 15-34ºC / 59-93ºF - Night 12-17ºC / 53-62ºF

DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Easy to Moderate - Even though we are including many outdoor activities such as Trekking, Cross Country and Mountain Biking, Canyoning and Rafting, we consider this expedition as a soft adventure. Children and adults can do it with no problem, and for people that want to take a break or just avoid any of these adventures, they can always hang out with the driver doing something else. For people that may want to do a bit more challenging, our guides will be happy to coordinate something to help them.

NOTE - For specific details of activities please view the full itinerary.

ADVENTURE GEAR
Our Company is always making sure in having the best outdoor gear possible, and we are very proud to work with the best brands, like Trek bikes, Aire and NRS for white water, Black diamonds for trekking and Eureka for Camping.

ACCOMMODATION
All prices are based on double occupancy. If you are traveling solo, you will be matched with another participant of your same-sex. If you prefer to have a single room, please contact AJ prior to your departure to arrange your accommodation at an extra cost.

MEALS
Traveling with us you will have the possibility to experience and taste local food and snacks. Your guide will help you identify typical food and suggest the best places to enjoy it. Some meals are not included in order to give you some flexibility about where, what and with whom to eat. You have the option to share these meals with the group, however, there is no obligation to do this. If you have any allergies or food restrictions, please inform AJ prior to your departure.
Vegetarians, Vegans and Gluten Free people are very welcome in our trip, our guides are always ready to coordinate with chefs and restaurants for substitute meals for them, as Ecuador is very well known for its great diversity of gastronomy.

YOUR TRIP LEADERS AND GUIDES
All our guides and trip leaders are highly experienced, licensed from the Tourism University to operate in Ecuador and certified as Wilderness Adventure First Aid respondents. They all have approved several extra training courses for kayaking, rafting, biking, and horse riding, besides this they all are Ecuadorian and have a fantastic personality. We always carry a complete first aid kit in our trips.
In some locations and for some activities, local guides join the trip leaders to provide an added service and make sure we practice sustainable tourism involving local indigenous people in our operation.

SUSTAINABLE ECO AND CULTURAL TOURISM
Clients receive interpretation and education about the ecology and conservation of the Andes, Amazon rain forest and Galapagos Islands, and learn about the factors that threaten it. We aim to promote long-term conservation of both local people's cultural identity and the environment. We transport out and recycle all non-organic garbage and we prefer to work with local suppliers. Your visit will encourage the local communities to support responsible eco-tourism as a sustainable alternative for their living.

HEALTH INFORMATION
Please inform AJ of any existing medical conditions (i.e. pregnancy, diabetes, etc). Yellow fever, Hepatitis B vaccination, and Malaria Medication are recommended when traveling to the tropics. Please ask your doctor for advice.
from $1.480,00

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