3-Day Andes Excursion: Immerse in Local Cultures and Scenic Vistas at Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Baños
4.9
152 Ratings
Immerse yourself in the local cultures and breathtaking vistas of the Andes on this 3-day excursion. Explore Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, and Baños with a knowledgeable local guide and discover the authentic beauty of Ecuador.
Duration: 3 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Quito to Cotopaxi

Machachi - We will make a stop to buy snacks, use restrooms and use ATM (food not included)

Cotopaxi National Park - We will visit the second highest volcano in Ecuador, this is located inside of a natural reserve. Inside the reserve we can visit Limpiopungo lagoon and hike up to the first refuge at 4.684 masl.
You can try the coca tea at the first refuge.

Laguna de Limpiopungo - We will visit Limpiopungo lake, from this point you can have a nice view of the volcano if it is clear. Also you will see some endemic birds from the area

El Chaupi - Stay the afternoon and night next to the Cotopaxi (not included: book your hotel with us when the confirmation is done)

Cotopaxi - Quilotoa

Tigua - We will pass next to local houses and galeries, Tigua is well known for the paintings and the arte

Laguna Quilotoa - Visit the beautiful turqoise Quilotoa, we will visit the look out and walk on the trail to the lake. Enjoy taking the best pictures of the most beautiful lake in Ecuador.

Banos - After the check in you can decide between relaxing on the hotsprings
(entrance not included) or visiting the town and the night life, our guide will tell you the best options and the typical food so you can fell like a local

Banos - Take a ride from Quilotoa to Baños, free time in Baños town to enjoy the city and the hotsprings (not included)

Baños to Quito

CASCADA EL PAILON - Early in the morning we will star our waterfalls tour, we will take the road that takes to the jungle.
On the road we will make a stop to enjoy in the cable car over the river and you will have time to decide if you want to make zipline (entrance not included)
Finally we will go to the Devil´s Cauldron waterfall, you will feel the enery and the power of this big waterfall

Banos - Ride the cable car over Pastazsa river and enjoy the views of the jungle

La Casa del Arbol - Visit the iconic swing at the end of the world and enjoy the best view of Baños. Take wonderfull pictures from the house on the tree.

Quito - Come back to Quito in a safe way with our expert drivers and guides.

What's Included
  • Entrance fee to Cotopaxi, Quilotoa
  • Bilingual guide (English and Spanish)
  • Entrance fee to Swing of the End of the World, Devil’s Cauldron waterfall, cable car over the river
  • Transportation
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Extreme sports
  • Hotels
Additional Information

Embark on a journey with a local guide, who will introduce you to the unique highlights of the Andes and Baños. This tour offers a deep dive into our indigenous traditions, touring various communities, embracing nature, and indulging in thrilling adventures. We encourage you to fully bask in each moment and location, without the need to rush - the intent is to truly experience these incredible regions without missing any part of it. As natives of Ecuador, our knowledge and love for our country is vast, and we eagerly await the opportunity to share it all with you. Take your time, and unearth the authenticity of our country alongside us.

Although the sequence of the itinerary is subject to operational circumstances, rest assured that all the detailed attractions will be visited by the end of the tour. The schedule for specific days may also be modified, but we will keep you updated with the final itinerary a day prior to the tour.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(152 Ratings)
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Bani_s
May 4, 2024
Amazing! - Everything about this was great! Was the perfect way to see all the highlights. Carlos who took us to Banos was the best! So funny and made the whole experience even better and so memorable. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Yolanda_r
Apr 14, 2024
Wonderful tour operator - One of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Thanks to our fabulous tour guide Irene and Jesy, the driver as well Mauricio and Andres. They give 5 stars services. My trip in Ecuador was wonderful and unforgettable
Review provided by Viator
Yolandarizkas
Apr 12, 2024
Cotopaxi tour - The tour was amazing and well organized. My tour guide, Irene is the best, she is communicative and explained all of the things. I give 5 stars for my guide Irene and the driver Mauricio
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tourist653806
Feb 12, 2024
Memories for life..... - If you're short on time, definitely recommend this 3 days 2 nights tour with Quito Bus Tour. Please make sure though that you have at least a couple of days to acclimatise to the high altitude at Quito. Note that this tour does not include accommodation but Quito Bus Tour would recommend which hotels to stay in for those 2 nights. We took their advice and the accommodation recommended were all very clean, nicely presented and well priced. The tour works in such a way that every day, we had different people on board and a different tour guide each day. The different days are runned as a day tour as well, hence the different mix of people on the bus/van. So, if you wish to depart/return from/to Quito everyday, you certainly can, but we would suggest that you take up the recommendation at staying at the different points of the tour. By doing so, you won't need to spend as much time on the bus/van by leaving early in the morning from Quito and getting back late to Quito. As we were picked up along the way, we had the chance to sleep in and have a relaxing breakfast before we started the day. The same goes for the end of day, where we were dropped off first, which gives us time to ease into the night and be prepared for the next day. All the tour guides we had were amazing, passionate and full of knowledge of their country. Andrea (Day 1), Adrian (Day 2) and Irene (Day 3) were our awesome tour guides. Day 1 - Cotopaxi - will have to be the most physical day as we didn't get much time to acclimatise to the high altitude. 2 of us did not make the whole hike to base camp due to altitude sickness but 2 of us did - Yay! The hike will take about 1 hour going at a slow and steady pace. Views on the way up were spectacular. Dress up as it can get very cold, gloves, waterproof jacket and even a beanie is a good idea. It started raining while we were hiking and there were thunderstorms. An incredible experience. Day 2 - Quilotoa - A much more relaxing day whereby you trek down to the lake but have to hike up. If you don't have the strength to hike up, there are horses that you can hire to take you back up. Wasn't expensive - sorry can't remember exact cost ~USD1-3.. Alternatively, stay up and enjoy the restaurants and a quiet walk about the town buying souvenirs. Oh, we also stopped by a local farmer's place where they rear guinea pigs and taught us about the local produce. Day 3 - Banos - What a great way to finish the trip. Much more than what we expected and an exciting day especially for our teenagers to finish travelling around Ecuador. We've been to many waterfalls but this one, knocks many out of the park. A totally relaxing, amusing, entertaining day with our energetic tour guide, Irene. Communication from start to finish (via WhatsApp) was fantastic with the Quito Bus Tour. As we were travelling from Australia and with limited days on mainland Ecuador, we couldn't afford any spare time to organise trips when we arrived. This was all done prior to our arrival. Again, the staff at Quito Bus Tour were organised and even asked us to confirm pick up points a couple of times prior to our arrival. We were only going to visit Galapagos Islands and then return to Australia but we are extremely glad that we had a few days on the mainland. Our experience on the mainland was as good as the experience we had on the Galapagos, all very unique and wonderful in its own rights. Our only regret was not having more days to visit the other amazing sites. A trip of a lifetime..... thank you Ecuador.... with well wishes and fond memories from us in Australia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P1595ydedwardg
Feb 6, 2024
Incredible Experience in Ecuador - I'm Edward and together with a group from Panama we had an incredible experience, Cotopaxi, baths, the Quilotoa lagoon and more We went with besttripecuador Jessica was our guide and together with Jhon they were excellent hosts Jessica was always looking out for us at all times and that we didn't We will miss nothing. He also helped us a lot with the photographs and is always attentive to the fact that we were well. Thank you Jessica. We hope to return soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nestorjames_c
Jan 11, 2024
Fabulous Experience with Irene - Irene was our tour guide during our visit to Cotopaxi. She’s full of energy and excitement and bubbly. But what really set off her passion and job was when she waited with the tour participants along a very busy highway a Bus heading to Cuenca. Cotipaxi is amazing, hike is a little challenge for me but with a little motivation and push to myself. I got to the top We didn’t complete the 3DAY. This review is for Cotopaxi only
Review provided by Viator
Daniellek013
Jan 4, 2024
Amazing 3 day tour - I recently had an incredible experience on the 3 day Andes adventure tour with our tour guide Adrian and driver Jimmy. Adrian's fun and laid back demeanor along with his knowledge of the local area, and insights into customs and traditions made this tour both fun and informative. Adrian provided expert guidance for the hard hike up Cotopaxi and made sure everyone in the group remained safe and together. He answered all of our questions about Ecuador's landscape and history, and even went out of his way to ensure we got safely back to our hotel which was a bit off the beaten path. He made our day in Banos so fun and made sure we got to do tons of activities like taking a cable car through a waterfall, gong to the swing at the end of the world which he provided us some extra local history that most tourists don't get, and even made sure to add extra activities to our itinerary he knew our group would enjoy like the hot springs, and ziplining through the jungle and a local fruit tasting he created just for us. Jimmy's skillful navigation through the mountainous terrain ensured a safe and comfortable ride. This tour was really great because we got to pack in all the top sights and things to do in the short amount of time that we had and it was made easy with the transportation all included, and fun that our group became a little family for 3 days. I highly recommend this tour for anyone travelling to Ecuador on a limited amount of time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandonj1437
Jan 2, 2024
Irene is a gem with Quito Tour Bus - Had a great experience with Irene from Quito Bus Tours. She was very knowledgeable and you could tell she was passionate about her job. Because of her I am more curious about Ecuador’s 84 volcanoes. I came in expecting nothing and got a whole lot more knowledge and appreciation for Ecuador.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tmima_g
Dec 27, 2023
Amazing Adventure - This tour was amazing!!! We took the full 3 day version. Our daughter is 20 years old and the three of us loved it and want to visit Ecuador again. Adrian was the perfect Tour Guide and took every chance to assist , guide, and coordinate so the experience was smooth and fun for everyone in the group. He made us feel like a family for 3 days . Jimmy was reliable taking us through the beautiful winding roads of the Andes. They both went the extra mile 😎. The activities were adventurous in every sense. From climbing a part of Cotopaxi, to visiting authentic indigenous communities, to hiking and swinging (the End of the World Swing), it was awesome! If you have that sense of adventure in you, you’ll love every minute. Be ready to hike in very high altitude. Consider acclimatising a few days in Quito first if you live at sea level. We are vivid hikers and it was instrumental to listen to Adrian who advised us about the pace so we could enjoy it all.
Review provided by Viator
Chris_u
Apr 20, 2024
4 Stars but for a specific reasons - 4 stars for a very specific reason: transport on the second day. The positives: The guides we had were exceptional. On our Cotopaxi trip, we had Alejandro. He had an incredible amount of knowledge about Ecuador and it's amazing volcanic landscape. My wife and I really enjoyed chatting to him about everyday life, politics, films etc He was such an approachable guy and we really enjoyed our trip with him. The second day, we had Camilla who took us to Quilatoa. She was very informative, with great knowledge. Her English was absolutely amazing and I was amazed by how quickly and efficiently she switched between Spanish and English. Our third guide on our trip to Banos was Ernesto. Ernesto is a special man, who clearly has a real zest for life. He is a really special guide and we were privileged to have the day with him in Banos. This 3 day trip is great, because it offers a range of different landscapes and activities. Cotopaxi, we saw the national park including lots of the wildlife and then trekked up and down from the base camp. Quilatoa was beautiful but beware, the walk is incredibly difficult on the way back up. In my opinion, it's inhumane to use the mules to take you back up. Banos has a lot of different activities that you can do...and we did them all! Ziplining, swing of the edge of the world, extreme swing, pachamama and waterfalls. It's an amazing city. The negative which took it down to 4 stars: On day two, the bus that transported us to and from Quilatoa had faulty air circulation. I'm sure most of the time this isn't a problem, but the day we went, it was pouring with rain all afternoon. Heavy heavy rain! We were all soaking wet, the bus was steamy but also freezing cold. The driver was wiping his windscreen with a tissue. This shouldn't happen on a trip and could have been dangerous. Please make sure the vehicles used can handle different weather conditions. Apart from that, it really was a fantastic tour and I would encourage anyone reading this review to book it and stay at Chuquiragua Lodge in El Chaupi and Hotel Di Mi Pueblo in Banos.
Review provided by Viator
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June 2024
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