Cotopaxi Hike & Horse: Experiencing Andes Scenery & Rich Ecological Diversity
4.9
8 Ratings
Quito

What better way to experience the beautiful nature around Cotopaxi volcano than from the back of a horse?! Ride through the incredible Andes scenery of the Cotopaxi National Park. Take a hike up to the volcano surrounded by the amazing scenery of the Andes and learn more about the flora, geology, and rich history of the area.

Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mulalo - Drive through the winding roads of the epic Andean landscape and into the Cotopaxi National Park. Your first activity will be to hike up to the refuge Jose Rivas, located on the northern flanks of Volcán Cotopaxi at 4,800 m (15,744 ft). Take a nice hot drink and enjoy the landscape of this magnificent place. In the afternoon, you will visit a local hacienda where you will have lunch and then you will get your gear, and prepare for the horseback ride. You will enjoy a 2 hour horseback ride in the middle of the Andes and we promise it is an experience you will never forget. After this, you will make your way back to Quito where you will be dropped off at your hotel for a well deserved rest.
What's Included
  • Expert bilingual guide (English/Spanish)
  • Thrilling horseback riding adventure
  • All horse riding equipment provided
  • Delicious lunch included
  • Private transportation for the day
  • 24/7 support from our dedicated team
  • Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off in Quito
What's Not Included
  • Mandatory Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Optional activities
  • Tips for guides
Additional Information
  • Minimum age is 5 years
Location
Quito
We'll pick you up from your hotel in Quito. For pickups in the valleys, airport area, we charge a small fee.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(8 Ratings)
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Marion_c
Nov 26, 2023
Landscapes - The absolute stunning landscapes! Galloping through the valleys and reaching the cute house on top of the Cotopaxi!
Review provided by Viator
Attarah
Oct 5, 2023
Cotopaxi Hike & Horseback Ride - This tour was amazing! It's perfect if you have a limited amount of time to explore Ecuador. Our guide, Angel, was punctual and knowledgeable. During the drive to Cotopaxi, we learned a little of the history of Ecuador and the culture. We would definitely recommend this tour to family and friends.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coastal10166111417
Nov 28, 2022
Best Day trip ever - This was a fantastic trip with excellent personalized service. My wife and I were picked up at the house we were staying at in Quito but our guide Gerald. He was on time, courteous and was in a spacious and clean vehicle. He was nice enough to stop at a clean rest station for us to grab a coffee on the way there and during the ride there and back constantly gave us intriguing local facts about the country, the volcanos and generalized conversation. We got our selves fixed up at the entrance of the park where we were able to buy some gloves and snack and then proceeded to head for the base of the mountain, all the while, Gerald pointing out amazing facts. Once we hit the parking lot we proceeded up the volcano to the base camp where, although it was a tough climb, he was encouraging and and made the hike to base camp a blast. Making it to the base camp there was hot chocolate and cocoa leaf tea waiting for us for a needed break. After a brief rest we descended back to the parking lot were were were taken by vehicle to this beautiful hacienda/ ranch style restaurant where the food was great and FIFA was playing. we then left the restaurant where our horses, a guide and Gerald were waiting for us. The horse back ride was about 2 hours and was gorgeous and peaceful. With the end of the day trip concluded, we were brought back to the city by Gerald and dropped at our house by 6 pm. The day was perfect and turned out to be a bucket list trip for my wife and I. I would highly recommend Takiri travel tours, the Hike and Horse as well as ask for Gerald as you guide as he was awesome.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charlottemg1227fn
Dec 19, 2021
Recommended tour! - We did the Cotopaxi hike&horse tour with Takiri travel and we had an amazing time! It was the only tour we could find that included both horseback riding inside the park and a hike up to the refuge, and we enjoyed both activities thoroughly. It gave us the chance to experience most of what the wonderful and diverse Cotopaxi national park has to offer. Our guide, Angel, was very helpful, he gave us lots of information and made sure we didn’t miss any photo opportunity. The agency was responsive and easy to reach - even though we booked only 2 days in advance, everything was very well organised, from pick-up to drop-off. We would definitely recommend taking this tour with Takiri!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rodney
Nov 1, 2021
Wonderful Day at Cotopaxi - Our family with two teens did this tour. We had stayed in Quito for five days and were fairly well acclimated when we hiked up to the refugio on Cotopaxi at almost 16,000 feet. We huffed and puffed a little bit but didn't suffer any headaches or sickness associated with altitude. The views were amazing. The refugio has bathrooms, a snack shop and places to stay for those hiking to the summit. There is even a small boulder cave. Dress in layers as you will be warmer hiking up and it gets colder when hiking down. We had snow at the refugio. After the hike we took a short drive to a wonderful restaurant in the park for lunch. The food was delicious and the views of Cotopaxi were great. We then drove a short distance to the horse back riding location. The horses were calm and followed commands well. This was the best riding experience we had as we wandered around the park with views of Cotopaxi and beautiful scenery. We highly recommend this tour. Takiri did a wonder job and our guide Angel was very friendly, probably our favorite guide of the trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lovenewplacesk
Aug 3, 2021
Great tour! - We had an awesome day tour visiting Cotopaxi and riding horses! Everything went very smoothly from our pick up at the hotel to drop off in the evening, and with attention to how we were doing all along the way. Tambopaxi was a lovely place to have lunch, with beautiful views of the volcano. Our guide Angel was great and had a good sense of humor! This was one of our favorite days on our Ecuador trip. We would definitely recommend this tour and company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Batty2279
Jun 13, 2021
The best tour company in Ecuador! - I booked three tours with Takiri Travel, and honestly wish I had booked all of our tours with them. Michael and his team of guides are the absolute best! He was in constant communication with us via email and whatsapp, and everything couldn't have been more smooth. Considering how difficult planning a trip to the Galapagos was during the pandemic, this was such a relief! Our trip to Bartolomé Island was amazing, and our boat crew took incredible care of us all day. I think we ate five times! And our full day Cotopaxi hike and horse excursion with Angel was legitimately one of the most magical days of my life. BOOK THIS TOUR! And specifically ask for Angel! He was so great, we booked him for private transfers around Quito the rest of the week. I'd also like to mention how we ultimately missed our third booked tour with Takiri, a day trip to Sante Fe Island, due to a missed flight on our behalf (volcanic eruption in Ecuador diverted us to Panama). Immediately upon contacting Michael, he worked with the boat captain to secure us a generous partial refund, something they did not have to provide. That meant a lot to us. We had several other tours with other companies that ended up being very frustrating, with late guides for morning pickups, horrible communication, and just all around bad customer service. So again, if you're heading to Ecuador and/or the Galapagos Islands, make Takiri your one stop shop for all your tour needs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susanh86
Mar 18, 2023
Riding and Hiking to see stunning scenery - Overall we had a great day. Manuel, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the area and spoke good English to explain all about the nature and culture of the area. The hike to the refuge at 4864m was harder than expected but worth the climb. We were lucky to see two Andean wolves/foxes Riding on the horses was a great way to see the landscape, and being given the outfits to wear made it more fun. The only reason we gave 4 not 5 star was because there was some confusion on the price. After booking the trip on line we asked to pay sixty dollars more per person because there were only two of us, it’s cheaper if more people go.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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