Colonial Quito is a city of narrow cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls above which the steeples and cupolas of historic churches can be seen.

The integrity of the old colonial town was assured in 1978 when the United Nations declared the city a World Cultural Heritage site.

The Mitad del Mundo, a site located just 30 minutes north of Quito, is the monument that marks the equatorial at its closest point to the city. Archeological evidence shows that both pre-Inca and Inca civilizations recognized and worshipped the path of the equinox, when the sun is directly over the equator.

Morning vist to colonial Quito. We will walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the monastery of San Francisco which was started 5 days after the founding of the city in 1534. After a visit to these impressive colonial monuments, we will lunch at a restaurant serving typical Ecuadorian food.

Morning visit to the colonial centre of Quito. We will walk through the Main Plaza, where you will visit the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the monastery of San Francisco started 5 days after the founding of the city in 1534.

After a visit to these impressive colonial monuments, we drive northwest to the equatorial line. Lunch will be served in a restaurant at the rim of the extinct Pululahua volcanic crater. After lunch we visit the “Ciudad Mitad del Mundo” and the Ethnographic Museum sited right on the Equator. In the afternoon we drive back to the hotel.

We drive south from Quito along the Avenue of the Volcanoes. In the morning we will visit Cotopaxi National Park, including Lake Limpiopungo. Walk around the area. From here, weather permitting, you will be able to see the snow capped summits of both the Cotopaxi and the Antisana volcanoes. A Box lunch will be provided on route. In the afternoon we drive south to the small town of Baños. We will stay overnight at the hacienda Manteles.

A full day in Baños and the surrounding areas includes a visit to magnificent waterfalls and thermal springs. Lunch in a typical restaurant in Baños. In the afternoon we drive south to Riobamba an stay overnight at Hacienda Abraspungo.

Early in the morning we will leave for Alausí and catch the Train to the Devil’s Nose (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays). Arrival in Alausí, with box lunch on route, and then the drive south to Ingapirca, where we visit the impressive Inca Ruins. We will stay overnight at Posada Ingapirca, very close to the ruins.

We travel to Gualaceo where we spend a full day in Gualaceo and Chordeleg with lunch. In the afternoon we move south to Cuenca a beautiful colonial town recently declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. We stay overnight at the Posada del Sol.

In the morning, we will tour the city of Cuenca and have lunch in a typical restaurant. In the afternoon, we transfer to the airport to take the flight back to Quito. Arrival in Quito and transfer to your hotel.