Ecuador Volcano Treks

We’ll be received at Quito Airport and transferred to our hotel in the vibrant and colorful capital of Ecuador. Early arrivals will be able to explore the city center, a UNESCO world heritage site. Our first major event of the trip will be a dinner reception and team briefing in the evening after everyone has arrived.

Our first full adventure day begins with a drive south on the pan American highway. The views from the road are spectacular with the possibility of seeing the volcanoes of Cayambe, Antisana, Pichincha, Illinizas, Pasochoa, and Corazon. This day is all about spectacular views and the hiking trail we picked is the cherry on top. We’ll be heading to the Limpiopungo lagoon 3,800m on the foothills of the Rumiñahui volcano. From here, we have the best views of Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. There is also the possibility to see wild horses, wild bulls, and a variety of native bird species. If the weather conditions permit, we will attempt to trek to the basecamp at 4,876m. The day will end with a drive to Isinlivi where we’ll be spending the night.

It’s all about Andean landscapes on our second day of trekking. After breakfast, we’ll head out on our first long trek of the trip starting in the Toachi Canyon. The trail passes by small villages and indigenous people working in the fields before descending to the Toachi River. From there we begin our ascent to Chugchilán, a small town located in the middle of the Quilotoa Loop. Our home for the evening will be an Eco-house accommodation located in the town. Arriving early means we get to explore the village with great opportunities to learn more about local customs and traditions.

Our day kicks off with an early start as we make our way across tiny mountain trails still used by locals to move goods around between villages. We may even see some bartering going on between local villagers. The trail leads down into dramatic canyons followed by winding climbs leading all the way up to the crater rim. Reaching the top, we’ll be met by a spectacular reward in the form of the Quilotoa lake. Lunch will be served on the lakeside with the backdrop of one of the most spectacular volcanos in Ecuador. From here, we’ll be heading to a magical hacienda at the foot of the Chimborazo volcano for the night.

We’ll get another early start on this day as we head to the base camp of the furthest point on Earth. Chimborazo stands at an impressive 6,310 meters of altitude and is the highest volcano in Ecuador. The hike to the base camp will lead us to above 5000 meters where we’ll get to see the glaciers up close. The trek itself includes opportunities to see animals that don’t exist anywhere else in the country including the wild Vicuñas and the Andean condor. Lunch will be at the base camp itself before we descend back down the mountain.

Legend has it that the Inca General Rumiñahui hid a large sum of gold somewhere in the Tungurahua mountain range. Today’s the day we’re going to find it! But if not, we’ll still get to see some of the most diverse vegetation of all our treks in the Llangantes National Park because of the border we’ll be straddling between the higher altitude environment and the deep forest of the lower elevations. After this beautiful trek, we’ll return to the vibrant holiday town of Baños where we’ll be spending our last night trail night before returning to Quito. There are loads to do in town from visiting the hot springs to bungee jumping and even booking yourself into a spa for a well-earned massage.

Waterfalls are what our last trekking day is all about and our first stop will be the Bride´s Veil waterfall, where we’ll take the Tarabita (cable car) to get across the Pastaza River. From there, we’ll connect with the trailhead and hike down to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall, the second highest in Ecuador. The day ends with a scenic ride back to Quito where our farewell dinner awaits.

Our last day together will be dedicated to airport transfers. Breakfast is included on this day.