Tour Ecuador Itinerary – ETG6
Experience the best of the southern area on this Tour Ecuador itinerary. Your tour includes Guayaquil, The Andes, Gualaceo, Chordeleg, Cuenca, and Cajas National Park. Marvel at the variety of landscapes, become immersed in cultural heritage and stand in awe at the beauty of The Andes.
Itinerary
Day 1 Guayaquil
Arrival and transfer to your hotel, allowing time to rest and get ready to visit the “Pearl of the Pacific”. We tour Seminario Square or “Iguanas Park”, The Cathedral, and Simón Bolívar Boulevard along the Guayas River. We finish today’s tour in the bohemian neighborhood, Las Peñas, where we witness Guayaquil’s golden age. Enjoy a traditional dinner before returning to the hotel.
Meals included: Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel
Day 2 Cuenca
Today we leave Guayaquil for the Ecuadorian Andes. Once we leave the urban area, we’ll be met by vast cacao, banana, sugar cane and other plantations that add beauty and color to the landscape. Our first visit will be the Cacao plantation El Deseo, where we’ll see the process of chocolate production from the tree planting to tasting of the final product. By noon, we will arrive to Ingapirca, the most important and best preserved archaeological center in Ecuador. There we will learn from the ancient Cañari and Inca cultures. Lunch at Hacienda Posada Ingapirca. Later in the afternoon we’ll arrive in Cuenca.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Hotel
Day 3 Cuenca
Start the day strolling through the cobbled streets of this beautiful World Cultural Heritage city. Cuenca is crossed by four rivers, adding to its beauty and name (basin). Squares, balconies and churches will make perfect pictures. The “chola cuencana” in traditional costumes fill the streets and the outstanding pink marble Cathedral will take your breath away. Walking along the Tomebamba River takes us to a panoramic view of the city from the Turi Hill. One of the most interesting visits of the day will be to the museum and factory of the famous, but misnamed, Panama Hats, a true symbol of Ecuador.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodations: Hotel
Day 4 Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Cuenca
Today we visit the ancestral “ikat” weaving workshops and the skillful “toquilla” hat weavers. Following that, we’ll take in the biggest orchid farm in South America. Finally, we will tour the town of Chordeleg, famous for its masterful gold and silver artisans. Return to Cuenca. Balance of the day at leisure to enjoy the colonial city.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodations: Hotel
Day 5 Cajas National Park and Guayaquil
Early in the morning we head towards Cajas National Park, ascending for only 30 minutes, to an altitude difference of over 1500m. Take in the richness of the Andean paramo, its landscapes and flora. Enjoy a short walk through the tundra vegetation on a jagged landscape of hills and valleys in this Biosphere Reserve. Following lunch, we will continue to the city of Guayaquil, descending through the Andes’ slopes with its intense contrast of landscapes, climate and color. Arrival in Guayaquil in the late afternoon.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodations: Hotel
Day 6 Depart
Transfer to the airport for departure or extension to Galapagos or other regions.
Meals included: Breakfast
