Tour Ecuador Itinerary – ETG4
Experience the best of the southern area on this Tour Ecuador itinerary. Your tour includes Guayaquil, the beauty of The Andes and Cajas National Park, as well as the culture of Gualaceo, Chordeleg, and Cuenca. Marvel at the variety of landscapes, become immersed in cultural heritage and stand in awe at the site 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 and Lunch
Accommodations: Hotel
Day 3 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 4 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 the late afternoon in time for an onward flight or you may opt to add on another night in the city.
Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch
