Walking Through the Andes Tour – 12 Days

The Andes Mountains cut through Ecuador like a knife through butter – straight down the middle, in fact! Let us take you there on our 12-day Walking Through the Andes tour. It’s your chance to explore the best the Andes has to offer, including hilltop villages, ancient Incan ruins, and incredible indigenous communities! Learn more today!

Highlights

• Meet an ingenious indigenous community in Otavalo!
• Visit the most important Incan site in Ecuador, Ingapirca!
• Horse ride around beautiful Laguna Quilotoa
• Discover the ancient Temple of the Sun ruins!
• Explore the cobblestoned streets of Cuenca!

Itinerary

Day 1: Discover Otavalo · Indigenous Craft Market · First class To many it’s the most successful Amerindian community in all of South America. To other’s it’s just beautiful Otavalo, no matter how you see it. On your first day you’ll meet the famous locals at the indigenous craft market, where you can sample food and purchase handmade textiles and crafts. You’ll also have your first Spanish class in the afternoon.

Day 2: Peguche Falls · Eucalyptus Forest · Hike to San Pablo Lake Near Otavalo, the best of Ecuador’s natural beauty is waiting for you – after Spanish classes in the morning, of course! Today you’ll visit the spiritual Peguche waterfalls, where members of the local indigenous community bathe during annual festivities. Next, take in the smell of eucalyptus plantations and reach San Pablo Lake on foot.

Day 3: Head to Machachi · Spot Ilinizas’ jagged peaks · Go hiking A breakfast for champions and it’s adventure-time once again! We’ll head to Machachi, a village resting atop the central highlands amongst farmland and soaring peaks. Later, we’ll have lunch and get straight into Spanish classes in the afternoon, before a relaxed evening for socializing and free time.

Day 4: Stop by Latacunga · Discover Chugchilán · See Rio Toachi canyon We hit the road again today, stopping for a bite to eat at the beautiful Andean village of Latacunga. We’ll then make our way to the mountainside town of Chugchilán, where stunning views and the incredible Rio Toachi canyon is waiting for us. Sticking with our routine, we’ll have lunch and dive into the books, with our 6^th day of Spanish classes.

Day 5: Horse ride at Laguna Quilotoa · Relax in Chugchilán Things are little different today. Yes, we’ll have breakfast. Yes, we’ve got an adventure lined up for you. But today, the horses are picking us up! At a relaxed pace we’ll head out to the Quilotoa Laguna, a simple stunning green crater lake and one of the most beautiful sites you might ever see. If you’re lucky, you might even spot the snow-covered peaks of Cotopaxi and Iliniza. After lunch, Spanish classes again and time to relax.

Day 6: Arrive to Baños · See Volcán Tungurahuathe · Rest and refuel Today we arrive to the town of Baños. Located at the footsteps of Tungurahuathe volcano, Baños is your gateway to the Amazon jungle, plus an opportunity to unwind, look around and have your next lesson in our Traveling Classroom adventure across Ecuador.

Day 7: Visit Pailon del Diablo · Explore Baños · Bungee Jump Today you’ll have a chance to take a cable car across the river and hike to Pailon del Diablo, a majestic waterfall near Baños where we’ll take a dip. You can ever give bungee jumping a go! Back in town, enjoy a hearty lunch and tuck into afternoon Spanish lessons.

Day 8: Enjoy Baños · Swim in thermal pools · Day off Half way through your journey you’ll be in need of rest! That’s why today you can enjoy the whole day to yourself, perhaps at the thermal pools near Baños that are known for their healing powers, or around the town itself, where you can shop, eat drink and relax.

Day 9: Arrive to Riobamba · Try to touch the sun · Afternoon Spanish You’ll get close to Ecuador’s highest point and the closest peak in the world to the sun, Chimborazo. We arrive to nearby Riobamba where we’ll settle in, fuel up with lunch and get right into the Spanish language, with classes programmed for the afternoon. In the evening we’ll have dinner and take time out to rest.

Day 10: La Nariz del Diablo train ride · Arrive to Cuenca The adventure continues today with a rail adventure on the La Nariz del Diablo line, an exhilarating descent from Alausí to Sibambe and back, with lots to see along the way! To top it off, in the afternoon we’ll jump on the bus and start moving in the direction of ancient history, to Cuenca, our next destination.

Day 11: Visit Ingapirca · Explore ruins of Temple of the Sun Ecuador’s most important former Incan city, Ingapirca is home to the ruins of the Temple of the Sun, which the Incans once used for religious ceremonies. Today the ruin contain what remains of the ancient Inca’s craftsmanship in stonework and masonary. We’ll explore the site and return to Cuenca for lunch and Spanish classes.

Day 12: Walk cobblestones of Cuenca · Visit churches & museums Your final day on the Traveling Classroom adventure begins with breakfast and morning Spanish classes. The rest of the day is yours in Cuenca, where you can take time to explore incredible cobblestone streets and plazas, plus the town’s famous churches and museums. We depart for Quito at night just after dinner.

Start Dates

This tour starts on 2nd and 4th Monday of every month.

What's included?

• 40 hours of Spanish Classes, including 30 hours of formal Spanish Classes and 10 hours of practice as you travel with your teacher
• Transportation the authentic way – by public bus alongside your teacher, locals and the odd chicken!
• 11-nights accommodation in hand-picked local hotels
• Included excursions, as indicated on the itinerary

Options:

• Private or group tour (min. 2 travelers and max. 6 per Spanish teacher) – If the minimum number of travelers isn't reached, the private tour price applies!
• Single or double room

More questions about your Experience Ecuador Tour with Ailola Quito? Get in touch today!