Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Welcome to Ecuador. After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport, subsequent to Customs & Immigration, you will be met by a Journeys representative who will ensure your comfort and transfer you to the hotel. He / she will provide assistance during Check-in and also discuss the program for the next few days.

Capital of Ecuador, high in the Andes, the beautiful city of Quito is dramatically situated, hemmed in by mountain peaks whose greenery is concealed by gray afternoon mist. It offers great cultural activity throughout its districts and is a great starting point for visits to the rest of Ecuador.

Modern apartment buildings & modest concrete homes creep partway up their slopes and busy commercial thoroughfares lined with shops & choked with traffic turn into subdued neighborhoods on Sundays. Warm & relaxed, traditional Ecuadorian Sierra culture - overflowing market stands, shamanistic healers, fourth-generation hatmakers - mix with a vibrant and sophisticated culinary & nightlife scene.

Check-in at the hotel.

Morning, at 08.30 am, meet the Tour-guide & embark on an exciting full day 8 hour sightseeing tour of Quito city &  the famous Middle of the World, where a visit to the equator is more or less obligatory for any guest.

The historic center of Quito has one of the largest, least-altered & best-preserved historic centers in the Americas, and is undoubtedly one of the city’s main tourist attractions. Quito, along with Krakow, were the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978. The central square of Quito is located about 25 km south of the equator; the city itself extends to within about 1 km of zero latitude. A monument & museum marking the general location of the equator is known locally as "Mitad del Mundo" (the middle of the world), to avoid confusion, as the word "ecuador" is spanish language for "equator".

The city's crown jewel is its 'Old Town,' a Unesco World Heritage Site packed with colonial monuments & architectural treasures. No sterile museum mile, everyday life pulses along its handsomely restored blocks with 17th century facades, picturesque plazas & magnificent art-filled churches. Travelers & many locals too, head to the 'gringolandia' of the Mariscal, a compact area of guesthouses, travel agencies, ethnic eateries & teeming bars.

Begin in the old city, walking through its maze of narrow cobbled streets, to Plaza de la Independencia  surrounded by important historical buildings & into the wide open Plaza San Francisco where Ecuador's oldest Monastery built a few months after the  arrival of the Spaniards, stands - 16^th century Church of San Francisco & Monastery, where you can appreciate its adornments & gold altars.

Explore briefly the fine collection of Ecuadorian art at Museo de Arte Colonial before following the Gran Colombia Avenue past the church of the Basilica del Voto Nacional (The Basilica of the National Vote). Visit the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace & La Compania de Jesus - church of the Jesuits, one of the most beautiful baroque churches in South America

Proceed to the Panecillo’s Balcony where the statue of the Virgin Maria is located and from where you can admire a beautiful landscape of colonial Quito and modern Quito.

Then, head out to Quito’s outskirts towards Ciudad Mitad del Mundo - the Middle of the World - a national landmark, where the imaginary equatorial line divides the northern and southern hemispheres. Reflect on the scientific work that helped to define the size & scope of the world and take the opportunity to learn about the significance of this imaginary border, after which the country of Ecuador is named.

Visit the main monument made of iron, concrete & decorated with beautiful andesite lost, built in honor of the French scientific expedition that in the 18^th century, determined the precise location of the line in that divides the world, to within one-seventh of a mile (240 m). As you view the monument and its surroundings, find the line made on the plaza to mark the Equator & stand with one foot in each hemisphere.

Later, you will have the opportunity to visit (optional - direct payment) the Ethnographic Museum, located inside the Equator Monument which shows a display of the main cultures of Ecuador and learn about Ecuador's different regions & native ethnic groups

You might also want to pop into (optional - direct payment) the mythbusters-type “Intinan” Solar Museum - a scientific and cultural museum, located in the exact crossing of the Equator Line, where you can witness the supernatural powers & magnetic forces the equator offers. Here you will also see the most geographically accurate, GPS-tracked equator line.

Return to Quito.

Morning, at 08.30 am, meet the Tour-guide & embark on an exciting full day 8 hour excursion to Imbabura, “the lakes” Province, driving through Ecuador's breathtaking scenery, along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes", stopping along the way to take photos & soak up the truly amazing and diverse landscapes!

Pass by the provincial capital Ibarra, known as la ciudad blanca (the white city). The city moves to the everyday rhythms of its working residents, a mix of Afro-Ecuadorians, indígenas & mestizos.

Ibarra's downtown streets are lined with finely detailed, whitewashed colonial architecture. Although most of the building's ground floors have been turned into ordinary shops & there's a bustling commercial atmosphere, several quite beautiful plazas with towering palms & baroque churches lend it a distinctively sophisticated feel.

Stop in Calderon - a small town renowned for its brightly coloured figurines made of bread dough (masapan). The tradition is to take these to the cemetery on All Saints’ Day and the Day of the Dead (Nov 1 & 2) and place them on graves as an offering to departed souls. On the the main street, there are a number of good artisan shops.

Continue driving through other interesting places in the vicinity. Taste exotic fruits in the Guayllabamba valley, cross the Equator Line in Cayambe, where you will have the opportunity to taste the delicious “Bizcochos de Cayambe”, a type of salted cracker or bread baked in a clay oven (greatly paired with local leaf cheese or caramel sauce).  And on a clear day, it is possible to admire its majestic snow-capped mountain (5,790 masl.), the world´s highest point where the Equator Line crosses.

Make a brief stop at “Miralago” at the foot of Imbabura mountain to admire a picturesque view of Ecuador's largest lake Lago San Pablo.

Next, visit the visit the world famous Otavalo Indian Market, the largest handicrafts market in South America. The market dates back to pre-Inca times when jungle products were transported from the eastern lowlands and traded for highland goods.

Otavalo is justly famous both for its friendly people in their traditional dress & villagers from the surrounding countryside come here every week to sell handmade goods as well as livestock, fruits, and vegetables. Experience the local way of shopping as you barter for handicrafts & many other items.

Last stop will be at Cotacachi, well known for its leather products & Cuicocha Crater Lake.

Cotacachi is an artisan city that is famous for its leather goods & handicrafts and it also holds a UNESCO medal for being free of illiteracy. It lies in the valley between the volcanos of Imbabura and Cotacachi. There are two main entrances to the city, both stemming exit off the Pan-american Highway. The first entrance feeds directly into the city's main square, while the other turns into the famed Calle 10 de Agosto (locally known as Leather Street). Cotacachi is also known for its cuisine, mainly colorada (filet of pork cooked in red achiote sauce), and queso de hoja (soft cheese wrapped in a plant leaf).

Time to return to Quito.

Morning, at 08.00 am, you will be picked up for an 8 hour excursion & embark on scenic drive with gorgeous views of Ecuador’s vegetation, for an exciting full day 8 hour  excursion to Mindo, an ecological paradise where hiking through the forest gives you the possibility to enjoy the diversity of plants & animals.

Mindo is a village in the Andes Mountains of northern Ecuador, known for the many bird species, butterflies & orchids found in the surrounding cloud forest, part of the Mindo-Nambillo Reserve.

With its lovely setting surrounded on all sides by forested mountains, tiny Mindo has become a deservedly popular destination and you will be amazed by the immense bird species - more than 350 species including the golden-headed quetzal & toucan-barbet (excellent for bird photography),  orchids, butterflies, ferns, lash green vegetation and well-marked trails for discovering the Cloud forest wonders.

Your local guide will share expert knowledge of cloud forest ecology before you embark on a memorable tour of the impressive nature reserve. Gain a more complete understanding of this natural wonder, which stretches from the mossy floor to the towering canopy. You can choose to visit an Orchid Garden or a Butterfly Farm.

Navigate the forest path while the Tour-guide points out humming birds, parrots, insects, plants and other woodland creatures. Cross a stream and wander along the riverbank, where you will bear witness to rushing waters at the Nambillo Waterfall, which stretches  some 50 feet high (15 meters).

Finally, take a dip in the quiet natural pools, with temperatures around 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius), before heading back to Quito.

Morning, at 08.00 am, you will be picked up to embark on a 8 hour  excursion, driving along the  scenic Pan-American Highway known as "The Volcanoes Avenue" towards one of the world's highest active volcanoes.

Cotopaxi National Park is a large, forested area in Ecuador spanning parts of Cotopaxi, Pichincha & Napo provinces, known for the active, snow-capped Cotopaxi Volcano & vast Limpiopungo Lake.

Lake Limpiopungo within the park offers some superb bird watching opportunities. Wildlife around the Volcano includes white-tailed deer, little red brocket deer, wily colpeo (Andean fox) & weasels. And if you are lucky you may also spot Andean condors circling overhead or rare Cara Cara hawks scuttling along the ground.

In the east, mud flows and stones from past eruptions dot Valle Encantado (Enchanted Valley). Trails weave through pine trees in nearby El Boliche National Recreation Area. Keep an eye out for the rare Andean spectacled bear which lives on the remote and infrequently visited eastern slopes of the park.

The centerpiece of Ecuador's most popular national park is of course, the snow-capped & downright picture perfect Volcan Cotopaxi - an still active volcano, which stands at a towering 19,000 feet (5,900 meters) above sea level, dwarfing the surrounding valleys, rivers &lagoons.

Referred to by the Incas as the 'Neck of the Moon,' the Volcano has had over a dozen recorded eruptions, making it the most volatile volcano in South America. That doesn't deter the many climbers who attempt to climb it each year, however. It last exploded in 1877.

Return to Quito.

Finally, it is time to say good-bye.

Check-out of the hotel by 12:00 noon (if the departure time is later in the evening, we will request the hotel to allow the use of the hotel facilities & leave the luggage at the Bell Desk if you have the time to walk out). 

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to Terminal? - Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport, for your onward journey.  B

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