Ecuador Vacation

Transfer Airport – Hotel After your arrival in Quito, the transfer from the airport to the hotel takes place. Your vacation begins in Quito. - The charming and uniquely beautiful city is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes. However, it is only 22 kilometers from the equator. Due to its many churches and monasteries, Quito has earned the nickname „Monastery of America“. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel Mercure Alameda 4* Comfort class: Overnight stay at Swissôtel 5*

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch Visit to the Quilotoa crater lagoon and the town of Tigua Transfer to Latacunga Today, you will visit one of the most beautiful places in the highlands of Ecuador: Quilotoa, the lagoon in a crater. The name comes from the words „Quiru“ and „Toa“, which means „Tooth“ and „Queen“ in Quechua, referring to the lagoon's unique shape. Quilotoa is located at an altitude of 3,900 m. Most of the time, the color of the water is green. The water contains many minerals and is not suitable for consumption. Enjoy the beautiful landscape around the lagoon, including a wide variety of plants and different animal species, and gain insight into the lifestyle of the inhabitants. Get to know another traditional art form from Ecuador: The artists of Tigua are famous for their colorful paintings that depict village life in the mountains of rural Ecuador. This beautiful folk art, where paintings are made on sheepskin using chicken feathers, pays tribute to life in the mountains with its festivals, legends, and traditions that have evolved over centuries. Families in this area still largely live as their ancestors did, herding sheep and llamas, growing potatoes and grains, and living in small communities on the wind-swept slopes of the Andes. Their language is Quechua, the language of the Incas. Although they have adopted many modern ways of life, their customs and, indeed, their paintings still reflect their ancient heritage. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel REEC Latacunga 3* Comfort class: Overnight stay at Hotel REEC Latacunga 3*

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch Visit to the Riobamba market Transfer to Cuenca including visit to Ingapirca Today starts with a visit to the Riobamba market. Here you can learn all about typical products from the Andes as well as local customs. Afterwards, you will embark on the 5.5-hour journey towards Cuenca. On the way, you will visit the ruins of Ingapirca (in Cañari „Stone walls of the Incas“), the most significant monument of pre-Hispanic cultures in Ecuador. The site is located on a grassy hill at 3,100 m elevation and was significant for the Incas long before the construction of the sun temple between 1450 and 1480. In 1470, Inca king Yupanqui conquered the Cañari tribe and likely built the city of Ingapirca atop the ruins of one of their cultural sites. During a walk through this former ceremonial, residential, and resting place, you will learn about the beliefs and rituals, as well as the construction of the puma-shaped sanctuary, which the Incas referred to as „direct descendants of the sun god“. Lunch in Ingapirca. Upon arrival in Cuenca, you will check in at the hotel. Cuenca – In the third-largest city in Ecuador, founded in 1557 at the site of the Inca settlement of Tomebamba, the colonial air of Ecuadorian history can still be felt today. For most Ecuadorians – and for many travelers alike – this center of handicrafts, ceramics, Panama hats, as well as gold and silverware, located at an altitude of 2,530 m, is considered the most beautiful city in the country. Due to the special atmosphere and architecture of the late colonial period, i.e., the early 19th century, Cuenca was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in November 1999. Mid-range: Overnight stay at Hotel San Juan 3* Comfort class: Overnight stay at Hotel Santa Lucía 4*

Included meals: Breakfast Transfer Hotel – Airport Guayaquil Your colorful Ecuador vacation is coming to an end, but we are sure you have great stories to tell when you return home! Transfer to the airport for the return flight to Europe or the option of a Galapagos extension package.