Ecuador: Amazon to Andes Adventure

Ecuador

Travel through the Andes and rainforests of Ecuador

This trip begins on a high note in the high-altitude city of Quito. Then, descend into the Amazon to Ecuador’s largest intact rainforest. You’ll become one of many living things thriving in the dense vegetation, and have a chance to volunteer with a local indigenous community.

Travel back uphill to a picturesque hacienda tucked away in an Andean cloud forest. Explore the hills and trails by horseback, and lend a hand at a local school or at the Condor Conservation Program.

Suggested Length: 9 days/8 nights
Starts from: $5,000 per person

"Elevate Destinations provided an unforgettable experience in the highlands of Ecuador for me and my 13-year-old son. We experienced amazing adventures — rafting, biking, trekking, and horseback riding. We also delighted in experiencing the local culture through working with a farmer, spending a day at a school, and taking a cooking class."

Russell Family
Ecuador

Highlights

Visit the dense vegetation of Ecuador's largest rainforest.
Volunteer with a local Indigenous community.
Stay in a picturesque hacienda in the Andean cloud forest.
Work with the Condor Conservation Program to project these majestic birds.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1

QUITO

Arrival in Quito, pick up by driver and transfer to Casa Gangotena Hotel.

Overnight Casa Gangotena

Day 2

Quito

Morning tour of old, colonial Quito, with a traditional Andean lunch. Visit La Ronda Colonial Street, San Augustin Church and chapter house, and La Compania Golden Church.

In the afternoon, visit Osvaldo’s Workshop – a private visit to the house and workshop of Ecuador’s best contemporary painter, hosted by the painter himself.

Overnight Casa Gangotena

Day 3

Napo Wildlife Center

Transfer from your hotel to the airport, and take a flight to the Amazonian town of Coca. From here you will transfer via canoe on the Napo River to the Napo Wildlife Center.

Overnight Napo Wildlife Center

Day 4 - 6

AMAZON RAINFOREST AND WILDLIFE CENTER

Enjoy being part of the Napo Wildlife Center during your stay. This ecotourism project includes over 52,000 acres (over 21,400 hectares ) of the most pristine Amazon Rainforest within the Yasunì National Park. Yasuni is an important biosphere reserve and the largest tract of intact, tropical rainforest left in Ecuador. It’s located near the Anangucocha Lake, the unique ancestral territory of the Anangu Quichua Community.

Optional: Volunteering through the Napo Wildlife Center:

Volunteer and spend time with the local Kichwa Indian community. Help them harvest their crops, learn about medicinal plants and herbs, and also spend time with the school children helping them to practice English or work on art projects.

Overnight Napo Wildlife Center

Day 7

DEPART NAPO WILD LIFE CENTER FOR ANDES

Around midday, depart the Napo Wildlife Center and head for the Northern Andes to Hacienda Zuleta.

Hacienda Zuleta is an historic retreat in the Andean cloud forest, located about two and a half hours Northeast of Quito. The adobe hacienda, built in 1691, is the centerpiece of a 4,000-acre working farm that includes a dairy, cheese factory, organic garden, tree nursery, trout farm, embroidery workshop, and condor conservation project where they raise condors. Most guests saddle up one of 90 horses and ride out through pine and eucalyptus forests as well as high-altitude grasslands (pampas) to pre-Inca archaeological sites amid magnificent volcano views. You can also hike, cycle, or take excursions to nearby indigenous villages. Of special interest to many guests are the hand – embroidery workshops, condor rehabilitation project, trout farm and cheese factory and the best horse riding of Ecuador. Tours of the entire farm are a part of every guest’s stay.

The nine guest rooms are appointed with Spanish Colonial antique furniture, down comforters, and linens embroidered by local Indigenous Andean women.

Overnight Hacienda Zuleta

Day 8

ANDES

Full day activities in Hacienda Zuleta mentioned above. Also, volunteer on local projects

Optional Volunteering through Hacienda Zuleta:

Choose from various projects including the Condor Conservation Project, working within the community or at the local school, and learning from local Indian families and weavers.

Overnight Hacienda Zuleta