Compare Ecuador: Amazon Jungle Short Break by Intrepid Travel vs Active Ecuador Short - Multisport Trip by Adventure Unbound

Day 1 Quito / Amazon Jungle

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Ecuador! Your trip starts with an early pick up from your preferred Quito hotel. Flight times to the Amazon Jungle will vary according to the day of departure. The flight time and pick-up time from your hotel will be confirmed at your pre-departure meeting the evening before your trip starts. Please check this with reception upon arriving the day before. Your early morning transfer takes you to Quito airport in time for a 30 minute flight over the Andes to the river port town of Coca. A lodge representative will meet you at the airport and take you to the river port. Here you’ll board an 18 metre (57 foot) motorized canoe for a 1-hour trip upriver. Life vests are provided. A box lunch is served as you navigate one of the largest tributaries to the mighty Napo. The Napo River is the largest river in Ecuadorian Amazonia and as you cruise along the water it is easy to spot a number of shore birds including herons, kingfishers, spoonbills and ospreys. At the lodge, you’ll receive a warm welcome from our local staff, who’ll give you a refreshing beverage and snack while you’re introduced to the facilities. You’ll be issued with a pair of rubber boots to use for the duration of your jungle stay. In the afternoon, and once you've settled at the lodge, your guide takes you on a short hike to a panoramic point for rainforest views that extend as far as the eye can see in every direction. Dinner at the lodge is normally served at 7pm.

Day 2-3 Amazon Jungle Lodge

The next two days are packed with activities. These may vary depending on the time of the year and weather, however they normally include wildlife spotting, canoe rides and jungle walks, with the opportunity to learn from a local guide about the many resources the Amazon provides – from medicine, to construction and food. Depending on what days of the week you are at the lodge, you may have the opportunity to meet an indigenous family of the Quichuas del Oriente community. You can learn more about their culture and their relationship with the forest. Jungle walks can be up to 3 hours long – we recommend bringing a comfortable pair of walking shoes. Please see the ‘Amazon specific’ detailed packing list in the 'What to Take' section. Whatever you do, you’ll be surrounded by one of the most magnificent landscapes on Earth, teeming with wildlife, incredible plant species – from the tiniest flower to the tallest tree – and providing an unforgettable experience in the heart of the greatest forest on the planet.

Day 4 Quito

After a hearty breakfast, travel back to Coca airport for your return flight to Quito. You are scheduled to arrive into Quito Airport at approximately 12pm, however flight delays are not uncommon in this part of the world. If you have an outbound flight today we recommend you fly after 4pm. If you are unsure about a flight time, please check with us. Your trip finishes upon arrival to Quito airport. If you need assistance with extra accommodation and transfers in Quito please contact your booking agent for assistance.

Day 1: Welcome to Ecuador

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation : El Crater Hotel

Custom Trip Note: Below is our most popular short active itinerary in Ecuador, however, we can customize this trip at every turn to fit your availability, trip preference, activities, budget, lodging preferences or any other reason. Please call us at 800-451-6034 to customize a trip.

You will arrive at the Nuevo Aeropuerto Internacional de Quito to start your Ecuador multisport trip. You will be met by our representative at the new airport. You will be taken from the airport to El Crater Hotel which is located in a north-westerly direction from the airport towards the equatorial line. You will be spending your first night here. This part of Quito is situated at the edge of an ancient Pululahua volcanic crater. It is also close to the cluster of buildings known as `Ciudad Mitad Del Mundo ‘and the Ethnographic Museum.

Day 2:Biodiversity Mountain Biking

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: El Monte: Cloudforest Inn

On the second day, after breakfast, you will be driven from the El Crater Hotel to explore the volcanic crater edge of Pululahua. After an hour’s drive, you will then be taken to the Cloud Forest and Tandayapa. You will start your ascent on the Bellavista Mountain to begin the first active segment of your tour.

The cloud forests of the Choco Region will come alive through the fog which is mostly present at that altitude. You will find many kinds of birds as the mist starts to clear up. You will also discover one of the greatest bio-diverse hot spots that you can find anywhere on earth.

The Bellavista Reserve is marked by forested mountains which are deep and sharp as they descend down to the gorges where you will find crystalline streams and gushing waterfalls. This view will stretch all the way up to the volcanoes in the distance. When you reach at the top of the Bellavista Mountain, you will get a fabulous view of the region while you hear hummingbirds in the air. You will be taken on a short trek into the forest on the various trails of the mountain reserve.

Those who are keen on using bikes can begin the journey up the mountain on their bikes from Tandayapa which is located at 5250 feet above sea level to go to Bellavista which is located at 6600 feet above sea level. The distance that will be covered on these mountain bikes will be around 6 miles uphill. The distance of this hilly terrain can be covered in just under a couple of hours.

After lunch, which will be served at the top of the Bellavista Mountain range, you will be going again on a bike ride towards Mindo, located at one thousand two hundred and fifty meters above sea level. The ride will be both flat and downhill. You will also encounter cobble-stoned roads while you pass forests and small farms that have been well preserved. There will be strategic stops during this trip of two and a half hours to check on everyone’s welfare. From these farms, you can enjoy the view of this beautiful ecosystem.

From these farms, your bike stretch will involve a secondary road to the Mindo highway exit. This stretch will be about a half of a mile and you have to tread carefully on the mountain bikes as it is a rough terrain. It's a true multisport trip! Once you reach the highway exit, you will come across paved roads right up to the city.

After reaching Mindo City, you will be driven back to the hotel, El Monte. You can relax at this place by taking a swim in its natural pool which is built in front of your hotel cabins. This pool will have the cold mountain water from the Mindo River.

Hotel El Monte is a Cloud Forest Lodge. It is unique because of its personal touch and its small size. There are three cabanas, stretching over forty four hectares of land. You can go for nature walks when you stay here and do some bird watching in the surrounding forest.

Day 3: Cloudforest and Cuicocha

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Casa Mojanda: Mountainside Inn

On the third day of your Ecuador multisport trip, you will take an early start after breakfast from the El Monte Hotel to visit the Cock of the Rock Lake. This Lake is at the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. This is a spot where many kinds of birds flock together to feed. You can see and marvel at the bird life in this Cloud Forest. You can take a hike at this Cuicocha Lake for three hours. This is a crater lake which is deep blue in color and is situated on the lower southern edge of Mount Cotacachi. You can get a view of all the volcanoes of Cayambe, Cuicocha and Imbabura that surround this place. You will come across diverse fauna and flora and also get to do some bird watching. You may come across ruddy ducks, hummingbirds and grebes. You will be hiking till lunch time. This hike will also include a visit to the Cotacachi Town which is famous for its leather goods.

After lunch, you will be going on a short trip to the summit of the northern mountains in Ecuador. You will then return to Casa Mojanda in the late evening where you will be lodging for the night. The Lodge has eight cottages for its guests and it is constructed in a traditional style with wood, compacted earth and other innate materials. Each cottage has its separate garden and a secluded terrace which give you great mountain vistas.

Day 4: Otavalo Market

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hacienda El Porvenir

On the fourth day, after breakfast, you will be taken for a walk to the Otavalo Town. This is one hour hike away on a back road. It is a very interesting town in Ecuador where you will come across the local native Quichua culture. There is a famous craft market in this town. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ecuador. The market consists of colorful and interesting craft objects which are of a rare nature. You may have to bargain in this market to get a good deal if you are interested in purchasing something. The market is held at the town square, at the foot of the Mount Imbabura.

After the visit to the market, you will be driven from the northern part of the Andes to the Central Andes. This is one of the most beautiful parts of Ecuador. It is near the Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. The local guides will prepare you for various activities. You can also learn about the conventional Chagra or the Ecuadorian cowboy culture.

You will then be visiting the Cotopaxi National Park at Limpiopungo. This is located on a small hill which is beyond the lake. You will also see the ruins of El Salitre, which was earlier a fortress of the Inca Pucara. You will be served picnic lunch at Limpiopungo. After lunch, you will be going on a bike ride to the northern side of the Cotopaxi Park.  This ride between

Day 5: Horseback Riding

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Patio Andaluz

On the fifth day final day of the trip, after breakfast, you will be taken to the private Santa Rita Ecological Reserve at the outskirts of Pasochoa. You will cross mountain forests during your trek, which are at an altitude of over ten thousand feet. This is native forest. You will then visit open grassland called Paramo. This is at a height of about twelve thousand feet above sea level. 

You will then go on a mountain bike ride in the Pasochoa region through the ecological reserve. You will be able to see the majestic view of the Ecuadorian mountain range of the Andes that includes Antisana, Cotopaxi, Cayambe and Sincholagua during your bike ride as you go up the dormant Pasochoa Volcano. You will be served a picnic lunch here.

You will return back late evening to the old town section of Quito, when you will be taken to the Patio Andaluz. You will be staying overnight at this place.