8-day Ecuador adventure in the Upper Amazon

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Day 1: Welcome to Quito!

Welcome to Ecuador! Today you will arrive into Quito, one of the highest capital cities in the world. At 2,850m above sea level, the views surrounding this magical city will surely make you want to dive straight in, but remember to take it slowly as you acclimatize to your surroundings.

Upon arrival, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel in the Andean capital, where you can enjoy a welcome drink and the rest of the day relaxing after your travels.

Quito - Cotopaxi National Park

Day 2: Journey to the Cotopaxi National Park

After breakfast, make your way through the Andes to Cotopaxi, the world’s highest active snow-capped volcano. Your first adventure will be a full day of downhill mountain biking in the beautiful Cotopaxi National Park, one of the most impressive national parks in Ecuador.

The action starts just below the volcano refuge with a series of switchbacks and then takes you along mostly flat or descending trails in the park. Mountain biking in the Cotopaxi area is without a doubt one of the best ways to experience the beauty and geological wonders of this massive active volcano.

After a day of exertion, you'll retire to a traditional hacienda just outside the park for the evening.

Cotopaxi National Park - Quilotoa Lake - Banos

Day 3: Marvel at Quilotoa Lake

Hidden among the Andes Mountains, Quilotoa is one of the most iconic natural beauties in Ecuador. The 3km-wide caldera was formed by the collapse of this volcano following a catastrophic eruption about 600 years ago.

Its turquoise waters and sheer walls let us see the rest of the last cataclysmic eruption and remind us that we are inside the crater of the second most active volcano in the western Andes. Occasionally, sulfur gas bubbles from the inside of the lake, filling the air with a strange smell. You will be able to walk down to the lake, or alternatively walk around the edge.

Enjoy lunch at Samay Kirutoa then take time to admire the most beautiful landscapes in the highlands, as well as traditional Indigenous villages. Finally, continue through the Avenue of the Volcanoes to reach the city of Baños de Agua Santa, your base for tonight.

Banos

Day 4: Rafting adventure in Banos

Rafting is an adventure sport that, with all safety regulations, is one of the most attractive activities in the area. From your raft on the Rio Pastaza, you'll get to enjoy beautiful landscapes at the entrance to the Amazon, as well as a pleasant climate.

After checking your equipment, travel to the river where a guide will provide instructions on rowing commands and safety. After a few practice exercises, enter the river and enjoy around two hours of descending the rapids. Finally, you'll return to Baños to spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Banos - Amazon

Day 5: Travel down the Amazon River

This morning, you will set out on a biking adventure along the Waterfalls Route. You could try visiting various waterfalls along the way, and you'll even have the chance to go zip-lining and enjoy a cable car ride across the canyon.

The final stop for today is the Pailon del Diablo, a thundering waterfall and one of the most impressive natural wonders in Ecuador. Afterwards, transfer to the Amazon where you will enjoy a canoe ride down the river to get to your lodge in the middle of the rainforest.

Amazon

Day 6: Spend time in the rainforest

Wake up to a full day of exploring the Amazon! Bird lovers should take an early-morning canoe ride for 15 minutes upstream, to visit a parrot clay lick. Then, after breakfast, head out for a hike through the primary and secondary rainforest.

Your expert naturalist guide will teach you all about the local ecology, flora and fauna as you hike along the trail, observing insects, birds, reptiles and monkeys. Post-lunch, the Amazonian Kichwa community will welcome you so you can learn about their way of life and the interactions they have with the forest.

Part of your visit to the community will include a demonstration of how to make their famous chicha, a fermented yucca drink that has become part of their festivals and daily use. If you wish, you could purchase some handicrafts to support the community, before ending the visit with a traditional dance.

Amazon - Papallacta

Day 7: Relax in hot springs

After breakfast, leave your lodge for an onward journey to Papallacta. There, you'll stop at the Papallacta hot springs to soothe away the efforts of the week in their rejuvenating natural waters.

Located in a high valley on the Amazonian side of the central Andes chain, these first-class volcanic hot springs offer a relaxing retreat as well as many healing properties. The soothing hydrothermal pools are located at the base of two volcanoes, with water temperatures varying from 86-158 degrees Fahrenheit (30-70 degrees Celsius).

The accommodation facilities compliment the surroundings, conveying relaxation like nowhere else. On clear mornings, from here you can even see the nearby snow-capped Antisana volcano, with its spectacular frozen formations.

Papallacta - Quito

Day 8: Farewell, Ecuador!

Enjoy a delicious breakfast in the morning, before packing up and checking out for a transfer back to Quito's international airport, in time for your flight back home. Safe travels, and visit again soon!