The Andes Senses Tour

Immerse yourself in the making of chocolates, coffee and roses; while you discover the best of Quito and its surroundings. The expedition starts in the colonial quarter of Quito, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a gourmet lunch, you’ll experience an exclusive tasting of the best chocolate, Hoja Verde. During the third day, your local guide will take you to the Middle of the World Monument, situated at 0o0’0” latitude. Have lunch at the top of the Pululahua volcano crater and finish the day by discovering the aroma of different types of altitude coffee in a barista class with Café Vélez. Next day, we'll head up north to Otavalo, a famous Indigenous market surrounded by mountains, but first we’ll visit a plantation of roses and a chocolate/coffee factory. Finally, you’ll be able to enjoy a luxury or first class cloud forest expedition with activities like birdwatching and waterfall excursions.

Casa Gangotena + Mashpi Lodge + Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

The adventure begins in Ecuador’s capital, Quito. We’ll discover its colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, and the first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our next stop will be the Choco Rainforest, known as one of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots. The sudden shift in altitude will allow us to discover the spectacular natural diversity. The journey will continue in the Galapagos Islands where we’ll discover its majestic marine life, scenic views and paradise beaches on board of a yacht and several full day exploration options.

Casa Gangotena + Mashpi Lodge + Spirit of the Andes + Santa Cruz II

We’ll start the adventure in the colonial quarter of Quito, the first World Heritage Site. Our next stop will be the Choco Rainforest. This forest is known as one of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots. Our expedition will continue in the magnificent Cotopaxi Volcano with an up-close view of the Andean paramo. Next, we’ll start a spectacular journey to the town of Baños and the Route of the Cascades until arriving to El Pailón del Diablo (the Devil's Cauldron). Our next stop will take us to the Alausí village, where we’ll take a restored 100-year old train. The highlight of this adventure is the thrilling 800 m. (2630 ft.) descent on the zigzag cuttings on the rock of the Devil's Nose. We’ll continue exploring the Andean world by visiting the Inca Fortress of Ingapirca en-route until arriving to the city of Cuenca. After some rest we’ll head off to the Galapagos Islands to board the Santa Cruz. The cruise will take us through the Northern Islands which are full of majestic wildlife and paradise beaches.

Casa Gangotena + Mashpi Lodge + Santa Cruz II

Our expedition will start in Quito’s old town, one the largest and best preserved colonial quarters of South America and the first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our next stop will be the Choco rainforest, known as one of the world’s greatest biodiversity hotspots. The sudden shift in altitude will reveal a spectacular natural diversity. The final part of the adventure will take place in Galapagos Islands on board of the Santa Cruz Cruise. We’ll visit the Northern Islands, which are full of majestic wildlife and paradise beaches.

Casa Gangotena + Otavalo + La Pinta Yacht

The adventure begins in the colonial quarter of Quito, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The next day, we'll head up north to Otavalo, a famous Indigenous market. After some shopping, the artisans of the Peguche village will teach us about their culture and everyday life. The journey will continue in the Galapagos Islands on board of La Pinta. The Yacht will take us to the eastern islands where we’ll visit the highly endangered giant tortoises in the midst of a fantastic deciduous forest.