Begin your adventure with a private transfer to your hotel in Quito, where you'll settle in and prepare for the journey ahead. Overnight in Selina Hotel or similar.

Meals:  D

Get ready to explore Quito's old town! We'll kick off at Plaza de la Independencia, surrounded by historic buildings like the presidential palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Next, we’ll check out La Compañía, arguably the most stunning church in Latin America, and San Francisco Church, famous for its gorgeous plaza and Spanish architecture. Then, we drive up to the Panecillo for epic views of Quito and the 'Virgen de Quito' statue. Afterward, we head north to the Equatorial City Complex, where you can stand on the actual equator at the Intiñan Museum. Here, you can try balancing an egg on a nail and experience the Coriolis effect. The museum also displays interesting ethnographic and cultural features. Overnight in Selina Hotel or similar

Meals:  B,L,D

We begin our journey driving south from Quito through the famed "Avenue of the Volcanoes." If the skies are clear, we will see the peaks of several volcanoes along the road. Upon arriving at Cotopaxi National Park, we start with a short hike around Limpiopungo Glacier Lake. This mountain lake is home to a wealth of highland waterfowl, including gulls, ducks, and falcons. We'll learn about the park’s highland páramo ecosystem as we observe the local wildlife. Next, we embark on a remarkable hike through the park, starting from the base of Volcán Rumiñahui and crossing the high plain to the south side of Cotopaxi, then on to the Pucara Inca ruins. The hike is mostly flat with a few short, easy climbs. As we traverse the high plain páramo, we keep an eye out for native wildlife and take in the incredible views of Cotopaxi’s massive, glaciated cone looming above us. The hike ends near the Pucara ruins, where we explore and learn more about the history of the powerful ancient civilization in Ecuador. We enjoy a scenic and delicious picnic lunch next to the volcano before continuing to the Tambopaxi Mountain Lodge for the night. Overnight at Hostal Chuquirawa or similar

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we will reach the incredible Quilotoa Crater Lake. Your path will pass through the Zumbahua Indian communities that inhabit this area. You will cross the Toachi Canyon before climbing to the rim of the crater, where you will get your first glimpses of the lake. From here, we hike inside the crater of the Quilotoa Volcano! The descent takes 30 minutes, and the climb back up takes about an hour and a half. As you descend, the vegetation changes as you approach the beautiful turquoise lake, full of minerals and nutrients. Once at the bottom of the caldera, you may opt to rent kayaks and paddle around the lake, admiring this spectacular setting before hiking back up to the Quilotoa Community, where you will enjoy a wonderful post-hike dinner and a restful overnight stay.

Meals:  B,L,D

We spend the next two days living and working in a fascinating community in the Andean páramo, where houses are built from mud and bamboo. We'll assist with reforestation, shear alpacas, or participate in similar community projects. Reforestation is especially crucial in this region due to deforestation and the introduction of non-native trees such as pine and eucalyptus, which cause severe erosion problems that can lead to mudslides and ruin farmland. We also visit Chimborazo Volcano, an inactive stratovolcano in the Andean Cordillera Occidental range. With an elevation of over 6,666 m (20,000 ft), it is Ecuador’s highest peak. On clear days, its summit can be seen from the coastal city of Guayaquil, nearly 136 km (85 mi) away. We'll explore the Chimborazo area and its ecosystem, which is protected to preserve the country’s native camelid species: the vicuña, llama, and alpaca. Overnight in Casa Condor or similar. Overnight in La Chimenea or similar.

Meals:  B,L,D

After an incredible Andean service experience, we bid farewell to the community and head toward Ecuador’s cloud forest region. We drive east from Riobamba to the edge of Llanganates National Park, enjoying views of Volcán Tungurahua as we approach the eastern limit of the Andes. Here, we continue into the Pastaza River Gorge, a scenic canyon with high rock walls and cloud forest vegetation formed around one of the principal tributaries of the Amazon. After checking into our hotel in the town of Baños, we head further down the Pastaza River to explore two of the area’s largest waterfalls, Pailón del Diablo (Devil’s Cauldron) and Manto de la Novia (Bride’s Veil). We'll hike down footpaths and take a pair of cable cars to visit these scenic areas before returning to town for the evening.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, we visit the famous Casa del Arbol, a natural lookout with the best views of Tungurahua Volcano and its surroundings. After this stop, we drive to Quito via the Pan-American Highway, enjoying lunch on the way. We will arrive in Quito in the afternoon and enjoy a farewell dinner in Ecuador’s capital city. Overnight in Selina Hotel or similar.

Meals:  B,L,D

Transfer to the airport and fly home.

Meals:  B