Welcome to Ecuador! On arrival, you will be met at the airport by our World Expeditions Schools representative and transferred to your hostel in Quito. Overnight in hostel.

Meals:  D

After breakfast, it's time to explore Quito. The city is the oldest capital in South America and the closest city to the equator. Quito was also one of the first cities in the world to be declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO. On this walking tour, we will visit the old town and discover some of the city's most historic buildings, as well as, the local food culture. For lunch, we will enjoy local Ecuadorian cuisine. We will stop by the Monastery of San Francisco and learn about its impressive history from our expert guide and admire the Independence Monument, Archbishop's Palace, and Government Palace while at Independence Plaza. Back at the hostel, we freshen up and get ready for dinner. Overnight in hostel.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, we will jump into the minivans. Today we will be driving through the cloud forest to our community village, where we will be accommodated for the upcoming days. En route, we stop at the iconic Middle of World monument and the museum that features several interactive exhibits demonstrating events that occur only on the equator. We have a delicious lunch and, in the afternoon, we will arrive at the village in the Intillacta Reserve. The community president will welcome us and we will have a cultural get-to-know each other activity with the locals. If you haven't practiced your Spanish yet, now it's an excellent opportunity to do so now! In the evening we have dinner and share reflections on today's activities. Overnight in hostel.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, we will work on grassroots environmental conservation and give a helping hand to the community. There is a 20-minute commute from the lodging to the community and we will get transported by minivans. Our partner community has focused its efforts on environmental restoration and habitat conservation and welcome volunteers to work with them in various areas. Daily activities includes organic farm work, tree nursery maintenance, reforestation, creating crafts in the artisan shop, sign construction, or trail development. According to the current needs of the community and the season, daily activities can vary. This is a unique opportunity to interact with the locals and to learn from each other. In the afternoon, we get picked up and transported back to our camp. After dinner, we discuss what we have learned and accomplished during the day. Overnight in hostel.

Meals:  B,L,D

Today we get up early to have breakfast before we get transported to our work site. We continue where we left off yesterday and rotate the various workstations. We break for lunch and work a couple of hours in the afternoon. Before we get picked up and transported back to our accommodation, we say goodbye to our new friends. In the evening, we gather for dinner and give a reflection on what we have accomplished during the two days of community work and share our new experiences. Lights go out early because tomorrow is a day full of adventure! Overnight in hostel

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, we will visit an ecological, family-owned reserve in the Chocó Cloud Forest. We will learn about sustainable livelihood based on the principles of ecotourism, agroecology, and nature conservation. Upon arrival, we will receive an introduction to the work and walk through their organic gardens and restored forests to learn about sustainable practices. After lunch, it's time for ziplining! The canopy zipline is built under strict international safety regulations and gives us a unique chance of a close encounter with the biodiversity of the Andean Cloud Forest. In the afternoon, we will travel to the town of Mindo to learn about how organic cacao turns into delicious chocolate bars at one of the local chocolate factories. In the evening, we have dinner and share reflections on today's activities. Overnight in hostel.

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast, we will head to Mindo River for tubing! The Mindo river has semi-rapid waters that allow visitors to use special buoys and float for miles down the river. River tubing is the most popular sport in the region and we get equipped with helmets and life jackets before we enter the buoys. One guide will be in each boat as we enjoy this fun adventure. After this activity, we will get transported back to Quito for our farewell dinner. We recap what we have experienced during this week full of activities and share our new insights and learnings. Overnight in Quito

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast we get transported to the airport.

Meals:  B