Highlights
- Challenge your family to a high ropes adventure in Cotopaxi National Park
- Hike or bike to the thundering waterfall of Pailón del Diablo
- Explore the wildlife of the Amazon from your comfortable ecolodge
- Shop for Indigenous arts and crafts in the colorful Otavalo Market
- Ride Quito's TelefériQo, one of the highest cable cars in the world
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Quito | Quito |
| Day 2 | Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo Monument | Quito |
| Day 3 | Family Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest | Quito |
| Day 4 | Transfer to Cotopaxi National Park, Afternoon Horseback Ride | Cotopaxi |
| Day 5 | Cotopaxi High Ropes Course, Transfer to Baños | Baños |
| Day 6 | Pailón del Diablo Waterfall Adventure, Free Afternoon | Baños |
| Day 7 | Transfer to Itamandi EcoLodge, Jungle Night Walk | Tena |
| Day 8 | Parrot Clay Lick, Jungle Hike & Kichwa Community Visit | Tena |
| Day 9 | Anaconda Island & AmaZOOnico Wildlife Sanctuary | Tena |
| Day 10 | Transfer to Quito via Termas de Papallacta Hot Springs | Quito |
| Day 11 | Transfer to Otavalo, Market Tour, Hike at Laguna de Cuicocha | Otavalo |
| Day 12 | Family Fun at Laguna de San Pablo & Parque El Cóndor, Transfer to Quito | Quito |
| Day 13 | Ride the TelefériQo Cable Car, Free Afternoon | Quito |
| Day 14 | Depart Quito |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Quito
Welcome to Ecuador! After arriving at the airport in Tababela, your driver will meet you and take you to Quito, less than an hour's drive away. After taking some time to settle into your hotel, venture out into the city for some leisurely family sightseeing. Quito, sitting at an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,850 m), is one of the highest cities in the world, and its breathtaking views are sure to impress everyone in the family. Make sure to take it easy after arrival, though, so everyone has a chance to adjust to the altitude.
Take a stroll through Plaza Foch, a bustling hub for shopping, dining, and people-watching, then head over to Parque Metropolitano Guangüiltagua, one of the largest urban parks in the Americas, with plentiful playgrounds and even a resident herd of llamas. Depending on the time and how the kids are feeling after the trip, end the day with a cable car ride to the top of Cruz Loma to admire Quito's skyline at sunset.
Day 2: Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo Monument
After a good night's rest, get to know the city better today with a family-friendly city tour. Start with a guided walk through Quito's UNESCO-listed historic center. Learn about local history and culture while visiting Plaza Grande and the beautiful churches of La Compañía de Jesús and La Basílica del Voto, then take a stroll down the oldest street in Quito, La Ronda. This narrow, cobbled street is lined with shops and cafés and follows the same route as an ancient pre-Columbian walking trail.
After lunch, head to the north of the city to see a monument marking the point where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet and divide, the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument. Sneak in a geography lesson as the little ones hop between hemispheres for a photo op, then visit the many appealing attractions nearby, which include a planetarium, a fun scale model of Quito, several museums, an old train station, and a small chapel.
Day 3: Family Expedition to Mindo Cloud Forest
Get out of the city today to explore the lush green cloud forests around Mindo. Located two hours from Quito on the western slopes of the Andean highlands, this verdant region is blessed with mild temperatures and lots of rain. Stretching over 48,000 acres (19,200 ha) and reaching heights of 15,700 feet (4,778 m), this is one of the most biologically diverse forests in the world and is known for its remarkable birdlife (more than 500 bird species have been spotted here).
On today's fun-filled day trip, you'll have the opportunity to visit a butterfly farm, trek to waterfalls, go river tubing, fly between the treetops on a zipline, and taste locally-made chocolate and coffee as you see more of this biodiverse wonderland. After a day of cloud forest fun, transfer back to Quito, where the kids will be ready for dinner and an early night.
Day 4: Transfer to Cotopaxi National Park, Afternoon Horseback Ride
After breakfast today, your driver will take you two hours south of Quito to Cotopaxi National Park, where you and the kids can experience the wild beauty of Ecuador on a grand scale. Admire the sweeping landscapes of the Andean highlands, crowned by the snowcapped peak of the Cotopaxi volcano.
Get settled into the cozy local hacienda (ranch), where you'll spend the night, then explore more of the national park with an epic horseback ride. Animal-loving kids will especially enjoy learning more about how the local chagras (Ecuadorian cowboys) live and work in the high mountains of the Andes. Take a gentle ride up to a traditional hacienda for sweeping views of the páramo (typical Andean landscape) and the snowcapped peak of Cotopaxi. Remind the kids to look out for wild horses, rabbits, birds, and deer along the way.
Day 5: Cotopaxi High Ropes Course, Transfer to Baños
After breakfast, your family can start the day off with some laughs during a high and low ropes course at the hacienda. Traverse a series of ladders, nets, tightropes, swinging logs, wobbly bridges, and more fun surprises 20 feet (6 m) off the ground. Young adventurers (from 6 to 12 years old) can participate in the kids' course, which is lower but just as exciting!
After a fun-filled morning, you'll bid your new friends at the hacienda farewell and get back on the road for the three-hour transfer south to Baños de Agua Santa, a mountain city famous for its dramatic waterfalls and outdoor adventure sports that serves as your base for the next two nights
Day 6: Pailón del Diablo Waterfall Adventure, Free Afternoon
Your driver will take you on a spectacularly scenic drive today along the Ruta de Cascadas (Waterfall Route). Journey toward the village of Río Verde, spotting the route's namesake cascades as you travel. When you arrive, you'll take a short hike or a bike ride to one of the best-known waterfalls in the area, the Pailón del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron). Here, dramatic cascades drop steeply 265 feet (81 m) through the lush cloud forest. Cross a suspension bridge and descend many steps to get to the falls, which are definitely worth the effort.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 7: Transfer to Itamandi EcoLodge, Jungle Night Walk
It's off to the Amazon today as you join your driver for the 3.5-hour transfer. You'll be driven to a port on the Río Arajuno, where you'll meet your naturalist guide for the 20-minute journey upstream in a motorized canoe. Kids can keep an eye out for wildlife on the banks, and your guide will explain how the river winds through the jungle like a giant snake and is considered to be the main system of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth).
Upon arrival at the Itamandi EcoLodge, get settled into your comfortable accommodations and grab some rest. If the kids are itching to explore their surroundings, they can join a night walk before dinner. A flashlight and camera are the most important tools in this nocturnal excursion, which allows you and the little ones to see and hear fishing bats, owls, some insects, tarantulas, toads, and frogs as darkness falls and the jungle comes alive with nocturnal animals.
Day 8: Parrot Clay Lick, Jungle Hike & Kichwa Community Visit
Rouse the kids early this morning for a 15-minute canoe ride upstream to visit a parrot clay lick (saladero). Here, you'll be greeted by hundreds of parrots and parakeets flocking to the clay banks to lick up the minerals that help them digest the fruits and seeds they've eaten. Make sure to pack your binoculars so everyone can get a close-up view of this incredible feathered spectacle.
Refuel with some breakfast back at the lodge, then head out on a family-friendly hike through the primary and secondary rainforest. Your expert naturalist guide will be on hand to answer curious little ones' questions and teach them about the ecology of the rainforest along the way. The pace of the hike can be customized to suit slower, younger kids or active and energetic teens, but whatever the ages of your family, everyone will be delighted by the sight of insects, birds, reptiles, and monkeys among the rainforest canopy.
In the afternoon, it's time to enjoy a cultural activity sure to inspire all ages. You'll visit a local Amazonian Kichwa community and learn more about the way of life of the original Indigenous guardians of this forest. See how the famous chicha, a fermented yucca drink, learn how to make a batch yourselves and try some of the local cuisines. Finish the visit with a traditional dance performed by the community's children. Afterward, the kids might even like to have a chat with the local children or pick up some local handicrafts as cherished souvenirs.
Day 9: Anaconda Island & AmaZOOnico Wildlife Sanctuary
There's more Amazonian adventure in store today as you hop in a canoe for the 40-minute ride downriver to Anaconda Island. On this stretch of land where the Río Napo and Río Arajuno meet, keen-eyed youngsters can spot the flamboyant hoatzin bird and playful woolly and squirrel monkeys. Next, you'll go ashore to visit a family in one of the local Indigenous communities and learn about their farming habits, medicinal plants, and traditional way of hunting using blowguns (cerbatana) and forest traps.
After a packed lunch, continue to AmaZOOnico, sure to be a hit with the kids. This wildlife sanctuary rehabilitates Amazonian creatures that were victims of illegal trafficking, with the aim of reintroducing them back into their natural habitats. Animal lovers will be delighted by the up-close encounters with critters such as monkeys, macaws, ocelots, capybaras, toucans, and parrots. Later, return to the lodge to enjoy its facilities—if you haven't tried out its outdoor pool yet, now's your chance!
Day 10: Transfer to Quito via Termas de Papallacta Hot Springs
Enjoy the sounds of the rainforest one last time before leaving the lodge and heading back along the Río Arajuno by canoe. From there, a three-hour transfer north will take you to the town of Papallacta, on the outskirts of Quito. Here you'll stop at the Termas de Papallacta resort for an afternoon splashing around the natural hot springs. Made up of eight natural geothermal pools in a beautiful forest setting, complete with a view of the Antisana volcano, this luxurious complex is the perfect place to take a dip after your time on the road.
With a shallower pool for kids, hot pools, steam baths, Jacuzzis, mud baths, and massages, there's an option to suit each member of the family. The mineral-rich water is famous for its therapeutic powers, and for those needing nourishment of another variety, there are several great restaurants. When you're ready to get back on the road, your driver will take you to Quito, where you'll check into your hotel.
Day 11: Transfer to Otavalo, Market Tour, Hike at Laguna de Cuicocha
Learn more about Ecuadorian Andean culture today as you join your driver for the two-hour transfer north to Otavalo, a town in the northern Andean highlands famous for its Indigenous culture. Get settled in, then indulge in some fun retail therapy today at one of the most famous traditional markets in South America, where the Kichwa people from the surrounding areas gather to trade everything from animals to handicrafts to fresh vegetables and fruits. Stroll through the streets and try some of the local street food, such as salted mango or fritada con mote (fried pork with cooked corn).
After the kids have picked out some one-of-a-kind souvenirs, get active on a hike around the nearby crater lagoon of Cuicocha. Your guide will tell you all about the region's high-altitude flora and fauna and the history of the once-active volcano. If your kids are small or you'd rather not hike, you can also choose to ride a boat around the lagoon's two islands and admire the views this way.
Day 12: Family Fun at Laguna de San Pablo & Parque El Cóndor, Transfer to Quito
Parents and kids alike will love today's full-day excursion filled with nature and wildlife. Your adventure starts just five minutes outside of Otavalo at Laguna de San Pablo, a beautiful lake formed at the foot of the Imbabura volcano, where the waters that run into the Peguche Waterfall originate. Today you'll take a boat trip around this natural wonder, whose important ecosystem is home to herons, ducks, amphibians, and many aquatic plants. Stop for a leisurely family lunch with lovely views overlooking the lake, and make sure to grab some family photos against the dramatic backdrop.
Then it's on to the nearby Parque El Condor, whose lofty setting offers sweeping 360-degree views of the surrounding valleys and volcanoes. This nonprofit sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates the region's raptors and birds of prey, including the endangered Andean condor, and offers a rare chance to see this enormous bird up close. Curious kids will want to catch one of the park's bird shows to learn more about these incredible creatures, while younger ages might want to head to the on-site playground to burn off some energy.
Day 13: Ride the TelefériQo Cable Car, Free Afternoon
Get a bird's-eye view of the city with a dash of adrenaline thrown in this morning as you board the TelefériQo cable car. The scenic ride takes about 18 minutes to reach the slopes of the towering Pichincha volcano, where you can enjoy spectacular views over the city and the surrounding mountains and volcanoes (the perfect spot for a final family photo op). You can take a short walk at the top to a number of panoramic viewpoints, and older kids and the daredevils in the family won't want to miss a ride on the mountainside swing.
You'll have the rest of the day free to spend however you choose. You could rent bikes, go in search of street art, or make time to go souvenir shopping. A great way to get to know the city is through its many parks and green spaces, where kids can play alongside the locals. Central Parque La Carolina has an artificial lake with paddle boats, a running track, designated biking and skate areas, and a small children's museum and zoo. Curious kids might enjoy a trip to Quito's Vivarium, a center devoted to amphibians and reptiles that hosts over 40 species, including lizards, snakes, and turtles.
Day 14: Depart Quito
It's time to say goodbye to Ecuador today as the tour comes to an end. Depending on your time of departure, there may be a chance for you to do some souvenir shopping this morning before heading to the airport. Your driver will pick you up and transport you to the airport in good time for your flight. Safe travels!
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