Escorted Tours 2024 - 2025

the middle of a beautiful national park where you’ll have a chance to explore the vibrantly colourful and wonderfully varied flora and fauna. You’ll be led around the Limpiopungo Lake which sits in the middle of the “paramo” grasslands and where you can find hummingbirds, lapwings, sandpipers, the caracara, and even wild horses as they go about their day under the watchful eye of the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano. Day 6: Cotopaxi to Riobamba, via Salcedo B/L Prepare to have your olfactory senses tantalised today on a discovery of the Nevado Rose Plantation in the small town of Salcedo. Here you’ll be able to see how Ecuador’s exquisite floral exports are grown, treated, and harvested. The Chimborazo province’s greatest asset is also one of Ecuador’s greatest national treasures: a perpetually snow-capped volcano, and the world’s highest point when measured from the Earth’s core. You’ll be spending the afternoon on a train ride to witness this magnificent natural formation. Day 7: Riobamba to Cuenca B/D Today, witness an incredible archaeological complex of the ancient Incas. The Ingapirca site is situated in the province of Cañar and is Ecuador’s largest and best-preserved Incan site. Day 8: Cuenca B Following breakfast, you’ll be setting off to explore the local area of Cuenca. During this half-day city tour, you’ll experience architectural marvels up close and personal as well as from an elevated view at the Turi viewpoint where you can soak in the breathtaking panoramas over the entire city. You’ll also visit a Panama hat factory (despite what the name suggests, Panama hats are originally from Ecuador!); and, of these timelessly fashionable items, Cuenca is one of the most important producers. The rest of your day will be at leisure where you can explore the city at your own pace. Day 9: Cuenca to Guayaquil via El Cajas National Park B Today you’ll be travelling to Cajas National Park, an astoundingly beautiful area of over 70,000 acres, where various types of ecosystems can be found; from misty, clouded forests to rocky, lunar-like landscapes. This protected region contains almost 200 lagoons which the mighty condor watches over, gliding high at an altitude over 4,000 meters above sea level. The higher elevations of the park are really impressive, showcasing the moorlands down below which are perfectly contrasted against the reflections of the mighty, snow-capped peaks resting above. You’ll be watching the park transform in front of your eyes as the light of the sun shifts through the day, and the shadows of the clouds project onto the tree canopies below. Warm clothing is advised here as the temperatures can drop to 12 degrees on occasion. In the evening you’ll be taking a transfer to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, ready for your departure in the morning. Day 10: Guayaquil to the UK B After breakfast you’ll be transferred to the airport to catch your flight back to the UK or continue on to your chosen extension. Guayaquil Cloud Forest Mindo Cuenca What’s included ✔ Return flights Heathrow to Ecuador with British Airways (via Madrid) ✔ Where you’ll stay Quito, 5 H Hilton Colon Quito Hotel Mindo, 5 H Septimo Paraiso Lodge Cotopaxi, 3 H Hacienda El Porvenir Riobamba, 4 H Hostería La Andaluza Cuenca, 4 H Carvallo Hotel Quayaquil, 4 H Unipark Hotel ✔ 13 meals ✔ 13 excursions ✔ Expert local tour guide Tour pace: Challenging Galapagos Departures & from prices Sep 24 £2,599 May 25 £2,699 Oct 24 £2,499 Sep 25 £2,699 Jan 25 £2,399 Oct 25 £2,599 Feb 25 £2,499 Nov 25 £2,599 Mar 25 £2,599 • Lead-in price based on 15 Jan 25 • A single supplement starts from just £349 • Tipping paid locally $50pp per tour Extend your tour Galapagos Island Hopping*, 4 nights 3 H from £1,399 Santa Elena Beach Stay, 3 nights 4 H from £649 *One night spent in Guayaquil South America 85 Visit our website or call 0800 954 9329 to book or for further details