On arrival at Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. There is a Welcome Meeting in the evening where you meet your tour leader and other members of your group. This meeting is usually at 6 pm, but please look for a notice in the hotel reception or in an envelope that you've been given on arrival confirming the actual time. The briefing is generally followed by an optional group dinner.

Note: Quito is located at 2850 metres above sea level. At this altitude you may possibly experience some of the milder effects of altitude sickness, such as dizziness, insomnia and a shortness of breath. If this is the case we recommend that you avoid any strenuous activity.

Quito is not only the capital of Ecuador, but it also has one of the most impressive and well-preserved ‘old town’ areas in South America. In the morning we embark on a walking tour around the charming and evocative ‘Centro Historico’. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, there is much to discover, meandering through the narrow, cobblestone streets and exploring the lively Plaza Grande and Plaza San Francisco. The city is filled with Baroque art and architecture, as exemplified by magnificent churches, monasteries and public buildings. We visit the beautiful Church of the Society of Jesus (La Compania de Jesus). With its ornate facade and intricately decorated and gold-gilded interior, this is undoubtedly Ecuador’s most impressive church. Exploring further afield we head for one of the many viewpoints over the city. ‘El Panecillo’ (The Little Bread Loaf) offers sensational views of the city’s white houses and surrounding volcanoes. The 30-metre high statue of ‘La Virgen de Quito’ sits atop this small hill and can be seen from all over the city. The rest of the day is free to make your own discoveries. You may consider arranging an optional trip north of the city to visit ‘La Mitad del Mundo’ – a monument commemorating the equator line. Your tour leader can advise you on how to arrange tour to get there. The evening is free for us to dine out at one of the many great eating spots in Quito (optional).

After breakfast we travel by road to our lodge in the jungle. It is a day of contrasts, ascending first to a mountain pass crossing, before we descend to the Amazon Basin. Driving towards the eastern mountain range, we reach the highest pass at 4060 metres before dropping down towards the Amazon lowlands. We break our journey at Papallacta where we have the opportunity to enjoy a thermal bath, and then continue descending through an amazing array of scenery and climatic changes: the change from thin-aired mountain scenery to thick, jungle vegetation is quite dramatic. We arrive at our jungle lodge in time for dinner.

Cotococha Lodge is strategically located in the upper Amazon basin on the shores of the great Napo River. Our programs in the jungle are flexible, and together with your native guide you can choose the excursions which attract you the most. Navigate by original dugout canoe across the River Napo to the animal rescue centre, visit local communities and learn about their culture and traditions, pan for gold at the river shore and practise the blowpipe. Other activities include jungle hikes through primary and secondary rainforest accompanied by your native guide who shares his knowledge of the flora and fauna encountered.

We leave our jungle lodge and climb steeply into the Andes, travelling through stunning scenery of souring mountain peaks and deep gorges. Along the way we take a short hike to one of Ecuador’s most beautiful waterfalls, “El Pailon del Diablo”. We arrive in the late afternoon at Banos, a small Andean town back-dropped by the magnificent Tungurahua Volcano

Today is free to completely relax in the lovely surrounds. Or for those feeling more energetic, to discover the many adventurous activities on offer. You can choose from biking, horse-back riding or hiking in the surrounding countryside.

Leaving Banos behind us, we return to Quito, visiting the Cotopaxi Volcano along the way. At 5897 metres, the volcano is the highest, active snow-capped volcano in the world. Those feeling energetic can climb to the refuge (4800m), after which there it is a relatively easy walk to the snow-line and the glacier. The air will be thin but the views are superb!

Our Ecuadorian adventure ends today after breakfast.