Ecuador's Andes and the Amazon

  • 9 Days
  • Classic Trip

We're always ready to personalize
a tour to your unique needs

Ecuador's Andes and the Amazon Get Started

Map & Route

Depart

Quito

2 2 Nights

Amazon Lodge

2 2 Nights

Banos

2 2 Nights

Riobamba

1 1 Night

Overnight Flight

1 1 Night
Return
map Ecuador's Andes and the Amazon

What's Included

Our itineraries reflect 40 years of experience in crafting exceptional educational tours. That means we know exactly how to make the best of your time abroad—incredible destinations, immersive activities, centrally located hotels, and smart, well-traveled tour managers who ensure your educational goals are met. Here are some of the exceptional features of this tour.

ACIS Guarantees

We have high standards, which is why we take care to include these features in every tour.

Round-Trip Flights

Leave the airlines to us.

3- or 4-Star Hotels

After a busy day, comfort is key.

Centrally Located Hotels

Save the commuting time, beat the morning crowds and keep right on exploring after dark when your hotel is in the heart of the city.

Daily Breakfast and Dinner (unless otherwise noted)

Delicious, authentic, multi-course dinners at local restaurants with meal times tailored to maximize your experience.

24-Hour Tour Manager

Part guide, part educator, part engineer, part mind-reader, part magician—ACIS Tour Managers are your travel partner.

Start Exploring

Never wait hours at the airport to share a transfer with other later groups.

Service Guarantee

We're so sure you're going to love your tour, we guarantee it!

All Local Transportation

Urban transportation is on us, allowing you to explore each destination with ease.

Global Network

24/7 on the ground support whenever and wherever you need it.

Exceptional Experiences

Our tours are designed to help you and your students be in the moment and experience everything the world has to offer.

Andean Canopy Tour

Andean Canopy Tour

Exploring the canopy via zip-lines, treetop bridges and other adventures will give you a bird's eye view of the Andean highlands.

Learn More

Exploring the canopy via zip-lines, treetop bridges and other adventures will give you a bird's eye view of the Andean highlands.

Ozogoche Indigenous Community Exchange

Ozogoche Indigenous Community Exchange

Enjoy a cultural exchange visit where you will be able to participate in a llama- or sheep-shearing with the assistance of a community member. Then join them for a traditional lunch prepared by the community and learn about their day-to-day lifestyle. In the afternoon, cooperate together on a service project that works towards the reforestation of their area.

Learn More

Enjoy a cultural exchange visit where you will be able to participate in a llama- or sheep-shearing with the assistance of a community member. Then join them for a traditional lunch prepared by the community and learn about their day-to-day lifestyle. In the afternoon, cooperate together on a service project that works towards the reforestation of their area.

Quito Tour with Guide

Quito Tour with Guide

Intiñan Museum

Intiñan Museum

Termas de Papallacta

Termas de Papallacta

Amazon Jungle Hike

Amazon Jungle Hike

Napo River Boat Ride

Napo River Boat Ride

AmaZOOnico Wildlife Rescue Center

AmaZOOnico Wildlife Rescue Center

Kichwa Indigenous Community Visit

Kichwa Indigenous Community Visit

Pailón del Diablo Waterfall

Pailón del Diablo Waterfall

Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi National Park

Video

ACIS Americas

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Itinerary

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Quito

Depart from the USA. Arrive in Quito, Ecuador's capital city located 9,350 feet above sea level, and meet your ACIS Tour Manager.

Day 2: Quito

Begin your day with a guided sightseeing tour of Quito, viewing Independence Square with its monument to the independence heroes of August 10, 1809, and visiting one of the colonial-era churches, which boast impressive exhibitions of architectural and religious art. Then travel just north of Quito to view the world from the equator. See the Mitad del Mundo monument as you drive to the Intiñan Museum for a visit. This interactive museum—which locals claim to be on the “real” equator (as determined by GPS)—is loaded with unique activities you can only do at the equator, like balancing an egg on a nail or watching how water spirals differently down a drain in each hemisphere. Then return to Quito.

Day 3: Amazon Lodge

This morning's scenic drive from Quito takes you up the Eastern Cordillera and through a stunning mountain pass at 4065 meters high. If the weather is clear, soak in magnificent views of the Antisana Volcano and the surrounding high-altitude, Andean páramo ecosystem before reaching Termas de Papallacta, Ecuador’s most beautiful thermal hot springs Resort and Spa. You'll feel pampered and relaxed enjoying the medicinal waters of this steamy wonderland uniquely situated on the Eastern Andes slopes. Then continue, journeying through the lush and green cloud forests of the Eastern Andes to arrive at your Amazon Lodge in the afternoon. Begin exploring your jungle surroundings with an orientation of the eco-lodge reserve, walking primary and secondary forest trails and learning about the many species of birds, insects, trees and plants with traditional medicinal value and many other uses. You'll feel as though you've stepped into another world, viewing vines on which one could swing from tree to tree, gazing up the trunk of a giant Ceiba pentandra or marveling at the way a strangler fig envelopes its host.

Day 4: Amazon Lodge

After breakfast enjoy a boat ride on the Napo River as your guide highlights the aquatic birds and other creatures spotted along the way. You'll arrive at the famous animal refuge and rescue center known as AmaZOOnico. This refuge was founded for the purpose of protecting and caring for native and wild animals of the area that can no longer survive in their natural environment because they were injured, mistreated or confiscated from attempted smuggling, and it is a great opportunity to observe how creatures such as jaguars, ocelots, toucans or tapers live in their natural habitat (something which can be hard to do outside of the refuge given how elusive the animals are in the wild). Then board canoes for the return trip to your Amazon Lodge. En route, stop to visit a local indigenous community where a group of Kichwa women will speak of their customs, cuisine and everyday life. They have created a center that welcomes visitors in order to showcase their culture, and it is a unique opportunity to learn about traditional Amazonian lifestyles along the Napo River. You will also have the opportunity to buy crafts, local products and souvenirs before arriving back at the Lodge.

Day 5: Banos

Travel this morning to Baños de Agua Santa, a small and vibrant city located at the base of the Tungurahua Volcano, surronded by rivers and beautiful mountains. Start your exploration of this picturesque place with "The Route of Waterfalls." On this route you will enjoy several waterfalls, such as the Agoyan and the Manto de la Novia, ending with entrance to the famed 80-meter Pailón del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron). A short trail leads you to spots where you can admire the impressive falls from a small bridge, or from a viewpoint where you have to be prepared for a natural shower!

Day 6: Banos

Discover today why Baños has a reputation as an eco-tourism and adventure capital. Start with an exciting canopy tour high above the Andean landscape that includes zip lines, a Tibetan bridge and rock climbing. Then enjoy time to explore more at your own pace. Perhaps discover why it's also a center for relaxation with a dip in the naturally heated thermal mineral baths for which the town is named. Or shop for souvenirs like cane sugar taffy and balsa-wood parrots along a street in the town center that is lined with handicraft stalls and artisan shops.

Day 7: Riobamba

Journey to the small Ozogoche community, comprised of indigenous Puruhá residents. The Ecuadorian Puruhá are based mainly in the Chimborazo province, still conserve their traditional dress and are mostly agricultural, cultivating maize, beans, squash, and potatoes. Enjoy a cultural exchange visit where you will be able to participate in a llama- or sheep-shearing with the assistance of a community member. Then join them for a traditional lunch prepared by the community and learn about their day-to-day lifestyle. In the afternoon, cooperate together on a service project that works towards the reforestation of their area. As an alternative, a service learning project at the local school could be arranged from September through June. Today's final destination is the charming town of Riobamba.

Day 8: Overnight Flight

Today visit Cotopaxi National Park, home to the spectacular Cotopaxi Volcano. Explore the museum and enjoy a hike through this unique, high-altitude, Andean páramo ecosystem. In the afternoon you will arrive back at the airport in Quito for your flight home.

Day 9: United States

Arrive in the USA.

Optional Extras

Ultimate-Plus Protection Plan

Most Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $450

Add to Tour

Ultimate Protection Plan

Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $315

Add to Tour

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