Ecuador Amazon Experience (12 Days)

Company : LEAD Adventures South America
Duration: 1 week to 2 weeks
Approx Costs: 1000 to 1250 $ Dollars (US)

Ecuador offers different adventure, cultural, historical and natural opportunities for you not to miss. It maintains a unique contact with its ancestral indigenous cultures and is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world.

The Amazon region, particularly its tropical rain forest, is considered to be one of the richest and most complex communities of plant and animal life in the world. The region is characterized by huge and diverse amounts of flora and fauna with extraordinary variations in their habitats and micro-habitats.

Participants will arrive in Quito. After 2 days of knowing the city and its main attractions, you will be reaching the amazon city of Tena. From this small place, our people will take you to the indigenous community where you will spend some days, learning and sharing the most fabulous experience with the locals.

Finally, at the end of the program, you will have some relax time in the most popular touristic city in Ecuador for foreigners, Baños de Agua Santa. In this place, you will have the chance to have fun with the activities we include in the program; most of them related with extreme sports that the region offers

Cost

$1.190 USD

What is included?

Accommodation throughout your program as described above
Entrance tickets to the visits in Quito and Guayaquil
Breakfast at our hostels
Orientation the next day upon arrival
Private transportation for the visits in Quito and Guayaquil.
Public transportation to the coast region.
On-site 24 hour emergency contact number and assistance

What is not included:

Personal travel insurance (we offer discount with a international insurance partner)
All items of personal nature
Any additional activities and excursions
Alcoholic beverages/extra snacks
Transfers to/from Quito and Guayaquil International airports can be purchased through Lead Adventures for an extra cost.

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival:
Once you land in Quito, you will be met at the airport and taken to your hostel in Quito. You will be free for the remainder of the day to explore Ecuador's capital city.

Day 2 – Orientation at Lead’s – Half day City tour:
On Monday morning a member of the Lead Adventures staff will meet you at your hostel and accompany you to our office where you will receive a comprehensive orientation about Ecuador and the program itself. The rest of the afternoon, our personal guide will explore the city in the city tour arranged to you. This comprehensive city tour includes visits to residential neighborhoods at the northern end of the city, continuing through the Gran Colombia Avenue up to the Basilica Church, where we will make a brief stop, next to the "San Juan Mirador" for a beautiful view of Colonial Quito. While walking through the colonial streets we will stop at the Independence Plaza with a chance to admire the Cathedral, the Government's Palace, and the Archbishop's palace. We then visit the stunning La Compañia Church with its adornments and gold altars. Finally we drive on to the "Panecillo Mirador" for a breathtaking view of Quito.

Day 3 – Middle of the World full day
In the morning we will visit the cable car. Quito Teleferico, is located in the Pichincha volcano, an area of 160 hectares. It has 18 comfortable cabins with panoramic windows that allow visitors to 6 each, take a trip of 8 minutes starting at a height of 3045 meters above sea level to climb to 4050 meters at the top. During this trip will enjoy a beautiful view of Quito, the valleys and mountains that surround it lovingly. After this visit, we head to the monument of the Middle of the World, geographically located at 0 degrees and 0 minutes, 0 seconds and marks the division between northern and southern hemisphere as established by French Geodesic Mission in the eighteenth century, we will know the Ethnographic Museum in which you can observe all ethnic groups in Ecuador, plus the history of each of their lifestyles. This is an opportunity to be photographed with the feet on the northern and southern hemispheres at once. Also visit the resort, whose city is a replica of colonial Spanish architecture that provides a wide variety of tourist attractions including the main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and various craft centers.

Day 4 - Bus to Tena
In the morning after breakfast at our hostel, you will be driven to the Bus Station in Quito, from where you will depart to Tena. After 5 hours traveling, you can note the beauty of the amazon ecosystem, flora, fauna and local people. On arrival you will have the whole afternoon free to prepare your visit to the Indian community the next day

Day 5 - Indigenous Community Day 1
After breakfast, you will be taken to the community to do some activities interacting with the locals. A trekking tour boarding the Jatunyacu river will let you see the flora and fauna of the region. After lunch, a local guide will show you medicine plants

Day 6 - Indigenous Community Day 2
After breakfast, the people in the community will guide you to an amazing waterfall where you can do cannoning. After lunch the locals will show and teach you how to prepare chocolate.

Day 7 - Indigenous Community Day 3
After breakfast, you can refresh taking a bath in the community lagoon. In the afternoon, the locals will perform traditional activities including a religious ceremony, dancing, etc.

Day 8 - Indigenous Community Day 4
We will pack all of our stuff to wait for the people for the rafting. After breakfast you will be transported to a part of the Upper Napo River known as the “Jatunyacu” to experience the emotion of white water rafting. After receiving your equipment and full safety instructions you will be ready to enjoy 25 km of rapids and natural pools and breath taking jungle scenery. Rafting also includes a delicious riverside lunch and for the more adventurous the possibility of using a sit on top kayak. In the afternoon, you will reach the city of Baños.

Day 9,10 - Baños de Agua Santa
These 2 days, you will take a tour to the waterfalls of the region. At night, the tour in Chiva, a traditional party bus, will let you know the city of Baños, visiting some attractions and the volcano balcony.

Day 11 – Return to Quito
After noon, you can take the bus back to Quito from the Bus Station in Baños. After 5 hours traveling through the Andes region, you will reach the Ecuadorian capital again.

Day 11 – International departure
Free morning to get ready for your international flight departure.