4-Day Quilotoa Hostel Hopping Hike and Cotopaxi Volcano

Itinerary

Day 1: QUITO – COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK – ISINLIVI TOWN

Stop At: Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
Early in the morning your guide and private transportation will pick you up to head south along the Avenue of the Volcanoes. You will be an entire day at the Cotopaxi National Park visiting the museum and enjoying a hike through this wonderful world of the Ecuadorian paramo. Then you will pay a visit to the Limpiopungo Lake and continue to the refuge at 4,864 meters above sea level. The perfect cone-shaped mountain, covered in glaciers is rising heavenwards and with good weather, you can watch over almost all the peaks in the country. Afterwards, you will have a lovely night stay at Isinlivi town.

Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hostal Llullu Llama or similar.

Day 2: ISINLIVI – CHUGCHILAN

Stop At: ISINLIVÍ, Provincia de, Ecuador
Today you will go hiking for approximately 4-5 hours. After breakfast, we will prepare the hike by putting the luggage on good-looking, healthy horses. It is a comfortable trek going up and down, walking along Toachi River by crossing hamlets and cultivated valleys. There is also a perfect opportunity to dive into the life of local people and to enjoy the lovely Andean landscapes. You will go down to the canyon and from there do a three-kilometer hike until you’ll reach the adorable town of Chugchilán. This small town is surrounded by a rustic environment full of authenticity. In the afternoon, you can walk its few blocks by yourself and enjoy the rest of the day.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Mama Hilda or similar.

Day 3: CHUGCHILAN – QUILOTOA – TIGUA

Stop At: Laguna Quilotoa, Laguna de Quilotoa, 070701 Ecuador
After breakfast, you will get ready for a full day of hiking, approximately 5-6 hours. The hike will be downwards until you’ll reach Rio Sihui. You will cross footbridges and pass small villages such as Guamaya town. After the long journey, you will reach the loop of Quilotoa lake where you’ll get the chance to take many beautiful pictures of this volcanic crater filled with an exquisite, emerald colored lake. If your physical condition is not well, there is also the option with less physical effort to hike around the lake instead of going down to the lake itself. Afterward, a local pickup car will take you to an old but charming hacienda to spend the afternoon with a local indigenous family. You can watch them milking their cows, ride a llama or just enjoy the ambiance.

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hostería Posada de Tigua or similar.

Day 4: TIGUA – QUITO OR SOUTH OF ECUADOR

Stop At: Tigua, Ecuador
When you will finish your breakfast, a private transportation will pick you up to take you back to Quito or to drop you off at the terminal bus station of Latacunga to go to the south of Ecuador. It is optional to go to your final destination with a private car, you can just ask (Extra cost).

Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.