Shared Day Trip to Quilotoa Crater Lagoon from Quito

This was an amazing tour!!! My son was struggling down the tall hill my son is very cautious and the tour guide stayed with him the entire time to make sure he made it down the hill ok. It was amazing to see the Indigenous people walking the mules up and down the hill, grant it some of them were kids and I am so glad my son had a chance to see such young kids working. Also the crater itself was beautiful, the tour guide told us there are only 3 lagoons in the world, 2 in Ecuador and 1 in Japan. We also had a chance to meet a very grateful Indigenous family. The lunch was ok.. but the entire tour is a MUST. It was worth every penny..

Our Tour guide Omar just might be the best tour guide in all of Ecuador. If you can find a way to get all your tours through him, you will not be sorry. As for the tour itself, it was a fantastic experience all around. We had breakfast in the first destination instead of spending 40 minutes in the market, and were very satisfied with the authentic and filling meal 2.50/person. We still got to spend 10 minutes in the market, which was mostly fruits and other souvenirs that were available elsewhere in Ecuador still worth seeing, was a great cultural experience. We also got to share the fruits we got on the bus, everything was very yummy! Seeing how the local farmers lived was also a great cultural experience and photo op. A 1/person donation to the farmers is expected, and well worth the experience. Quilotoa itself was very beautiful, we were lucky to get there when the weather was very pleasant and we had a great view of everything. The hike down was a little intense, and took about 35-45 minutes. We enjoyed some Kayaking at 3/person and got some great pictures and memories. We definitely recommend taking the horse/mule for the trip up especially if it starts raining like it did for us. We were smiling the entire time and our legs were able to enjoy the rest of the vacation. It cost 8/person but we just gave a 20 as it was raining and it is one heck of a hike for the local who guided our horses up the trail. It took about 45 minutes to get to the top on a horse, I cant't imagine how tired we would be doing it on foot like our guide. The gift shop had plenty of souvenirs and a wide variety of things to purchase. Prices are negotiable, but don't expect a huge reduction. The lunch provided by the tour was served after we made it back to the top and had some time to browse the shops. It was once again, authentic, delicious, and filling. We highly recommend this tour, the trip there and back is full of amazing scenery which was made even better by our tour guide Omar. We did notice after it started raining that it was difficult to take in the beauty of the lake from the top, so even if it is raining when you get there, make the trip to the bottom for a full, rich experience. Despite being soaked after arriving at the top, the horses and guide were fantastic, and we wouldn't trade the memories for anything.

We went on a holiday and there were lots of people. The hike down is not easy, but as a senior, it was doable. Try to stay away from the mules as they have a tendency to get a bit too close and can bump you. Climbing back up the hill was beyond my ability so we took a mule ride for 10.00 This tour was great and our guide, Omar, was exceptional. On the way back, we stopped at an indigenous couple's house where we learned that they use guinea pigs for heat. It was interesting to see this vanishing way of life. The owner allows these tours to supplement his income, so be prepared for a donation. Also, we were very disheartened to see how many of our tour group did not tip the guide and driver. Their pay for a 10 hour day is very low and they rely on tips. Be generous. Our driver did an excellent job and Omar is one of the best guides I have encountered in the many tours I have taken. His English is very good and we appreciated his broad knowledge of Ecuador. He is definitely a people person and tries hard to make your tour enjoyable as well as educational.

Such a beautiful view! Stunning really! The walk down was steep and dusty but well worth the walk. You can canoe or swim in the lagoon if you have time. I took a horse ride back up, took approx. 45minutes and only 10 USD. Or you can choose the hard trek upwards, which will take approx. 1-1.5hours. As part of the tour, we also visited a family who lived a simple lifestyle. It was very cool to learn how they live!