Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world at 5,897 m (19,347 ft), and its national park is the second most visited protected area in Ecuador after the Galapagos. The good news for anyone with a single free day in Quito: you can stand on its flanks at 4,800 m and be back in the city by evening.
This guide covers what the day involves, the altitude you will actually reach, how fit you need to be and what to put in your bag.
What the day actually looks like
Our Cotopaxi Hike and Bike is a 10-hour day, and it runs like this:
- 7:10 a.m. Pick-up at Foch Square, or 7:20 a.m. at Zular Coffee Shop on San Blas Square. Then south on the Pan-American Highway, about an hour and a half to the park.
- 2,945 m. Acclimatization stop with photographs: Pasochoa and Ruminahui on one side, Corazon and the Ilinizas on the other.
- Park entrance. Your guide explains the volcano and the endemic flora and fauna of the paramo.
- 4,600 m. The parking lot, and the start of the hike.
- 3,850 m. Around 45 minutes of downhill biking to the Limpiopungo Lagoon.
- Lunch and back to Quito. A menu-type lunch outside the park, then the drive home.
How high do you actually go?
Higher than most people expect, and with less effort than they fear. Our transport reaches the parking lot at 4,600 m (15,092 ft), so the hard altitude gain happens in a vehicle. On foot you climb up to the Jose Rivas refuge at 4,800 m (15,748 ft), the highest point of the day, then walk back down to the parking lot.
There is no technical equipment involved and no previous experience required. This is a hike on a steep, sandy volcano, not a climb. If you want the summit itself, that is a different trip entirely: a two-day ascent with an ASEGUIM-certified guide, ropes, crampons and a night at the refuge.
How fit do you need to be?
The tour is rated moderate. The limiting factor is not your legs, it is the air. Above 4,600 m every step costs more than it does at sea level, and the honest advice is simple:
- Give yourself a day or two in Quito (2,850 m) before you go.
- Walk slowly and deliberately from the parking lot. Slow is the technique.
- Do not treat the refuge as a target. Plenty of people stop at the refuge and have an excellent day.
- Tell your guide immediately if you get a headache or feel nauseous. That is what they are there for.
If you would rather skip the climb altogether, a three-hour horseback ride can replace the hike and the bike descent for $50 extra, arranged in advance.
Is the bike descent obligatory?
No. It is optional, it takes around 45 minutes downhill from the parking lot to the Limpiopungo Lagoon at 3,850 m, and bike and helmet are included in the price. It is a descent on a mountain road, not a technical trail, and if you would rather ride in the van nobody minds.
What to wear and bring
Average temperature on the tour is around 5C / 41F, and the wind at 4,800 m is the part people underestimate. Pack:
- Comfortable, warm layers
- A windbreaker
- Gloves, plus neck and ear protection
- Sunscreen – the sun at this altitude is fierce even when it is cold
- Comfortable shoes for mountainous, sandy terrain
- A camera
Included in the $61: bilingual Spanish-English guide, authorised tourist transport, menu-type lunch, bike and helmet, and the protected area entrance permits. Not included: extra food and drinks, snacks, tips and Ecuadorian tourism taxes.
When to go
The tour departs Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and it is confirmed from one passenger, so a solo traveller is never left waiting for a group. The start is early by design: you want to be at altitude in the morning.
Where it sits in your trip matters more than which month you come. Put Cotopaxi after a couple of days in Quito rather than on your first morning off the plane, and if you are heading for a summit later, treat this day as part of your acclimatization.
Two days instead of one?
If you can spare a second day, the two-day version pairs Cotopaxi with the Quilotoa crater lake and a night at a hotel near the volcano, so the second morning starts at 8:30 a.m. instead of before dawn from Quito. Both days keep the same guide and the same operator.
Ready to walk up to the refuge?
We operate this tour ourselves, with our own transport and our own guides, and no previous experience is needed to join it. Check dates and book on the Cotopaxi Hike and Bike page, browse the rest of our tours from Quito, or send us a WhatsApp at +593 98 094 2338 and we will tell you straight whether this is the right day for you.
