Cotopaxi Horseback Riding
Three hours in the saddle with a chagra guide
- Difficulty: Moderate
- 3 hours in the saddle
- Native chagra guide
- No riding experience needed
- Lunch and park permits included
- Four departures a week
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DurationFull day (3 hours on horseback)
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DifficultyModerate
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DepartureFoch Square at 7:10 a.m. / Zular Coffee Shop (San Blas Square) at 7:20 a.m.
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Departure daysWednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
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LanguagesEnglish, Spanish
Tour overview
Three hours on horseback across the lower plain of Cotopaxi National Park, with the highest active volcano in the world at 5,897 m (19,347 ft) in front of you. This is how the chagras, the Andean horsemen of these highlands, have always crossed this landscape.
The ride stays around the Limpiopungo valley at 3,850 m, so you get the volcano views, the ruins and the open páramo without the altitude of the hiking route. A native chagra guide leads the ride; your certified bilingual guide is with you for the rest of the day.
No riding experience needed. We leave Quito at 7:10 a.m., stop on the way south for acclimatization and supplies, ride in the morning, and come back after lunch at the same restaurant we passed in the morning.
Full day from Quito, four departures a week, transport, lunch and protected-area permits included. $112 per person.
Itinerary
- Stop 1
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Pick-up in Quito
Departure from Foch Square at 7:10 a.m. or Zular Coffee Shop (San Blas Square) at 7:20 a.m., driving south on the Pan-American Highway through Machachi. About an hour and a half to the park.
- Stop 2
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Stop before the park entrance
A stop near the national park entrance so you can buy breakfast and supplies for the road. Breakfast is not included in the tour.
- Stop 3
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Cotopaxi National Park - 3,200 m
Entrance to the park at 3,200 m (10,499 ft). Your guide explains the lower part of the park and its endemic flora and fauna.
- Stop 4
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Stop at the Interpretation Center
Short visit to the interpretation center to learn about the volcano, the paramo and the local fauna before heading deeper into the park.
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Photos at 3,600 m
Weather permitting, a photo stop in the lower part of the park at 3,600 m (11,811 ft).
- Stop 5
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Three hours on horseback
Approximately three hours of riding in the lower part of the park with a native chagra guide, returning to the same point where you started.
- Stop 6
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Lunch and return to Quito
We leave the national park for a menu-type lunch at the same restaurant as the morning, then drive back to Quito.
What's included
Included
- Certified bilingual Spanish-English guide throughout the tour
- Native Spanish-speaking chagra guide during the horseback ride
- Horseback riding (approx. 3 hours)
- Authorized tourist transportation
- Menu-type lunch
- Protected area entrance permits
- Chaps (zamarro), poncho and helmet
Not included
- Breakfast
- Extra meals and beverages
- Snacks
- Gratuities
What to bring
- Comfortable, warm clothes
- Windbreaker
- Gloves, neck and ear protection
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Camera
- Comfortable shoes for mountainous and sandy terrain
Good to know
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Do I need riding experience?
No. The ride stays in the lower, flatter part of Cotopaxi National Park and is led by a native chagra guide. No experience is required.
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How long is the ride?
Approximately three hours, around the Limpiopungo valley at 3,850 m (12,631 ft), returning to the same point where you mounted.
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What language does the riding guide speak?
The chagra guide who leads the ride speaks Spanish. A certified bilingual Spanish-English guide accompanies you throughout the rest of the day.
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Is breakfast included?
No. There is a stop near the park entrance where you can buy breakfast and supplies for the road. Lunch is included.
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What should I wear?
Comfortable warm clothes, a windbreaker, gloves, neck and ear protection, sunglasses, sunscreen and comfortable shoes for mountainous and sandy terrain. Average temperature is around 5C / 41F.
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Which days does it run?
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as a shared tour.
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