Where do I spend the night?

In a tourist-class hotel near Cotopaxi, outside the national park, with the volcanoes on the skyline; we work with two hotel options depending on availability. One night of accommodation is included and you are picked up there at 8:30 a.m. on day two.

Which meals are included?

Two lunches and breakfast on the second day. Breakfast on day 1, dinner, snacks and extra drinks are not included.

Is the order of the itinerary always the same?

No. The order may vary depending on the day the tour starts, since departures run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

How hard is the Quilotoa hike?

It takes about three hours from the viewpoint at 3,900 m down to the shore of the lagoon and back up. The climb back is the demanding part, because it is done at altitude.

Which tickets do I pay separately?

$2 for the Quilotoa Lagoon and $1 for the Toachi Canyon. Protected area permits for Cotopaxi are already included.

Can I book if I am travelling alone?

Yes. These are shared tours that run from a minimum of one person.

Cotopaxi + Quilotoa 2 Days 1 Night

Refuge, crater lake and a night under the volcanoes

From $152 Per person. Shared tour.

2 days / 1 night

Day Tours from Quito

Quilotoa Culture and Hike — Ecosportour, Ecuador

Cotopaxi Hike and Bike — Ecosportour, Ecuador

Difficulty: Moderate
2 days, 1 night
Cotopaxi refuge and Quilotoa crater
Night at a hotel near Cotopaxi included
2 lunches and 1 breakfast
Confirmed from 1 passenger

Duration
2 days / 1 night
Difficulty
Moderate
Departure
Foch Square at 7:10 a.m. / Zular Coffee Shop (San Blas Square) at 7:20 a.m. On day 2 you are picked up at the hotel at 8:30 a.m.
Departure days
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
Languages
English, Spanish

Tour overview

This Cotopaxi and Quilotoa 2 day tour takes on two of the biggest names in the Ecuadorian Andes, in one trip, without the rush. First comes Cotopaxi: the hike up to the refuge and the bike descent. Then day two brings Quilotoa: the emerald lagoon inside a volcanic crater.

You sleep at a hotel near Cotopaxi, with the volcanoes on the skyline, so day two starts fresh at 8:30 a.m. instead of before dawn from Quito. Also, the price covers accommodation in a tourist-class hotel (two options depending on availability). In addition, it includes two lunches and breakfast on the second day.

On the second morning, the painters of Tigua come aboard the bus with their work: carved animal faces and paintings on sheepskin. If they are not on the road, we stop at their gallery instead. Then comes the photo stop above the Toachi Canyon. After that, you reach the viewpoint over Quilotoa at 3,900 m. From there, the hike down to the shore and back takes about three hours.

We confirm this shared Cotopaxi and Quilotoa 2 day tour from a minimum of one passenger, with four departures a week. The price is $152 per person. Also, the bike and helmet for the Cotopaxi descent come included.

Itinerary

Day 1: Pick-up in Quito and drive to Cotopaxi

Departure from Foch Square at 7:10 a.m. or Zular Coffee Shop (San Blas Square) at 7:20 a.m., heading south along the Andes. Explanation of the volcano and of the flora and fauna of the area on the way.
Day 1: Cotopaxi National Park and the José Rivas refuge

Entrance to Cotopaxi National Park and the hike from the parking lot up to the José Rivas refuge at 4,800 m (15,748 ft), the highest point of the day, then back down to the parking lot.
Day 1: Bike descent to Limpiopungo (optional)

Downhill ride from the upper part of the volcano to the Limpiopungo Lagoon at 3,850 m (12,631 ft). Bike and helmet included.
Day 1: Lunch and transfer to the hotel

Lunch outside the park, then transfer to the tourist-class hotel near Cotopaxi for the night.
Day 2: Pick-up at the hotel and the painters of Tigua

Pick-up at the hotel at 8:30 a.m. The painters of Tigua get on the bus to offer their work; if not, we stop at the gallery. Tigua is known worldwide for its carved animal faces and paintings on sheepskin.
Day 2: Toachi Canyon

Photo stop above the canyon of the Toachi river. Entrance $1 per person, not included.
Day 2: Quilotoa viewpoint - 3,900 m

Photographs from the Quilotoa viewpoint at 3,900 m (12,795 ft) over the emerald crater lake.
Day 2: Hike down to the lagoon and back

About three hours hiking down inside the crater to the shore of the lagoon and back up to the rim. Lagoon entrance $2 per person, not included.
Day 2: Lunch and return to Quito

Lunch after the hike and the drive back to Quito.

What's included

Included

Bilingual Spanish-English guide
Authorized tourist transportation
1 night in a tourist-class hotel near Cotopaxi (two options depending on availability)
2 lunches
Breakfast on the second day
Bicycle and helmet (Cotopaxi only)
Protected area entrance permits

Not included

Breakfast on day 1
Dinner
Extra meals and beverages
Snacks
Gratuities
Tickets: $2 Quilotoa Lagoon, $1 Toachi Canyon

What to bring

Comfortable clothes and a windbreaker
Gloves, ear and neck protection
Sunglasses
Camera
Sun hat
Sunscreen
Comfortable shoes for walking in mountainous and sandy terrain

Good to know

Where do I spend the night?

In a tourist-class hotel near Cotopaxi, outside the national park, with the volcanoes on the skyline; we work with two hotel options depending on availability. One night of accommodation is included and you are picked up there at 8:30 a.m. on day two.
Which meals are included?

Two lunches and breakfast on the second day. Breakfast on day 1, dinner, snacks and extra drinks are not included.
Is the order of the itinerary always the same?

No. The order may vary depending on the day the tour starts, since departures run Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
How hard is the Quilotoa hike?

It takes about three hours from the viewpoint at 3,900 m down to the shore of the lagoon and back up. The climb back is the demanding part, because it is done at altitude.
Which tickets do I pay separately?

$2 for the Quilotoa Lagoon and $1 for the Toachi Canyon. Protected area permits for Cotopaxi are already included.
Can I book if I am travelling alone?

Yes. These are shared tours that run from a minimum of one person.