In the Avenue of the Volcanoes
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Quito Airport. KE Land Only package services begin with a timed group airport transfer. During dinner we have our first briefing from our guide on the week ahead. We stay overnight at the group hotel.
Day 2: We drive north along the Pan American Highway to Cuicocha lake, today we walk around this spectacular crater lake and visit the waterfall at Peguche. Overnight in Otavalo
Day 3: Today we climb our first volcano of the trip, Cubilche (3832m / 12,572ft). The trail passes through farmland to reach the open grassland known as Paramo. We have the second night at our hotel in Otavalo.
Day 4: After a short drive to the village of Zuleta, we enjoy a beautiful walk of 3 - 4 hours through a patchwork quilt of cultivated fields and forests of eucalyptus with superb views towards the volcano, Imbabura, to reach the lake of San Pablo. Overnight in Otavalo.
Day 5: Transfer to Laguna Mojanda, where we climb the second of the volcanoes, Fuya Fuya (4250m / 13,986ft). After lunch we walk out from the town to the sacred tree known as 'El Llechero'. Overnight in Otavalo
Day 6: We have a free morning in Otavalo to experience the colourful Saturday market for which the town is famous. After lunch we leave Otavalo and return to Quito. Overnight in the group hotel.
Day 7: Today, we climb Guagua Pichincha (4784m / 15,696ft). It takes around 3 hours to reach the active crater at the summit. We then transfer to the overnight accommodation in Machachi.
Day 8: From Machachi we travel to the road head and begin our trek to the Refuge of Iliniza (4750m), with its spectacular views of the Iliniza summits and glaciers, and the full panorama of the 'Avenue of the Volcanoes'. We then transfer to Riobamba for our overnight in a hotel.
Day 9: We drive on a switchback mountain road to just below the Whymper Refuge on Chimborazo. We hike up to the refuge for great views then drive to Banos, a spa town beneath smoking Tungaruhua volcano. We check into our hotel and have some free time to wander around this charming town.
Day 10: A free day to enjoy the many charms of Banos. This is a very pleasant town just to stroll around and browse the craft shops or it is possible to rent bikes or take a number of excursions (at extra cost). Banos is also famous for its thermal pools.
Day 11: Leaving Banos, we drive (2.5 hours) to Cotopaxi and hike (30 - 45 minutes) to the Jose Rivas Refuge (4800m) where we enjoy breathtaking views before returning to the bus and driving (1.5 hours) to our accommodation in Machachi. Those opting to climb Cotopaxi stay at the refuge tonight.
Day 12: A 1.5 hour transfer takes us to the wild park of Antizana Volcano. This volcano dominates the landsape for our final hike as we encounter beautiful lagons, glaciers and other volcanic features. After a walk of 4 - 5 hours we have a 1.5 hour drive back to Quito where we check into our hotel. Those opting for the climb of Cotopaxi will leave early in the morning and meet the group in Quito.
Day 13: In the morning we have a guided tour of the old city which has many buildings dating from the Spanish colonial period. After lunch a group transfer is provided to the airport where KE Land Only package services end.
Altitude
This holiday involves going to very high altitude. During the course of your trip you will be spending at least one night above 4000 metres and/or trekking to 5000 metres or above. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully. Before coming on this holiday you should read the advice on trekking at high altitude.
