Day 1:  Arrival in Quito and stay near the airport.

Day 2:  Leave for the subtropics with a stop at Middle of the World Intinan Museum where you can stand on the equator and watch fun experiments. Visit Pululahua Crater which is the only inhabited volanic crater in the world.

Day 3:  Trip to Mindo Cloud Forest. See how chocolate is processed from plant to bar of chocolate.  Observe the metamorphosis process as butterflies fly all around you. Fly over a cloud forest reserve in a cable car.

Day 4:  Tulipe Museum and Gallo de La Peña Waterfall.  Just fifteen minutes from the farm, you will find a museum featuring the Yumbo Indians who lived in this area and left behind hundreds of pyramids and sacred swimming pools.  We will drive up the road to visit Pacto Waterfall, a gorgeous setting of blue and green rocks giving the water a special glow. If you are feelng adventurous, you can hike through the river to see the petroglyhs.

Day 5: Zip-line through the Cloud Forest while learning about local conservation efforts. Experience a Shaman Energy Cleansing.

Day 6:  Coffee Tour.: Samuel, Cheryl’s farm hand, will take you through the process how that morning cup of Java comes to be.   Hike to your own private waterfall taking a swim in the Cloud Forest.

Day 7:  Quito tour. Visit the Historic Center of Quito.  View the Virgin of Ecuador, climb the towers of the Basilica Church and tour the Plaza Grande.

Day 1:  Arrival in Quito and stay near the airport.

Day 2:  Leave for the subtropics with a stop at Middle of the World Intinan Museum where you can stand on the equator and watch fun experiments. Visit Pululahua Crater which is the only inhabited volanic crater in the world.

Day 3:  Early morning trip to see the fantastic Gallo de la Peña Lek.  Here 14 male birds will put on quite a show vying for the affection of the 2 females.  Next we’ll visit your own private waterfall.

     Day 4:  Coffee Tour.: Samuel, Cheryl’s farm hand, will take you through the process how that morning cup of Java comes to be.  Visit Tulipe Museum where you can learn about the Yumbo Indians who lived in this area and left behind sacred swimming pools and burial grounds.

Day 5:  Visit the hot springs of Nangulvi. You will experience an amazing 2-hour drive through the back roads of Ecuador through cloud forest mountains, rivers and sugar cane farms where they process pure sugar cane alcohol.  We will arrive at a peaceful setting next to Rio Intag where you can soak in six different pools of varying tempuratures.

Day 6: Visit the Mashpi Cloud Forest. Take a step back in time where they harvest hearts of palm by hand and carry it to the farm by horse on special saddles.  Visit a cocoa farm and see how it is processed.  Swim in the green waters of the Mashpi River.

Day 7:  Quito tour. Visit the Historic Center of Quito

Day 1: Arrival.

Day 2:  Take an amazing drive over a 13,000 foot mountain pass to arrive at Papallacta Hot Springs.  Let the hot water relax you as clouds float by.

Day 3:  Cayambe Sundial Equator. Stop at the equator monument that sits in front of Cayambe Mountain. Listen to an interesting description of how the world could be viewed.  Watch Ingigenous women harvest the Agave plant followed by a picnic at the Oldest Hacienda in Ecuador.

Day 4:  Visit Lake Cuicocha. Take a boat ride around the Islands. Stop at Cotocachi town of leather goods.

Day 5:  Peguche Wasi Textile tour. See how the famous Otavalo Indigenous weave their tapestries.  Visit with Ali and his family in their music workshop as they sing for us and direct us in making music.

Day 6:  Peguche Falls and Condor Park.  Feel the mist from the waterfall on your face as you take in the beauty.  Watch Birds of prey fly high in the Andes at the Condor Reserve and Rehabilitation Center.

Day 7: Historic Center of Quito.  Tour churces filled with gold and climb high into the towers of the Basilica Church.

Day 1: Arrival in Quito and stay near the airport.

Day 2:  Cayambe Sundial Equator. Stand on the equator and learn about a new perspective of the world.  Watch the harvesting of the Agave plant followed by Pamba Mesa, a picnic at the oldest Hacienda in Ecuador.

Day 3:  Visit Chachimbiro hotsprings.  Known for their healing powers, these waters flow from the Andes mountains to soothe your soul.

Day 4:  Train ride to Salinas. With seven tunnels dug with pick and shovel and tall bridges across steep canyons, the la Libertad Train offers a unique journey starting from Ibarra, the “White City” to the warm Salinas, where we are received to the tune of la “bomba”.

Day 5:   Peguche Falls, Ali Music Workshop and Condor Park.  Feel the mist from the waterfall on your face as you take in the beauty.  Watch Birds of prey fly high in the Andes at the Condor Reserve and Rehabilitation Center. Ali and his family will lead us in music at his workshop where he fabricates instruments.

Day 6:  Visit Lake Cuichoca, a gorgeous crater lake of an active volcano. Take a boat ride out to the islands or hike around the caldera.

Day 7:  Visit Peguche Wasi to watch a weaving demonstration and learn about Indigenous History in Ecuador followed by an afternoon at the famous Otavalo Market.

Day 1:  Arrival in Quito and stay near the airport.

Day 2:  Leave for the subtropics and Above the Clouds Guest house with a stop at Middle of the World Intinan Museum where you can stand on the equator and watch other fun experiments. Visit Pululahua Crater, the only inhabited volanic crater in the world.

Day 3:  Trip to Mindo Cloud Forest. See how chocolate is processed from plant to bar of chocolate.  Observe the metamorphosis process as butterflies fly all around you. Fly over the Cloud Forest Reserve in a cable car and visit a gorgeous waterfall.

Cocoa Pod

Day 4:  Coffee Tour.  Watefall Hike.  Hike to your own private Waterfall taking a swim in the Cloud Forest.

Waterfall Above the Clouds Ecuador

Learning about Andean coffee growing

Day 5:   Leave for Otavalo. Visit with Ali and his family at his Music Workshop while he leads us in Andean Music. Watch Birds of prey fly high in the Andes at the Condor Reserve and Rehabilitation Center.

Ali and Palomita

Bald Eagle “Gringo” about to fly in the Andes.

Day 6:  Visit Lake Cuichoca, a gorgeous crater lake of an active volcano. Take a boat ride out to the islands or hike around the caldera. Stop at Cotacachi, a picturesque town where they sell leather goods.

Laguna Cuicocha, Imbabura Province, Ecuador

Day 7:  Visit Peguche Wasi to watch a weaving demonstration and learn about Indigenous History in Ecuador followed by an afternoon at the famous Otavalo Market.

Day 1:  Arrival in Guayquil and transfer to Puerto Lopez

Day 2:  Trip to Isla de la Plata or Poor Man’s Galapagos where you can observe Frigate Birds, Blue Footed Boobies, Sea Turtles and Whales (June to September).

Day 3: Visit the Parque Nacional Machalilla where we can spot monkeys and visit the perfect white sand beach called Los Frailes.

Day 3:   Visit the community of Agua Blanca.  We can cover ourselves in the healing muds of the sulfur lake and then swim in the warm waters. You can visit the small museum to see remnants that date back 500+ years.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

The Amazing Galapagos!! This six-day, five night tour of Santa Cruz Island, allows us to see all seven vegetation zones.

Day 1: Fly to Baltra/Santa Cruz.  Stop at El Chato Reserve where you can observe Giant Tortoises in the wild.  You can also walk through Lava Tubes. We will lunch here and then head to Puerto Ayora to check into the hotel.  Afternoon trip to Las Grietas where you pass salt mines and then float in the most glorious blue water born from the mixture of an underground river mixing with ocean water.

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Day 2:  Bahia Tour.  Boat ride along the coast with a stop at La Loberia where you will see a colony of sea lions.  Next stop is shark channel which was formed by the swelling of the magma chamber and here you can observe reef sharks.  From an overlook, you will have a great view of the Port and the mountains of the highlands.  In the afternoon, we will tour the Charles Darwin Research Center and learn about conservation efforts.

Day 3:  Today we will take a boat ride to Pinzon Island where you can snorkel with sea lions and reef sharks and observe Frigate birds, sea turtles and possibly Penguins.

Day 4:  Visit the Highlands.  First stop at El Trapiche farm where Don Jose will show you how to make Panela, pure sugar cane alcohol and process coffee.  View the entire Island from Cerro Mesa, the highest spot on the island.  We will then visit Garrapatero Beach, a wonderful secluded white sand beach where you can observe Iguanas sunning themselves and go for a swim.

Day 5: Visit Santa Fe Island where you can observe Blue Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds and hopefully spot a Yellow Iguana. You will stop for snorkeling where you may observe reef sharks and sea turtles.

Day 6:   Fly back to the mainland.