South America and the Andes represent a whole new world where they offer a lot of variety to even the most experienced adventurers. A handful of lakes, volcanoes, high mountains, but also historical heritage and smiling hosts. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to experience so much in fourteen days that will surely give you energy for the whole year, as well as the desire to return to these parts again. We tour the beautiful mountains and capital cities of Colombia and Ecuador.
We will constantly be at altitudes of 3000+ meters, so these treks are not very easy and require a good hiking condition, but the pleasure you will experience is priceless. During the trek, you will have the opportunity to climb Nevado del Ruiz (5311m) in Colombia and the Cotopaxi volcano (5897m) in Ecuador, as well as visit the most attractive locations in these two countries.
Itinerary
Arrival in BOGOTA
Arrival in Bogota at 7:00 p.m., transfer to the hotel. Overnight.
BOGOTA
Breakfast. Full day sightseeing of the capital of Colombia. The historical part of the city center, museums, botanical gardens, as well as a tour of the Monserrate monastery. Overnight stay.
BOGOTA – LOS NEVADOS NP
Breakfast. Transfer to Los Nevados National Park. Accommodation at Hotel Menizales. Trek and easy acclimatization. Overnight.
EL REFUGIO
Ascent to El Refugio lodge (4800m). There are thermal volcanic lagoons where you can bathe and relax after a hard trek. Overnight stay
NEVADO DEL RUIZ (5311m)
Ascent to Nevado del Ruiz (5311m) and return to Menizales. Overnight stay.
BOGOTA
Transfer Menizales – Bogota. Accommodation in a hotel. City tour. Overnight stay.
BOGOTA - QUITO
Transfer to the airport. Flight by plane Bogota – Quito. Accommodation in a hotel. Tour of the capital of Ecuador with a guide. Overnight stay.
PICHINCHA (4784m)
Breakfast. Transfer to the gondola, then ride up to the height of 3947m. The gondola is 2.5 km long. This is followed by a trek to the Pichincha volcano (4784m). Return to the gondola and descent to the foot of the mountain, then transfer to the hotel in Quito. Overnight stay.
COTOPAXI (5897m)
Transfer to the foot of the Cotopaxi volcano takes about 90 minutes. The road leads all the way to 4500m where the hike to Jose Rivas home (4860m) begins. The hike takes about 1 hour. After accommodation in the home, lunch follows, and in the afternoon acclimatization to 5100m is done. However, since you have already climbed the peak of 5311m in Colombia, this is not necessary. This is followed by rest and preparation for the climb to the top.
COTOPAXI (5897m)
Getting up at midnight, and starting the ascent at 01:00. There are two main routes to the top: Yanasacha and Heart breaker. Based on the weather situation and the quality of the snow, your guide decides which route to take. It takes about 5 hours from the Jose Rivas home to the top, and the descent to the home takes about 2.5 hours. After returning to the home, lunch follows, and then we go down to the parking lot, where the transfer to Quito awaits us. Arrival at the hotel. Overnight stay.
MINDO NAMBILIO CLOUD FOREST RESERVE
After climbing Cotopaxi, a relaxing day follows. With a great variety of birds, the Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve attracts ornithologists from all over the world. In Mindo, we can visit a butterfly farm, an orchid farm, hike to a waterfall and try chocolate and coffee made by the locals. Anyone who wants can rent a horse and go through a small riding school in the beautiful countryside. In the afternoon, transfer to Quito. Overnight.
QUILOTOA
Breakfast. Transfer to Laguna Quilotoa. We tour the blue-green volcanic crater lake located in the rugged Andean countryside south of Quito. We walk to two viewpoints on the edge of the crater from which we can see Lake Quilotoa. On the way back to Quito, we will spend some time in artisan workshops in Tigua and La Victoria. We will visit two artisan workshops known for their colorful paintings and pottery. Transfer to Quito. Overnight.
BANOS
Transfer to Banos. There are so many opportunities for various adventures here that it is difficult to list them all: Zip line, canyoning, rafting, hiking, the craziest swing in the world… First we visit the town of Machachi, La Casa del Arbol and the Devil’s Cauldron waterfall. We end the whole day’s adventure in the afternoon when we leave for Quito. Arrival at the hotel. Overnight stay.
QUITO - BOGOTA
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight Quito – Bogota. Arrival in Bogotá. Free time to tour the city and buy souvenirs. In the evening, transfer to the airport. Departure.
