Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival into Quito

A BikeHike Adventures representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you a comfortable family-run hotel located in a central but quiet part of Quito. Quito is located at 9,240 feet/2,800 meters above sea level on the slopes of the active Pichincha Volcano.

Day 2: Quito - Papallacta - River Arajuno (Mountain Biking and Hotsprings)

We have a very exciting day in store for us today with dramatic changes of altitudes, climates, natural beauty and cultures! We begin with a typical Ecuadorian breakfast and then drive to the Eastern Andean Mountain Range, right through the "Avenue of the Volcanoes". Here we'll drive up to the high pass located at 13,200 feet/4,020 meters, then switch to our bikes with a thrilling 15 km/9 mile descent to the town of Papallacta with the best thermal pools in the country. There is leisure time to soak and swim in a dozen outdoor pools - hot, warm and cold ones! The pools are beautifully located in a valley in the high mountains and if it's a clear day we'll be able to view all the surrounding volcanoes, including Ecuador's highest, Antisana and Cotopaxi. Once were refreshed and relaxed, we'll climb back on our bikes and continue biking on downhill paved roads to the town of Baeza. The temperature rises as we descend. We reach the town of Baeza in time for lunch, where fresh trout is the specialty. After lunch, we'll drive 1.5 hours through misty cloud forest down to the Amazonas basin. We’ll stop at an animal rescue centre for animals, birds and monkeys mainly from the Amazon. A local guide will show us around and allow us to get to know some of the animal life of the Ecuadorian Amazon.  After we’ll continue to drive for 1.5 more hours to our cozy jungle lodge, located 600 feet/182 meters above the River Anzo. Highest point 13,200 feet/4,020 meters, Lowest point 1,500 ft/457 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Amazon (Hiking and Innertubing)

We begin with a 3-hour hike into virgin and secondary rainforest accompanied by an indigenous Quechua guide who will educate us about the vegetation, animals, birds, insects, etc that we might encounter. In some of the narrow canyons we can get some close encounters with bats.  After a delicious lunch at the lodge and a rest in a hammock we'll float down the calm river on big and bouncy innertubes. We'll float past indigenous fishermen casting their nets into the water and children playing in the river. The forests and skies above are alive with the calls of parrots and oropendulas. We’ll stop to visit an indigenous village halfway down the river to get to know more about their culture, customs and farming practices.  Highest and lowest point 1,500 ft/457 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Amazon - Anzo River (Whitewater Rafting)

After breakfast at the lodge we have a 30 minute drive to the town of Tena. From here, we’ll drive another 45 minutes up into the National Park of Llanganates to begin our day of rafting on the Anzo River. Donned in lifejackets and helmets, our guides will safely lead us down class II rapids on this scenic river that eventually merges with the Napo River, one of the main water tributaries of the Amazona River. At the take-out we'll switch back to our vehicle and drive back to our jungle lodge for the night. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Amazon - Banos (Hiking and Horseback Riding)

Today we have a 1.5 hour drive to the city of Puyo where we’ll pay a visit to one of the best balsa wood handicraft factories in the country. From here we’ll start climbing west upon the Andes again in our vehicle and 45 minutes later we’ll reach the trailhead of the Devil's Pot waterfall. We'll hike about a half hour along a spongy forest floor that leads to the cascade. We'll take some time to admire the powerful waterfall. After lunch we'll drive to Banos, a beautiful town set deep in a lush valley, renowned for its steaming hot springs and surrounding volcanoes. In the afternoon we'll go horseback riding on the slopes of one of the most active volcanoes in the country, Tungurahua at 16,500 feet/5,000 meters. Dinner is on your own this evening, but highly suggested is a massage or a soak in the eucalyptus steam baths beforehand. Highest point 5,900 ft/1,800 mt, Lowest point 1,500 ft/457 mt. (B,L)

Day 6: Banos (Free Day)

We have a full day of leisure in Banos but there is plenty to keep you occupied here. There are lots of great hikes to the top of the valley overlooking the town, interesting farmers' markets, the steamy hot springs, horseback riding and a great variety of restaurants and cafes. (B)

Day 7: Banos - Chimborazo Volcano (Mountain Biking)

We drive 3 hours this morning from the lush lowlands with crops of sugar cane plantations up to the barren high mountain territory inhabited by the vicuna. This animal appears to be a cross between a llama and deer, but it's actually a camelot, related to the camel. We drive to the parking lot, and then can hike up to a nearby refuge located at 16,400 feet/5,000 meters. If we're lucky and the skies are clear, we'll have amazing views of Chimborazo Volcano, Ecuador's highest at 20,700 feet/6,310 meters. After lunch and coca tea we mount our bikes for a beautiful 32 km/20 mile downhill ride on dirt and paved roads on the slopes of the volcano. During the bike ride, we'll stop to visit an indigenous village to see how the highland people live up in the Andes. Later in the afternoon we drive 2 hours to La Cienega Lodge, one of the oldest haciendas in the country. Highest point 16,400 ft/5,000 mt, Lowest point 9,500 ft/2,895 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Cotopaxi National Park (Biking and Canopy Touring)

This morning we transfer to Cotopaxi National Park, famous for the Cotopaxi Volcano, the highest active volcano in the world at 19,340 feet/5,895 meters. In the park, we'll be surrounded by a dozen active volcanoes, making for a fabulous landscape for our 20 km/12 mile downhill bike ride. The chances are good for spotting wild horse, condor, deer, wolf, etc on this ride. We eventually make it to a forest where we'll go canopying on the sides of the volcano Pasochoa! Later in the afternoon we'll drive north to the province of Imbabura. We'll make a stop enroute in Cayambe to sample the typical local cheese and biscuits. Our charming hacienda is located in the town of San Pablo on the slopes of the Imbabura Volcano. Highest point 14,760 ft/4,500 mt, Lowest point 8,580 ft/2,600 mt. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Otavalo - Cotocachi (Market, Hiking and Mountain Biking)

Today we start with a 16km/10 mile bike ride following paved, dirt and cobblestone roads and finally a railroad track to the city of Otavalo, famous for the indigenous handicraft market. This is the best place in the country for buying gifts and souvenirs. After visiting the market we will enjoy a traditional lunch and maybe even some barbequed guinea pig for a side dish! After lunch we shuttle up the slopes of the Cotacachi Volcano to admire the deep blue waters of the active crater lake Lake Cuicocha and the nature reserve of Cotacachi-Cayapas, often visited by condor, hawks, eagles, deer and even the Andean bear. The next leg of the journey is back on our bikes, riding 16km/10 miles downhill on paved and dirt roads through indigenous villages. We’ll stop in Cotacachi, known for its fine leather handicrafts and great for last minute souvenir shopping. Finally we’ll drive back 2 hours to Quito and check into our comfortable hotel . Highest point 10,230 ft/3,100 mt, Lowest point 7,500 ft/2,286 mt. (B,L)

Day 10: Departure

You'll be transferred to the international Airport to connect with your flight back home. (B)

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