DAY 1 | Welcome to Quito, Ecuador!
Meet and greet service at the Quito Airport by your local host who will transfer you to the Dann Carlton Hotel (or best available) where you will check-in for your four-night stay with breakfast and taxes included. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
DAY 2 | Quito City Excursion & Middle of the World | B.
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast meet your local host to begin today’s activity program: Visit the old Spanish Colonial District of Quito with its beautiful plazas and unique churches. The Spanish architecture converts Quito in a very special place. After the visit of the old town, we will take you to the south side for a magnificent view of the city from El Panecillo lookout point. A visit to the Middle of the World monument is also scheduled. Mitad Del Mundo is one of Quito’s most famous attractions, situated about 10. Km. to the north of Ecuador’s Capital. In 1736 a French scientific expedition came to Ecuador to determine the position of the Equator. On the sight there is a monument, which houses an Ethnographic Museum. Here you will learn about life styles, clothing, and utensils of different ethnic groups of Ecuador. Just outside Mitad Del Mundo there is an interesting open-air museum called “Inti-Ñan,” which explains our solar system, the position of the equator and its effect on gravity; also interesting displays of Ecuadorian ancient cultures and their ways of life. Return to the City by mid-afternoon and drop off at your Hotel. Afternoon at leisure.
DAY 3 | Guided Discovery of the Otavalo Andean Region with lunch at a Hacienda | B.L.
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast meet your local host to begin today’s activity program: We begin our travels north of Quito, towards Otavalo, visiting the small village of Calderon, known for its unique and colorful ornamental ‘baked-bread’ dolls (figuras de masapán). We then continue along the Pan-American Highway to Guayllabamba to taste one of Ecuador’s endemic fruits (the chirimoya), stopping en route to admire the region’s beautiful landscape and snow-capped mountains, making a short stop at San Pablo Lake before arriving at Otavalo. Here we visit the busy textile market located at ‘Poncho Plaza’, famous as one of the largest open-air markets in South America. Find all kinds of handcrafts including tapestries made on old-Spanish weaving looms, and even older pre-Columbian back strap looms. Stop for Lunch at a Hacienda. Enjoy some free time to shop (and haggle) with the friendly Otavaleños. In the early afternoon we visit a colonial hacienda for lunch. We then head to the small artisan village of Cotacachi and return to Quito in the late afternoon/early evening.
DAY 4 | Full Day Private Expedition of the Antisana Ecological Reserve | B.L.
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast meet your local host to begin today’s activity program: The first stop is for an overview of the impressive lava flow at Antisanilla, and the next one to admire an incredibly huge wall of cliffs across a narrow canyon, where condors can be seen fairly regularly, as they breed here. They are usually seen soaring up near the highest peaks, a great distance away.
Up in the paramo (at about 12,000 ft. elevation) several stops are made to walk about on level ground and observe the beautiful but small paramo flowers hugging the ground among the lichens and paramo straw: yellow composites, gentians, red Indian paintbrush, orchids and chuquiraguas. Around the many paramo lakes and ponds you can observe the glacial morraines and birds in both a diversity of species and individual abundance of most of them such as the highly endangered Black-faced Ibis, Cinereous Conebills, Andean Teal, Andean Lapwings, many Carunculated Caracaras, Black Wing Doves, and the Siskin. Some fisherman are allowed to fish for large trout in certain montane lakes of the area, from where part of Quito’s water supply comes from. After lunch, drive back to Quito amid breathtaking settings.
NOTE: Tour stops may be different than those listed
DAY 5 | From the Andes to the Amazon Jungles of the Napo River | B.L.D.
Breakfast at the hotel. At the designated time, transfer to the Quito airport for a 30 minute flight to the River Port of Coca (airfare is included). On arrival meet your host from the Sacha Lodge and enjoy a quick lunch before heading to the pier to board one of the lodge’s motorized canoes for a two hour down river ride to Sacha´s Lodges property. A 30 minute hike through the rainforest leads you to Lake Pilchicocha where you are met by native workers to paddle you across the lake to your final destination: Sacha Lodge. Enjoy a refreshing swim after arriving may be just what you need after being in the equatorial heat all day. Visit the butterfly house with your naturalist guide to view the beautiful colors of many different species of butterflies. After dinner, accompany your naturalist guide on a night walk through the rainforest to view the hundreds of different species of animals that can only be found at night. Or maybe a canoe ride on the lake to view the spectacled and black caimans with their glowing orange eyes as you silently paddle across the lake to get a closer view.
DAY 6 | Exploring the Amazon | B.L.D.
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast meet your local host to begin today’s activity program: Hike the Liana Chica Trail and arrive at the canopy walk, for spectacular views of the rainforest canopy and the many different species of vibrantly colored birds. Located within Sacha´s private reserve, 2 miles from the shores of the Rio Napo and 1 mile from the lodge, the bird walk gives guests the opportunity to get an up close and personal view of the rainforest canopy. Two of the three towers have observation decks every 12 meters making towers accessible for everyone. The canopy walkway is at 36 meters high and 275 meters long, giving guests a “bird’s eye view” of all the wonders and beauty the tropical rainforest has to offer. After the canopy walk, Liana Grande through terra firma and igapo forest habitats where native guides will explain many different species of medicinal plants that have been being used in their culture for hundreds of years. Liana Grande will turn into the trail Higueron, which will take you through pristine primary forest with huge Kapok and Fig trees towering hundreds of feet above your head. After lunch, you may choose to take a leisurely hike along the Rio Napo, or choose a little more challenging hike on the trail Leoncillo to try and spot the elusive dusky Titi monkey. Either way the trails will lead you back to the main boardwalk for your final hike and canoe ride back to the lodge.
DAY 7 | Exploring the Amazon | B.L.D.
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast meet your local host to begin today’s activity program: Your Hike on Trail Lagartococha gives you the chance to learn more about the native people and their relationship with the forest. Learn about the trees where native people believe the spirits of their ancestors live, and the mysterious “duende” or devil-man of the forest. After arriving at Lake Lagartococha, enjoy a tranquil canoe ride through a natural swamp, which is the home of anacondas, caimans, and capybaras. After the ride, a walk on the other side of Lagartococha may give you the opportunity to spot capuchin or squirrel monkeys playfully jumping through the trees. Return from the walk or canoe ride and head back to the lodge for a refreshing dip in the lake, or a nice relaxing nap in your personal hammock on your private balcony. After lunch, your native guide will teach you how to fish for the infamous razor-toothed piranha. Keep in mind that piranhas will never attack a person and swimming at the same time is perfectly safe and fun! In the afternoon you will begin what many think is the best trail at Sacha, a silent canoe ride through the flooded Amazonian forest. Where you have a good chance of being surrounded by troops of squirrel, capuchin, and howler monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled for the shy and elusive river otter as well as the incredibly well camouflaged three-toed sloth! After your eye-popping ride through the flooded forest, you will arrive at Sacha´s 135-foot wooden tower built around an ancient Kapok tree. Get close up views of vibrantly colored birds through Sacha´s powerful scopes, and watch the sun set with an amazing view of Mount Sumaco, a volcano, and possibly a view of the snow-covered caps of the Andes! Leaving the tower just before or after sunset will give you an experience not soon forgotten. Finally, after your mesmerizing canoe trip through the Amazon, you will arrive back at Lake Pilchicocha and the welcoming lights of Sacha lodge.
DAY 8 | Sacha Lodge / Coca River Port / Quito / Onward Intl Flight | B.
Breakfast and departure from the lodge in the early morning. One last walk on the boardwalk to the river, and from there a 2 hour canoe ride back to Coca for your 35 minute flight back to Quito (airfare is included). Arrive Quito around Noon time (subject to change) to connect with your onward Intl. flight|.
NOTES: Itinerary is subject to change due to weather, specific interests, and physical abilities of our guests. * If your onward Intl return flight has a late evening departure you may want to consider booking a day room at the Wyndham Quito Airport hotel; an extra charge will apply.
***End of Tour*** | 
