Highlights |
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Escorted Package Includes
- Round trip flights Miami-Quito
Other departure cities available. Click on date of departure for selection and prices
- Airline fuel surcharges
- Intra-flights
- 12 nights accommodations
- All transfers
- 18 meals: 12 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Sightseeing per itinerary in a modern air-conditioned motor coach
- Services of English-speaking tour manager Days 1-7
- Entrance fees per itinerary
- Services of English-speaking local guides in the Amazon
Special Features
- City tours of Quito, Riobamba, Cuenca & Guayaquil
- Pan-American highway
- Inca fortress-temple ruins of Ingapirca
- Ecuadorian Amazon
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Itinerary |
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DAY 1, Thursday - Depart the USA
Depart the USA for Ecuador. Your flight includes meals, drinks, and in flight entertainment. Arrive in Quito and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Quito
DAY 2, Friday - Tour of Quito
This morning's tour of Quito begins with a view of the Congress Building, whose outside stone mural records Ecuador's history. Continue to Quito's colonial section to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets and feel the charm of 16th century Quito. See the Independence Plaza, the Cathedral, Presidential Palace, and the Archbishop's Palace before visiting La Compañia Church and the Church of San Francisco. Afterward, see the Ecuadorian landscape from atop El Panecillo Hill. Balance of the day at leisure
Optional: Middle of the World (PM)
Overnight: Quito
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3, Saturday - Tour of Riobamba
This morning, depart for the town of Salasaca via the Pan-American Highway. Also known as the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," the highway spans the valley between the Cordillera ranges and features 11 snowy peaks. As you arrive in the colorful town of Salasaca, enjoy a panoramic tour of the town before a visit to a local handicraft workshop. After lunch in Ambato, visit La Quinta de Juan Leon Mera with its Botanical Gardens before continuing to Riobamba, capital of the Chimborazo province. Your tour of the area includes a visit to the quaint town of Guano, famous for its handmade rugs
Overnight: Riobamba
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4, Sunday - Visit the Inca ruins of Ingapirca
Today, depart for the ancient Inca ruins of Ingapirca, a northernmost fortress-temple whose massive fortifications are believed to have served as a religious and administrative complex. After lunch nearby, continue to the city of Cuenca, located in the Sierra highlands. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Cuenca
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 5, Monday - Tour of Cuenca
Enjoy a morning tour of Cuenca. Walk along the main plaza, Calderon Park, whose pink marbled construction and colorful stained-glass windows will take your breath away. See the flower market outside the El Carmen Church. The Tomebamba River winds in and out of the city's center as old houses jut out over its banks. Visit the Ortega shop where you can see "Panama Hats" being made. Balance of the day at leisure
Optional: Half Day Gualaceo and Chordeleg (PM)
Overnight: Cuenca
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6, Tuesday - Tour of Guayaquil
This morning, drive through El Cajas National Park en route to Guayaquil. From the park highlands, enjoy spectacular views of the many lakes and rivers below, as well as a landscape dominated by paramo, a high-altitude, wet tropical grass. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, enjoy a tour of the city that includes a visit to the Centennial Park on Avenue 9 de Octubre. Continue to see the city's regeneration, and visit the Seminario Park, also known as the "Park of the Iguanas." See the brightly-colored houses in Las Penas, the oldest neighborhood in Guayaquil, before checking in to your hotel. Evening at leisure
Overnight: Guayaquil
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7, Wednesday - Full Day in Guayaquil
Enjoy a full day at leisure in Guayaquil
Optional: Parque Historico (AM)
Overnight: Guayaquil
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8, Thursday - Flight to Quito
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Quito
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 9, Friday - Arrive at Kapawi Eco Lodge
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to the Amazon. Upon arrival, representatives will assist you in transferring to the Kapawi Lodge and Reserve, a well-known eco-lodge in the remote Achuar Territory. Situated deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the Achuar is virtually unreachable, accessible only by small aircraft. The Lodge is a complex of thatched-roof cabins, all of which come with private baths, mosquito netting, and balconies with hammocks. This evening, meet your local guide for an orientation and overview of the Lodge
Overnight: Amazon
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10, Saturday - Full Day at Kapawi Lodge
Enjoy a full day at leisure at the Kapawi Lodge, where you have a chance to take part in a selection of exciting activities. The Lodge is a working example of sustainable eco-tourism, and full control of the facilities has recently been handed over to the indigenous Achuar people. Take part in a variety of ecologically-conscious nature excursions they offer, including hikes and canoe trips. There are even guided nighttime treks that reveal how the Amazonian forest comes alive when the sun goes down
Overnight: Amazon
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11, Sunday - Full Day at Kapawi Lodge
Enjoy another full day at leisure at the Kapawi Lodge to discover even more secrets of the Amazon. Trails are divided into easy, moderate, and challenging paths to accommodate travelers of differing physical condition. Or simply relax and enjoy watching birds and caimans in their natural setting. Regardless of the activities you select, you are helping to preserve this pristine and irreplaceable habitat
Overnight: Amazon
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 12, Monday - Morning Kapawi Eco Lodge
Today, transfer to the Kapawi airstrip for your return flight to Quito. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Quito
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 13, Tuesday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport in Quito for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast
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Optionals |
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Book your Optional Tours before you travel and see more, save time, and save money. Tours purchased while traveling cost at least 10% more! Tours often sell out - avoid disappointment! Save your cash - many countries do not accept credit cards.
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Middle of the World 3:00 PM
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Day #2 |
01 Apr 2008 - 31 Dec 2008 $42
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Your visit to the Middle of the World begins with a drive through the Ecuadorian countryside. The Equatorial Monument marks the exact Middle of the World at a latitude of 0º. Take time to stand in both hemispheres at once, or to stand on top of the equator. Afterwards, return to Quito.
Details: Departs at 3:00 p.m. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time. Pick up and drop off from the hotel.
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Gualaceo & Chordeleg 3:00 PM
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Day #5 |
01 Apr 2008 - 31 Dec 2008 $35
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Enjoy an optional half day tour of Gualaceo and Chordeleg. As you leave Cuenca, appreciate the beauty of the Gualaceo Valley. En route to Chordeleg, a town known for its unique filigree jewelry, visit Ecuagenera Orchid Farm. With nearly 4000 orchid species surviving in the wild, Ecuador is home to the highest recorded number of orchids in the world. Ecuagenera has specialized in the protection, cultivation, and distribution of these precious and mysteriously beautiful flowers since its founding more than 50 years ago. Continue to Chordeleg and visit the goldsmiths, weaving workshops, and local shops around town before returning to Cuenca.
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Parque Historico 9:00 AM
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Day #7 |
01 Apr 2008 - 31 Dec 2008 $42
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Tour the Parque Historico Guayaquil (Historic Park), an institutional project regarding the physical transformation of the city from the 19th to 20th century. Its three zones -- Traditions, Urban Architectural, and Wildlife -- each features unique settings. See the Traditions Zone and go back to the 19th and 20th centuries where you will be able to see how life depended on banana, coffee, and rice plantations. Next, the Urban Architectural Zone recreates two blocks of old Guayaquil, showing architecture from the 19th Century. Lastly, see the connection between man and nature in the Wildlife Zone.
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Book your Optional Tours before you travel and see more, save time, and save money. Tours purchased while traveling cost at least 10% more! Tours often sell out - avoid disappointment! Save your cash - many countries do not accept credit cards.
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Rates & Hotels |
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*Not included: airport taxes, fees & September 11th Security Fee, optional tours, Ecuador departure taxes, Achuar Community fee of $10, tips to local guides, drivers and tour manager (see Terms & Conditions).
Land only price does not include arrival/departure transfers, but does include flights Guayaquil-Quito-Kapawi-Quito.
Achuar Community fee of $10 to be paid locally.
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Hilton Colon Quito
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Quito
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This deluxe hotel is located in the heart of Ecuador's capital, in the financial district with easy access to the colonial sector of the city. [more]
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Abraspungo Hotel
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Riobamba
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This tourist class hotel is located a few minutes from the center of Riobamba, at the heart of the Avenue of the Volcanoes. [more]
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El Dorado Hotel
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Cuenca
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This first class hotel is located in the center of the colonial historic Cuenca, one block from the main square. [more]
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Grand Hotel Guayaquil
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Guayaquil
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This first class hotel is situated on a city block next to the Cathedral in Guayaquil. [more]
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Kapawi Ecolodge & Reserve
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Achuar Territory
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This unique tourist class Ecolodge is located in the Kapawai Reserve, in the Southern Ecuadorian Amazon Basin. [more]
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What is Airfare Type?
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- Gate 1 Travel Airfare - These are Gate 1 Travel fares which allow you to book your trip while paying a minimal deposit at time of booking.
- Instant Purchase/Published Airfare - These are fares that airlines have published which require payment in full at time of purchase. In some cases, these fares may be displayed as Gate 1 Airfare with Instant Purchase Requirement.
To find the lowest available airfare, select [ANY] and you will get results for both kinds of airfare.
Each of these fare types has its own set of restrictions which cover changes, cancellations, fuel surcharges, etc.
Please refer to our terms and conditions for full details.
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Airfare Type

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We are unable to reserve airline seats for you until 11 months prior to your date of travel. Until then, we offer a choice of airfares from major US cities which you may select for your reservation. Your final flight details, airfare, airport taxes and fees will be advised 11 months prior to travel. Airfares are subject to change.
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Air reservations may be completed no more than 11 months prior to the date of travel. For travel more than 11 months prior, please call Gate 1 at (800) 682-3333.
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Select Number of Rooms
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