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  Chan Chan | Nazca & Paracas | Route of the Incas | Inca Trail to Ingapirca | Otavalo | Reservations
Ecuador - Route of the Incas & Pathway through the Andes
2008 1 2 3 4-8
5 day / 4 night
Private Tour
$2312 $1569 $1325 $1117
3 day / 2 night
Shared Tour
$1564 $782 $630 $522

Not Included: Cuenca-Quito air ($60US)  
All rates are per person, in US dollars and subject to change at any time

Travel the Route of the Incas  from Quito to Cuenca through the magnificent Avenue of the Volcanoes in the Andes of Ecuador. Stay in an historically delightful hacienda at the base of Cotopaxi - one of the world's highest active volcanoes (and enjoy some of the best pisco sours in the country). 

Cotopaxi Volcano, Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador,Iinti Travel and Tours
© Jeff Waugh

Cuenca
is a UNESCO

World Heritage Site

 

This tour offers volcanoes, hotsprings, haciendas and indigenous markets as you travel through the amazingly beautiful central Andean highlands of Ecuador. We visit Inga Pirca - Ecuador's most impressive Incan ruins and the newly proclaimed World Heritage Site of Cuenca with it's colonial atmosphere and pre-Incan ruins!

Route of the Incas
5 Day Itinerary - Any day departures

Day 1: We drive South from Quito through the Avenue of the Volcanoes to Cotopaxi National Park. In the afternoon we descend to the delightful Hacienda La Cienaga for the night.(L)

Day 2: In the morning we will visit a local indigenous market in the Valley of the Volcanoes, and in the afternoon, be in the Ecuadorian cloud forest near the resort town of Banos (for its hot springs). Overnight in a country hotel near Riobamba. (B,L)

Hacienda La Cienaga, Cotopaxi, Ecuador, Inti Travel and Tours
© Jeff Waugh
La Cienaga Hacienda

Day 3: We travel through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in Ecuador to Inga Pirca, Ecuador's most impressive Incan site. We overnight at a hotel in Cuenca, Ecuador's third largest city. (B,L)

Day 4: We travel north of Cuenca through a beautiful valley to Gualaceo to see jewelry, pottery and other local crafts. (B,L)

Day 5: In the morning we visit the well-preserved colonial Cuenca (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and in the afternoon return to Quito by plane (not included). (B,L)

Cathedral, Cuenca, Ecuador, Inti Travel and Tours
© Jeff Waugh
Cathedral in Cuenca

Pathway through the Andes
3 Day Itinerary - Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday  Departures

Day 1.- Quito - Cotopaxi - Riobamba. After an early departure, driving to the south of Quito, visit Ecuador s first National Park, Cotopaxi, home to the highest active volcano on Earth. Continuing south to Riobamba passing the Igualata ridge on the Urbina moorlands, the highest point on the Pan-American Highway at the base of Ecuador’s highest mountain, the snow capped Chimborazo (20,697 feet / 6,310 meters). Accommodation in Riobamba.

Day 2.- Riobamba - Alausí- Ingapirca - Cuenca. Start our day with a drive through some of the most picturesque indigenous areas of the country, before reaching the Alausí train station. If there is availability, sit on the top of the carriages for an adventure through the engineering wonder of the area known as the ¨Devil s Nose´. On the road again visit to the Ingapirca ruins. Continue to Cuenca for overnight. Accommodation.

Inga Pirca Archaeological site, Canar, Ecuador, Inti Travel and Tours
© Jeff Waugh
Inga Pirca Archaeological Site near Cuenca, Ecuador

Day 3. - Cuenca. Visit the prettiest colonial city in the country. After breakfast let its cobblestone streets, graceful wrought-iron balconies, and flowered plazas captivate you. Visit to the Banco Central Museum, which has permanent archaeological, ethnographic colonial and republican art collections, as well as old photographs of Cuenca. After this visit, go to Conceptas Monastery. The cloister, built between 1682 and 1729, was recently restored. The cloister contains an unusual collection of religious art. A visit to a straw-hat export enterprise is scheduled in the afternoon. Lunch and transfer out to Cuenca’s Airport.

INCLUDES: DOES NOT INCLUDE: YOU SHOULD BRING:
  • Accommodation
  • Transportation
  • Entrance fees to museums
  • Breakfast & Lunch
  • English-speaking guide

 

  • International or local air
  • Dinners
  • Tips
  • Anything else not mentioned

 

  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Day Pack
  • Water bottle
  • Hat
  • Personal clothing
  • Sunscreen
  • Camera
  • Binoculars

Reservations

Gate of the Sun © Inti Travel and Tours, Box 1586, Banff, Alberta, Canada, T1L 1B5
Phone 1-403-760-3565 / Fax 1-403-760-3566