August 2027 - 8 days
Register for 2027 and we will contact when confirmed details including dates and prices are available.
Embark on a journey of discovery and adventure, following in the footsteps of explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. Follow the route of his daring 1802 expedition through Ecuador’s dramatic Avenue of the Volcanoes and the mist-shrouded Cloud Forest. Along the way, discover how these extraordinary landscapes shaped Humboldt’s revolutionary idea of the “unity of nature”—the insight that climate, geography, plants, animals, and humans are all deeply interconnected.
Alexander von Humboldt, a geographer, explorer, and naturalist, is often considered the first ecologist. He revealed the interconnections of the natural world, anticipated environmental issues like deforestation, and greatly influenced Charles Darwin’s thinking on evolution. This tour traces part of his 1802 journey through Latin America, exploring Ecuador’s Pacific cloudforests and the “Avenue of the Volcanoes,” with stunning views of snow-capped peaks, clear lagoons, and lush valleys along the Andes near the equator.
There will also be the opportunity to discover Ecuador’s stunning architecture, bustling, colourful markets and fascinating cultural history, found throughout beautiful Andean villages, the city of Quito and the small, artisan town of Otavalo.
This immersive expedition invites nature lovers, science enthusiasts, and curious travellers to step into the shoes of an explorer. Discover the scientific significance of Ecuador’s remarkable landscapes while embracing the spirit of adventure and discovery that shaped our understanding of the natural world.
In partnership with The Ultimate Travel Company.
Day 1: Arrive in Quito and meet the group
You will be met on arrival into Quito and transferred to your hotel which is located in the heart of the historic centre.
Quito is the capital city of Ecuador and sits at an elevation of 2,850 m. It is located in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains. The historic centre of Quito has Quito was one of the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO in 1978. There are about 130 monumental buildings in the centre. Some of the most famous include Carondelet Palace (the seat of the government), Basilica del Voto Nacional, Quito Cathedral and the Church of el Sagrario.
You will have time to settle into your hotel before the welcome meeting in the evening, which will be held at your hotel. During the meeting you will meet with your Tour Leader and the rest of the group before setting off for a welcome dinner in Quito’s old city.
Day 2: Quito to Otavalo and Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve
In the morning, depart your hotel and will visit the Quitsato Sundial located on the equatorial line. Quitsato is the first and the only equatorial monument celebrating the middle of the world, at Latitude 0°0’0”, and boasts that it can be observed from space, due to the dark stones absorbing more heat than the lighter, reflective ones. The name ‘Quitsato’ itself comes from the pre-Incan Ecuadorian coastal language, Tsafiqui, and means ‘middle of the world’. Whilst here, you will learn about the astronomical knowledge of the region’s pre-Hispanic cultures.
From here, head to the town of Otavalo, this is truly one of the most interesting towns in Ecuador, where the local Kichwa indigenous culture is not only plainly visible but on the rise. The town´s famous craft market is filled with interesting colourful and sometimes rare objects and crafts, and has been an economic and social centre for more than 4000 years.
As part of your day at the market, you will visit the workshop of master weaver Miguel Andrango, in the village of Agato. In the small store in the courtyard of his Tawantinsuyo workshop, the walls are covered with bright designs, most with an indigenous motif; the designs are based on Inca patterns but are the work of Miguel and his family. The workshop uses only pure wool and Alpaca; the weaver’s card and spin it themselves and then dye it with natural inks made from mosses (for yellow) or seeds such as ‘Achiote’ (for red). There will be an opportunity for free time to explore the market at your on leisure.
In the afternoon you journey to the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve for a visit to the interpretation centre and take a hike to view the outstanding Cuicocha lagoon, a deep-blue crater lake on the lower southern flanks of Cotacachi Volcano.
Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve spreads over 752,235 acres, extending from Imbabura - in the Ecuadorian Andes mountains to the western edge of the rainforest in the Esmeraldas. Inside the reserve there are three volcanoes: Yanahurco, Cotacachi, and Cuicocha. The main highlight is the Cuicocha Lagoon. Cuicocha is a volcanic crater with brilliant and colourful water. Cotacachi-Cayapas Reserve homes more than 100 species of mammals such as spider and howler monkeys. Cotacachi-Cayapas is a bird's paradise, as well. The reserve homes more than 600 species of birds.
After your hike, you will stop at the picturesque colonial town of Cotacachi, famous for its leatherwork, before returning to Quito.
Day 3: Explore Quito
This morning you will visit Mitad del Mundo, where a monument marks the equator line. You'll also visit the Intinan Museum, known as the Museum of Equinoctial Solar Culture, where you will learn about the history of Ecuadorian ancestral peoples and you can carry out various experiments to demonstrate that you are on the true equator. From here, you will journey to eastern Quito where you will board the highest cable car in South America. Begin your adventure at 2950m to reach about 4050m of altitude at the top of Cruz Loma Hill, close to Pichincha Volcano towering over the Ecuadorian capital. Once you reach the summit, weather permitting, you will enjoy fantastic views of Quito and the surrounding area, you will be able to spot some of the main mountains and volcanoes adorning the surrounds of the city including Coyambe, Antisana, Pasochoa and of course the most famous of all, Cotopaxi!
From here, explore historic Quito. Walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace, La Compañía, and some of the most important churches built around the 16th and 17th centuries, including the San Francisco Monastery which was started five days after the founding of the city in 1534. Visit the city’s famous La Ronda street, where you will learn about traditional work in colonial Quito. Your final stop is the ‘Panecillo’, the hill that dominates the south of the city, and where you can admire the famous statue of ‘Our Lady of the Panecillo’ and enjoy spectacular views of Quito.
Day 4: Quito to Avenue of the Volcanoes
Departing Quito after breakfast, you will journey along the Avenue of the Volcanoes. When the Nazca and South America tectonic plates collided 100 million years ago, it gave rise to the backbone of South America – the Andes. This geological collision also produced a secondary mountain chain within Ecuador’s Andes, the Cordilleras. The result of which was dozens of lofty volcanoes, several of which remain active. When German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt visited the valley between the two ranges at the beginning of the 19th century, he coined it “The Avenue of Volcanoes”. Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy fantastic views of the Ecuadorian Andes.
Visit Cotopaxi National Park where weather permitting you will be able to see the snowcapped summits of the Cotopaxi and Antisana volcanoes. The predominant ecosystem in the park is moorland, with its own unique flora and fauna. Vegetation is principally scrub and small, low shrubs. You will also visit the Interpretation Center to learn about the history of this spectacular volcano’s major eruptions, as well as the local flora and fauna, and visit Lake Limpiopungo and explore the surrounding area on foot.
If you feel like a longer walk, a two-hour hike will take you to Mt. Cotopaxi’s J. Ribas refuge (4,800 m) where you will be able to enjoy spectacular views of the volcano and the surrounding Andean peaks.
After lunch, you will travel to Chimborazo Reserve, an area of 58,560 hectares, home to a large population of vicuñas reintroduced from Peru and Chile in 1988. There are also llamas and alpacas, native domestic animals which were used by the ancient inhabitants of the Andes before the Spanish introduced horses, sheep, cows, and donkeys. The reserve was created to protect these animals and their historical legacy as well as the land of which they are part. Chimborazo Reserve has moorland, trees and bushes of rosemary, mortiño, chuquiraguas (climber flower), appendage, sacha chocho, valerian; there are also quishuares (shrubs that grow and develop at altitudes over 2800 meters), pumamaquis, peppers, small shrubs and Stipa, Calamagrostis and fescue, as well as other endemic species from the Andes.
In the eroded areas, where crop out Cangahua (hardened sterile layer, located in the pyroclastic volcanic old rocks), the dominant vegetation is xerophytic scrubland (plants adapted to arid conditions where water is
limited. These plants have adapted, in different magnitudes, to absorb, hold, or prevent the loss of water. Another characteristic species of the region is the capulí, an endemic tree of Ecuador with small, round, and red fruits.
Day 5: Chimborazo, La Moya and return to Quito
Today you will explore the Chimborazo colossus, arriving at the first refuge by car with time to acclimatise in the cafeteria, you will then continue your journey on foot to the Laguna Cóndor Cocha at 5100 meters above sea level, walking for around one and a half hours will take you to the closest point to the sun measured from the center of the earth. You will then descend from Chimborazo and continue your journey to an indigenous community, La Moya, where a delicious lunch awaits, as well as the opportunity to relax with the sound of birds and see animals grazing in the fields. You will also visit the mountain museum that will give you the opportunity to understand why the local people have such a special connection with the Chimborazo Mountain.
You will then return to Quito.
Day 6: Quito to Pululahua volcanic crater and Mindo Cloud Forest
In the morning, you will be transferred from Quito to Mindo Cloud Forest. Along the way you'll stop at Pululahua volcanic crater to look into the crater with its patchwork fields far below on the crater floor.
Pululahua volcanic crater is the world’s only inhabited crater and is located in a geobotanical reserve which is nearly 3,000 metres above sea level and five kilometres in diameter. It is recognized by some as a powerful energy centre, which draws those seeking a spiritual awakening.
From here, continue to the wonderful Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, which, covers an area of 700 hectares in the sub-tropical jungle of Tandayapa. On arrival at Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve enjoy a hike to the top of the mountain where you will be rewarded with fabulous views, enjoy the flurry of the hummingbirds, or take a short hike into the forest on the reserve’s variety of trails.
You will check into your lodge, located in the reserve, offering an impressive network of trails of more than 10 kilometers in length and of varying degrees of difficulty. As well as four beautiful waterfalls, there are fourteen species of hummingbirds found on the reserve and guests are guaranteed to see at least one!
Day 7: Cloud Forest and cock-of-the-rock lick
Today you have an early start to visit the cock-of-the-rock lick, a place where these marvelous birds congregate to feed. The Cock of the Rock is a fabulously colored bright red-orange bird which has a very striking appearance. For many birdwatchers visiting Ecuador, the Cock of the Rock will be one of the birds that they would really love to spot, close to the top of their checklist – and with good reason. It is a stunning and fascinating creature.
Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast, followed by a nature walk along the heights of the Bellavista Reserve.
Later, you will visit "Tony’s House", a well-known spot where you can see more than 24 species of hummingbirds. Tony is an expert on the birds and their songs and has placed a lot of hummingbird feeders around his house, as well as in the forest, to attract the amazing variety of brilliantly colored birds you will see here. More than 19 varieties can regularly be seen, including some very rare species.
Return to the lodge for a final farewell dinner, with time at leisure to explore independently some of the extension trails from the lodge.
Day 8: Return to Quito and depart
After breakfast, travel back to Quito where you will have time at leisure.
For those wanting to join the Galapagos cruise, you will meet with the group this evening for the welcome meal.
