Quito Travel Forum

In october we will have three days in Quito, I am thinking of doing tours to Cotopaxi and Mindo Forest,

I have found several companies doing these tours but they are quite expensive, I am looking for tips, what to do, what are good companies to book those trips,

what do you suggest?

Quito itself is worth some time. Also consider Otovalo for the craft market.

You can check Mindo bird tours. If you are going to be just 3 days in Quito you have to visit Centro Historico (the churches are amazing), Guapulo is a colonial neighbourhood in Quito is great, teleferico ( where you can see all Quito and even you can walk to the volcano called Rucu Pichincha), La Mitad del Mundo where you can get a tour to go to Pululahua (this is a litlle city on a crater), two and a half from Quito you can go to Papallacta ( is a cool place with thermals and you can swim and go back to Quito again )

3 and a half hours of Quito there is the more beautiful lake on a crater called CUICOCHA in Cotacachi...
Ohh Mindo is really really beautiful many many nature. And why not go to Galapagos Island?

good luck!

Hi there,
we got back from Ecuador. If at all possible extend your time in and around Quito because it is absolutely worth it. For hiking, trekking, and going up a n d getting safely down again from Cotopaxi (that was a marvellous climb and simply a dream), Chimboarzo, Cayambe but also all the less demanding mountains we strongly recommend: Freddy Ramírez, Sierra Nevada alpes: fredrami@hotmail.com (on the job: info@hotelsierranevada.com); speaks good English and excellent German; 30 years of experience; his friend and colleague is awesome, too: Estalin Suárez: yanakakchi@hotmail.com

Should you contact them make sure to say hello from us. They were absolutely fabulous.

We wish you a wonderful journey (we’d love to join you but need to save some bucks again first). May your experience be as unique as ours.

Good luck,

Tom Walliser und Lena Harris
(tomandlenagirl@aol.com)

Hi there,

we got back from Ecuador two weeks ago (try to stay longer than three days around Quito - it is absoutely worth it) and would like to recommend three awesome guides who will turn your trip into a truly unforgettable experience:

1.) In the Oriente, in Cuyabeno, we were accompanied but a brilliant and very knowledgable fun guy named Diego. His English is excellent and he grew up in the area. He can tell and show you everything about plants, healers, animals in the rainforest, etc. Absolutely great: AMAZON RAINFOREST EXPLORATIONS: Diego Monteros, naturalist guide 00593 (0) 8 2554 474 or 00593 (0) 9 2471 101, Lago Agrio, SUCUMBÍOS, ECUADOR; dieghopes@hotmail.com

2.) For hiking, trekking, and going up a n d getting safely down again from Cotopaxi (that was a marvellous climb and simply a dream), Chimboarzo, Cayambe but also all the less demanding mountains we strongly recommend: Freddy Ramírez, Sierra Nevada alpes: fredrami@hotmail.com (on the job: info@hotelsierranevada.com); speaks good English and excellent German; 30 years of experience; his friend and colleague is awesome, too: Estalin Suárez: yanakakchi@hotmail.com

Should you contact one of these guides make sure to say hello from us. All three of them were absolutely fabulous.

We wish you a wonderful journey (we’d love to join you but need to save some bucks again first). May your experience be as unique as ours.

Good luck,

Tom Walliser und Lena Harris
(tomandlenagirl@aol.com)

Thanks for the information on Quito and your guides, about two weeks ago we have booked three trips for the days we are in Quito, and I wish we had more time too, but Quito is just a short stop on the way to our main goal Easter Island.
I will save your info, maybe we can still use those guides,

now we have booked trips to Mindo, Cotopaxi and el Mitad del Mundo,

very much looking forward to it, have to wait only 7 weeks more...

forget the package tours to mindo. You can get a comfortable bus from the Station in the north of quito to mindo for 2 dollars each way. Mindo is full of hostels, which are not fancy, but inexpensive, about 10-15/ night. If you want to hike etc you' ok pay around 10 to get to the hiking site. You can also go on a zip line of see the butterfly garden.
if you like trout, you're in luck they raise their own delicious trout there and you can get a trout dinner for about 5 dollars.
Similarly, if you want to do a day trip to otavalo, take the bus- 2dollars each way.
if you want to stay in the old city while in Quito I highly recommend the hotel San francisco de Quito. It's spacious, has a wobderful view of the city and surrounding mountains from it's roof and has a really nice colonial ambiance. Their rates are great too .