Quito Stopover

Explore Quito’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, strolling cobbled streets lined with elegant colonial churches and plazas.
Join a hands-on cooking class after shopping at Mercado San Francisco, creating classic Ecuadorian dishes.
Discover the Mindo Cloud Forest, hiking through lush trails alive with orchids and colourful hummingbirds.
Visit the Middle of the Earth and Casa Agave, standing on the Equator and sampling local Miske spirit.
Savour Quito’s vibrant dining scene with a private evening transfer to one of the city’s top restaurants.

Days

55 Years of Expertise in Tailor-Made Travel

ExcellentBased on 5,278 Reviews

55 Years of Expertise in Tailor-Made Travel

ExcellentBased on 5,278 Reviews

Trip Features

Iconic Landmarks

Features renowned sites that capture the essence of each destination.

Private Guided Experiences

Explore in the company of expert private guides.

Iconic Landmarks

Features renowned sites that capture the essence of each destination.

Private Guided Experiences

Explore in the company of expert private guides.

Trip Itinerary

At a Glance

DAY

Arrive in Quito

DAY

Private Full Day Quito City Tour with Cooking Class

DAY

Private Full Day Mindo Cloud Forest Tour

DAY

Private Full Day Middle of the Earth & Casa Agave Tour with Dinner Reservations

DAY

Depart from Quito

Travel Itinerary

Trip Starts

Trip Stop

Trip Ends

Detailed Itinerary

DAY

Arrive in Quito

Transfer

Quito Airport to Quito - Old Town

Your Accommodation

Hotel Patio Andaluz

Hotel Patio Andaluz, located in the heart of the historic "Quito Antiguo", declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978, is surrounded by churches, museums and national monuments. Come and experience the colonial times through the corridors that have witnessed Ecuadorian history since the end of the XVI century. The exclusive restaurant El Rincon de Cantuna specializes in national and Spanish cuisine and classic international dishes.

Duration

4 Night Stay

Meal Plan

Full Breakfast

Show on Map

DAY

Private Full Day Quito City Tour with Cooking Class

Day Tour

Quito City Tour with Cooking Class

The place to start exploring Ecuador is Colonial Quito, a city of narrow, cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls and, rising above, the steeples and cupolas of the city's many spectacularly decorated and historic churches. The city has one of the best-preserved colonial centers in all South America, and its integrity was assured in 1978 when the United Nations declared Quito the first World Cultural Heritage site (alongside Krakow, Poland). With your guide leading the way, walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the Monastery of San Francisco which was started five days after the founding of the city in 1534. After that you will meet an executive chef who will take you to visit the Mercado San Francisco, an outstanding market, where you stop at various stations to purchase fresh produce and learn about the products and culinary traditions of Ecuadorian cuisine. After buying the ingredients for the cooking class and tasting a few fresh fruits, you will then head to Clarosucro Restaurante to begin your cooking class. Here you will don a chef's hat and apron, and then get to work preparing three delicious dishes: a locro Quiteño, an encocado, and a chocolate soup. These foods have been chosen because the ingredients used can be found worldwide, so you will have the chance to cook these recipes back home. During the class, the chef will accompany and guide you, providing explanations and details about the history of each dish. After crafting the three courses, you have the pleasure to taste what you prepared with the chef, and after dining, will be returned to your hotel in Quito.

DAY

Private Full Day Mindo Cloud Forest Tour

Day Tour

The Mindo Cloud Forest

Leaving Quito after an early breakfast at your hotel, your guide will take you to the Pululahua volcanic crater for a peek into the crater floor where patchwork fields gleam far below. You will then drive to Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve, ascending to the top of a mountain and enjoying fabulous views along the way, to arrive at this natural paradise. Greeted by a flurry of hummingbirds, you'll also be welcomed to the reserve by local guide staff, and shortly after set out on a light hike into the forest on one of the reserve's variety of trails. An incredible 170 species of birds have been recorded at Bellavista, and the list continues to grow: Golden Tanager, Masked Trogon, Giant Antpittas, Swallow-tailed Nightjars, Plush-capped Finches, Beautiful Jays, and the White-face Nunbird have all been recorded within the Reserve's limits. Make sure to bring your binoculars! After lunch at the resort lodge, you will be invited to take another hike into the forest. During this walk, your local guide will acquaint you with the cloud forest's exuberant vegetation, its bird life, and the fascinating adaptations to life in this special environment. Soon after returning to the reserve lodge, you will begin the transfer back to your hotel in Quito.

DAY

Private Full Day Middle of the Earth & Casa Agave Tour with Dinner Reservations

Day Tour

The Middle of the Earth & Casa Agave

Ecuador is history, fascinating indigenous cultures, slow winding rivers and lush tropical forests, spectacular snow-capped volcanoes and some of the most exciting wildlife on earth. Today's private-guided tour to the middle of the earth begins just 30 minutes north of Quito, where a monument marks the equator at its closest point to the city. Archaeological evidence shows that both pre-Inca and Inca civilizations recognized and celebrated the equinox, the day the sun is directly over the equator, about which you'll learn more throughout the day. Your guide will also take you on a brief journey northwest, where you will visit the Pululahua volcanic crater for a peek into the crater floor where patchwork fields gleam far below. Later you will visit the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, a group of buildings designed to explain the significance of the site, and where you'll stop for lunch, as well as the Intiñan Museum, located directly on the Equator and where you'll see all sorts of interesting monuments, interactive displays and historic relics. Here you will have the chance to plant your feet in two hemispheres at the same time and to try to balance an egg on the head of a nail! Soon after visiting the Intiñan Museum, you'll be whisked away to Casa Agave. A unique distillery in Ecuador, Casa Agave specializes in producing Miske, a traditional and delicious spirit made from agave. Learn about the establishments local roots and pursuits, plant (and name) your own agave pup, discover the methods used to make Miske, then settle in for a sample. After touring and tasting at Casa Agave is complete, settle in for the return transfer to your hotel in Quito.

DAY

Depart from Quito

Day Tour

Dinner Reservations with Private Transfers in Quito

Tonight, set out to discover some of the best gastronomy that Quito has on offer. Arranged to coincide with your preferred dining time, reservations will be made with the restaurant of your choice (subject to availability). To take you to and from the restaurant, private transfers will be arranged. Top dining choices in Quito include Somos Ecuador Restaurant which specializes in creative, globally-infused dishes, La Vid, an outstanding restaurant offering Ecuadorian and international dishes in a gorgeous corner of the city, Quitu, an intimate and unique restaurant focusing on healthy, delicious and traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, and Nuema, a creative kitchen where you are invited to settle in for a seasonal tasting menu. If you have another dining option in mind, please speak with your Destination Specialist. Please note, your food and drinks are not included and are to be paid for on-site.

Transfer

Quito - Old Town to Quito Airport

What to Expect

Explore what moves you.

Santo Domingo Church

Sucre Theater

La Compania Church

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Lori Mezzomo and the team at Goway Travel are fantastic! Lori helped plan a 3-week Australia trip for our family of 5. Our teenage boys enjoyed exploring Sydney, Uluru, Cairns and the Gold Coast. Highlights included a Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, sunrise hike around Uluru, snorkeling with turtles on the Great Barrier Reef, and surfing on the gold coast. Lori did a fantastic job of creating an itinerary that was engaging for our teenage boys and relaxing for the parents... not an easy task! We miss Australia and would gladly book again with Lori Mezzomo and Goway Travel.Blair

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Swati was fantastic! She worked with us to create the perfect Greece trip, and handled all the details to make it a worry-free experience.Jtv

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Michael at Goway Travel was great to work with. We were planning a pre-trip with him prior to a group tour. He worked with us to hit the special places we wanted to visit and things we wanted to do. The accommodations arranged exceeded our expectations. Local guides were all amazing. This was the third trip we booked through Goway, and we will definitely book with them again in the future David Picka

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Goway Travel has South Pacific travel Consultant and they are all very experienced. ALICE was the agent who took care of my travel to Australia and she suggested best hotel accommodations excursions and worked within my budget. I had wonderful trip without any problems. Alice was very helpful and we are planning another trip will contact her.Saral

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Alice Teramoto Put together a perfect trip to Aitutaki and Rarotonga. The tours she included added to the experience. She was the glue to combine the complete package and would highly recommend her services.Valued Customer

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We just came back from a wonderful trip to Portugal. From the time I contacted Goway until now, I have been more than satisfied with our experience. Our agent Michael put together a 8 day package with all the requirements we had asked for. The 8 day trip went so seamless & took all the stress off us travelling in Portugal. Michael not only listened to what we wanted, but he was so quick to respond to all of our calls, emails & concerns. The transfers, hotels & tours he arranged were the best. We would highly recommend Goway. I can hardly wait to book our next adventure with Goway. Cathy

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Michael Keon from Goway Travel made our family trip to Greece memorable. Michael was a call or email away when planning our Greece trip and worked with us on our tight budget. Every detail was worked out for us before we got on the plane. Shout out to Nico, one of our drivers in Mykonos and all the great expeditions we went on. I highly recommend Goway Travel to plan your next vacation adventures. Jacqueline G. Jacqueline Garrett

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I just returned from a wonderful trip to Sweden and Norway. I had the good fortune of working with Michael Keon who helped me plan and customize an interesting and balanced itinerary. All of the logistics went well, flights, transfers, hotels in great locations, travel between destinations, fjord safaris, cruises and guided tours with knowledgeable guides to inform and make the experience even more memorable. Michael was responsive to all of my questions and made it so easy to both prepare for and ultimately enjoy the trip. Looking forward to planning the next one!Gail

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Just got back from a fabulous safari holiday in Tanzania. The trip was amazing! Exceeded my expectations. The people, the local team at Sense of Africa, the food, the accommodations (Karibu camps: Elephant Springs+Lion’s Paw and Sametu), the safari from the sky (hot air balloon)… I can keep going. Perfect way to celebrate my 50th bday. Thanks again to Alice Teramoto and Goway for making this happen! Truly a trip of a lifetimeKARISSA CARRASQUILLO

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I have had Melissa Moses plan our trips for us for quite a few years. She always finds interesting sights for us to see, the hotels are always beautiful and everything runs perfectly. Can't wait to get started on the next adventure. Andrea Jones

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Why Travel with Goway?

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What do the experts say?

Kajal Gadhia

Destination Specialist

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If you a looking for a unique experience, then a stay at Mashpi Lodge, Cloud Forest would be perfect. It is a remote high-biodiversity experience which boasts over 600 bird species, unique monkeys, and other fascinating wildlife

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Kajal Gadhia

Destination Specialist

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Ecuador has incredible biodiversity and varied landscapes, from the wildlife-rich Galapagos Islands to the high-altitude Andes mountains and Amazon rainforest

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Osvaldo Gonzalez

Destination Specialist

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Tourists often focus on the Galápagos or the Amazon, but the Cloud Forests — mysterious, humming with life, and relatively uncrowded — are a hidden gem.

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Osvaldo Gonzalez

Destination Specialist

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One local tradition that travelers should absolutely try to experience in Ecuador is "La Diablada de Píllaro", or The Devils of Píllaro, held every January 1–6 in the small Andean town of Píllaro, in the Tungurahua province

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