Cotopaxi National Park Hiking & Biking Tour
Description
Enjoy a great day hiking & biking in Cotopaxi National Park. The 45-min walk is challenging but so rewarding, you will have breathtaking views on the park and the volcano! As for the mountain biking activity, be ready to experience o lot of adventure and fun when biking down the volcano and to the Lake Limpiopungo. This tour is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the otherworldly landscapes of the park and spot amazing wildlife (Andean condors, wild horses, llamas, deers, etc.).
Tour Options
Itinerary
07:15 - Pick up at Plaza Foch (Juan Leon Mera and Mariscal Foch) 07:30 - Pick up at Plaza San Blas (Caldas E1-83 y Pichincha) 08:00 - Transfer to Cotopaxi National Park 09:45 - Arrival at the parking lot at 4,600 m (15,092 ft) and start of the hike 11:00 - Arrival at the refuge at 4,800 m (15,750 ft). Hot drinks optional (not included) 13:00 - Start of downhill mountain-biking activity from the parking lot 14:00 - Arrival at Limpiopungo Lake viewpoint 15:00 - Lunch at Chaupi community 18:00 - Arrival at Quito
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Tour operator reserves the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to National Park regulations or notifications and unforeseeable circumstances
- Important: For the use of bicycles, you will be kindly asked to sign a document that you accept responsibility of the good use of the bicycle and you will be asked to let an identity document that will be given back after the tour. Thank you for your comprehension.
- Necessary equipment: Warm clothing (including a change of clothes). Gloves, Scarf, Hat. Sunglasses. Water. Hiking shoes/boots. Camera. Snacks. Sun cream. Cotton pants, Waterproof jacket
Reviews(58)
Hubby and I booked the Cotopaxi Hike and Bike. Alex, (driver) and Joel,( guide) ran a smooth tour. Happy we went!
Tough! I almost didn't finish between the altitude, sleet, rain and utter lack of visibility. Of course, none of this is the tour operator's fault. You should be fit and acclamated to the altitude to do this tour. The tour guide and driver were professional and friendly. It's not the most informative tour but it's an excellent way to see Cotopaxi in one day from Quito.
The website description and the ticket confirmation gave different tour start times. Try to resolve any such discrepancies. Don't rely on a taxi driver to know where the meet point is located. Find out from tour hosts EXACTLY where the meeting point is, and a description of vehicle, etc. (latitude/longitude coordinates, or intersection of two streets, or specific location in a parking lot...) Don't expect the tour guides to find you -- you find them! They may be unwilling to look for anyone that doesn't jump into their vehicle. If possible get tour guide's phone number for use with Whatsapp, and, if possible, check that your phone will work in the area of the tour.
A great team! A super lot of background information was given and a lot of attention was paid to the health of all participants. I can highly recommend this track! 😊
Liebe Vanessa, Vielen Dank für dein tolles Feedback! 😊 Wir freuen uns riesig, dass du unsere Tour genossen hast und dass du die vielen Hintergrundinformationen und die Aufmerksamkeit für das Wohlbefinden aller Teilnehmer geschätzt hast. Es ist unser Ziel, jedem Gast eine sichere, lehrreiche und unvergessliche Erfahrung zu bieten – umso schöner zu hören, dass uns das gelungen ist! Wir hoffen, dich irgendwann wieder auf einem Abenteuer mit uns begrüßen zu dürfen! Herzliche Grüße, Dein Ecuatraveling-Team
Great trip, the guides were very professional and knowledgeable. They allowed everyone to go at their own pace. Very one on the trip enjoyed the experience.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had a great trip and that you appreciated our guides' professionalism and knowledge. It's wonderful to know that everyone enjoyed the experience and felt comfortable going at their own pace. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future! Ecuatraveling Team
Easy trip up to the Cotopaxi base camp, and back down with the mountain bike. The ride can be quite long if you are the first pick-up point. As the bus drives by Papallacta on the way back, you can combine it with an overnight stay at the Papallacta hot springs.
Dear Karel, Thank you for sharing your experience with the Cotopaxi base camp and mountain bike tour! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the adventure and found the trip up to the base camp and the ride back down to be a great experience. Your tip about combining the return journey with an overnight stay at the Papallacta hot springs is fantastic—what a wonderful way to add a relaxing touch to the adventure! We also appreciate your feedback about the pick-up process and will keep it in mind to ensure our guests have the best possible experience. Thank you for choosing Ecuatraveling, and we hope to have the chance to help plan your next adventure soon! Warm regards, Ecuatraveling Team
Traveling solo and had an amazing experience. We had a pretty big group but the tour guide managed to satisfy everyone. Met some nice people who where also traveling solo and heard some inspiring stories. Really interesting stories from the guide about the environment and even some nice fun facts. Would definetily recommend this daytrip!!
Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad to hear that you had such a positive experience traveling solo and that the guide was able to cater to everyone in the group. It's always great to meet new people and hear inspiring stories along the way. I'm happy that you enjoyed the guide's insights and fun facts about the environment. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another adventure soon!
We had such a great time on our day trip! The guide was informative and friendly. He was also quite supportive of the guests who could not make the complete hike. We did not feel rushed once we got to the top and enjoyed the lunch on the way back. I would recommend this trip and would be happy to take another with them!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great time on your day trip and found our guide both informative and friendly. It's important to us that all guests feel supported, so we're glad to know that everyone felt comfortable, even those who couldn't complete the hike. We always aim to provide a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, and it sounds like you were able to enjoy the views and lunch on the way back fully. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you on another adventure soon!
The patience of our tour guide Estui, and mentally preparing us for what was to come. On the hike of the volcano it was pretty intense but an incredible adventure. My wife and I are in our 60s and had an incredibly great time. Thank you to our tour guide and our driver, Alex who took good care of us.
Our tour began on a chaotic note as we were waiting at the meetup spot 5-10 minutes before the tour bus was supposed to be there, but we did not see the bus go by ever. I tried texting and calling the company and could not get a hold of anyone for 35 minutes. I spent 10+ minutes on the phone with Viator trying to figure this out, accruing international calling fees. Eventually, the tour guide responded and said we needed to take a taxi 10 minutes away to the next spot as the bus would not come back for us. There were no apologies from the guide or driver for the fact that they had not tried to find us even when we were waiting at the correct spot. Not only did they make no efforts to contact me, I also was unable to contact them. Fast-forward and I was happy just to be on the bus. But things got strange quickly as the guide insisted on discouraging everyone from riding the bikes that we paid for in this tour. He kept saying it was "dangerous" even though the bike ride, ultimately, was very simple. There also were not enough bikes for the number of people. The only thing that was dangerous was the lack of bike maintenance - my bike's brakes were scarily unresponsive - and the use of skateboarding helmets in place of bike helmets, which do not offer nearly the same protection. The hike was nice and bike ride was fun, but I would advise doing with another company that will actually care about communication and safety.
