Otavalo Market and Laguna Cuicocha Full-Day Tour from Quito
Description
The Otavalo cultural tour is a wonderful way to discover and combine the famous artisan indigenous market in Ecuador with some of the most amazing views nearby the capital. Wander around one of the most famous indigenous markets of South America, walk on the Equator Line, taste delicious bizcochos, hike around the beautiful Cuicocha Laguna, visit the Cotacachi leather-town and savour a local lunch - the perfect mix of culture, nature, history, and gastronomy.
Tour Options
Itinerary
NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE MAIN MONUMENT Entrance fee to the small Equator monument - $2 per person The Quitsato Sundial is a cultural-tourist place located at La Mitad Del Mundo, near Cayambe, 47 km north of Quito. It was built in 2006 and inaugurated in 2007 as an independent, non-profit project in a 24,756 ft² (2300 m²) area. Its main goal is to share crucial aspects of the astronomical knowledge of the prehispanic cultures of the region. The expositions are carried out by community members as a self-sustaining project. According to Google Maps, the central pillar is 4 meters south of the true equator. After this very interesting visit, we will head to a traditional bizcochos factory. You will learn everything about the traditional biscuits of the Cayambe region and, of course, taste those delights!
We will stop at the viewing point “Mira Lago” where it is possible to see Cayambe, Imbabura, San Pablo Lake, Tabacundo and flower farms.
You will have time to explore the famous indigenous market, exchange with the friendly sellers, and do some shopping.
Visit the town of Cotacachi, declared as "Magic Village of Ecuador" because of its cultural richness. Indeed, Cotacachi is know as the " leather town", which makes it the perfect place for you to buy some locally-made leather pieces. There, we will also enjoy a delicious lunch in a local and charming restaurant.
Here, you will have time for a small walk around the Laguna. Enjoy the magnificent landscapes and the views of the nearby volcanoes!
Return to Quito and drop off at your original meeting point.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour operator reserves the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather, National Park regulations or notifications and unforeseeable circumstances
- Necessary equipment: Warm clothes, gloves, hat. Sunglasses & Sunscreen. Water, snacks. Hiking shoes. Camera and Waterproof jacket. Cash.
Reviews(41)
Great and varied experience. The local culture is well known.
The visit to Midad du Mundo very interesting. The Ottavalo market was a little disappointing, smaller than we expected, not cheap and with merchandise also available from other parts. Tour of the lagoon very short. Very good and helpful guide, which has greatly improved the trip which in itself is not great also because there is a lot of downtime
Thank you for your feedback, we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad to hear that you found the visit to the Middle of the World interesting and that your guide made a positive impact on your trip—that means a lot to us, as we work with some of the best guides in Ecuador. We also value your honest comments regarding Otavalo Market and the lagoon visit. Otavalo is one of the most traditional markets in South America, but we understand that expectations can vary, especially regarding size, pricing, and product variety. Your feedback helps us continue improving how we present and customize these experiences for our guests. Regarding the pacing and downtime, this is something we can absolutely adjust in future itineraries by adding more activities or tailoring the schedule to better match each traveler’s preferences. Thank you again for traveling with us. We hope to have the opportunity to create an regards, Ecuatraveling Team
Skip this tour unless you have a lot of time in Quito. We should have done Mindo or Coatapaxi instead. Our pick up time was 7:10. We waited in a coffee shop until after 7:30 when the bus arrived. We drove to a place to try biscochos and some people bought coffee or breakfast. The Solar Museum was $5 USD per person, not $2 as stated on the site. They did not have change for a $20 bill, so be prepared with cash. It was interesting and informative. Otovalo market was not nearly as large or impressive as others we've visited, and things were more expensive. It was 1/4 the size of an average WalMart. The lagoon was pretty. Stairs, but not a strenuous hike at all. Lunch was simple and tasted fine, but we didn't eat until nearly 3 PM. We had a little time to visit the town, but not much. There was no demonstration of the leather goods. It felt like most of the day was spent driving, and the long distance was not worth the sites along the way. The bus was not comfortable and was very old. Traffic was bad, so we didn't arrive back to Quito until 7:30 PM.
This was an amazing day with a great guide! Joe was extremely helpful at every stage of the trip and his knowledge of the sites is complete. Highly recommend him and this tour!
Hi Daniela, Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had an amazing day exploring Otavalo and its surroundings. Joe will be so happy to know his guidance and knowledge made your experience memorable. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! Warm regards, Ecuatraveling Team 🌿✈️
I felt there was too much time at the Otavallo market and not enough time at the lake. I think the lake is the main attraction. Otherwise both the driver (Romiro) and the guide (Joel) were excellent.
I liked the tour. I enjoyed the solar museum and hearing about the traditions of the indigenous people. It would have been nice if we had been told that we would have a place to buy breakfast. We had gotten up extra early to have time to eat in the hotel. Also, while I enjoyed the explanation of the indigenous girls clothing, I didn't appreciate the pressure to buy something from her before we even got to the market to see what else was available. And having the painter pass his paintings around the bus was way too much.
We had a great experience with our tour guide Stui! He told us so much about the volcanos, the history and people of the region! We enjoyed the tour because we got to taste Bizcochos at the place where they are made, we went to Lago de San Pablo, the Otavalo market, Cotacachi and hiked a bit in Cuicocha to see the beautiful lake! This experience was amazing,many thanks to our guide Stui, you are going a great job!!!
Dear Marisol, We appreciate you informing us about our tour leader, Stui and your amazing experience. We are happy to hear that Stui gave you a lot of information on the volcanoes, the history of the area, and its inhabitants. It's great that you had a good time on the tour and got the chance enjoy some delicious bizcochos, and see Lago de San Pablo, discover Cotacachi, and trek in Cuicocha to take in the lake's splendor. We sincerely appreciate your kind sentiments, and we'll make sure to let Stui know how much we appreciate him. We work hard to give our clients incredible experiences, and comments like yours inspire us to keep up the good work. Once more, thank you for choosing us, and we hope to see you soon. Sincerely, Ecuatraveling Staff
Locating someone (actually her mother) whose photo I had taken a few years ago and which was selected for a 2022 international calendar, a copy of which I took for her.
We had a wonderful time on this tour!! Instructions were clear on meeting points since the tour was public. We had the best tour guides, Carlos and Alejandro!!! They were so nice, knowledgeable and such positive energy!! We went to the Laguna Cuicocha, the markets and the Middle of the World! Each spot on the tour was informational and exciting! Lunch was delicious and good options for vegetarians which I appreciated! 10/10 would do again!!
Due to covid restrictions, we were not able to do a shared tour but were able to set up a private tour to Otavalo Market. What a wonderful day! Andres was prompt and knowledgeable about the tour and gave us great tips. We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip outside of Quito!
Thank you very much for your reply, we really appreciate the time for writing to us, we all know that this last year was not the best for this industry, but people like you that decided to come and visit us make us keep the good faith about getting back in business as we used to be, and of course keep showing our beautiful country to more and more visitors. Ecuatraveling Team!!
