Cotopaxi National Park en Inca Ruins Day Trip

My wife and I and our 40 year old son travled to Cotopaxi to walk the lake, see some birds and hike to over 15,900 feet. We had a fantastic time with Wilson! We then went to lunch at a wonderful hacienda which incorporated the Inca ruins as well Colonial period building and more recent. It was a fantasic place and the food was wonderful. We were then surprised to feed a pack of llama. What a wonderful day out of Quito!! I highly recommend the trip.

We went with my family during this holiday, it was excellent, good Service, good guide, comfortable transportation, unforgettable experience and incomparable lunch.

From beginning to end, a great exposure to the natural beauty of Ecuador beyond Quito. Wilson tailored the day to our interests and shared his extensive guiding experience throughout the tour.. A lakeside walk below Cotopaxi volcano was a highlight but the exceptional lunch and time with llamas was exactly what we’d hoped for in selecting this tour. Highly recommend.

We were lucky to see a good part of Cotopaxi despite cloudy weather. We hiked around a small lake - 2.4 km - at 12,000 feet but didn't go up to the refuge at 15,000 thank goodness. The lunch at the Hacienda San Agustin was wonderful, the building is so interesting with its foundation from Inca times and of course, the llamas who came into the courtyard to be fed with carrots was such fun. Great tour!

This was a great day trip run by Ecuador Best Tours with Luis as our guide. He showed up 15 minutes early which was great because we were able to beat the traffic out of Quito. The drive was about 1.5 hours with some amazing views on the way. Once at the Nat’l Park, we made our way to the lagoon/pond and did a 2.5 mile hike. We were at 12,000’ and with the gusty wind, it was cold. I definitely recommend layers for top and bottom with gloves, hat, and waterproof jacket. The hike had some amazing views of the mountains, and we even spotted an Adean Condor flying above us. There are also wild horses in the field nearby. Next we went further up Cotopaxi mountain (by car) to an altitude of 15,000’. We opted not to hike up to the lodge because we could feel the effects of the altitude…but got a cool pic of the altitude on my Garmin GPS watch. Got glimpses of Cotopaxi between the clouds and it’s spectacular. On the way down, we saw a fox and interacted with it. After this we made our way to the Inca ruins for lunch. It has a pretty cool history from the Incas, to a monastery, to a farm. The lunch was absolutely delicious in an unique setting. But the best part was the surprise with the llamas. I’ll leave it at that so you can be surprised too. I definitely recommend this tour and also Ecuador Best Tours!!!

The trip to Cotopaxi National Park was beautiful!! The landscape and wildlife were great to see. The lunch at the Inca ruins site was delicious. Service was great, and home was beautiful and the Alpacas were so fun to feed! I had Luis Albuja as my tour guide. He was very nice, punctual and very knowledgeable! I would highly recommend this tour!!

It was an unforgettable life time experience! I got a unique lunch inside a well-preserved Inca Temple, while I was enjoying a stunning view of Cotopaxi volcano. My tour guide was definetely excellent, and the drive was mind-blowing. Thank you very much for such a memorable day!