Get Onto A Mesmerizing Ecuador & Colombia Tour This Year End With This Latin America Journey Guide

Day 1: Arrival in Quito

Ecuador is considered a pearl of colonial architecture standing high in the Andean Mountains. Museums portray images of the city and the country’s past with clarity and focus. Wood carvings and ceramics decorate shop windows offering views of the cobbled streets outside. The Andean culture presents life in the form of vibrant clothing worn in traditional styles and also incorporated perfectly into modern fashion. As your flight lands at Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport, you will be met by your private guide. The homes and streets create a dramatic image set against the rugged mountain peaks as you traverse into the city.

You will soon reach your luxurious hotel in the heart of the historical city center and settle down into the comforts of your accommodation which is nestled inside a refurbished mansion.

Day 2: Exploring Quito

This morning, the sweet scent of fresh fruit fills your dining room at breakfast while the sunlight spreads across the colonial facades of Old Town. Your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and lead you through the history and culture of Ecuador’s Andean capital. As the morning clouds slide away, you will be offered a crystal-clear view of the snow-capped volcanic peaks of Cotopaxi and Cayambe. An aromatic air of eucalyptus and pine exudes from the eastern ridge of Parque Metropolitano, which is the largest park in South America, encompassing 14,000 acres.

The church and monastery of San Francisco was built in the early 17th century and has evolved throughout all these years after necessary reconstructions due to damage from the earthquake. Pristine white towers frame the aged brownstone of the entrance overlooking Plaza de San Francisco. The complex covers nearly seven and a half acres over 13 cloisters, three churches, and a large central courtyard.

Day 3: Visiting Zuleta

The vibrant hues of the traditional Andean garments brighten the stalls and pathways of the spectacular Otavalo Market outside of Quito. Handcrafted jewelry and textiles provide a rainbow of the history in the countryside, from polishing intricate beadwork to hand-dying fabrics. After breakfast, your private guide will meet you at your hotel and transfer you out of the colonial charm of Old Town in order to reach the rich tradition of Zuleta. On reaching, relax in the lavish comforts of your ranch-style accommodation.

In the afternoon, you’ll traverse to the creamery in order to learn about the various types of cheeses that the farm produces with its 300 Holstein-Friesian cows.

Day 4: Another Day in Zuleta

Today morning, after breakfast, the day is completely yours to enjoy the astonishing sites around the hacienda at your preferred pace. Wander to the historical pyramids on the grounds or venture to the forest to trek amongst eucalyptus forest.

Day 5: Heading to Bogota

At breakfast, savor the exotic flavor of cherimoya, a fruit having white flesh and creamy texture with a taste quite similar to a combination of banana, pineapple, and strawberry. Later, your private guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and take you towards Quito. On your way to Ecuador’s capital city, you will take a halt in the town of Ipiales to visit the Las Lajas Cathedral. The 18th-century sanctuary resembles a castle more than a place of worship since the structure was constructed atop a stone bridge spanning a deep gorge. The elegant neo-Gothic décor offers a European mystique contrasting with the encircling verdant hillsides.

After the Cathedral, you will return to Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport to catch your flight to Bogota. Your guide will meet you at Bogota’s El Dorado Airport, for a private escort into the captivating colonial center of a city made of colorful contrasts.

Day 6: Discovering More of Bogota

The scent of arepas fills the dining room at breakfast and drifts through the cobblestone streets of the historical city center. Colonial homes glitter with white facades accentuated with vibrantly painted doors and windows as corrugated balconies hover above the narrow pathways.

The wealth of majesty and history rises from the bustling daily life of the city and exudes from the Museo del Oro, which is the celebrated Gold Museum highlighting the country’s association to the precious metal before, and after, Spanish arrival.

Day 7: Venturing to Cartagena

This morning, after breakfast, your private guide will meet you at your hotel and transfer you along the historical streets of Bogota in order to reach El Dorado Airport.

The city resides against the Caribbean Sea, encouraging a relaxed and jovial atmosphere to match. The walls of the San Felipe de Barajas Fortress surround the coastline and rise along the hill overlooking the sapphire waters. As you land at Rafael Nunez International Airport, you’ll be beginning with an introductory tour of Cartagena’s diverse neighborhoods. The neighborhood of Manga has a laid-back atmosphere spreading along leafy streets as the Moorish and Andalusian mansions.

Day 8: Departure for Home

At breakfast, you will indulge for the last time in a cup of freshly brewed Colombian coffee before your private guide meets you. When you are ready, you’ll be transferred to Rafael Nunez International Airport for your flight back home.