If you enjoy history and art, Quito is your perfect destination. Here you will find the least altered and largest Colonial Center in South America which has gone through a seven year $200 million renovation.

Quito has a unique blend of modern and old with an offering of upscale hotels and fascinating old churches and monasteries which all served for the New York Times to name it as the place # 15 to go in 2008. As this was not enough, Quito was designated a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. Together with Krakow, Quito was the first city to be honored with such a title.

After Quito, our next destination will be Otavalo. This tour includes visits to indigenous villages located in the north of Otavalo where pre-Incan archaeological sites and sacred places exist. There are many workshops where weavings, musical instruments and other handicrafts are made. This tour is perfect to discover and to experience indigenous traditional knowledge!

But Otavalo is not the only famous market in Ecuador as our last destination stop will show you. One of the most attractive and well known qualities of the Ecuadorian Andes is their native markets. Besides the warm atmosphere, the bustling sounds and smells and the wonderful colors of these markets, they are selling everything from fresh fruit to beautiful handicrafts. No matter which market you decide to go to, you will be guaranteed to be awed by the life that fills the air there, and by the things you'll see.

This tour will combine the magic of both nature of the Cotopaxi landscape and the warm atmosphere of a native market. Depending on the day of the week you can choose to go as many different markets as there are volcanoes in this beautiful part of Ecuador.

Itinerary

Day	Location	Hotel	Activity
1	Quito	Patio Andaluz or similar	Transfer in
2	Quito	Patio Andaluz or similar	HD Quito city tour + Equatorial line
3	Otavalo	Patio Andaluz or similar	FD Otavalo Indian Communities tour
4	Cotopaxi	Patio Andaluz or similar	FD Cotopaxi National Park + Market tour
5	Quito		Transfer out

• - Roundtrip ground transportation from Quito
• - 4 nights lodging in a Standard room
• - Bilingual guide English-Spanish
• - All entrances to sites of interest
• - All meals

• Guapulo viewpoint
• Panecillo viewpoint
• Basilica cathedral
• Compañía Church
• San Francisco Church
• La Ronda street
• Mitad del Mundo complex
• Intiñan museum
• Otavalo market
• Cotacachi market
• Quichuqui community
• Peguche community
• Illuman community
• Cotopaxi National Park