ECUADOR CLASSICO - date fisse

Arrival at Quito. Reception in Italian upon arrival and transfer to the hotel. Hotel accommodation.

Breakfast. Visit of the city of Quito (altitude approximately 2,850 m) During the visit to the old part of the city you can still breathe in Ecuador's colonial history. Your guide will take you on a walk through Quito's culturally diverse history. Independence Square with the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace, as well as the Cathedral. On the way to San Francisco Square, you will visit the church of La Compañia, which has the most richly gilded and elaborately carved façade and interior. The interior is astonishing. It is said to be the church most covered in gold in the country. Columns, altars, doors, everything has been covered in gold leaf: it is Baroque at its most exuberant. Afterwards, visit of the church of San Francisco. Weather permitting, you can reach a viewpoint from which the whole city can be admired (Note: On Sundays, visits to the churches may be restricted because of religious services). In the afternoon, departure for the "Mitad del Mundo", 45 minutes north of Quito, where the line of the Equator was precisely established, marking exactly latitude 00°00'00; this was done during the first half of the 18th century by the French Geodesic Mission and by some Spanish officials, as well as by Quito's own scientists. Visit of the Ethnology museum. Free time for lunch (not included). Hotel accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure for Cotopaxi Parque nacional. Located 177 km south-west of Quito, at an altitude of 3,900 m, visit of the Quilotoa Lagoon. Enjoy an incredible view over the turquoise waters filling the inside of the crater. Appreciate the splendid Andean landscapes, the varied wildlife and flora and the nearby indigenous communities dressed in their traditional clothes as they tend their livestock. Lunch at a restaurant. Transfer to the hotel. Hotel accommodation.

Breakfast. You will visit Cotopaxi National Park, a large ecological reserve of great geological and botanical interest, and you will have the chance to admire the beautiful volcano. Continuation to Riobamba. Dinner at the hotel. Hotel accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure to visit the market of Guamote. Guamote, which lies 51 km south of Riobamba at an altitude of 3,048 metres, is set in a natural landscape of exceptional beauty, in contrast with the simplicity, indeed the poverty, of the village. The traveller is plunged into far more distant times. Few sights are as delightful as the markets of small Andean villages. On Thursdays, the village comes alive with a large fair where many indigenous people gather. The inhabitants of villages that no road connects to the rest of the world have remained faithful to their traditional way of life. They come down on foot or on horseback, leading llamas laden with goods. At the livestock market, all transactions are made in Quechua, but the Indians selling clothes or food often speak Spanish. Here you can admire the traditional dress of the various indigenous communities more than at any other market in Ecuador. Continue towards the province of Cañar and, after two and a half hours' journey, you reach the archaeological site of Ingapirca, the most important monument of pre-Hispanic culture in Ecuador. The ruins stand on a grass-covered hill at an altitude of approximately 3,100 m. Even before the temple of the sun was built (1450-1480), this place held important spiritual significance for the Incas. In 1470, Yupanqui, the Inca king, subdued the local Cañari tribe and is believed to have built the city of Ingapirca. During a walk through the former place where the Incas lived and held their ceremonies, you will learn about their beliefs and rituals, as well as the way in which they built this site, which is shaped like a puma. Lunch at a restaurant. Continuation to Cuenca. Visit to the factory and museum of the famous "toquilla" straw hats of Ecuadorian origin (Panama hats), which come from Montecristi, a small village in the province of Manabi, on the Pacific coast. Hotel accommodation.

Breakfast. In Cuenca, founded in 1557 on the site of an Inca settlement in a valley, you can still breathe the colonial air of Ecuadorian history. The city lies at about 2,500 m above sea level. For most Ecuadorians - and for travellers - this centre of art, ceramics, Panama hats and silver and gold products is the most beautiful city in Ecuador. Thanks to its special atmosphere and its early 19th-century architecture, Cuenca was declared a "World Cultural Heritage Site" in November 1999. During your sightseeing tour of the city you will see the historic buildings along the Tomebamba River, the ruins of "Todos los Santos", the flower market and the main square with the old and the new cathedral. Visit to the Museum of Aboriginal Cultures, a private collection bringing together a genuine archaeological, cultural and ethnographic treasure of Ecuador. In the afternoon, continuation to Guayaquil. Hotel accommodation.

Breakfast. Airport transfer.