Quito city tour
Take a guided city tour of Quito. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the old part of the city is filled with Spanish colonial buildings. Churches and cathedrals dominate the narrow streets of the Old Town and are built atop the ruins of the former Inca capital. On Plaza Independencia, you'll see the Presidential Palace as well as two sixteenth-century churches filled with baroque-style artwork typical of the Quito School that evolved here during colonial times, blending European and native influences. Don’t miss Ecuadorian artist Endara Crow’s giant murals in the bank building on the plaza, some of his largest and most famous works.

Otavalo Indian Market Drive through Andean passes and valleys to the town of Otavalo, two hours north of Quito. This scenic drive takes you over the equator and past gems such as the snow-covered Cayambe volcano and Lake San Pablo. If there's time, we'll visit the busy animal market on the outskirts of Otavalo. Here, locals trade pigs, cows, sheep, goats and farm produce. They'll gladly pose for photographs and let you know the going rate for their animals. Otavalo's people are famed worldwide for their traditional Andean music as well as their fine handmade textiles. The market virtually fills the town, overflowing from the central town square. You’ll see woolen goods, tapestries, jewelry, ponchos, Panama hats (which all come from Ecuador) and unique hand-made clothing. You’ll have the chance to visit a local workshop to watch how goods are woven on old-fashioned looms and get a hearty Ecuadorian lunch.

Peter Oxford

In the afternoon, we'll visit some smaller towns with their own cultural significance, such as Cotacachi, which produces high-quality leather goods, and San Antonio de Ibarra, the home of Ecuador’s finest wood sculptors. We'll return to Quito in the late afternoon.

Antisana
As you wind your way up the mountain roads of Antisana Reserve, on your way to the volcanic peak of Antisana, you'll be treated to spectacular views of Quito. Known as "the Avenue of the Volcanoes," the stark yet beautiful scenery of the Andes surrounds you — along with mountain lakes, windswept pastures, and gorgeous vistas. We'll stop along the way many times to enjoy the wildlife and the incredible views. One stop is at a huge cliff face, where Andean condors have been known to roost. It's amazing to see these birds, with their 10-foot wingspan, riding the air currents. We pass fields dotted with Carunculated Caracaras (the population here is one of the largest in the world) and if we're lucky we might see the rare Black-faced Ibis.

After a photo stop for great views and shots of the mountain's peak, we'll have lunch at Hacienda Antisana. This working ranch with its 17th-century hacienda also hosts the Humboldt House, one of German explorer Alexander von Humboldt's lodgings during his famous expeditions in South America. After a hearty lunch and a hot mug of tea, we'll be back on our way. We'll look for the endangered Silvery Grebe in the highest lake in the Reserve, and then head back down through the beautiful Andean scenery to Quito.

Tandayapa and hummingbirds
The bird list at Tandayapa is enormous! We'll have the chance to see huge Tangara tanager flocks, and maybe even a Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Toucan Barbet, or Cock-of-the-Rock.

We'll have a boxed lunch in a special field of hummingbird feeders, owned and operated by U.S.-born naturalist Tony Nunnery. This is the best hummingbird show in the world, as the species list for this location has 35 different kinds of hummingbirds on it! The highest one-day count is 24, and regular visitors include Andean Emerald, Green Violetear, Booted Racket-tail, Violet-tailed Sylph, Brown Inca, and a host of others.

After the hummingbirds, we'll take a hike down a forest road, birding our way back to the van before returning to Quito in the late afternoon.

Cotopaxi A very special day awaits you! Set out early to Cotopaxi National Park, enjoying breathtaking views of The Avenue of Volcanoes. Here your guide leads you on a walk around Lake Limpiopungo at the base of the volcano Cotopaxi and shows you some the area’s interesting vegetation and wildlife. We may see hawks, hummingbirds, ducks and even the Andean Condor! For those feeling especially energetic (and weather permitting) we will hike up to the Cotopaxi refuge at 15,800 feet! With good weather, we will enjoy a grand view of Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world at over 19,000 feet. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant not far from the entrance of the Park. We return to Quito in the afternoon.