Things to do in

Tungurahua Province

Explore Baños, the adventure capital of Ecuador. Get to know stunning places such as Cotopaxi Volcano as well as the Quilotoa Lagoon - an unbelievable turquoise lake in the caldera of an active volcano. Once in Baños, enjoy a number of wonderful activities set against a beautiful backdrop of waterfalls and tropical greenery. This short tour makes for a great escape from Quito. Day 1 Get picked up from your hostel or hotel in Quito to begin the trip to Baños. Arrive at the Chuquiragua Lodge, and savor a delicious breakfast. Observe the stunning Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the country's most famous sights. Visit the Toachi River Canyon lookout point and the Shalala lookout point with some free time to enjoy the amazing landscape of Quilotoa Crater Lake. Depart for Baños and visit the famous "Swing at the End of the World" at La Casa del Árbol. Take in an amazing view of the gorgeous mountain landscapes. Enjoy a free evening to explore some of the local attractions. Feel free to visit the nearby thermal baths which gave Baños its name and go for a relaxing dip in these healing pools. Stay overnight in Baños.  Day 2 Spend the morning exploring Baños at your leisure. Then, get picked up at Juan Montalvo Park to begin the day's activities. Ride a cable car over the Pastaza River and experience 360-degree views of waterfalls, mountains, and beautiful jungle landscapes. Visit the stunning Devil's Cauldron (Pailón del Diablo) Waterfall. Return to Baños for free time. If you have chosen the 1-night option, prepare to return to Quito arriving by around 8:30 PM for drop off at your hotel/hostel. For the 2-night option, visit the San Martín Adventure Park for zip-lining, canopy walks, rock climbing, trekking and more. Full entry for all activities at the park is included for this option. Then enjoy a final free evening and overnight stay in Baños. Day 3 Have breakfast before heading out for the day. Spend the morning exploring Baños or taking part in one of the many exciting activities on offer. Options include city tours, quad bike rentals, canyoning, rafting and many more that you may purchase locally. Prepare to return to Quito arriving by around 8:30 PM for drop off at your hotel/hostel.

Meet at the tour operator's office in Baños at 8:30. Travel by private car towards Puyo where you will visit a rescue center for animals including monkeys, ocelots, and caimans. Afterwards you will visit a beautiful waterfall, which is about two hours away from the cabins, in which you can swim and enjoy the tranquility of the forest. The stunning setting makes the area a memorable one. On the way back to a camp through the jungle, you will hear some explanations about the rainforest and its flora and fauna. On reaching the camp, enjoy a traditional lunch, after that, embark on a 30-minute paddle canoe ride on the Puyo river. Next, visit a viewpoint to enjoy an exceptional view of the rainforest. Then continue your journey and visit a Quichua indigenous community where you can watch how they make necklaces and bracelets. You can also practice the blowpipe and paint your faces with achiote, which is a natural paint. After this amazing adventure, you will go back to Baños.

DAY 1- Andes Landscape – Hike – Local Natives – Lake Your day tour starts by heading south of Quito and driving through the Avenue of the Volcanoes, passing through the towns of Latacunga and Pujilí. On the way to Quilotoa, stop to visit an indigenous local house from the “Paramos.” You will observe their clothes and customs and visit them in a typical indigenous house made of straw. Have a chat and learn from about their lives and how they prepare to sow the soil.    Visit the town of Tigua, famous for its native paintings. Continue up to the Quilotoa Volcano, where you will be able to descend to the lake located inside the crater or just walk around the crater. Prepare to enjoy an unforgettable experience riding a mule! Take in the most beautiful landscapes of the highlands and see traditional indigenous villages. Stay overnight in Baños. DAY 2 - Adventure Activities – Baños Waterfalls – Quito After breakfast, we’ll take a walk to Agoyan Pailón del Diablo and Manto de la Novia Waterfalls, where it is possible to take a cable car close to the waterfall and Casa del Árbol to enjoy a spectacular view of Baños. Have lunch and then return to Quito.

Experience the beauty of Llanganates National Park in a protected area of Tungurahua Province on a half-day canyoning tour from Baños de Agua Santa. Highly qualified guides will kit you out with wet suits and take you through the strict safety regulations before taking you into the canyon to walk down a waterfall! Don't worry if you don't make it on the 1st try; you can practice more than once. Continue to a waterfall that cascades down 6 meters, and enjoy more canyoning thrills before raising the adrenaline stakes at an even higher waterfall. This time you will have to descend 45 meters.

Meet your expert guides at the pre-established meeting place to start your paragliding adventure. You’ll begin the paragliding in Niton, descending from which you can observe the Banos landscape and see the Tungurahua volcano. Flying from here will provide you with the best possible observation point of the city of Banos.  Listen to a technical talk to make sure you feel completely comfortable before the experience begins. You will also be provided with thermal wear to combat cold conditions once in the air. When it's time to take off, enjoy 15 minutes of pure euphoria as you glide through the city attached to your expert guide during this unique aerial experience.

Day 1: After getting picked up from your hotel in Cuenca, travel to Alausi, where you will have a litlle city tour and also you will admire beautiful Andean landscapes and watch an Andean music performance along the way. Afterward, break for lunch before beginning the journey to Riobamba. Stop along the way to visit Ecuador's oldest church and the beautiful Colta Lagoon, then you will visit the highest peak of Ecuador " Chimborazo 6300 meters". Spend the night at a hotel in Riobamba. Day 2: After breakfast, head to the charming city of Baños to admire a spectacular waterfall. Afterward, hop on a cable car and ride towards a viewpoint where you can enjoy a ride on the "swing at the end of the world". Return to Baños after your swing ride and get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's activities. Day 3: Today, visit Pujili and do a spot of shopping at the town's indigenous market, where you'll find everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to clothing. Later, visit Tigua, where a small indigenous community lives. Immerse yourself in the daily life and culture of this community before heading to Quilotoa Lake, which is often referred to as the most beautiful place in Ecuador. Here, enjoy a stroll around the edges of the lake or even take an optional donkey ride. Spend the night at a hotel in Quilotoa. Day 4: Rise early to travel to the Cotopaxi National Park, where you can go for a walk around the Limpiopungo Lake. If the weather is clear, admire panoramic views of one of the world's most active volcanoes. Afterward, travel to Quito where you will say goodbye to your guide and spend the evening exploring the city at your leisure. 

Depart central Baños de Agua Santa at 09:00 for the start of this full-day whitewater rafting adventure into the lush landscape of the northern foothills of Tungurahua volcano and Ecuador’s gateway to the Amazon. You will be provided will all necessary equipment for a safe and fun river adventure. Transfer to the town of San Francisco by private van. En route, admire the cascades of many waterfalls, such as Agoyan, Manto de la Novia, and El Pailon del Diablo. Upon arrival at the Pastaza River, your certified guide will give a safety talk and explain the various commands to keep you safe on the river at all times. Then, get set for some real rafting thrills of class III and IV rapids as the Pastaza River passes through a steep gorge and joins the free-flowing Topo River. Before your transfer back to Baños de Agua Santa, enjoy a well-deserved lunch and share memories of your adventure.

The trip starts in the tour office at 9 am every day where you will try the equipment and drive by car toward Casahurco, one of the most emblematic sceneries in which to practice this adventure. When you get there you will have a safety briefing and start going down big waterfalls, swimming through it and jumping to big pools. You can practice different jumps here, zip lining on the rope to change a new route. The time in the Canyon will be more or less 3 hours, and after you finish the tour stop by a local restaurant nearby where you will get served a delicious lunch. Return to to Banos at around 2 pm.

The city of Baños is surrounded by natural walls of basalt rock, formed by the eruptions of the Tungurahua volcano. Travel by car just 20 minutes from the city to this popular rock climbing site and admire the beauty of the landscape. Your guides will explain the program and provide a safety briefing. You’ll be able to practice the climbing exercise more than one time if you wish! There are different levels of activities ranging from beginner to expert on this half-day program. Beginning climbs usually range in difficulty from 5.5 to 5.8, and involve using a top-rope setup within 50 feet of the ground. Using this technique, you can easily receive instruction and return to the ground at any time. Intermediate guided climbs usually range in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.9, and take place utilizing a top-belay setup or multi-pitch techniques. Top-belay setups require that you have general climbing knowledge and are proficient at belaying technique. You would belay the guide to the top of the cliff, and then join the guide at the top, where you would once again be under direct guide supervision. Advanced guided climbs usually range in difficulty from 5.8 to 5.11 and beyond, and typically involve multi-pitch techniques. Multi-pitch techniques are required in order to cover the significant amount of climbing involved. At this level you would be required to be alone at a belay station while the guide climbs to the next belay station. In addition, you would have to exit the belay station and clean the station by bringing along all of the guide’s equipment used to construct the belay. You will discuss advanced topics such as rope management, descent systems, anchor placement, and station management, with your guide.