Amazon Rainforest Excursion, Guided Walking Tours, and Trip to Cotopaxi National Park

Included in all tours:

• Round-trip flights from Miami to Quito via scheduled carriers, including fuel surcharges and taxes and fees
• All ground transportation and transfers
• Seven nights standard accommodations in luxury hotels with private bath
• 15 meals, including 7 buffet breakfasts, 3 lunches, 5 dinners
• Comprehensive guided sightseeing tours, including entrance fees
• Professional English-speaking tour directors and guides<p>

Alternate gateways are available for an additional fee, subject to availability: $200 for New York (JFK), $250 for Boston (BOS) and Washington DC (IAD), $350–$400 for Chicago (ORD), and $400 for Los Angeles (LAX)

Click here for the full itinerary.

Days 1–3: Quito City Tour, the Middle of the World Monument, and Otavalo

Hotel accommodations for Quito: 4.5-star Sheraton Quito Hotel, centrally located in downtown Quito

Hotel accommodations for Otavalo: Puerto Lago, on the shores of San Pablo Lake

Hotel accommodations in Papallacta: Termas de Papallacta, which features a hydrotherapy center with five hot thermal pools<p>

After landing in Quito, you’ll have the rest of the day to relax.<p> The next morning, the tour kicks off in Quito, the capital of Ecuador and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, the city’s cobblestone streets are lined with colonial buildings and many 16th-century churches with elaborate interiors adorned with real gold leaf. Travelers will visit the Legislative Palace and Alameda Park, which holds South America’s oldest observatory, as well as the Monastery of San Francisco, Quito’s oldest church. Stop at one of Quito’s top attractions, the Middle of the World Monument, which sits on the exact spot where Charles Marie de la Condamine first established the equator. You can stand with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern.<p> After leaving Quito at the end of Day 2, you’ll spend Day 3 exploring the town of Otavalo, home to one of South America’s most spectacular markets. The scene here is saturated in color—stalls overflow with hand-woven clothing and fresh vegetables, and the local Otavaleno Indian women who work at the market wear intricately embroidered blouses and beaded necklaces. Afterward, the group will make their way to the small town of Papallacta at the entrance of the Amazon jungle. <p>

Days 4–5: Amazon Rainforest Excursion

Hotel accommodations in Punta Ahuano: Casa del Suizo, located on the shores of the Napo River amid the Amazon Rainforest<p>

The Amazonian part of the tour begins on day 4. After crossing the Napo River via canoes, the group will enjoy dinner and the sunset. The following morning, after a walk through the jungle, you can choose between two rainforest adventures: a tour of the Amazoonico—a rescue center for tapirs, monkeys, snakes, and other animals—or a rafting trip on the Napo River, where you’ll learn to make rafts out of balsa logs. Later in the day, travelers will visit with a Quechua family and learn to make chicha, a popular beverage among locals. <p>

Day 6: The Devil’s Cauldron and Baños Hot Springs

Hotel accommodations in Baños : Hacienda Leito, situated at the foot of the Tungurahua Volcano <p> On day 6, the group will visit Rio Verde falls, also known as the Devil’s Cauldron. This spectacular waterfall tumbles through verdant, rugged cliffs on its way to the rainforest floor in Puyo, which is considered to be the most important city in Ecuador’s Oriente region. The next leg of the trip includes a guided tour of Baños, an idyllic town situated at the base of a volcano. While most famous for its namesake thermal springs and highland scenery, Baños also produces taffy called melcocha. <p>

Days 7–8: Cotopaxi National Park

The final leg of the tour unfolds in this 84,000-acre national reserve that’s home to the world’s highest continuously active volcano, which rises 19,500 feet over the plains in the Andes. A diversity of wildlife inhabits Cotopaxi National Park, including wild horses and the impressive Andean condor. This indigenous, carrion-eating bird can live up to 60 years. Enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant on the last night of the trip.<p>

Afterward, you’ll return to Quito for one night at the Sheraton Quito Hotel before returning home.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much would it cost to fly from an airport not listed as part of this deal?
There are several alternate gateways available for an additional fee (listed above in the Getaway Report). Please note these rates are subject to availability and rates may vary based on flight availability at the time of booking.

2. Can we extend our trip before or after the promotional dates for the deal?
If you wish to extend your stay, Friendly Planet will gladly arrange a late return at a cost of $100 per person, plus any difference in airfare. To book a late return, just let Friendly Planet know the date you wish to return when you make your reservation.

3. How do I find out if the dates I want to travel are available?
If your requested date is available for purchase on Groupon’s site, it should still be available.

4. What happens if I buy the Groupon and my travel dates are not available?
Technically, you should not be able to buy a Groupon for a sold out date or departure city.

5. Does my child need a Groupon, and can they stay in my room?
Every passenger traveling is required to have one. Triple rooms are not available in Ecuador, so your child may share a room with one other adult.