Cotopaxi Full-Day Tour
Reaching an elevation of 19,388 feet (5,897 m) above sea level, Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world. During this tour you'll visit the Cotopaxi National Park and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Ecuadorian Andes.
- Duration:
- 9 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 8:00 AM
- Hotel Transport Included
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
This tour departs Quito at 8:00 AM. You'll drive south along the Pan-American Highway until you reach the Cotopaxi National Park approximately two hours later. During the ride, you'll see beautiful landscapes and tall Andean mountains.
Once you arrive at the park, you'll visit a museum and learn about the flora and fauna of the area, as well as other important information about the Cotopaxi Volcano. After you've had your fill of the museum, you'll walk to the Limpiopungo Lagoon, which will take about 30 minutes. Birds frequent this lagoon, and it's a great place for birding. Commonly sighted species include great thrushes, ground-tyrants, and speckled teals.
You'll enjoy a tasty snack before continuing on to a parking lot located at 15,100 feet (4,600 m); more excellent views can be had from here. If you're interested in additional exploration, a 1-hour walk to the José Rivas refuge can be arranged.
The tour will then return to Quito and arrive around 5:00 PM.
Attraction Visited
Home to one of the most iconic volcanoes in South America, this park also features a wide-open alpine landscape. At a staggering 19,347 feet (5,897 m), the Cotopaxi Volcano is the focal point of the park.
Read more:Cotopaxi National Park
What to Bring
Sunscreen, rain jacket, comfortable clothing, hiking shoes, water bottle, snacks, and camera.
What's included
Private transportation, English-speaking guide, and entrance fees.
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Similar things to do
This trek of between two and three days, takes us from the small Andean village of Oyacachi, located to the south of the Nevado Cayambe, at 3,200 meters above sea level, along the Oyacachi River, to the jungle village of The Chaco, at 1,600 meters of altitude. In Oyacachi there are hot springs with good infrastructure that are usually frequented mostly by visitors from Cayambe and Quito on weekends.
This tour explores both the wonderful city of Quito and the so called "Middle of the World," which is the place where the equator runs through Ecuador. You'll learn a great deal about the history and culture of Ecuador while on this tour.
Ecuador has a chain of volcanoes known as the “Avenue of the Volcanoes.” On this tour, you’ll take a train that passes by some of the area’s impressive volcanoes.
