Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Historic Quito & Cotopaxi
Set out on a guided tour of Quito’s historic center, walking along colonial streets and visiting a lively local market with over 250 stalls selling fresh produce, medicinal plants, herbs, meat, and seafood. Here, you’ll sample Ecuadorian fruits like naranjilla (a tangy citrus), taxo (a sweet-tart passion fruit relative), and babaco (a mild, creamy papaya-like fruit). Next, visit the Iglesia de la Compañía, one of Latin America’s most stunning churches. Inspired by Rome’s Gesú Church, its design features pillars modeled after Bernini’s Vatican columns. Following a 12-year restoration, the church now stands as a testament to the craftsmanship of Ecuadorian artisans. In the afternoon, continue to Cotopaxi National Park, located in Ecuador’s central highlands. The park is home to Cotopaxi, an active volcano towering at 5,897 meters. Though its last eruption in 2015 mainly produced ash, the snow-capped peak remains a striking landmark, though climate change has reduced its ice cover in recent years. The park’s diverse wildlife includes wild horses, llamas, foxes, deer, Andean condors, and spectacled bears. You’ll also visit Limpiopungo Lagoon and learn about medicinal plants with your guide before transferring to your hotel.