Ecuador - Tours and excursions in Quito

Quito is situated in the northern part of Ecuador, in the midst of the breathtaking Andean mountain range. On a day tour from Quito, you can easily visit five different unique vegetation zones listed below.

• Tierra Nevada – Also known as the place of eternal snow, it is located at about 4000 metres with an average temperature of around freezing point. This day tour allows you to visit volcanoes like Cotopaxi, Antisana or Cayambe.
• Páramo – Tierra Helada (frozen earth) is an area which experiences the most intense night frost.  Located at 3600 metres, lichen, moose and rosette grow aplenty here. To visit this area, a day tour from Quito to Cayambe-Coca-Nationalpark and to the Papallacta Hot Springs is highly recommended.
• Tierra Fria (cold earth) is a vegetation zone which begins from 2000 metres. This area experience high levels of humidity where orchids, bromeliads and grasslands thrive and bloom. This area can be visited on a day tour from Quito to Latacunga.
• Tierra Templada is located between 900 and 2000 metres. This area experience moderate temperature with relatively high levels of rainfall in the cloud forest. Visit this zone on a day tour from Quito to Mindo!
• Tierra Caliente (warm earth) – located at the coast and in the Amazon below 900 metres, this area is evergreen with a humid tropical climate. We highly recommend a day tour from Quito to Santo Domingo.

Below is a list of our best-selling day tours in Quito:

Day Tour to Cotopaxi National Park (Tierra Nevada) – This day tour includes a pleasant hike around the Cotopaxi National Park and a visit to the indigenous market. Lunch at one of the beautiful Hacienda is included.

Day tour to Papallacta at the Cayambe-Coca National Park (Tierra Helada) – This includes a short hike in the cloud forest or the national park, followed by a relaxing bath at the Papallacta hot springs.

Day Tour on a Train Ride to the Clouds (Tierra Fría) – This tour includes a train ride through the fertile plains in the south of Quito where you get to visit farms and have lunch there.

Day Tour around Mindo (Tierra templada) – After stopping by the Equator Museum, the tour heads north-west to Mindo where you can visit the butterfly farm, travel on the waterfall route and experience the cloud forest with its very own bird paradise.

Day Tour to Santo Domingo de Los Colorados (Tierra Caliente) – This tour brings you on a breathtaking ride over a pass south of Quito from as high as 4000 metres to as low as 600 metres through the desert vegetation. The tour also includes a visit to the indigenous Shamen community.

Day Tour to Otavalo – With its legendary Poncho market, this day tour allows you to witness how the entire city transforms into a colourful marketplace. Otavalo is best visited on Saturday – the main market day of the week.

More exciting day tours await you below!