- 3 Day
- Departures all year
- Medium
Advanced level trekking in the heart of the Cotopaxi National Park.
The Cotopaxi National Park has several alternative activities, among the most important is trekking, where you can enjoy impressive views of several volcanoes and for its pesto of the Cotopaxi Volcano, flora and fauna is what prevails in the following hiking and hiking routes.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Quito (2,800 m) – Laguna Verdecocha (4,200 m)
Day 2
Laguna Verdecocha (4,200 m) – Chirimachay Camp (4,000 m)
Day 3
Chirimachay Camp (4,000 m) – Inca Ruins – Quito
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Quito (2,800 m) – Laguna Verdecocha (4,200 m)
The tour starts in Quito (2,800m) for the drive to the south of Cotopaxi National Park, we drive for about 2 hours until we reach “Morro” (3,900m) our starting point, here the mules will be waiting, We are going to load all the luggage and start the walk to the “Laguna Verdecocha” (4,200m) which is at the base of the “Quilindaña” Volcano where we will set up camp for the first night. Getting to our first camp will take around 4- 5 hours, dinner and rest until the next day, night in tents.
Day 2: Laguna Verdecocha (4,200 m) – Chirimachay Camp (4,000 m)
After a nutritious breakfast we will start our walk around the base of the Cotopaxi volcano, from the south face to the north face, we will see the mineral waters coming out from between the big rocks. This area of the park has great natural beauty and it is common to see the Andean condor in all its splendor. During the walk we will be able to see several surrounding volcanoes such as: Antisana, Sincholagua, Quilindaña, etc- not to mention Cotopaxi that will be in sight at all times, this tour is a must for the nature enthusiast as the flora and fauna of the area is stunning and this is a largely untouched area of the cotopaxi national park. Normally it will take us between 6-8 hours to reach our second camp “Chirimachay” (4,000m), we will have dinner and rest until the next morning, overnight in tents.
Day 3: Chirimachay Camp (4,000 m) – Inca Ruins – Quito
After a nutritious breakfast, it is the last day we will continue our walk through a very pleasant place the Andean plateau, we will pass through the “Santo Domingo” lagoon with lots of vegetation and incomparable views, then we will visit the Pre- Inca fortress of “Pucará del Salitre” that served as a viewpoint and military strategic point, springs and small hills to conclude our trekking. Normally it will take around 5-6 hours to get to this place, where our transportation will be waiting for us to take us to Quito.
What's included
The price includes:
- Tour operator registered and licensed
- Professional Certified Trekking Guide
- Private transportation to and from Quito
- Accommodation in double tents
- Food during the tour: dinner, breakfast, box lunch
- Tickets and permits to the Cotopaxi National Park
- Trekking and camping equipment
The price doesn’t include:
- No type of Insurance
- Personal equipment such as: waterproof/warm clothing, sleeping bag, hat, glasses, gloves, etc…
- Tips
- Other unspecified expenses
Prices and dates
TOUR INFORMATION:
Time: All year (previous reservation)
Level: Medium
Dates and Prices: More information about dates and prices on request.
What to wear?
This is what you need to bring for this tour:
- Backpack
- wool gloves
- warm clothes
- Waterproof clothing
- sleeping bag
- down jacket
- Mattress
- Cap
- Headlamp
- Sunglasses
- Extra Snacks
- Sunscreen
- Photographic camera
- Bottle for water
- Trekking Poles
