Cotopaxi Full-day From Quito Including Entrances

This is a well organized tour mixing learning about Ecuador geological aspects with emphasis on Cotopaxi and hiking to the base camp. Daniel was awesome explaining things with enthusiasm and was accommodating.

The tour was well organized, good driving and worth the price The guide was knowledgeable and took care of our needs

Fantastic tour, many thanks to Irene and Jimmy. Perfect organization.

We had a great time and the whole trip was very well organised! From the first stop for breakfast to the last stop for a late lunch. We were 11 in our group which was a good sized group. When walking up Cotopaxi you got to do it in your own pace and also had the chance to reach 5000 m if you wanted to which we appreciated. 🌋 Our guide Irene was very knowledgeable and had a great energy which contributed to making the day even better. And our driver Jimmy worked hard to get us up the bumby roads of Cotopaxi. Big thanks to Irene and Quito tour bus!

As a solo female traveler visiting Ecuador for the first time, this Cotopaxi tour from Quito was a great decision! Irene was such a fun, friendly, and knowledgeable tour guide, and our driver Jimmy did an impressive job driving safely on the winding, rocky roads in the park. Pickup and dropoff directly at my hotel was super convenient. It was a cold and rainy day but Irene kept our energy up and the journey was beautiful. Would recommend this tour!

We booked a day trip to Cotopaxi and had the most wonderful experience, largely thanks to our guide, Jorge. From start to finish, he was exceptionally kind, professional, and attentive to our needs. High-altitude hiking can be intimidating, but he paced the climb to the José Rivas Refuge perfectly and offered the exact right mix of encouragement and support to help us push through and reach the summit. We felt safe, well-cared for, and motivated the entire day. If you're heading out to Cotopaxi, hope you get him as your guide—highly recommend!

This is the 2nd tour we booked with Josue and we loved it! Our driver was so impressive as well how he drove through the rough roads and weather in Cotopaxi. We got lucky with awesome photos of the volcano and Josue offered to take photos of everyone at each stop. The hike itself was difficult but the feeling when you complete it is such a great feeling! I’d recommend this to anyone I know

Flexibility for not taking the hike to the summit if you’re a Senior Citizen. But if you’re a hiker or a marathon runner, you can easily go to the summit.

This tour was great!!! Our guide (Veronica) was so passionate, bubbly and was proud of her country and all that it has to offer. We partially climbed the Cotopaxi active volcano in the middle of a snow shower and loved the challenge! When we arrived at the hiker’s refuge and realized that we were approximately 16,000 feet above sea level we had such a sense of accomplishment! After the climb back down to the bus we were able see the peak of Cotopaxi peeking out from behind the clouds and the scene felt almost magical. We would definitely recommend this tour to others!!

Its a good walk to the base camp. Physically challenging but I saw ppl of all ages and gender do it and in the end manage. The route down recommended by the guide was a fast one but slightly slippery. The Lake though was a quick stop not much explained by the guide and not much time spent either

Great experience, and the guide Daniel and the driver did an excellent job! Highly recommend this tour!

We didn’t see a mountain. Bus was broken- I had to smell bus exhaust smoke for 4 hours.

Jorge was a wonderful tour guide and so positive. The whole day was very well planned and very fun. I really enjoyed it.

The tour took about 9 hours and was well organized. We had a group of about 10 people in this tour. After picking up everyone at their hotels in a van, we first stopped to get food and cash, then stopped to get coca tea to help with the altitude before going to the visitor center. After the visitor center we went to the parking lot (~4500m altitude) below the Cotopaxi volcano base camp. The trip by van to the parking lot took about 3 hours, including the 3 stops (around 20 min for each stop). From the parking lot, we walked up a winding path to get to the volcano base camp at an altitude of 4864m. I normally live near sea level and was only in Quito for less than a day, so the altitude was noticeable and had to walk slowly, but was doable in under an hour. I didn't take any additional medication for the altitude, just the coca tea. It was also noticeably colder than Quito, maybe 5-10C in Oct 2026, but jeans and 3 layers of shirts was sufficient to keep warm. It was a little cloudy and there were brief moments where the summit could be seen between clouds, and we got some decent photos during those times. Then we went down a steeper, but more direct path back to the parking lot. It was really sandy and a little tricky to walk without slipping, but it was much faster than going up. Then we got back on the van and stopped at a lagoon for about 15min, then went to Rondador Cotopaxi to eat lunch, which luckily had a vegan option. Then we went back to Quito. During the bus ride to Cotopaxi, our guide explained a lot about the geography and history of the area in both Spanish and English and was very knowledgeable about the area. Overall, it was a great tour and would recommend it to others.

Alejandro is a great guide. He was very informative about the region and switched back and forth between English and Spanish. Bring cash for the coca leaf tea and bathrooms are 25 cents each at the park

Overall, the tour covered interesting information about the geological and political history of Ecuador. We had terrible weather, however, so the Refugio hike was really rough- in hindsight, probably would have been safer not doing it and rather driving around to get different mountain views.

An Unforgettable Tour Thanks to Our Amazing Guide Pamela! We were picked up from our hotel right on time. From the very beginning, we were kept informed about where we were going, how long everything would take, and what to expect. The energy and enthusiasm of our tour guide, Pamela, were absolutely incredible! She truly made our trip unforgettable. The time management, the choice of restaurant, the organization — everything was absolutely perfect from start to finish! We also want to give a special shout-out to our driver, who drove safely and responsibly throughout the entire trip, making us feel comfortable and secure at all times. Thank you so much, Pamela, and the entire team for such an amazing experience! We couldn’t have asked for a better tour!

It was an amazing and special adventure! Irene our guide was very nice and shared a lot of knowledge. She was very responsible about the altitude and made us feel safe. We had such a good time!

Irene the guide was really nice and with a lot of knowledge. She was very responsible about the altitude and made us feel safe.

We had a wonderful experience on the Cotopaxi full-day tour with our guide Irene. She was informative, supportive, and tons of fun! My mom struggled with the altitude, and Irene was incredibly kind and helpful. The views of the volcano were awesome, though the hike is a bit challenging due to the elevation so come prepared. We highly recommend this tour company and Irene especially!

What a great trip! So much fun to hike to base camp. Our guide was great, we enjoyed the history lessons and instruction he gave us to make the hike. We really enjoyed Ivan our driver who let us practice our Spanish!

We had an amazing time with our tour guide Pamela today, Pamela was professional with a good attitude and making jokes to keep everyone entertained. We got lucky with weather at the time of year, we managed to get some nice photos and make memories. The driver of the tour bus Jonathan was excellent and picked us up, took us to our tour destination and then safely dropped us back off at our hotel. Would recommend to anyone looking to discover about Cotapaxi and it's surrounding national park. Although the tour does not include food / drinks, we was able to take breaks to acquire snacks before the trip and before return back to our hotel we was taken to a nice place to have some home cooked food.

We had a wonderful time with our tour guide Veronica! She was so kind!! We had our 16 month old with us and she was so understanding the whole time. We loved our time in Ecuador and this trip is a must!

Amazing experience, give your self at least 2 days in Quito as the way to the refuge is ascent and the altitude is high, especially if you are coming from sea level. But the view is totally worth it!! Jorge was an inspiring guide, provided useful information about cotopaxi national park. Jonathan was an experienced driver. Cotopaxi volcano is very impressive

We really enjoyed the hike. I do think tho that the after-hike late lunch could be skipped. It started at 7 am and back to hotel at 5 pm.

This was such a great first activity to do when I landed in Ecuador! From the time I booked, the communication was great. I also received a message from our guide, Irene, in the morning to confirm the pick-up time and she sent us photos from the day afterwards too. The bus was super clean and modern and our driver (Jimmy) got us there and back very safely, taking care of the bus by cleaning it when we stopped too. It is a long day but not too bad and the trip is broken up a lot by going for breakfast, doing the short hike to Cotopaxi base-camp, visiting the laguna and then going for lunch. The hike itself is only short - but the altitude is no joke if you're not used to it! If you get to base-camp early you have the option to walk a little further up the hill and make it to 5,000 MASL. This was a little bit tough but so glad I did it! Cotopaxi itself is stunning if you get good weather - the disappearing glacier is beautiful and sad to see 🥹We even saw an Andean fox! There is no food provided on the tour, this was the only down side - but I was aware of this when booking. As a vegan, I would recommend taking your own food for the day as the cafe's don't really cater well for veggie/vegans. But I sat with everyone and ate my own food, no problems. Thank you for a wonderful day guy🗻I'll remember this trip forever!

Loved this trip so much, what a way to start my adventures in Ecuador! Irene, our guide, was great! She messaged me in the morning before pick-up which was so nice, especially as a solo traveller. The bus was super clean and modern and Jimmy, our driver, with Irene were a great team. The day was amazing, as we arrived into the national park the mist was so think I thought it would be a wash-out, but the clouds parted as soon as we got close to Cotopaxi. The walk to the base camp isn't too difficult if you're used to hiking at altitude but just enough of a challenge. If you want to reach 5,000 meters you can walk for another, 15-20 minutes 🗻 We even saw an Andean Fox! 🦊 The surrounding landscape is so interesting and the mountains opposite Cotopaxi are just as beautiful ⛰️⛰️ We were taken to two restaurants for breakfast & lunch (additional $10-15 total) or you can take your own food for the day. On the way home the bus dropped me closer to my hostel too which was super helpful 😍 Thank you to Irene and Jimmy for a great first day in Ecuador. I can recommend this tour indeed ❤️

A challenging hike with stops for snacks, tea, lunch, etc. While we could have done without some of the stops before the hike (snacks, tea, and museum), because it made the day unnecessarily long (would have preferred to spend more time at the park), the hike and views were great. Also of note, the bus didn't have curtains, which made for uncomfortably warm driving.

This tour is a MUST DO!!! I am so glad I got to not only see Cotopaxi, but hike up to the Base Camp!! Jorge did a fantastic job of explaining things and keeping us very informed of food stops, bathroom stops, etc. He was extremely friendly and made sure we got some good photos! The drive up to the parking lot of Cotopaxi was no easy feat and I honestly cannot believe a bus can even make the drive, but Mauricio handled it like a boss!!! I felt super safe as a solo female joining along!! The price is fantastic for the value you get. Also, breakfast was huge and $4 and lunch was also huge, included a petting zoo with alpacas, and was only $6! They also dropped me off at a different spot along their route rather than my hostel so I could go for a much deserved beer!!

We had an amazing day! Our tour guide was very informative, and super kind throughout the trip. The stops for breakfast and lunch were very good and came at a great time. Highlight was obviously the hike to the refuge center, we were able to see the peak of Cotopaxi a few times while the clouds parted. Our guide took lots of pictures of everyone too, which was really nice to look back on all of the photos. She also was really helpful at all of the meals and wore many hats assisting everyone. Would for sure do again!

Be prepared for the altitude, especially if you’re coming from sea level. It’s quite windy up there so I have a face covering as well It did not rain much when I was up there, but I could see that being a big issue if it were to have happened

Just an amazing experience. Everything flowed so smoothly thanks to Jorge. He is incredibly knowledgeable about Cotopaxi and you can tell how much he loves showing the beauty of his country. As a solo woman traveler it is important to have a guide that is attentive and responsive and he was. The other tourists were impressed with him as well. The tour itself was phenomenal. Beautiful views along with information about the environment. The schedule was efficient and gave enough time to rest during the hike and stop for photos. The Cafe and restaurant where breakfast and lunch were sold were delicious. It was just the right amount of time and information. The Driver drove safely and the bus was clean. I've done many tours but this was one of my favorite.

Great tour and excellent guide, come prepared though! A must see if you're in Ecuador. I'd definitely go again.

Beautiful views and Carlos was a great guide

My wife, my son (18 months), and I had a great time on this tour! They picked us up from our hotel in the morning and proceeded to pick up the other tourists. There were several stops to use the bathroom, stretch your legs, buy snacks, take pictures. We were very fortunate that it was a clear day so we saw Cotopaxi from multiple angles and saw some of the other surrounding volcanoes. Jessica, our guide, was amazing and provided a lot of detail for the area, the history, and Cotopaxi. The hike was tough mostly due to the high altitude, and was also tough for us since we used a child carrier backpack for my son. Very beautiful views from the the refuge that we hiked to. After the hiking, we went to a lunch spot that had great food (cost of lunch is not included in the price of the tour, but is a fair price and very delicious) and some animals for my son to look at and feed. Highly recommend this tour if you want to see Cotopaxi and the surrounding area.

I had a great experience on the Cotopaxi tour! Carlos was an excellent guide—very knowledgeable about the local area, the history, and the volcano itself. He did a great job explaining everything along the way and made the experience even more enjoyable. Johnathan was also an excellent driver. His skillful maneuvering made the ride feel smooth and comfortable, even when we encountered some pretty rough patches on the way up the volcano. Both Carlos and Johnathan were professional, friendly, and made the whole experience memorable. Highly recommend this tour!

We had an awesome experience with Alejandro! He was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. My husband and I did this tour on day 4 in Quito. Still the hike was tough because of the elevation & wind but worth it. Highly recommend getting acclimated to the altitude in Quito before attempting this hike. I’d also recommend bring aspirin just in case you have a bad headache after like I did. Before the hike we had a chance to stop for breakfast and get a coca tea which is helpful in preventing attitude sickness. After the hike we had a nice lunch and pet some animals in a mini petting zoo. Overall this is a really awesome experience!

There is so much to love about this tour. They started off by picking up at various hotels and our pick up was only 3 block from our Hotel. They communicated all the details well in advance and texted us when they were only a few blocks away. During the drive to Cotopaxi, our amazing Guide Irene was sharing about Ecuador and pointing out all sorts of places on the drive. Our driving Jimmy was great and the road to Cotopaxi is not maintained. The hike to Basecamp was great and we lucked out with no rain and minimal cloud, seeing the peak was awesome.

Irene was our tour guide and she was amazing. Very friendly with lots of experience. The view of the volcano was awesome

What a memorable experience. The weather fully cooperated with us and we took some incredible photos. Irene was our guide and she was superb. She fully prepared our group for the hike to the lodge and helped everyone make it to the top. The late lunch on the way back was terrific. Irene was fun, energetic and highly knowledgeable. A must tour if you’re looking for adventure and scenery.

This tour was great. This is a hard hike so please keep that in mind, I would recommend always bringing a change of clothes as the weather is unpredictable and we got soaked!

An epic experience of endurance and determination. The guide was knowledgeable and encouraging. 10/10!

We had Carlos as our guide and he was fabulous. Gave us local recommendations and provided interesting information during our day. Our drive Manuel was also fabulous. Highly recommend!

Well organized day tour to Cotopaxi. We had a great experience with our guide Veronika. Pickup and drop off were communicated in advance and everything went smoothly. We enjoyed the hike to the summit and were happy to have made it despite strong wind. Although not included in the price of the tour, lunch spot and value were excellent too.

We had SUCH a great day on Cotopaxi with Ernesto! Communication leading up to the tour was quick and very helpful making the day run very smoothly. Ernesto provided all the tidbits, tricks, and gear (walking sticks) and info we needed to be successful on the hike. It was crazy windy but Ernesto knew the routes well and adjusted keeping us as protected from the wind as possible. Hot chocolate at the Refuge was THE best and the views throughout the day were amazing! Ernesto was really knowledgable about the entire area and animals that occupy it. Highly recommend this hike and Ernesto as a guide!

Great excursion! Agree with other reviewers about the order and description of the day. It guides even stopped us off at our near by airbnb (inside of the listed hotels)

Beautiful view . Interesting facts about the volcano mountain . The tour guide was great . It was a privet tour for me and my husband.

I did the full-day Cotopaxi tour and it was one of the highlights of my trip to Ecuador. The guide Irene made the whole experience special ,she was warm, attentive, and clearly loves what she does. She looked out for everyone in the group, kept things fun, and shared great insights about the volcano and the area along the way. The tour itself was well organized from start to finish, with a good pace and plenty of time to take in the views and entrances included in the package. If you're planning a trip to Cotopaxi, I'd highly recommend this tour company, and ASK FOR IRENE AS YOUR GUIDE, she'll make sure you have an amazing day. Thank you, Irene, for such a great experience!

Irene was so enthusiastic! She created a lively, appreciative atmosphere that made for a fun day. She was generous with taking our photos and sharing about Ecuador. She was also caring about looking out for those who were struggling. Great guide!