Cotopaxi Volcano Day Trip With Lunch At Colonial Farm

Thank you Gerald for the incredible day!! We decided to do this tour on a free day we had in Quito and it was amazing! Our guide Gerald went out of his way to pick us up at our hotel, perfectly on time, and was so personable and fun to talk to! On our drive, we got to learn so much from him about Quito and Ecuador! We were nervous about hiking to base camp, as we flew in the day before and we didn’t have much time to acclimatize. He provided us with hiking poles and we took lots of breaks to catch our breath and we were able to reach base camp in 45 min! The lunch at the colonial farm was also very delicious and it was interesting to learn about its history! Honestly this experience was completely made by Gerald, he was an incredible guide and having the private tour was so nice! Can’t recommend enough!

Our guide Luis was attentive, knowledgeable and fun and he made the most of the day, adjusting the itinerary to get the best of the changeable weather allowing us to reach the Refugio safely. We saw wild horses, llamas and lots of interesting birds and had a fantastic meal and tour in the Hacienda Cienaga.

Ximena picked us up from our hotel on time in the morning and drove us to Cotopaxi. She’s very friendly and is knowledgeable about the flora and trails around Cotopaxi. She drove up a very steep road to the José Rivas Refuge but we decided to turn around given that it was snowing and cloudy. Along the way we saw a fox and vistas of the volcano flatlands. She then guided us to hike the Cotopaxi lagoon area and pointed out native plants and herbs. We wrapped up the day by stopping by a former Ecuador president’s house that now is a hotel and restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious meal of local Ecuador dishes. We enjoyed the tour and recommend it for a great day trip to Cotopaxi.

This was an amazing trip and our guide, Diana and driver, Wilmer were excellent. This is our second tour with Ecuador Best Tours and their communication, service, attention to detail and focus on safety is outstanding. We hiked from the parking lot at Cotopaxi to the refuge. While it is only a 1km hike, you are doing it from roughtly 14,000 to 15,000 feet. It took us over 1 hour. It was very exhausting but our guide helped us through….urging us to take small steps and many rest stops. It was totally worth it and an excellent accomplishment. Coming down is easy. Hiking poles are highly recommended. The lunch at the Hacienda was an excellent reward as well.

This trip was underwhelming to us. Seeing the Volcano was good but an hour at most activity. The lake was of no interest and walking around it held no appeal. The hacienda was truly lovely and lunch was good. I would rate that 4 star. The trip in general just wasn’t enough to see or do for an entire day.

This day trip was incredible. We got to enjoy the beauty of Cotopaxi and spend some time outdoors. Our guide - Carlos - was awesome! We had him for two other day trips with Ecuador Best Tours and we got to know him pretty well by day trip 3. Whenever I travel, I always try to find a local tour company and this one is the best in Quito!

We had an amazing day with Myriam! She was sooo knowledgeable about the area, history, economy, biology and pretty much everything we had questions. She made the trip super amazing. When we got to the Hacienda everyone was so welcoming. The horses were very well trained and we had an incredible ride with Miguel. Then we hiked around Sendero with Myriam and she told us all about the birds and plants and their medicinal attributes. We learned so much and had a blast. She was also and amazing photographer. Can’t recommend the experience enough!

The guides were phenomenal. Funny, knowledgeable, and knew when to help out and when to keep their distance. They took care of everything and made it a memorable day.

This was a great way to spend the day away from Quito. The park scenery is great, and the volcano a bit challenging depending on acclimitizarion. We had good conversation and a relaxing day.

After finding the Cotopaxi tour online I emailed to ask if it was possible to add on a special request. Luis was quick in getting back to me with the answer and the necessary details. Quick and easy. Being picked up near my hotel the morning of the tour was great. Luis's English is great, not just with basic communication but he was easy to chat with and had a wonderful sense of humor which made the day and adventure, educational and just plain fun. He went the extra mile in every way. I can't say enough about what a fantastic experience the whole day was.

Very good guidance and conversation . Great to hike to the snow on Cotopaxi. Lovely to see the mountain up close even on a cloudy day

I was on a private Cotopaxi full-day tour with Luis who was very knowledgeable and efficient guide - we covered a lot in one day, including the alpine lake and small hike, as well as the more challenging hike to the refuge near the glacier, and finally, a lunch in a good local place. Throughout the tour Luis was great at answering questions, pointing out good spots for pictures; he was paying close attention to my physical condition as well. Also, his English was excellent and he was very punctual with the pickup from my place in Quito. Finally, and most importantly, Luis is someone who truly loves his country and its nature and I am grateful for the chance to learn from him ----- in Russian below ---- Мы провели отличный день на Котопакси с Луисом. Мы начали с небольшого хайка вокруг озера, потом взобралсь по более сложной тропинке наверх к месту где начинается ледник. Луис отличный гид - внимательный, знающий, пунктуальный и хорошо говорит по-английски. Было видно что он очень любит свою страну и её природу!

Andres picked us up on time for our trip out to Cotopaxi. He was knowledgeable about the National Park. The weather cooperated and we saw the volano, condors, falcons, wild horses, and llamas in the park. We walked around the lake that is in the park which gives you a chance to see more flora and fauna. Very nice day. We had lunch on the way back to Quito.

Hugo was a great guide, professional and personable. Highly recommend him and the group in general. On time and he stuck with the slowest climber to ensure they were doing ok. Lots of info and details about Ecuador along the way too.

We added this private day trip to Cotopaxi onto our Galapagos trip. The trip was excellent and our tour guide Hugo was the best.

Luis was our guide. He was prompt at all communications before hand as well as for our hotel pick up. He did a wonderful job of making us feel comfortable and safe while showing us some of the best that Ecuador has. The drive up Cotopaxi and short hike to a bit higher elevation was great and always in our comfort zone. We topped out at 15,500 feet which is a record height for us with no ill effects. Then an equally memorable part was the subsequent visit at the Hacienda SAN Augustine de callo. Luis told us much history of the Inca and then Spanish inhabitants of this place. Truly a remarkable gem. We got to interact with Llamas and alpaca then finished off with a 5star meal in an Inca built building preserved as their dining room. Our company in this extraordinary meal was the owner who is the grand daughter of a past president of Ecuador. We would like to highly recommend Ecuador Best Tours. Thank you Luis and all the best to you and your family.

Luis made this one of the highlights of our trip. We ended up with very bad weather on Cotopaxi to the point where we did not want to continue with our original plan of hiking to the refugio. He was able to think quickly and provide an alternative plan for our day. He taught us so much about the nature, people, and culture of the area. His love and knowledge of Ecuador is apparent and makes him an absolutely wonderful guide. I'd recommend him to anyone!

Andres was fantastic!! He showed me a lot of the plants found in the park and I even got to see a white tailed deer. We hiked up to the refuge which was a great experience as well! Got some amazing photos! Just be sure to dress warm since it does get chilly up there!

My son and I took a full day trip out of Quito with Effy Lopez as our guide. It was a great. 1) Effy speaks fluent English, 2) he has a tremendous knowledge of Ecuador, its people, places, wildlife, 3) he has knowledge of other countries and regions, 4) he was flexible and responsive to our needs and desires, 5) his car was new, clean and has AC, 6) he was a safe driver, 7) it was a pleasure to spend a day with him. If/when I return to Ecuador, I will absolutely look to him for transportation and touring. We wanted to skip the volcano, so Effy took us to the Cloud Forest, where we went zip lining. Then we had time to go to the Center of the Earth.

My husband and I have had some recent injuries that made us wonder if we could handle a steep hike at that altitude (almost 15,000 ft.) So instead of taking a group tour, we opted for a personal tour with Suviatour. It was much more expensive than a group tour, and it was worth every penny. Our guide was Bond (as in James Bond). He was an excellent driver, knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the region, and he spoke flawless English. Several times he emphasized that this was our tour, so anytime we wanted to change the itinerary or to stop for photos, he would do that. To test our ability for the high-altitude walk, we first walked for an hour around Limpiopungo Lagoon. Bond kept up a running commentary on the plants, birds, and animals we saw, with fascinating details about evolution of these species. When we reached the highest point that vehicles are allowed to go on Cotopaxi, the mountain top was shrouded in fog. We couldn't even see the famous glacier. Bond suggested that we wait a few minutes because the weather is so changeable. Sure enough, in two minutes the clouds lifted and we could see the entire glacier! We opted out of the steep hike when Bond told us we wouldn't see any more if we got closer. Afterwards, he took us to a lovely little restaurant where a 3-course lunch was $7.00. It was a nice ending to an enjoyable!r

David was fantastic. Knowledgeable, relaxed and experienced. He promptly picked us up and was a source of stories, history and current events. Excellent English.

I did a one day private tour of the Cotopaxi National Park and ended up trekking up to 5,100meters/17,000 feet to the glacier. Not for the weak of heart (or breath), but the scenery is spectacular! A beautiful place to visit less than 2 hours outside of Quito. A wonderful way and place to spend a day or two!

We arrived Quito without a plan and 6 days to fill. We were jet lagged by 5 hours from the west and just recovering from chest infection. We called Suviatour and booked the rose/Otavalo/Middle Earth and leather market tour. Luis arrived and we came up with a plan. Luis is very proud of Ecuador and it's diverse people and a very nice host to the Andes highlands. Luis immediately customized our private tour to meet our disorganized state. He made a great call stopping at the Cafe Vaca for a nice brunch and backyard zip line to get us acclimatized. The rose farm tour is a local cooperative that treats the workers and environment with respect. Luis and Suviatours has gone out of their way to give a local and genuine experience with the Rose tour. The equator tour was informative and interesting. Luis was especially patient with us. He is a great listener and then suggested that we take a tour to Cotopaxi and then a transfer to Banos - after which time we would be on our own. I think he figured out early on that hikes, rafting and the other adventure activities would suit our interests/needs. He was right on. He was very safety conscience of our young daughter. Luis speaks excellent English and introduced us to the gentler kinder side of the Ecuador population. He is a very knowledgeable guide of the fauna and fruits which were new to us. He really gave us a great first day tour of Ecuador - exactly what we need after over 12 hours of flying time for us to get to Quito. The Cotopaxi tour also with Suviatour was great, and Carlos was patient and helpful as well. He dropped us off in Banos at a local hotel Donde Ivan - again a great pick for our budget and needs - a clean place to sleep, awesome breakfast included and an authentic Banos experience. Luis - you really salvaged our trip to Quito. Thank you!

Very impressive the day we had,,,! The volcano showed in all its glory, and the hikes we took were enough for our physical predisposition. The food at the hacienda was memorable and I recommend this activity for the opportunity we had to discover the history of Ecuador. We love the tour!

Diana was amazing, we had a great time, and lunch at the hacienda delighted us from start to finish! Highly recommended if you need peace of mind and attention with the care you deserve this activity. Simply recommended!

We were excellent in Cotopaxi because we had an enviable climate, and the guide was very courteous and collaborative. Very good lunch at the Hacienda!!

Wear warm clothes, and comfortable shoes. Our experience was fantastic and the food at the hacienda memorable!! Thank you!!

We went to Cotopaxi with friends and we realized that this tour was private, just for us, and we felt very comfortable and cared for from the first minute! Our naturalist guide was excellent and very knowledgeable about the place. We saw the volcano in all its splendor. And we closed with a flourish with a delicious lunch inside a Colonial Hacienda that is more than 300 years old... Brilliant!! Highly recommended walk for all kinds of people. Thanks a lot for everything!

We went to Cotopaxi hj with the Best Trip Ecuador. Excellent trip. Javier careful and experienced driver. Daniel attentive guide, intelligent and fun made the trip much more interesting. Thanks to Marina and Deise local guides from the Cotopaxi Reserve who with knowledge and kindness accompanied us. Quality refeicoes. After all, it was a spectacular day!!!