Quilotoa Full Day Tour - All Included With Quito Pick Up & Drop Off

The tour exceeded all of my expectations. It was absolutely phenomenal from beginning to end, and I would gladly pay three times the price for this experience. Jessica was an outstanding guide. She explained everything clearly, was incredibly knowledgeable, and made every stop interesting and engaging. Her passion for the area and attention to detail made the tour both educational and enjoyable. The bus driver was equally exceptional. He kept the group on schedule, ensured everyone returned to the bus before departing, and drove safely and professionally throughout the trip. His organization and professionalism helped the entire day run smoothly. This was one of the best tours I have ever taken, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Ecuador. Thank you, Jessica and the driver, for an unforgettable experience!

Tour to Quilotoa lagoon was a great experience. It's a must visit place. Irene was our guide, she communicated and explained well about the tour program.

Irene and Carlos were so great! We did the Quilotoa full day tour. The hike was a bit tough on the way up but we enjoyed it very much. Would recommend!

The information said pickup was at 7:00 a.m., and return by 8:00 p.m. We were outside waiting at 6:55 and didn’t get picked up until after 8:00 a.m. I only noticed the next day someone had tried to call sing What’s Ap, but I didn’t know. The tour description said up to 44 people, we thought we would be going on a bus, we were picked up in a suv and the guide had one other couple to pick up. One, sat in the front next to driver, and the other sat in the back seat with us. That made my husband sit on a hump in the middle for almost two hours. Very uncomfortable. When we stopped for a much needed bathroom break, husband and I switched so that he could b more comfortable. Once there we had 1/2 hour to hike down and back up. We declined and instead bought a small sandwich to share. The overlook and views were beautiful. It was what you pay for, cheap, so would spend more for quality next time. The trip back was a little better, the other couple went to another tour halfway back, so hubby got back seat and I took front seat. So more comfortable. We were returned to hotel at 2:30. That was good. I couldn’t see doing this tour any longer. One more thing , driver knew very little English, enough to answer questions. Luckily the other couple spoke Spanish and English and shared with us what was said.

The company had to combine efforts with another tour company due to low demand, however they kept me informed of changes and updated constantly. I believe I ended up with “Quito bus Tour” as the final provider. This place is stunning. Good itinerary as we got to see it before it got all foggy. Be prepared as the hike back up is an absolute killer! (I’m not joking it’s second to Fitz Roy haha!)

The experience was great. Shout out to Jessica our guide for having such an amazing energy and vibe... I can sincerely recommend this tour

We had such a beautiful experience going to Quilotoa yesterday. The place was gorgeous especially the lagoon. Another memorable experience that we will treasure. Irene, our tour guide made everything possible and enjoyable. The bus ride to and from would have been boring if not for Irene's energy and knowledge about everything that we needed to learn from this trip. She's such a joy to have and we're very lucky to have her for our guide.

Misael led a wonderful tour to Quilotoa. He was prompt and communicative on the day of the tour. On the way to Quilotoa, we toured an indigenous farm, saw Toachi Canyon, and browsed the local artisan shops in Tigua. In Quilotoa, I hiked down into the crater to the water, and when the return trip up the mountain took me longer than expected, Misael hiked down to me to make sure I was alright. Overall, the trip exceeded my expectations.

Beware! I am not sure why this gets such amazing reviews! The views of the lagoon are indeed impressive. But given it’s a 6 hour round trip from Quito, I don’t believe the time or price are worth it. The climb down is steep and on gravel paths so very slippery. The time are the bottom is ok. The climb up if you don’t already live at high altitude is very very tough! We’re fit and healthy and really struggled due to altitude. The stop at the art centre is very average- as all the art is by 1 person. And the cultural visit to an Indigenous farm was 5 minutes of looking at vegetables and watching a child mistreat a dog- awful! Tip: do not, please do not, use the horses/donkeys to get back up the crater. They are so mistreated. No water and 1 we saw was clearly in pain - crying while walking until the person recognized this, got off and walked themselves. The horse owner refused to acknowledge the animal should not be working. Awful! If you have time to spare in Quito and looking for day trips- skip this. Go to Banos or Otavalo.

Booked this excursion in Ecuador. Woke up violently ill the day of the excursion and cancelled at 6:20am when the pick up was 7am. I understandably wasn’t expecting a full refund but thought half would be reasonable since there was no way I could attend in the state I was in. Was told because it was under 24 hours notice I was deemed a no show and would be receiving no money back. That’s not acceptable. I felt fine until the morning of the excursion. I didn’t have 24 hours notice to give. There must be exceptions made due to sickness.

We had an awesome experience at the home visit with Manuel and Michaela. Also stops at overlooks were amazing. It was pouring rain at quilatoa but we still had an amazing time. Our guide Dani was wonderful. Very knowledgeable

Irene was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and kind. The hike itself was hard but very rewarding

Adrian was a fantastic guide. I loved seeing the indigenous village and hearing about the way they live. Quilatoa itself was epic. It was so beautiful, I even cried a little when I saw it.

It was amazing. And irene is awesome. Take warm vclothes. It gets really chilli up there . Also love the vidit to the quechua house

Highly recommend Andres Espindola. Private driver. Pick up and drop off at hotel. Andres very knowledgable and enthusiastic about Ecuador.: geology of mountains and volcanoes; history; native foods; Ecuadoran politics; wildlife. Good sense of humor, very safe driver. Fluent in several languages. Andres@tourguideecuador.com

BRILLANT DAY! We met fun people on the tour and we will travel together for a few weeks in Ecuador. The pick up was on time as it says on the reservation. Buses are really comfortable and good reclining seats. We saw some incredible views along the way! Everyone from the bus driver, guide and the office team were amazing, friendly, polite and informative. Gracias!

Communication was clear and we had a great time! The guide was personable and very helpful and the driver was great too! I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Angela and Jaime were our tour guides in Quito and surrounding areas for 2 days after our Galapagos cruise. They were great and knowledgeable and extremely friendly.

Excellent, professional and fun adventure with Erica. She has an energetic spirit and guided our group through some gorgeous places in the countryside. I would book another trip with her in a heartbeat!

Amazing trip with great guides and beautiful scenery. Pick up and drop off process was easy and hike was difficult but fun.

Mauro was an exceptional guide. He was chill and you can just tell that he’s a good dude. This trip is very worth it!

Beautiful crater! Ecuador Hop is a great company with excellent guides. The hike down to the crater is very sandy, long and tough - bring sturdy shoes like hiking boots.

Definitely worth booking with this company. They were right on time picking us up and we were shortly underway after picking up a few more people. Breakfast was good and we were able to see so much of the countryside. Mario and Andrea were our tour guides and they not only provided great information but even bought us a little snack in a small town before were reached our destination. Lunch was almost the best part! After a killer, yet gratifying hike up to the ridge, we had a very delicious meal! We got back rather late, but all of it was worth it. You will not be disappointed!

This is a fun and exhausting full-day trip to Quilotoa. The guides were informative. The lake in the caldera of an active volcano is beautiful and worth the walk down to see. Your level of fitness needs to be, at least, pretty good, but if your level of fitness is less than excellent, you will need to do the $10 mule ride up out of the volcano. There was not an excessive amount of lingering at the tourist shops (although there was time for people who do want to shop).

From reading other reviews, the trip is highly consistent which to me is a great indication of reputability. The pick up was slightly behind 6:15 for me, but I was the last one to be picked up so that makes sense. Communication and confirmation ahead of time were great, the guides took ownership of accounting for all passengers and informing passengers about logistics. There are a few exchanges of passengers since the Quilotoa, Banos and Cotapaxi day tours and multiple day tours share buses and the process was very well organized. Overall, this Quilotoa day tour is a really great way to see some beautiful countryside and natural landmarks for anyone looking for the express experience. If you have a night or two, it's likely worth looking into the cotapaxi or banos multi-day tours.

I took this tour with Ecuador Hop as we were working our way south from Quito to Cuenca. Our tour guide Jackie was very knowledgable and was able to tell us about the local history and folklore of the area as we performed the hike to the lagoon. Ecuador Hop's buses are new, clean, and the drivers are very safe. I would highly recommend Ecuador Hop for bus trips through the Andes.

I highly recommend this for the price. They arrived at my bed and breakfast at 6:15am, as promised and loaded us on a comfortable and clean bus. We drove through the city picking up others which allowed me to see things I missed during a previous city tour. We arrived at our breakfast stop by 7:30am and enjoyed a simple yet hot and delicious breakfast. The guides we're great and full of energy. The ride from breakfast to Quilotoa took about 2 hours and was filled with amazing views of mountains and volcanos. There were stops made for photos along the way. Lunch as very good as well, overall it was well worth the cost! However, be prepared for a very long day (6am-8pm) and altitude sickness. I recommend taking this tour after 3 days (or more) of adjusting to the change. I jumped right in on day 2 and paid the price later that night. Also, dress in layers and bring gloves and a warm hat.

They never updated my pickup address to the driver. so, I stood outside for an HOUR waiting for nobody to show up. This is the only reason I went to Quito. Horrible!

Full day of fun activities and sight seeing. Best pix of the Laguna are from a high vantage point (Mirador Shalala, Laguna entrance). Hike down to Laguna shoreline is steep, hike up very challenging (although donkeys and horses are available at the shoreline for a $10 ride back up). Meandering thru Quilotoa's main street is an easy walk and fun way to see this little town. Daniel, our guide, and the rest of the crew were really good. Highly recommended.

The day starts a bit slow, but hotel pickup is great. Once the group gets together everyone stops for breakfast which is very filling. Some people depart and the rest keep going for our first viewpoint of the lagoon. Upon return the hiking group breaks off. There are bathrooms at the restaurant we will have (a very late) lunch. The hike down was dusty but not too bad. There is about 30 minutes to kayak in the lagoon. Do not skip this! It cost a bit extra but so worth it. Really makes you experience how big of a crater it is. The hike back up was not easy, but for hikers it was fine. Lunch was good, although a bit tough for vegetarians.

It was everything as planned. They pick up us at our hotel in the aligned time and then pick off us in the same place. The food was very good and the we had the opportunity to taste typical food in very cute places. The tourist guide was along with us in all journey - daniel (january, 29th) - and was friendly, helpful and help us with our doubts. I recommend the tour, but is important to know the everything happens very fast (the stops are short). But this is part of this kind of tour.

Daniel was our guide and he did an excellent job in getting us to Quilotoa. The tour took advantage of making sure we saw everything we needed in the area while not feeling rushed. Definitely would recommend!

I had Daniel and Diego for guides and really enjoyed the trip. I did find the climb up to be quite a challenge as I did this the day after returning from the Galapagos and was not really acclimated. I completed the climb in about an hour and twenty minutes, but they weren't all pleasant. That said, there were, on this day, plenty of horses if I had chosen that option. This tour lets you enjoy the lake from two vistas as it also visits Mirador Shalala before going to Quilotoa village for the hike down and up. A few people have asked and yes it was possible to stay at the top in the village if you decide not to do the lagoon. You will be given a time for lunch and bus departure. The one word of warning, this is quite a long day, especially if you are staying in the North of Quito. From the JW Marriott, I left just before 6 AM and got back to the hotel around 8:30 PM. Being snacks and something to do on the bus.

I am wondering whether we can wait at top of the lake slope for my tour group coming back, if i am not sure i can walk back up the hill.

I had Daniel as my guide who was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. I had a great time hiking down to the lake and kayaking in the lake. Pretty awesome!

Hello I had a chance to visit lake Quilotoa with Ecuador Hop and that was an amazing experience! My tour guides were Daniel and Joseph. On the way to the lake they were explaining us the specific culture and gave us heaps of information about the areas we were passing by. It was easy to stop on the way and take photos of some breathtaking views. If you listen carefully to what your guide is telling you you might even win a kanelazo ) which I did ) as ty here was a small contest at the end. The meals were so yummy, everything so well organised. I also was with Ecuador Hop in Banos, my tour guide there was Jonathan and that trip was also an epic one ! We tried all the scary activities like zip lines , swing at the end of the world and had a lot of fun ! Jonathan was even helping us with taking best photos. I also would like to mention an outstanding driver Carlos who made the trip to Banos so enjoyable! I will definitely miss you guys ! Thank you for the great time!

A trip with Mauro ! Really nice ans interesting ! The views are amazing, and Mauro was nice. He has a good sense of humor and he really pays attention to everybody ! I recommand it !

Very long day, pack snacks/water. The hiking can be skipped, but you’ll miss the full experience. The hiking is only really required at one of the stops, but it is not an easy hike! I am 37 and in average shape (I don’t work out, but am active). I’m not sure I would have made the hike back up the volcano alive. My daughter and I took the mule ride ($10 cash extra). It is over an hour hike (UP A MOUNTAIN). Even the mules had a hard time... just beware - this is probably not the best tour for the elderly or out of shape.

We had a wonderful day at Quilotoa, the bus ride was relaxing, the pickup was easy and the views were breathtaking. Jose and Daniel were wonderful guides, knowledgebale and fun and didn't hesitate to take pictures or assist in any way needed. Thanks for the great experience!

Absolutely a MUST if you are in Quito. The trekking to and from the lagoon is hard but try to do with no help but with your strength and it will be amazing!!! The guide are very nice and helpful for all the needs.....very happy to have booked it!

The tour was amazing. Totally worth it. We brought our 10 yr old daughter and 3 yr old son on the Quilotoa hike , my daughter handled it pretty well. My son had to be carried and that was a challenge for my husband Because he had to carry him and hike at the same time, but never the less we came and we conquered! Great experience for the entire family. Definitely recommend wearing hiking boots or shoes with Traction. The tour guides Jonathan and Daniel were great.

This trip was much more than we expected. Our guides, Daniel and Diego were wonderful hosts/guides—-super accommodating, very professional, fun and well organized. The sites were jaw dropping gorgeous and some of the terrain and elevation ain’t no joke!!!! Especially for sea level LA creatures like us. Don’t think twice about signing up for this specific tour. I can’t speak for the others but I don’t see it being any better than this!!!!

Went on the tour solo and loved it! Started with a nice breakfast at a beautiful lodge then went to a overlook with such amazing views of a canyon. Then continued to Quitoloa which words cant describe how beautiful it is! Would definitely recommend this tour. Jonathan was a great guide and even gave wonderful lessons on the Ecuador's indigenous people. Great tour!

This trip was fantastic! My husband and I could not get over this amazing place. Our guides throughout the day were fantastic and very helpful. I highly recommend the mule on the trip up if possible.

My husband and I booked a day tour to Quilotoa with Ecuador Hop. We enjoyed every moment of it! The transportation was great and our guide Jonathan was very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!! The tour was very affordable and it included both breakfast and lunch.

If your in Quito escape the overcrowded city with this amazing day tour! Everything about the tour was excellent, from the tour to the service, to the tour guides. Highly recommend Ecuador Hop for family and friends. A must do.

Our day tour to Quilotoa had all it promised: stunning vistas, activities, food, and great guides. Quilotoa lagoon is a stunning sight to see. Our guide Jonathan (Jono) made the day very interesting by sharing his knowledge of local history, customs, and language. We hiked down to the lagoon with him and everyone made it back up - no horse or donkey needed! Jono knew how to help us power through the steep accent. While a long day tour this is well worth it!

Had a great trip with a very friendly guide; Jonathan. You could see he had fun himself and was very enthousiastic. Quilotoa is a great place you should definetly visit!

As a backpacker I didn't consider myself as a tour person. But the tour with Ecuador Hop exceeded my expectations. Our guide Jonathan was a friendly, helpful, caring and passionate person with a outstanding knowledge about Quilotoa and its region. We always could feel free to ask questions about the tour as well Ecuador in general. He was not only a tour guide, but also a friend. It was great that the bus stopped along the way so that we could take photos of the beautiful landscape. Thank you Jonathan for sharing your knowledge and your recommendations with us! Thank you for this unforgettable experience! I'm looking forward to attend another tour with the Hop Family when traveling to Peru :-)