One of our first stops on the tour is the lovely city of Cayambe. You will get to drive by the unique city center and plazas as you make your way to the best Bizcocho (biscuits) and String Cheese factory in Ecuador. The bizcochos are made fresh and from scratch every day. You get to see them being made and placed in the traditional ovens. These bizcochos are very tasty and combined with the string cheese make a delicious morning snack. You can also savor the dulce de leche (caramel) and have a quick cup of coffee or hot chocolate. This stop is the perfect cure for morning sluggishness.
Once we arrive at Otavalo we will head to the renowned Plaza de Los Ponchos. The indigenous Otavalo people are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool, which are sold at the famous market. Saturdays see the market expand throughout the city but any other day you will find vendors and stands at the Mercado de Los Ponchos. The shops sell textiles such as handmade blankets, tablecloths, handicrafts, paintings, and much more. I love the Otavalo market, you can always find something interesting or quirky to take back home as souvenirs or to decorate your home. Its always fun to haggle with the vendors and hear their stories.
We will stop at Lago (Lake) San Pablo for some reflection time in the midst of the beautiful and peaceful surroundings. There is a chance to find ancestral kayaks used for races in the lake by locals. I had a chance to experience these ancestral kayaks and its a strange but wonderful experience. If we schedule this before hand there are small boats that take you around the lake, its a cool experience.
Cotacachi is a lovely Andean town in the middle of the mountains. The town is beautiful, very well kept, organized and picturesque. You feel safe and not crowded as you walk down Cotacachi´s main street where you will find the best leather products in Ecuador. Cotacachi has always been famous for its leather products such as jackets, purses, wallets, belts, shoes, etc. Nowadays, new local fashion designers have created beautiful and unique leather products which you can shop for. Many of my past clients have been looking for the perfect leather jacket and have found it in Cotacachi. After some window shopping, we will have lunch at a great sandwich and burger place that uses artisanal bread, local beef and makes the freshest and most delicious treats in town. If you are a coffee lover like me, we will head for an after lunch coffee at a new hipster cool coffee lounge in Cotacachi. Trust me, this place serves a mean coffee.
Sergio was very knowledgeable. We saw everything we wanted to. For the beginning of the drive conversation was minimal. Felt that we could have gotten more information and knowledge during that time. Best when we initiated conversations.
Andres did an amazing job showing our friend group parts of Quito on our way to Otavalo. He shared so much information about the area and the history of the highlands. We enjoyed the local Biscottis and coffee. The Museo Solar was something that should not be missed. The highlands tour is a must. Andres was a fantastic host and guide for our trip to this beautiful area.
It's a great trip. Andreas was a wonderful guide. Showed us more places than what was in the ad. He was knowledgeable,interesting and pleasant to spend the day with.
We had a very good trip at the two markets and solar museum and the bisnocho place. Diego is a great guide, friendly and knowledgeable. I spent more time than scheduled in the Otavalo market which pushed the return time more than an hour late and there was traffic coming back. Diego waited patiently. While in the solar museum Diego showed us around the Agavae garden and gave us detailed explanation on each variety. It was a great experience. Learned a lot at solar museum. Bisnocho was delicious. Lunch was very tasty, bought what I like in the markets. Highly recommend this trip and highly recommend Diego.
Our guide was Jean Pierre Segovia. He was absolutely amazing taught us so so much about Equador. We had the most amazing day. He was happy to go with the flow and move at our pace. 1000% recommend.
Andreas was a great guide, chatty and full of knowledge. We had a full day out from 9am to 6pm. We visited the equator museum, biscuit and cheese making shop, Otavalo, Cayembe and Cotacachi. We learnt a lot about the local culture and Ecuador. Would definitely recommend this trip
Awesome experience!! Our tour guide spoke good English was very friendly and the trip was totally customizable to our interests and needs.
Awesome Friendly Knowledgeable Flexible Educational I feel like I totally understand Ecuador culture and economics
Jean Pierre made The Best Otavalo Market Tour + San Pablo Lake + Cayambe + Cotacachi an unforgettable experience! He was professional, caring, fun, and incredibly knowledgeable about every stop on the tour. His enthusiasm and attention to detail ensured everyone felt welcomed and engaged. Jean Pierre’s dedication and passion for his work truly shine—he’s a gem of a guide. Highly recommend!
Excellent tour of markets and a few bonus points. Galapagos Connoisseur LLC did a wonderful job. We were picked up on time at our Hotel. Our guide, Gean Pierre was most attentive to what we wanted to do on the day tour. We got everything accomplished and never felt rushed. The time in the car was filled with information on a wide range of subjects that came to mind. Our brief time in Quito was really enhanced by going to these markets. We walked away with travel treasures that would otherwise not be found. Thanks so much Gean for your knowledge and support.
A great day with Andres. He showed up promptly at 9 a.m. He is lively and fun and a careful driver. His car was clean and comfortable. We had gotten in at 2 am and were kind of low energy. But Andres was so much fun. He studied in California for college so his English is perfect. Plus, his parents are US Citizens. We learned all about his family and life and Ecuador. It was like spending the day with a good friend. He took us for Biscochos and we bought chocolate and coffee in the store in Cayambe. Then we went to the Solar Museum and learned all about the Equator. We walked through the Agave Garden. Then on to Otovalo. He gave us about an hour to shop, which was perfect. I bought jewelry, a ln alpaca scarf, magnets etc. Andres helped us haggle too. Then we went to Cotacachi which is the Leather Town. My boyfriend and I each bought leather jackets on a spur of the moment. Mine was $90, his was $110. They would easily be $300 back home. The products are made right there in Cotacachi too. My boyfriend also bought leather boots - $38! We bought belts and wallets - great buys. Finally, we ate a late lunch at a nice place with a good bathroom that was $20 for the 3 of us (we bought him lunch). On the hour and a half ride back home, I nodded out for 20 minutes and Andres respectfully remained silent. When I awakened, he played bouncy dance pop on his Spotify playlist which was just so fun. We were back in the hotel, happy and safe and very pleased with our day. We wanted something cultural with some shopping and interacting with local people. We visited the Equator and let Andres handle all the logistics. Book this trip if you don’t want to climb to see volcanoes or zip line or see Quilotoa. We avoided that stuff for both energy and avoiding altitude sickness. This was a great option for a Day trip from Quito. 5 stars
We had the best day with Andres. We flew in 1 day early before a 7 day Galapagos Express tour. He picked us up at 9 am sharp. His car is clean and comfortable. His English is perfect - he attended University in California. We enjoyed the Biscocho stop to stretch our legs and buy some coffee and chocolate in the store. Then to Cayambe to the Solar Museum and learned about the equator. Then to Otovalo - what fun! We shopped and bought everything we wanted. He helped haggle some prices for us. Then, finally Cotacachi which I called “Leather Town”. We ended up each getting sharp leather jackets (mine was $90, his $110). He bought leather boots and a wallet and we both bought belts. Then we went to a place for lunch. Andres is a careful driver and a lovely person. We learned all about his family and vice versa it was like hanging out with a lively friend for the day. His choice of music for the car is excellent. At one point on the drive back, I nodded off for about 20 minutes and he was appropriately silent and turned down the music. We did not want to climb volcanoes or hike to lagoons. This was the perfect day after a flight that landed at 12 a.m. Running on only 5 hours of sleep, Andres took care of the logistics. All we had to do was enjoy the ride and the beautiful views of the mountains. We could not have asked for a better day spent in Quito. 5 stars.
This tour was far. Our guide was Diego and he was really amazing. We learned so much from him about Ecuador. Communication with Andres was great. He usually responded within minutes. We were trying to decide what the best thing about the tour was and we both said talking to Diego. Request him, you won’t regret it!
Jean Pierre was an excellent guide, he was extremely knowledgeable and flexible with our schedule. We were able to spend exactly as much time as we wanted at each stop. Bought some amazing goods in the market and had a wonderful lunch. It was an incredibly productive day.
Diego was an excellent tour guide. He arrived on time, car was clean, and best of all he was extremely knowledgeable. He taught us about the indigenous people, discussed their culture, dress, and how they live. We were lucky to have had great weather and were able to see many volcanoes. Diego told us about each. He was by far the best guide, I highly recommend this (or any) tour with Diego!
I had Diego as a guide to Octavalo Market and some of the surrounding cities as a solo traveler. We started in Caymbe and tried Ecuador’s delicious version of biscotti with dulce de leche and a local cheese. Next we wandered through Octavalo’s indigenous market filled with colorful textiles and trinkets. Diego helped me find the best quality and authentic items. Next we headed to Cotacachi where we had an Equadorian specialty Guinea Pig! It was one of the best meats I have tried, I was surprised how much I liked it. Last but not least we wandered Cotacahi where they are known for their leather goods. I had a great time on this tour and highly recommend it!
My wife and I booked a private tour. Diego, our tour guide , agreed to a late pickup so we could sleep in. Diego was very friendly and informative. He made spontaneous stops to buy an exotic fruit from a street vendor and for Bizcochos. The third generation restaurant owner explained how to cook and serve the bizcochos.The restaurant experience was fantastic. Diego bought two bags of Bizcochos for us. We spent time at the middle earth museum and found it to be very informative. We also toured the agave garden at the museum . Otavalo market contains many local items for sale including clothes, jewelry, paintings, etc. Should not be missed. San Pablo lake was only viewed from the road. No stops were made. It should not be included as part of the tour. The stop at Cotacachi was brief. We shopped for leather goods and ate lunch before returning to Quito. We enjoyed the day with Diego and the different experiences. Highly recommend.
We had a wonderful trip! Our guide Diego was perfect -- knowledgeable, kind, professional, and flexible. We were able to craft a tour that suited our interests. The sites were wonderful. Diego picked us up and dropped us off directly at our Airbnb, making this very easy and convenient.
Wonderful one day trip from Quito. If you’re looking for shopping of markets north of Quito, you can’t go wrong with this trip. Otavalo’s market and nearby stores are great and Cotacachi is a must if you’re looking for leather items. Our guide Isabel was the perfect combination of knowledge, kindness and patience. The coffee and bizcocho snack was a lovely detail of this trip.
My wife and I had an amazing experience visiting Otavalo and Cotacachi. Our guide, Diego, was wonderful and went above and beyond to make sure we had an enjoyable experience. We went for the shopping but loved the extra stops at San Pablo and Cayambe to learn about and eat some biscocho which was out of this world. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
Andres was an awesome guide for this experience. He was very informative of the places we visited. We had plenty of time to explore on our own and we never felt rushed. We also traveled with small children and one of our child is autistic so we had occasional flare ups. He seemed very understanding to that and never once made us fell uncomfortable. Overall, we had a wonderful time on this tour and recommend it those who are looking for a more relaxed experience.
We enjoyed our day, just wish we had more time. But it was our own fault as we choose a 9 am departure. Next time I’d choose a 7:30. Our guide was great, and there was a lot of variety— market, waterfall, nice restaurants.
Very informative drive outside of Quito to one town known for leather goods and one known for large open air market square with local goods and clothing. One interesting stop was exhibit of equator, standing on 0 degrees latitude. Andres knowledge of the area made the trip extremely educational for our 13 year old granddaughter.
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