Otavalo Market, Indigenous Communities & Cuicocha Lake

Rates include: 1 night Swissotel or LeParc and 1 night at local hacienda

4 star accommodations: $493 per person (min 2 guests)
5 star accommodations: $593 per person (min 2 guests)

Departure Days: Every day

Program Description:

Day 1: Otavalo Indigenous Market
Just one and a half hours north of Quito, among the lush volcanic highlands is the Otavalo village. This land is rich in friendly and colorfully attired indigenous people, historic working haciendas, and towering volcanoes with verdant slopes. As we pass into the highlands, we are treated to a sweeping view of Imbabura and Cotacachi Volcanoes rising above San Pablo Lake. Our first stop is the Otavalo market, famous throughout the Andes for its handicrafts, textiles and tapestries, we will follow to the food market, to see the variety of products consumed daily by the local population. (breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Overnight at: Cusin (4 stars) or La Mirage (5 stars).

Day 2: Cuicocha Lake Crater & Cotacachi village
After a relaxed breakfast we will go to Cuicocha for a wonderful partial hike around the crater lake or a ride in a motorized canoe to get a close look at the islets. This will give you the opportunity to see highland hummingbirds and orchids, besides the spectacular Andean scenery; we will follow to Cotacachi for fine leather shopping, we then visit an indigenous weaver of Peguche to witness the ancient back-strap weaving in process, we finish the day with a late lunch at a colonial hacienda or on the shores of San Pablo lake. . Arrive in Quito late in the afternoon. (breakfast and dinner included)
Overnight at Swissotel or LeParc, breakfast included