Two Week Honeymoon Tour in Ecuador

Full itinerary Two weeks Honeymoon tour in Ecuador

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Day 1: After arriving in Quito (2850 m.)

Our driver will wait for you at the new airport to bring you to your hotel. In 2011 Quito was elected by UNESCO as the American Capital of Culture 2011. This new status encouraged the city to invest more money in restauration of its many beautiful churches and other colonial buildings. The most impressive building is the almost Gothic looking Basilica. Its towers are open to the public and offer an amazing view over Quito and the Antisana, Cotopaxi y Cayambe Volcanoes. One of the towers even has a small restaurant where you can have a sandwich and coffee with view!

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Day 2: Quito - Lago Agrio - Cuyabeno Tour

In the morning a short flight will take you to Lago Agrio, from where your tour through the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve starts.

Private transport will take you and the other guests of the Jamu Lodge to the entrance of Cuyabeno. You will have lunch on your way. Then you take a motorized canoe down the Cuyabeno River for two and a half hours. During the canoe ride you will get a first look at the jungle and will be able to observe different kind of birds like Caciques, Oropendolas, Greater Anis and the prehistoric bird “Hoatzin”. You may also be able to see a variety of monkeys and other jungle animals, depending on the time and weather conditions. You will arrive at the “Cabañas JAMU” around 4:30pm. At that time you will be shown to your rooms and you can relax a little. After a siesta we will leave the camp for a swim in the lagoon and to watch a beautiful sunset in the middle of the Laguna Grande. You will then return to the camp for dinner, and can finish your first day in the jungle relaxing in a hammock or having a drink at the bar.

The Cuyabeno Amazon Wildlife Reserve is situated in the north-eastern Amazon region of Ecuador, between the San Miguel and Aguarico rivers, and close to the Colombian and Peruvian borders. The reserve is made up of 605,000 hectares of primary forest, rivers and lakes, and is home to an incredible variety of animal and plant life. Five different ethnic groups live within the reserve: the Siona, Secoya, Cofán, Kichwas and Shuar, each of which has its own culture and language.

You stay at the Jamu Lodge or a similar facility that offers an endless possibility of activities. From educational hiking to trekking through the Terra Firme forest, experiencing the muddy swamps or the Hormiga River, swimming in the lagoon, watching the pink river dolphins, bird and wildlife watching and visiting the native community, the list goes on. A Bilingual guide is always along for the activities to answer all your questions. In addition, guests can relax at the hammock lounge, or enjoy a beer or cocktail at the bar. Jamu does not use electricity all the time; candles are in use part of the time, in order to preserve energy and the jungle. There is a small place were batteries can be reloaded as well.

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Day 3: Cuyabeno Amazon Tour

After breakfast you can join a hike in the primary forest for 3 to 4 hours, where your guide will explain how a tropical rainforest works. You will be able to learn about medicinal plants and might be able to see some exotic birds or monkeys. We will then return to the camp for lunch and a siesta. In the afternoon you will go piranha fishing, have a swim in the lagoon and watch the sunset. With a little luck you can observe the pink river dolphins or an anaconda sunbathing in a tree. You will return to the camp for dinner, and take a night canoe ride to look for caimans.

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Day 4: Cuyabeno Amazon Tour

If you want to see the sun rise, you can go for an early morning bird watching canoe ride by motor canoe at around 6 o’clock. You will return to the camp for breakfast, then depart in native, dugout canoes, called “quilla” to visit a family of the community of Tarapuy. You will see how Casabe is prepared, traditional bread made from Yucca (Manioc). You can help prepare the Casabe and see how only material from the jungle is used in making the bread. You will then visit the Siona community and your guide will explain the customs and traditions of the Sionas. You will be able to see what traditions have been lost and what has been maintained. After that we return to the lodge to have a late lunch. At night, you can go on a short nocturnal hike through the primary forest in search of insects, spiders, geckos or scorpions, and listen to the night sounds of the jungle.

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Day 5: Cuyabeno Amazon Tour

We depart in canoes  to visit smaller lagoons such as Pato Cocha, and Caimán Cocha. While paddling you have a better opportunity to see more fauna and flora and you can get a good idea of what an igapo (flooded) forest looks like. You can observe a variety of different birds and monkeys. Because this activity is about 4 – 5 hours long, we take a boxed lunch with us.

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Day 6: Cuyabeno - Lago Agrio - Quito

After breakfast the motorized canoes take you back to the entrance of Cuyabeno from where we take transportation to Lago Agrio. At the end of the afternoon a short flight will bring you back to Quito where you spend the night in the same hotel as before the tour.

Note: The jungle program can be slightly different depending on the weather and exact location of you accommodation.

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Day 7: Quito -Cotopaxi

At an hour of your preference our private transport will bring you to the slopes of the impressive Cotopaxi Volcano (5897 m).
Your original hostel for tonight is situated at a beautiful location at the feet of the Cotopaxi with stunning views on this impressive volcano!

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Day 8: Cotopaxi - Baños - Luna Runtun Lodge.

Today a short ride will bring you to the stunning location of the Luna Runtun lodge. The swimming pools of the lodge look out over the green valley of Baños. This friendly town is located almost at the feet of the grumpy volcano Tungurahua (meaning `Little Hell`). At night you can sometimes even see a bit of lava coming out of its mouth.
In Baños you can enjoy the hot springs from which the town received its name. Because of these hot springs it has developed into a friendly tourist town with lots of activities for local and foreign tourists. These activities include: hiking, rafting, biking, abseiling, a swing to heaven with great views, quad riding, spa treatments and more!

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Day 9: Baños

A free day to relax in the lodge or in Baños. For those who want to do something more active, we can recommend a bike tour on the road downhill from Baños to the waterfall of Pilon del Diablo. Or even further along the Pastaza River until you reach the town of Puno, at the end of the Amazon. On the way you will see steep cliffs, several waterfalls and can enjoy great views! After a picture of Casa del Arbol got published in National Geographic magazine, this tiny tree house with 2 swings suddenly became famous all over the world. It is a steep, but pretty walk from Luna Runtun to Casa del Arbol, where you can use one of its swings to ‘fly’ above the valley in front of the active Tungurahua Volcano.

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Day 10: Baños - Cuenca

After breakfast a long but scenic (8 hours) ride will take you, past the valley from the ‘Nariz del Diablo’, all the way to Cuenca. Cuenca is the third biggest city of Ecuador, but being in the city centre, it feels almost like being in a colonial town. The city is built on the remains of one of the most northern Inca cities Tomebamba. Now it is one of the best known places for assembling Panama Hats and also the city’s new silhouettes are good for taking pictures, especially late in the afternoon.

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Day 11: Cuenca (Parque Cajas)

On this free day in Cuenca it is a great option to join a hike through Parque Cajas. This nature reserve contains more than 200 lakes and some call it ‘The Scottish highlands of Ecuador’ because of its green hills and unexpected fogs or rain showers. However this reserve is located between 3500m and 4200m altitude, which gives it totally different and surprising vegetation!
For the evenings, Cuenca has lots of restaurants and a great nightlife.

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Day 12: Cuenca - Vilcabamba

With direct tourist transport you will travel today the scenic road to the village of Vilcabamba. According to several studies this village has some of the highest life expectations rates in the world. Some reasons for this are the absence of industry, the fertile grounds, fresh air and green surroundings. Backpackers have already known it for a few years, but other tourists are only just starting to discover this great place to relax, enjoy nature and/or take long hikes.

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Day 13: Vilcabamba

A free day in Vilcabamba to go hiking, horseback riding, relax at the swimming pool, participate in one of the free Yoga classes and/ or enjoy a great massage!

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Day 14: Vilcabamba (optional: Parque Podocarpus)

For today it could be an option to go for a hike in the national Park Podocarpus, home to the only native Conifer of Ecuador and a great place for bird watching.

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Day 15: Vilcabamba - Loja - Quito/ Guayaquil

A private taxi will bring you to the airport of Loja from where you take an early flight to Quito or Guayaquil.
If this is the end of your tour, we hope that it was an unforgettable start of the most important journey of your life, marriage.

Optional: Extend this tour with a visit to the Galapagos Islands.

Note: Because we understand the importance of this tour for you, when requested the itinerary can be adjusted towards your own private wishes. It is also possible to travel part of this tour with public buses, to lower the costs a little.

Inclusive and recommended to bring with on this tour:

• 14 Nights, in specially selected hotels and lodges
• A 5 day tour in the Cuyabeno reserve incl.:
  • Private double room
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner during your stay in the jungle lodge
  • Guided tours in the jungle in shared service with an English speaking guide
• A full pension stay in the honeymoon suite in Secret Garden
• Two nights half pension stay in the luxury Luna Runtun Resort
• Flights between Quito – Lago Agrio – Quito and Loja – Quito/ Guayaquil
• All transfers and transport during this tour with private car and driver.
• Breakfast in all hotels
• A clear itinerary with all information needed during the tour
• English and Spanish speaking local contact numbers to answer your questions
• 24h emergency contact during the tour

The price doesn’t include:

• International flights
• International airport tax (41 US$ p.p. depending on the airline)
• Optional excursions
• Entrée Cuyabeno reserve (4 US$ p.p.)
• Entrées, (exit) taxes, food and other personal expenses;
• Tips (in restaurants, for guides, cooks, drivers and more) during the tour
• All things not mentioned in the tour above
• International banking costs
• Obligatory travel and health insurance

We recommend to check the local visa and vaccination obligations.

We recommend you bring with you:

• Valid identification and travel documents and when needed a valid visa
• The information of your travel insurance
• Valid vaccinations, ask you country´s health centre for more information
• A comfortable day backpack
• Good shoes
• Sandals (maybe also a pair of tennis shoes)
• A warm jacket/ fleece
• A rain jacket/ poncho
• Two warm sweaters
• Three light trousers (cotton or linen)
• 4 T-shirts
• 2 long-sleeved shirts
• 2 shorts
• Swimming clothes
• A flashlight for each person, incl. spare batteries
• Biodegradable soap and shampoo (they sell handmade soap at little cost at the agency of the jungle tour operator).
• Small dollar bills (or try to collect them in Quito)
• Something to be able to back-up your photos
• Protection against the sun and mosquitos (you can also buy locally)

Be aware that Ecuador is not a Third World Country anymore, so most things are available. If you do have any doubts about what to bring, please feel free to ask us.