Horseback Riding and Cotopaxi National Park Day Trip
Overview
This is one of our specialties! Ride a "criollo" horse at the foothills of the Rumiñahui volcano, and learn all about the "Chagra" culture, with the best experienced local tour guides and cowboys. Take some personal challenges at Cotopaxi volcano, considered the second highest active volcano of the world, and one of the most beautiful mountains!! Make your stay in Quito an unforgettable experience, and avoid unnecessary crowds...!
Inclusions
- Private transport
- Certified naturalist English speaking guide
- Box lunch
- Native guide
- Horseback Riding (Shared)
- Safety equipment
What to expect
Itinerary
Here you have the opportunity to experience the joy, adrenaline and nostalgia that our Chagras live day by day while they are working in the high mountains of the Andes! Your naturalist guide will pick you up at 7:10 a.m. to go to "El Pedregal", located 60 km southeast from Quito, in between the Rumiñahui, Pasochoa, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi volcanoes! After an hour and a half driving, you'll arrive to a traditional hacienda of the region, and getting a "canelazo" as a welcome drink, you have the opportunity to wear typical costumes of the Ecuadorian Chagra, which will be very useful for your great shared adventure on horseback, that will last 2, 5 unforgettable hours!
After this great experience you say goodbye to your horse, in order to enter the National Park. Around 2:00 p.m., in the encounter with the Cotopaxi volcano (19, 347 ft), you'll be surrounded by ancient dried lava flows, mountains, lakes, wild horses and ecosystems that surprisingly change while you gain elevation on the course! You will also see the exotic wildlife while you participate of the different activities offered on this exciting adventure! You will be back in your hotel of Quito approximately at 5:00 p.m.
Stop At:
• Quito, Quito, Pichincha Province
• Mercado Central, Avenida Amazonas, Machachi 180109 Ecuador
• Tierra del Volcan, Before Cotopaxi National Park Northern Entrance 4KM Slopes of Ruminahui Volcano, Machachi 170901 Ecuador
• Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
Here you have the opportunity to experience the joy, adrenaline and nostalgia that our Chagras live day by day while they are working in the high mountains of the Andes! Your naturalist guide will pick you up at 7:10 a.m. to go to "El Pedregal", located 60 km southeast from Quito, in between the Rumiñahui, Pasochoa, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi volcanoes! After an hour and a half driving, you'll arrive to a traditional hacienda of the region, and getting a "canelazo" as a welcome drink, you have the opportunity to wear typical costumes of the Ecuadorian Chagra, which will be very useful for your great shared adventure on horseback, that will last 2, 5 unforgettable hours!
After this great experience you say goodbye to your horse, in order to enter the National Park. Around 2:00 p.m., in the encounter with the Cotopaxi volcano (19, 347 ft), you'll be surrounded by ancient dried lava flows, mountains, lakes, wild horses and ecosystems that surprisingly change while you gain elevation on the course! You will also see the exotic wildlife while you participate of the different activities offered on this exciting adventure! You will be back in your hotel of Quito approximately at 5:00 p.m.
Stop At:
• Quito, Quito, Pichincha Province
• Mercado Central, Avenida Amazonas, Machachi 180109 Ecuador
• Tierra del Volcan, Before Cotopaxi National Park Northern Entrance 4KM Slopes of Ruminahui Volcano, Machachi 170901 Ecuador
• Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador
Additional information
- 10 C° - 18 C° / 50 F° - 64, 4 F
- Not wheelchair accessible
- It is responsibility of every traveler that he/she is adequately insured against personal accidents and medical expenses during his/her trip to Ecuador, as well as having travel cancellation and baggage insurance to protect him/her.
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Passengers must weight below 190 pounds due to the carrying capacity of the horses.
- Our guides and drivers will follow vehicle cleaning and personal care protocols, with disinfectant products during the tour.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
taniagA3433XX
July 2021
Excelente experiencia, un hermoso viaje inolvidable. Atención muy amable y lugares maravillosos. Definitivamente el mejor servicio, muy recomendable!
Excelente experiencia, un hermoso viaje inolvidable. Atención muy amable y lugares maravillosos. Definitivamente el mejor servicio, muy recomendable!diegoandress953
July 2021
Muy divertido, excelente trato, hermosos caballos Experiencia única el paisaje es increíble. Muy bueno para irse en pareja.
Muy divertido, excelente trato, hermosos caballos Experiencia única el paisaje es increíble. Muy bueno para irse en pareja.X5109BBkellyf
July 2021
Súper divertido, día memorable, buenos recuerdos, guía con buena actitud. La pasamos excelente, comida deliciosa. Recomendado!
Súper divertido, día memorable, buenos recuerdos, guía con buena actitud. La pasamos excelente, comida deliciosa. Recomendado!Mernander
May 2019
Today’s trip with Luis was happily the most unforgettable part of our trip to Ecuador. His easy-going humor and knowledge of the Quito and the nearby volcanic range made the journey to, around, and up Cotopaxi enjoyable. He offered history lessons, biology lessons, personal anecdotes, and every d...
Today’s trip with Luis was happily the most unforgettable part of our trip to Ecuador. His easy-going humor and knowledge of the Quito and the nearby volcanic range made the journey to, around, and up Cotopaxi enjoyable. He offered history lessons, biology lessons, personal anecdotes, and every day culture analyses that filled the travel times between destinations and enhanced each experience. He was keen to make sure we were going to be comfortable during every activity given the ever-changing tropical Andean climate. Here are some of the trip specifics: After being picked up at our hostel at 7am, we quickly got out of the city and made it to a beautiful and well-established hacienda within 2 hours. We were greeted with a delicious house-made cannelazo and some empanadas to prepare us for the journey upwards. Rafael, our horseback guide, fit us into helmets, ponchos, and chaps and gave us a quick lesson on how to spend he next 2.5 hours with our new friends. The horses are cared for very well, and that is obvious when you see their conditions at the hacienda. For having ridden a horse 14 years prior, it was very easy to learn the commands and relax as we climbed up our first volcano of the day. The surrounding area was incredibly beautiful, with a view of 7-8 other volcanoes and other valleys that stretched as far as we could see. At least two Andean Condors flew overhead as we made our trek. These gigantic birds of prey made up 1-2% of their remaining population and it was incredible to watch them ride the winds and the geography of the land. We were given some mint tea with coca to ease any altitude sickness we might be feeling. Which quickly soothed a small headache I had been developing. We descended easily and enjoyed more stunning views on the way down. Next we went to Cotopaxi National Park and are our lunch on the way. It was very close by, and the volcano we just summited with the horses seemed to be at the border or part of the national park. We passed it as we drove in and past wildlife and a landscape teeming with wildflowers. We drove up to a trailhead on Cotopaxi, watching the flora change as we gained elevation. And while we arrived there in thick clouds we were convinced to start hiking upwards with Luis’positive encouragement. Mind you we are young and not very athletic but very eager to hike.We took the walk very slowly and arrived at the refuge that acts as a starting point for the mountaineers that will summit Cotopaxi. And soon after we did the clouds/brief hail cleared and we had an excellent view of the trail above and the glacier. It was breathtaking luck. By the time we descended the mountain you could see the top of Cotopaxi in her perfect ice capped cone shape. The waiting/working for the view was well worth it. A must do for nature seekers and backpackers alike.cirinan2022
March 2022
An amazing experience with up to the horseback rides and hiking around Cotopaxi. We got lunch, had clean restrooms along the way, and tons of information. Everything felt clean and safe the entire time.
An amazing experience with up to the horseback rides and hiking around Cotopaxi. We got lunch, had clean restrooms along the way, and tons of information. Everything felt clean and safe the entire time.camillag2019
May 2019
Me and a friend booked this tour expecting not much besides a great view from a horse, but we got so much more. Luis was amazing and made the whole day so fun. The horses was calm and very kind. They were easy to control. The views was amazing and we got some great pictures. I don't know how, bu...
Me and a friend booked this tour expecting not much besides a great view from a horse, but we got so much more. Luis was amazing and made the whole day so fun. The horses was calm and very kind. They were easy to control. The views was amazing and we got some great pictures. I don't know how, but we somehow didn't read, that we continue to Cotopaxi, so that was a nice "surprise", and that really made the whole day better. Really good service and just in general a very professional tour. Would definitely recommend.