Ecuador’s best lodge-to-lodge hiking tour

Our lodge-to-lodge hiking tour offers the best trekking in Ecuador in comfort.

Ecuador is one of the best Andean countries for trekking and day walks. On this lodge-to-lodge hiking tour, you experience fabulous expansive mountain vistas and volcanoes wherever you look. Enjoy views over deeply carved valleys, vast plains and a picturesque patchwork of fields.

You’ll also enjoy diverse wildlife and flora, rich cultures, and interactions with friendly local people.

The tour takes you through three of Ecuador’s most beautiful mountain regions: Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Chimborazo. Full details of our Lodge-to-Lodge 13-day Trekking Tour, Ecuador.

Lodges and Guesthouses Used on the Trek

It’s not just the trekking that’s amazing on this lodge-to-lodge trip. Relax in comfort after a great day’s hiking. We have handpicked a wonderful selection of interesting places to stay: some are historical, colonial haciendas and others colourful, locally-run guesthouses in off-the-beaten-track places.

Staying at the haciendas gives a good insight into rural life as some are still working farms. It also lets you experience some typical warm Ecuadorian hospitality in these rural communities.

These locally-owned haciendas and guesthouses prepare your meals with local ingredients, and many grow their own vegetables and herbs. They can cater to most dietary requirements, including vegetarian and vegan—please ask us for more information.

Many of the lodges have sustainability at the heart of their operations and have implemented a range of eco-friendly measures, including:

• separating the organic from the rest of the rubbish, and recycling where possible
• using cloth bags for packed lunches
• using local ingredients in their kitchens
• implementing water and energy-saving measures
• using non-toxic cleaning products
• contributing to conservation projects in the wider community

Read more about the haciendas we use in this lodge-to-lodge hiking adventure in Ecuador, including traveller reviews, facilities, and altitude.

CotopaxiPungo Lodge (3,340m/10,960ft, 1 night)

Our first stop is CotopaxiPungo Lodge, inspired by traditional Spanish-style haciendas, sits in an amazing location in the Ecuadorian Andes. It boasts spectacular mountain views. On a clear day, you can see several volcanoes, including Cotopaxi, Antisana, Cayambe, Puntas, Sicholahua, Rumiñahui, and Pasochoa.

The restaurant serves a range of international and Andean dishes. It has full-length windows so you can enjoy the view as you dine.

• Open fires in the rooms
• WiFi access
• Hot showers
• Bar and restaurant
• Spa with a small pool.

What our clients say “We had a huge room with Cotopaxi views and panoramic views from the dining room. The evening was cool, but staff lit a fire for us. The manager was very friendly with perfect English and helped us with our Spanish!”

Hacienda Los Mortiños (3,620m/11,880ft, 1 night)

Next, we stay at one of two haciendas, depending on availability.

Hacienda Los Mortiños is another hacienda-style hotel in an enviable location five minutes from the north entrance to Cotopaxi National Park. It offers stunning views of Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s highest active volcano.

The restaurant is open from 7am to 9pm and serves Ecuadorian and international food made with fresh local ingredients. It has panoramic windows, so you can enjoy your meal with a view of Cotopaxi.

• Rooms range from standard rooms to suites, all with mountain views
• Some rooms have open fires and Jacuzzis
• Bunk bed and camping options are more economical but still comfortable
• Free WiFi access and car park

What our clients say: “This lodge is family-run and very welcoming. Our room had two big windows, an electric heater and lots of lovely blankets which helped take the chill out of the air.”

Hacienda El Porvenir (3,600m/11,800ft, 1 night)

Depending on availability, our second stop could be Hacienda El Porvenir.

El Porvenir is in a scenic spot surrounded by Cotopaxi, Sincholagua, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui volcanoes. The farmhouse, with a history dating back to colonial times, is built with traditional materials such as brick, straw, wood, and adobe. It has an authentic thatched and cosy sitting rooms with log fires.

Hacienda El Porvenir is a working ranch focused on sustainable agriculture, cattle farming, conservation, and ecotourism. It produces milk and cheese and also grows some of the vegetables and herbs served at mealtimes. The restaurant offers a range of local and international dishes.

• Heaters or stoves in the rooms
• Private bathrooms
• Limited WiFi is available
• Spa facilities

Tambopaxi Lodge (3,720m/12,200ft, 2 nights)

We gain height as we enter Cotopaxi National Park.

Tambopaxi Lodge, the only hotel inside Cotopaxi National Park, was built in 2002. It is located on the edge of the volcano’s boulder field, offering guests stunning views of the snow-capped volcano and surrounding peaks. Double-glazed panoramic windows enable visitors to enjoy the views while keeping them cosy.

The restaurant offers set meals and other delicious dishes with top-quality, organic ingredients. Packed lunches are also prepared for walkers off for a day’s trekking.

• WiFi is available throughout the hotel
• Toasty duvets on the beds
• Hot showers
• Wood-burning stoves
• Unforgettable views

What our clients say: “We stayed in a separate building, a short walk from the main lodge. We had a fire in our room, which was lit in the late afternoon, making it very comfortable and cosy. There was a nice social area and bar/dining room. Food portions were large!”

Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge (2,870m/9,430ft, 1 night)

 After a more leisurely half-day hike and market visit, we head to Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge. This small, eco-friendly lodge was built in a local style on the adobe frame of a 120-year-old farmhouse.

The restaurant offers both quality and quantity at mealtimes. Food is prepared with ingredients that are either locally sourced or grown in its own organic garden.

• Dorms and more luxurious rooms available
• Garden cottages and mountain rooms have a private terrace and wood-burning stove
• Solar-powered hot tub
• Sauna
• Cosy fireplace

What our clients say: “This eco-lodge has all mod cons. It’s very clean and modern, with a hot tub for hire (we didn’t) and composting toilets. Meals are communal, food is very good and ours was vegetarian. You serve yourself at the table, so portion size up to you.  They had free yoga class, there was lots of chat, and it was good for meeting people”.

Hostal Mama Hilda (3,200m/10,500ft, 1 night)

We head towards one of Ecuador’s iconic regions for our next stop. Mama Hilda’s is a family-run hostel in the small town of Chugchilán in the Quilotoa area, welcoming visitors for over 20 years. It is situated in the village on the road to Sigchos, surrounded by beautiful landscapes, colourful houses and friendly local people.

There is a communal dining room where breakfast and a home-cooked dinner are served.

• Simple but cosy rooms with rustic decor
• All rooms have a private bathroom
• Some rooms have open fires; others have balconies
• Bar/lounge area
• Reading room for relaxing

Posada de Tigua (3,650m/11,975ft, 1 night)

 Having visited beautiful Quilotoa, we head to Posada de Tigua, a family-run guest house that has been operating since 2002. It sits in a beautiful spot just below the village of Tigua, with great views of the surrounding countryside.

The main farmhouse, which dates back to 1883, is built of adobe. It is still a working dairy farm, and they have cows, llamas, and even a donkey or two. Visitors are welcome to look around the farm.

There is a vegetable garden where organic quinoa, potatoes, onion, and garlic are grown. Meals are sourced from here and locally.

• 11 comfortable rooms, all with en suite
• Cosy wood-burning stove in the main hall
• Spring water filtered through pumice stone is available for guests
• WiFi access

What our clients say: “This is a working hacienda where we had the best food on the trek. The son is a chef! We were served a warming traditional drink before dinner.  Hot water bottle in the bed – luxury!

Chimborazo Lodge (4,000m/13,100ft, 1 night)

Fully acclimatised and hiking fit, we head to the highest overnight point of the trek. Chimborazo Lodge is an attractive mountain lodge built on the former ‘Tambo de Totorillas’ site, an old roadside inn on the old royal Inca road between Guayaquil and Quito.

The comfortable dining room serves a range of national and international dishes. There are spectacular views of Chimborazo from the restaurant’s panoramic windows.

• Single, double, and triple rooms, most with private bathroom
• Rooms have heaters
• Antique mountaineering-themed decoration

What our clients say: “This is a rustic lodge with lots of wood, photos of climbers and walking/climbing artefacts on the walls – fascinating!  From the sitting area in our cabin we could watch llamas, alpacas, vicunas, rabbits and birds. The building had three rooms plus a comfy social area.”

Hotel La Floresta (1,820m5,970ft, 2 nights)

The final stop on the 13-day Lodge-to-Lodge trip is the town of Baños at the family-run Hotel La Floresta. Known locally as Ecuador’s “Gateway to the Amazon”, the town is rich in tradition and biodiversity.

The hotel restaurant looks out onto the lush central garden which features more than 100 varieties of plants. Food in the restaurant is made using traditional cooking techniques and local ingredients.

• Rooms range from double to larger family rooms
• All rooms have en suite
• Some rooms have balconies
• The suite comes equipped with a Jacuzzi
• WiFi access

Ecuador Lodge-to-Lodge Hiking Tour Itinerary

Here’s the full outline itinerary for this lodge-to-lodge tour.

• Day 1: Arrive in Quito, transfer to hotel
• Day 2: Walk the Pita River. Overnight at CotopaxiPungo Lodge
• Day 3: Walk through woodlands to Hacienda el Porvenir. Overnight at Hacienda el Porvenir or Hacienda Los Mortiños
• Day 4: Walk in Cotopaxi National Park. Overnight Tambopaxi Lodge
• Day 5: Climb Rumiñahui peak. Overnight Tambopaxi Lodge
• Day 6: Saquisilí market, half-day walk. Overnight at Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge
• Day 7: Walking day. Overnight at Hostal Mama Hilda
• Day 8: Walk to Quilotoa. Overnight at Posada de Tigua
• Day 9: Drive to Estrella del Chimborazo, afternoon walk. Overnight Chimborazo Lodge
• Day 10: Chimborazo hike to Whymper Needles. Overnight at Hotel La Floresta in Baños
• Day 11: Explore local waterfalls and walks.  Overnight in Hotel La Floresta
• Day 12: Free morning, return to Quito. Overnight hotel
• Day 13: Transfer out

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