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Andes Adventure: Cotopaxi Volcano Exploration
One of the best experiences in the Andes Mountains near Quito City. Cotopaxi is considered the highest active volcano in South America. If you love outdoor activities, this is for you. Enjoy horse riding in the highlands and hiking to the José Ribas Refuge at 4864m (15958ft). A wealth of flora and fauna are part of these great adventures.
One of the best experiences in the Andes Mountains near Quito City. Cotopaxi is considered the highest active volcano in South America. If you love outdoor activities, this is for you. Enjoy horse riding in the highlands and hiking to the José Ribas Refuge at 4864m (15958ft). A wealth of flora and fauna are part of these great adventures.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Parque Nacional Cotopaxi - The Private Cotopaxi Volcano Hike with Horseback Riding for Beginners provides an unforgettable adventure in the Andes. Departure is at 7:30 AM from your location, traveling along the Avenue of the Volcanoes, where you can admire stunning views of potato fields, cattle farms, and the breathtaking scenery surrounding…
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Parque Nacional Cotopaxi - The Private Cotopaxi Volcano Hike with Horseback Riding for Beginners provides an unforgettable adventure in the Andes. Departure is at 7:30 AM from your location, traveling along the Avenue of the Volcanoes, where you can admire stunning views of potato fields, cattle farms, and the breathtaking scenery surrounding Cotopaxi National Park.
The horseback riding segment lasts 1.5 hours at an altitude of 12,800 feet, guided by a local cowboy. No prior experience is necessary! Following this, a 35-minute drive will take you to the parking area, where the hike begins.
The hike ascends from 14,763 feet to 15,958 feet, reaching the José Ribas high camp, which offers spectacular panoramic views of the Andes. Although this hike is challenging, experienced guides will maintain a steady pace to ensure comfort. Frequent stops, along with water and snacks, will keep participants energized.
For a more relaxed option, a hike around the Limpiopungo Lagoon at 12,800 feet is available, featuring a flat, easy trail.
To conclude the day, enjoy a taste of local cuisine and the opportunity to feed llamas, creating an unforgettable experience.
This is a LOOP TRIP, with a return to the hotel around 5 PM.
What's Included
- Horse Riding rental included
- All entry fees covered
- Delicious lunch provided
- Enjoy in-vehicle air conditioning
- Horse Riding rental included
- All entry fees covered
- Delicious lunch provided
- Enjoy in-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(102 Ratings)
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Zachs647
Nov 11, 2025
Incredible Day-Trip to Cotopaxi - I can’t recommend this day trip to Cotopaxi enough—it was spectacular! We were picked up by our guide, Pato, at our hotel in Old Quito around 7:30 am. We then drove for a little over two hours to the northern entrance of Cotopaxi National Park—the rural scenery along the way was lovely—and on to a lodge in the park that offers horseback riding. The horseback-riding part of the trip proved to be an unexpected highlight. Riding through the paramo surrounded by volcanos on all sides was stunning; we even had an opportunity to gallop for a bit (which was admittedly nerve-racking being a horseback-riding novice!).
We then drove further into the park, parked the car, and hiked up to the highest lodge/reserve on Cotopaxi, which sits at 15,953 feet. The hike was breathtaking, literally, and the first part was made more challenging by biting wind and cold light rain. But the journey was very much worth it—the views from the top were incredible! The refreshments in the lodge were also a nice treat. We were even greeted on our drive out of the park with a cloud-free view of Cotopaxi in all its glory. We finished our trip with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant outside of the park before returning to Quito around 5:00 pm.
Pato was an excellent guide—knowledgeable, accommodating, and a great photographer. Definitely take this tour if you want a memorable experience in Ecuador!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fellowtraveler199054
Oct 6, 2025
Wonderful day - Had such an incredible time on this tour! Definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Ecuador. Ismael was an amazing guide the entire day and so informative. Loved the positivity and motivation especially during the hike up the volcano!! Learned and saw so much. The hike up the volcano is definitely no joke. It is difficult, but I never felt rushed and was able to acclimate to the elevation at my pace. The horseback riding gave picture perfect views! Lunch was delicious and conversation all day was effortless. Thank you Ismael for a wonderful day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_d
Aug 30, 2025
Amazing views and friendly people - We booked this tour the day before when we landed in Quito. Easy to book and good communication. There was just the two of us on our tour and our tour guide was fantastic! The tour company was called Ecuador a Color. Arrived on time and had so much information to tell us on the drive to and back from Cotopaxi. The horseback riding was great and had excellent views with lots of opportunities for photos. We only did the hike around the lagoon which was a good choice because we did not factor in altitude acclimation as we had only been in Ecuador for one day by this point and I found even the flat walk around the lake caused me to feel the elevation. But our guide was patient and let us take lots of breaks. He was very knowledgeable about the surrounding fauna and waterfowl which was really cool. My only suggestion would be to give yourself a few days in Ecuador to adjust to the elevation if you aren’t used to it before doing this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Harrych7063fi
Aug 27, 2025
Amazing tour - Had an amazing trip to Cotopaxi. Was well taken care of by the tour guide Pamela. The horse are well trained and easy to ride without much experience. Cotopaxi national park is very breathtaking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
976kristinh
Jul 14, 2025
Amazing trip to Cotopaxi - The tour was amazing. The guide, Pato was great, very nice and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the horse riding, and the scenery was awesome. We hiked up to the refugio of Cotopaxi in cold wind and rain, but we were prepared for bad weather and it was really worth it, The view up there is amazing! Can highly recommend the trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicolelz230lz
Jul 9, 2025
Amazing experience - Beautiful Mountain! - Pato was an amazing guide! Everything from correspondence before to dropping us off at our hotel. The horseback riding was fun. The hike up Cotopaxi was grueling...and so windy it almost blew me over a few times. Thankfully, Pato had an extra windbreaker jacket he lent me. At times, it felt like the volcanic rock was sand blasting my face. Haha! He told me it would be like that for about 3-5 minutes and he was right. After that, we tucked into a little valley and slowly hiked up. I wanted to quit half way when it started to get windy again and he said the Refuge was right there...and pointed. So I continued...and I'm glad I did!! What an awesome feeling getting to the top. Pato knows everything about Ecuador. He does tons of private tours (not just this one) so just ask, and I'm sure he can even do it. I was surprised he even did day trips to Banos! This is definitely a great tour and I would highly recommend Pato (it's his company)!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_b
Jul 5, 2025
Most fun thing ever - It extremely fun but the hike is somewhat strenuous. The horseback ride will be the best thing you’ve ever done. Ismael was the best tour guide we have ever had. My wife and I were absolutely blown away by how kind and accommodating he was. He made multiple stops on the way for us to buy things we needed/show us cool stuff. It was amazing. He is the absolute best.
Review provided by Viator
117leticiaq
Jun 23, 2025
Powerful Cotopaxi! - Powerful Cotopaxi! Impermeable!
We love the experience. The ride with the horses, the climb to the refuge in the volcano. The guide Joshua was excellent. Lots of information, kind and attentive. Lunch is that could have been better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lginpa2
May 30, 2025
We made it, thanks to our personal guide! - We had the pleasure of doing 2 tours with Ecuador A Color, both with Pato as our guide. He sure knows everything about Quito and Ecuador! The pick up and drop off at our hotel was included and greatly appreciated. And as an added bonus Pato’s picture taking skills are great, now we have more memories of our 2 days.
- Horseback riding was a lot of fun and we were given clear instructions and always felt safe. The Cotopaxi national park area we rode in was so beautiful with a view of Cotopaxi the entire time. The time spent here helped us adjust to the altitude.
- Hiking to the Cotopaxi refuge was a goal of our trip and it sure was challenging. We’re so glad we booked a private guide since we’re seniors in our 70’s, and if it weren’t for the encouragement and patience of Pato I would not have made it, but I did! I almost forgot to mention that he provided hiking poles which really helped. It was a really awesome experience!
- After our hike we were treated to a great Ecuadorian meal at Rondador.
So, while it costs more than a group tour, if you want a great personalized guide with lots of patience, I can highly recommend going with Ecuador A Color.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessica
May 27, 2025
Hammer Good excursion as well as great guide - We had a super great day with Patricio (guide). He showed us a lot and explained it. Was always friendly and accommodating. Great view had during the tour. The tour is highly recommended with Patricio.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
