Cotopaxi Full-Day Tour from Quito: Explore Wildlife and Volcano in Cotopaxi National Park

Situated in the Cotopaxi National Park is the active Cotopaxi volcano, standing at an altitude of 5,897 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountains, home to a remarkable assortment of plant and animal species.

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cotopaxi National Park - Departure from Quito to the Cotopaxi National Park.
  • Laguna de Limpiopungo - You will visit the Limpiopungo lagoon, it is located in the slops of the volcano. In this place we will stay to enjoy the landscape and take beautiful pictures of the volcano and the lagoon. We will visit the “Mariscal Sucre” Interpretation…
What's Included
  • Bilingual guide (English and Spanish)
  • All entrances included
  • Tourist transport provided
What's Not Included
  • Details not specified
  • Tips
  • Food and drinks
Location
Cotopaxi National Park
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1420 Ratings)
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Lu_blm
Apr 20, 2026
Must do when visiting Quito area! - We had a great time on this tour! It was perfectly organized. Irene, our tour guide was amazing, very knowledgable and had a great energy!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q7006qnjacqueliner
Apr 20, 2026
Amazing Experience - Climbing Cotopaxi was a dream of a lifetime. Irene was an exceptional tour guide as well as her driver Mauricio. Irene was professional, engaging and very personable. From start to finish, everything was seamless. She was caring along the trail making sure everyone was safe and if anyone needed assistance. I am an experienced hiker however, it was challenging due to cold temperature and windy conditions. But the view was amazing and memorable. It's important to dress very warm and know your limits. The breakfast and lunch were great. The food was delicious. Irene was knowledgeable and provided interesting facts. I highly recommend visiting the Cotopaxi National Park and Irene. Muchas gracias!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
249hinam
Apr 20, 2026
10/10 Cotopaxi tour - Great tour to Cotopaxi with amazing tour guide Irene and driver Jonathan. Pick up time was clearly communicated, and everything was thoroughly explained for the agenda of the day. Our tour guide was super insightful, engaging and attentive. She ensured everyone was well at each point given the altitude challenges. We had a great day seeing such an incredible mountain. Highly recommend this tour and Irene!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janet_l
Apr 18, 2026
The guide Jessie and the... - The guide Jessie and the driver are very friendly, helpful and caring. We are grateful for their professional service. We are lucky with the weather and the entire trip is enjoyable
Review provided by Viator
Michelacw1107qw
Apr 18, 2026
Breathtaking, safe and informative - Wow! What a rich experience. Our guide Irene is so kind, passionate, and intelligent…taking the time to share history, ecological facts, and fun information throughout the drive. She cared for everyone’s health and safety. My friend and I felt so so happy we booked through this organization. Without Irene, we would have been looking at a big mountain, but because of Irene, everything we looked at came to life through her stories and information. The altitude made the hike challenging, but she stays in the back of the group so that everyone can go at their pace and nobody gets left behind. Irene and the wonderful driver were marvellous. Irene, muchísimas gracias por tu tiempo, tu entusiasmo y tus conocimientos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G5ive
Apr 17, 2026
One of the best things I have ever done - Where do I begin? Never in a million years did I think I would one of those people that would climb a mountain (in this case a volcano) I would even criticize people for doing that. I booked the tour thinking that we would just go take pictures and climb a few feet up. We were picked up at exactly 7am on the dot, and from there we would go on to pick up a few more people on the tour. We were met by Irene and the driver Mauricio, I just thought Irene was someone just in charge of organizing everyone into the bus and nothing else, turns out she's one of the best tour guides I have ever interacted with. We picked everyone up and drove towards Cotopaxi, the drive is about an hour to two hours (depends on traffic), everything was so well organized, Irene starts taking orders for breakfast and briefs everyone on getting prepared for the climb. We make a 20 minute stop at a spot where we have breakfast and buy anything else we might need for the trip. We get to the national park and we start to drive up towards the parking lot (meeting point) which is the base where we're going to start the climb. As soon as you enter the park and start appreciating the beauty you know it's gong to be special. The drives towards the sparking spots take a while I would say around another 20-30 minutes. We finally get to the parking spot and as soon as you get there it hits you (I'm about to do something incredible) if you have never climbed anything higher than a hill this experience will be among the top things you have ever done, and of course Irene which she is also not just the tour guide but she also CLIMBS TOO! You start climbing and that altitude starts to hit you, at one point I wanted to quit, it's not even the cold, it's the shortness of breathe, the exhaustion, the physical demanding activity you signed up for and you were instructed to climb up a certain way but your body starts to tell you "Hey maybe this was a bad idea" (no don't worry, you have to choice to go back down) but then you start to look around and you see Irene behind you, climbing slowly but surely, then it turned from a simple picture tour to a personal challenge. After about an hour (depends on how you climb) you start seeing the light and can closely see the base camp, now you can't go back, it's there, and you finally make it to base camp which is around 15,953 up, think about that, not many people have done something you just did, it might not be Everest and you did not start from sea level, but again, not many people have just achieved what you just achieved. After the climb, we rest, have some hot drinks, take the group tour pick and start to make our descent. After the descent you get to the tour bus, Irene again shines and starts to make sure everyone is on the bus then starts to take lunch orders so they can order ahead of time, we make a quick stop by Laguna Limpiopung which you'll be able to admire Cotopaxi from. After lunch we head back to Quito and the drop offs begin. This tour has been the best tour I've ever done, hands down, but it was nothing without the tour guide and the driver, Irene is someone that is super knowledgeable and goes above and beyond to make the tower what is it, remember she's the guide and a climber too. Mauricio (driver) is definitely and experienced driver and not one second I felt unsafe, his shine is on the way up and on the way down.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorip505
Apr 17, 2026
Great day in Cotopaxi - This was a very fun trip made extra special by our guide Irene. She is very knowledgeable about the park, the volcano and Ecuador. I was really worried about altitude sickness coming from flatland but she gave us great instructions on what we could do to prevent it. We made it to all the way to base camp! It’s a beautiful park and we were lucky to see deer, a fox, and birds including a closeup of a raptor called a curiquingue. We ended the day with a delicious lunch with Ecuador’s famous potato soup. Loved spending the day with Irene, the bus driver and a fun group of travelers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber59694913584
Apr 16, 2026
Brilliant Cotopaxi tour - Excellent trip up to the refuge at Cotopaxi volcano! Our guide Jessica and our driver Jimmy were brilliant always making sure everyone was feeling ok and bringing lots of energy to the day. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeniavila
Apr 9, 2026
Full day, wonderful! - We did a full day tour at the Cotopaxi Volcano and it was an amazing experience. From the start everything was super well organized and the place is just another level. The landscapes are breathtaking, you feel nature at its best. Each stop was totally worth it, and although it is a bit demanding, you enjoy it a lot. It's definitely one of those experiences that recharges you and gets you out of the rut. We would do it again without thinking 🙌
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Don_h
Apr 17, 2026
A memorable Climb! - Lots of travel time to and from Quito and picking up passengers.Our guide Jorge was excellent and filled the time with history and stories from the area and Ecuador in general. The climb to the base camp at Cotopaxi was difficult but truly memorable!
Review provided by Viator
From $59
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).