Quilotoa Lagoon Tour: Andes Culture & Views

104 Ratings

Laguna Quilotoa

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Take pleasure in a comprehensive day trip to Quilotoa Lagoon commencing from Quito. Relish the stunning panorama of the Avenue of Volcanoes coupled with the Ecuadorian Andes during the journey. Gather knowledge about the native Andes cultures and customs. Undertake a moderate hike around the lagoon.

Duration: 10 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Laguna Quilotoa - When the Quilotoa volcano last erupted in 1280, it left behind a gaping caldera 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) across, which is now filled with brilliant turquoise water. The word
quilotoa
comes from the local Quechua language, a group native to the central Andes region.
Mira Andes Ecuador - Enjoy Andes Mountains Views
Tigua - Enjoy naif paintings, culture, and landscape of Tigua

What's Included

- Guided activities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Visit to the Tigua Painter’s Community
- Entrance ticket included
- Complimentary menu lunch (with private service)

What's Not Included

Mule ride ($10.00USD, subject to change)
Kayak rental ($3.00USD, subject to change)
Meals
Tips

Additional Information

Children must be accompanied by an adult
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required

Location

Laguna Quilotoa

Laguna de Quilotoa

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings

4.9

(104 Ratings)

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William_c

Jul 12, 2025

Great tour! - Great experience! Guide was very knowledgeable and gave provided a lot of historical context to sites along the way. Our guide also knew the best vista points for photos and drove us to our destinations safely. 10/10 recommend!

Review provided by Viator

Alexandra_a

May 16, 2025

Great experience and best guide - The guide who took us to Quilotoa, Diego, had a good knowledge of Ecuadorian cultures, regions and towns. Very respectful, friendly and attentive that we acclimate to the height, as well as being very good driver. Before we reached the crater we stopped in an indigenous community where we could see firsthand how some peoples still live today. Very interesting visit. We weren't lucky in time, but nobody can guarantee that.

Review provided by Viator

Emily_e

May 6, 2025

Absolutely beautiful day at Quilotoa Lagoon!! - We had a wonderful day with Diego!! The crater and lagoon are beautiful! Even with the clouds moving in, it was amazing to see! The hike down was a bit challenging, but really not too bad. I had a bit of altitude sickness, and I made it with no problems. We DID decide to take the horses back up ($10 apiece), and that was an experience all in its own! :) Diego was an excellent guide, explaining about life and history in Ecuador. We stoped at an artists workshop, and had a delicious lunch. All-in-all a great day, 10/10!

Review provided by Viator

Thatyana_l

Apr 29, 2025

Very Nice trip. - Very Nice trip. Wonderful view of the volcano. Diego showed all his knowledge about the region and was very careful.

Review provided by Viator

Marc_s

Apr 8, 2025

Convenient and Fun Quilotoa Trip! - Great experience to visit Quilotoa from Quito! I did this solo and I was picked up from my hotel in Quito by Erica (guide) and Andreas (Driver) around 7:15 AM. We were driven through the beautiful countryside (~3hr total drive) with two stops: one for breakfast/coffee and one to visit an indigenous home and see some guinea pigs. Then we did the beautiful Quilotoa hike from the top down to the water’s edge and back up. This took us about 2-2.5 hours total. Note that this is not the Loop Hike, which takes much longer. The climb back up was definitely exhausting, even for someone who exercises, but feasible for people of all ages with frequent breaks. After the hike you enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant around 2:30 PM, then most people fell asleep on the long drive back to Quito (~3 hours). While I would’ve loved a bit more time at Quilotoa to explore, this trip is a great way to do Quilotoa conveniently from Quito and allows you to see all of the highlights! Thanks to Erica and Andreas for a great experience.

Review provided by Viator

Kate_k

Mar 12, 2025

I was solo traveling and... - I was solo traveling and wanted to experience Quilotoa Lagoon and Volcanoes Avenue Day Trip safely and with a guide. I got the best guide, Diego! He was incredibly informative. Any questions I had, he could answer and I learned so much about the history of Ecuador and the famous volcanos and lagoons within it. The ride is slightly long, but worth it to see Quilotoa Lagoon! It was one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen and I achieved my dream of meeting an alpaca. I can't recommend enough!

Review provided by Viator

Halise_y

Feb 10, 2025

Wonderful lagoon hike - Diego was a great guide. He paid attention to the quickly changing fog and weather and made sure to take us to the lagoon before the community visit. When we got to the lagoon, we decided to hike down. It was a beautiful view and a lovely hike (down). Coming up was harder because of the altitude and steep terrain. But I dont regret it and it felt like such an accomplishment. The lunch (trout and shrimp) was amazing too.

Review provided by Viator

Felix_w

Jan 25, 2025

It's a private tour for... - It's a private tour for us for a group of 4. Tour guide is good. All arrangement is perfect. Donkey/Horse ride up hill is excellent on the way back and save a lot of energy due to the altitude. Restaurant that arranged for lunch is good. Good food and cheap price. Tour is highly recommeneded

Review provided by Viator

399anah

Jan 17, 2025

Excellent everything - The lagoon is beautiful. For postcard photos. Going down to the base of the lagoon is relatively easy, but going up is very hard. Fortunately there were horses available to climb. However, even with the Difficulty to upload the plan deserves to be done 100%. Our guide, Diego, was very friendly. Comfortable vehicle for transportation, picked us up door to door. The restaurant recommended by our guide was delicious. We recommend the plan with this agency. Ps: not a plan to do with children

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kitty_j

Jan 13, 2025

Really enjoyed this tour.... - Really enjoyed this tour. For starters, the van had such large windows on each side which made for exceptional viewing of the landscape. Our tour guide and driver were both attentive and fairly organized, with the guide giving the tour in both Spanish and English. He also helped me work on my Spanish (much needed for this American!) in an approachable way. The sights were breathtaking and the hike back up from Quilotoa crater lake also took my breath away - literally. I had debated taking a full day out of my time in Quito to do this tour, but I’m so glad I did. It was a great way to see more of the countryside and parts of Cotopaxi province, and I absolutely lucked out with a lovely little group from all over the world.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $89

up to 12 guests

1 - Adult