Quilotoa Lagoon Tour: Andes Culture & Views

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
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
(103 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
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
From $89
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).