Otavalo Market and Laguna Cuicocha Full-Day Tour from Quito: Discover Indigenous Artisan Culture

Immerse yourself in the vibrant indigenous culture of Ecuador with a full-day tour of Otavalo Market and Laguna Cuicocha. Explore the famous artisan market, hike around the stunning Cuicocha Laguna, and indulge in local cuisine. A perfect blend of culture, nature, and gastronomy.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Quitsato Mitad del Mundo Monument - NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE MAIN MONUMENT
    Entrance fee to the small Equator monument - $2 per person
    The Quitsato Sundial is a cultural-tourist place located at La Mitad Del Mundo, near Cayambe, 47 km north of Quito. It was built in 2006 and inaugurated in 2007 as an independent, non-profit project in a 24,756 ft²…
What's Included
  • Expert bilingual guide
  • Traditional lunch and bizcochos tasting included
  • Convenient transportation to and from Quito
What's Not Included
  • Market Purchases
  • Quitsato Entrance Fee (Equator Line) $2 per person
  • Tips
Additional Information

The Otavalo cultural tour is a wonderful way to discover and combine the famous artisan indigenous market in Ecuador with some of the most amazing views nearby the capital.
Wander around one of the most famous indigenous markets of South America, walk on the Equator Line, taste delicious bizcochos, hike around the beautiful Cuicocha Laguna, visit the…

Location
Plaza Foch
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.3
(40 Ratings)
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Z3554stdaniela
Apr 28, 2025
Otavalo and surroundings - This was an amazing day with a great guide! Joe was extremely helpful at every stage of the trip and his knowledge of the sites is complete. Highly recommend him and this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
212marisols
May 17, 2023
Great experience, totally worth it!!!! - We had a great experience with our tour guide Stui! He told us so much about the volcanos, the history and people of the region! We enjoyed the tour because we got to taste Bizcochos at the place where they are made, we went to Lago de San Pablo, the Otavalo market, Cotacachi and hiked a bit in Cuicocha to see the beautiful lake! This experience was amazing,many thanks to our guide Stui, you are going a great job!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel_l
Jul 12, 2021
A wonderful tour!! - We had a wonderful time on this tour!! Instructions were clear on meeting points since the tour was public. We had the best tour guides, Carlos and Alejandro!!! They were so nice, knowledgeable and such positive energy!! We went to the Laguna Cuicocha, the markets and the Middle of the World! Each spot on the tour was informational and exciting! Lunch was delicious and good options for vegetarians which I appreciated! 10/10 would do again!!
Review provided by Viator
Pugdog007
Oct 26, 2020
AWESOME day trip from Quito - Due to covid restrictions, we were not able to do a shared tour but were able to set up a private tour to Otavalo Market. What a wonderful day! Andres was prompt and knowledgeable about the tour and gave us great tips. We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip outside of Quito!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Soccerkid
Mar 20, 2020
Full day Otavalo Customized Private Tour was Excellent - March 12, 2020 - I hired EcuaTouring for a private, solo full day tour to Otavalo Market & Town, Cotacachi and Cuicocha volcanic crater lake. My combined driver and tourguide was Ivan Felicita --- he was excellent! He very good and safe driver, hiking companion and very knowledgeable for all the stops we made --- he speaks excellent English --- it made for a very special day! Michael at EcuaTouring was also very helpful and efficient in communicating and organizing my tour --- all worked out very well just a few days before Ecuador closed its borders and airports to combat the coronavirus --- did it in a nick of time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alyssab316
Jan 9, 2020
Great day trip from Quito - I enjoyed all the places we visited on this tour, and it’s a great way to see the countryside outside Quito. Our guide Gabriel was wonderful! He was very friendly, attentive and informative. I highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zinovy_d
Dec 25, 2024
Otavallo excursion - I felt there was too much time at the Otavallo market and not enough time at the lake. I think the lake is the main attraction. Otherwise both the driver (Romiro) and the guide (Joel) were excellent.
Review provided by Viator
Kathryn_g
Apr 30, 2024
Mostly good. - I liked the tour. I enjoyed the solar museum and hearing about the traditions of the indigenous people. It would have been nice if we had been told that we would have a place to buy breakfast. We had gotten up extra early to have time to eat in the hotel. Also, while I enjoyed the explanation of the indigenous girls clothing, I didn't appreciate the pressure to buy something from her before we even got to the market to see what else was available. And having the painter pass his paintings around the bus was way too much.
Review provided by Viator
Ralph_b
Nov 24, 2021
Locating someone... - Locating someone (actually her mother) whose photo I had taken a few years ago and which was selected for a 2022 international calendar, a copy of which I took for her.
Review provided by Viator
Jeanne_w
Dec 24, 2025
Fine if you have a lot of time in Quito or love sitting in a bus! - Skip this tour unless you have a lot of time in Quito. We should have done Mindo or Coatapaxi instead. Our pick up time was 7:10. We waited in a coffee shop until after 7:30 when the bus arrived. We drove to a place to try biscochos and some people bought coffee or breakfast. The Solar Museum was $5 USD per person, not $2 as stated on the site. They did not have change for a $20 bill, so be prepared with cash. It was interesting and informative. Otovalo market was not nearly as large or impressive as others we've visited, and things were more expensive. It was 1/4 the size of an average WalMart. The lagoon was pretty. Stairs, but not a strenuous hike at all. Lunch was simple and tasted fine, but we didn't eat until nearly 3 PM. We had a little time to visit the town, but not much. There was no demonstration of the leather goods. It felt like most of the day was spent driving, and the long distance was not worth the sites along the way. The bus was not comfortable and was very old. Traffic was bad, so we didn't arrive back to Quito until 7:30 PM.
Review provided by Viator
From $70
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).