Otavalo and Cotacachi Day Tour: Explore Ecuadorian Andean Landscape and Visit Indigenous Markets
5.0
26 Ratings
Quito
Immerse yourself in the stunning Ecuadorian Andean landscape and explore the vibrant Otavalo Market on this private full-day tour. Choose from a range of options including visiting the Middle of the World site, Cuicocha Crater Lake, Peguche Waterfall, Cotacachi leather town, and more. Customize your itinerary and create your perfect day!
Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Let’s Go to Ecuador - We will start the day with the pick up at your Hotel and drive to the north east side of the city driving to the amazing Andes country side until we arrive to Quitsato Middle of the World site and
    Then to Otavalo to the outdoor market, during this tour you have the option of visiting a lovely waterfall of Peguche or a town of Cotacachi where the leather workmanship shops are
    Located, flexible times to return to the city
  • Quitsato Mitad del Mundo Monument - Middle of the World site called Quitsato, where you can stand one foot on each continent
What's Included
  • Bottled water included
  • Private round-trip transportation
  • Professional English-speaking guide
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

This is a Private Full Day Program, you will see the amazing “Sierra” Ecuadorian Andean Landscape, you will visit the Middle of the World site “Quitsato”, here you can stand one foot in the northern and one foot in the southern hemisphere.

Enjoy the visit to the Otavalo Market, home of the most colorful in Ecuador and the largest indigenous markets in South America.

You have also the option to visit Cuicocha Crater Lake, Peguche Waterfall, the leather town of Cotacachi.

Depending of the sites that you would like to visit, there is more options such as the Wood Carving town of San Antonio de Ibarra, or if you would like to see the Andean Condor and other birds of pray instead of visiting the market for shopping.

During this day you choose the sites to be visited and the time you would like to spend on it and the time to back at your Hotel in the city, you build your own day!!

  • We recommend you to wear sunscreen and layered clothing due to the quick weather changes in the highlands
Location
Let's Go to Ecuador
Urb. Santa Lucia, Cumbaya
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(26 Ratings)
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Y1828fprobinw
Apr 13, 2024
Wonderful tours with a great guide! - I took private tours to Cotopaxi and Otavalo with guide Luis Hounday. Luis was s very accommodating and knowledgeable guide, who speaks pretty good English. Luis has close relationships with the indigenous people and served as a great ambassador. I would highly recommend him, especially to travelers without a strong command of Spanish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F4221sljosephm
Mar 11, 2024
Best tour guides in Ecuador - We did three day tours with Angela and Jamie, they were very knowledgeable and helpful tailoring the tours to our wants and needs. They have a great selection of activities and we definitely would recommend them for all your tours. They will pick you up at any time or place making the tour’s easily accessible and enjoyable. Angela is from Ecuador and Jamie is her husband from Canada making communication easy and comfortable, their company was great.
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Wallacer344
Feb 7, 2024
Quito tour - Angela and Jamie were very knowledgeable about the whole thing and gave us excellent advices on places to eat and tips about buying stuff.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lori761
Jun 30, 2023
Jamie and Angela Halley - Let's Go Ecuador, Highly recommend! - Jamie and Angela were warm and friendly guides who took us a full-day tour of the Mindo cloud forest to see the amazing hummingbirds, a butterfly sanctuary, a cable car ride and hike to a waterfall and lunch at the Mindo Chocolate factory/farm. The artisan (small batch) chocolate factory had 12 varieties for us to taste.They were prompt and very knowledgeable. The SUV we rode in was like new and very comfortable. I was referred to them by friends who raved about them and they were terrific. I highly recommend them. Wear sturdy shoes for the hike. My emails were answered quickly and they offered good suggestions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Viajera1948
Mar 27, 2023
Customized tour for our family - The tour was customized to our family's interests and needs. Our main goals were to bring our (adult) girls to the Otavalo Saturday market and the nearby Condor Park. My husband and I had been to Otavalo, Cotacachi, and Cuicocha before and knew that they'd especially like the Condor Park. (Yes, Cuicocha Lake is very beautiful and my husband liked the leather belt he had bought in Cotacachi, but birds are higher on our girls' priority lists!) I was looking for a small, unique gift for a friend in Otavalo. Angela knew just where to find one. On the way to Otavalo, we stopped for biscochos and a tour of Quitsato, a sundial that is exactly on the equator and less touristy than the Mitad del Mundo sites typically visited by tours from Quito. It was an unexpected surprise that we all enjoyed. We were picked up from our vacation rental in Quito and returned to a hotel by the airport, so we had a lot of luggage. So, instead of their usual van, Angela and Jaime took us in a small bus. We appreciated the personalized attention and would definitely recommend Let's Go to Ecuador. (We went with family, but no young children or teens. TripAdvisor doesn't give that option for "Who was with you?")
Review provided by Tripadvisor
409marciab
May 14, 2022
Angela and Jamie are the reason we say Let's Go To Ecuador (again)! - We spent two full days with Jamie and Angela- we are in love with their beautiful country and especially with THEM! The first day in Quito we took their Panoramic Quito tour (check their site directly - there are many more options than listed here and it was easier to contact them directly). It gave us a great overview of the city and hit all the sights on our must see list. Our departure day, Jamie and Angela picked us up (with luggage in tow) and we spent the day on the Otavalo tour. What a fabulous day- there was so much more to see than just the market (though Angela did a great job making certain we navigated/negotiated well there, too). At the end of the day, they were happy to drop us directly at the airport. One of our friends pulled her back and Angela help explain things to the pharmacist - we never could have managed on our own. Angela and Jamie were flawless in the details, a joy to communicate with and a totally wonderful guides to their country. My only tip is to contact them directly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie650
Jan 27, 2022
Let's Go to Ecuador with Jaime and Angela! - Let's Go to Ecuador with Jaime and Angela! Quito is waiting for you! Our Quito day tour from our cruise was canceled due to the "surge" in Covid but Jamie and Angela came to our rescue with a private half day tour of Quito's old town. It was a fabulous tour in a safe environment - 90% of the tour was outdoors and Old Town was NOT crowded. We felt safe as can be - both in terms of personal safety and from catching COVID. Post Galapagos cruise, we had a full day trip already scheduled with Jaime and Angela to the middle of the world, Otovalo, Cotacachi, Cuicocha, Peguche . We were totally delighted with the services we received - clean car, safe driving and definitely knowledgeable information from both Jaime and Angela! It was sad to see how COVID has really affected Quito's economy but there is no reason why you should not visit Ecuador. We were pleasantly surprised at how clean and safe Quito was! Highlights included seeing the 3 volcanoes from Quito (usually shrouded with clouds but we were lucky), visiting the boscocho cafe, the chocolate making business, middle of the world, the crater lake (and just by chance seeing it again from the airplane going back to the US), and the falls. Just by chance and coincidence, my friend's brother in law lives in Quito and had also recommended Jaime and Angela's services! Two recommendations is always a good sign. You won't be disappointed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Possummilk
Jan 16, 2020
Wonderful day! - At the end of the day my wife said, "this is like being on vacation with friends!" Can't speak highly enough about Jamie and Angela! Delightful couple who work very hard to make the day special. Spanish and English languages covered perfectly. Jamie does the driving that - believe me - you would not want to tackle on your own. Angela's knowledge of all things Ecuadoran is encyclopedic. Our particular trip was: 1. Quitado, the more scientific of the Middle of the World sites. 2. A small baker of the local bizcocho biscuits. 3. The Otavalo market. Jamie and Angela will show you the best outdoor stalls and adjacent indoor shops. If you are a serious shopper, having Angela guide you through local bartering alone will save you much of the price of your tour!. Market was great to see, but the day is so much more than only the market. 4. Wonderful private time with one of the very few remaining master weavers of the pre-Spanish backstrap loom. Great demonstration of every step of the process from sheep to use of the loom itself. (including a surprising demonstration of the source of the cochineal red dye). 5. The "leather town" of Cotacachi. 6. Peguche. A charming indigenous village blessed with an adjacent lovely peaceful park centered around a waterfall. This is one of three days we spent with Jamie and Angela, and I would recommend them enthusiastically to anyone. Contacting them on their website was simple, and they respond promptly at the end of their day tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vanccan
Oct 14, 2019
Authentic goods at local prices - Fantastic place to get authentic items at a fraction of the price . We purchased sweaters for the family along with Panama hats . Our guides Jamie and Angela from Let's Go to Ecuador were wonderful : very knowledgeable of local goods and prices. We were first given an introduction to the market and learned about the customs and how the people supported themselves. Bananas and many other local foods were very abundant and cheap . We were given ample time to explore on our own and we thoroughly enjoyed the market along with the purchases we made.The visit to the market made special by our guides Jamie and Angela when at the end of our free shopping time, they escorted us to specific stalls that sold the special souvenirs and Panama hats that we needed assistance with. They helped to negotiate the prices in Spanish. They picked us up the hotel in the morning and dropped us off at 6:00 pm. At lunch we ate at their favorite local place in Cotacachi where Angela helped buy a well made, beautiful and unique leather purse. We also made a stop at a beautiful forest and waterfall area and also had some fun photos taken with two Llamas. The day at Otavalo (and vicinity) can be custom made for your needs as Jamie and Angela are so easy to work with when planning your schedule. We highly recommend them!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amdajula
Aug 19, 2019
A perfect day with Angela and Jamie - We were fortunate to book this tour. Communication was highly commendable as I was booking at the last minute from a place with little cell service. Angela patiently responded to my half-sent texts. Our family of 4 booked the Otavalo tour. It was a wonderful day from start to finish. Our van was extremely comfortable. Our pleasant driver was very professional. The tour itself was perfect: fun informative and pressure-free. We were delighted by Quitsato. The tour was enlightening and we loved getting a picture at the equator. We stopped to see bizcochos being made (with samples!) We shopped in Otavalo. Jamie and Angela picked the perfect restaurant for lunch. We toured Cotacachi. Jamie and Angela were extremely patient here, as I found myself in purse heaven and ended up doing much some serious shopping. We visited a shop where we were able to see the traditional art of back-stop weaving. This was amazing to watch. We had a well-timed snack of ice cream and visited Peguche waterfalls, a pretty area that is a weekend retreat for residents. Jamie and Angela are kind people who are extremely knowledgeable about Ecuador. They provided us with extensive information about the sites we visited as well as Ecuador in general. They answered all of our questions which ranged from history to food to real estate in Ecuador. They were accommodating throughout. Even if there were no tour, I would have enjoyed just hanging out with them for the day. I highly recommend Lets Go To Ecuador.
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