Quito to La Paz: Amazon & Ancient Cultures
35 days from Quito to La Paz
From $ 3499
Duration35 days

Really discover what South America is all about on this epic five-week journey through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. This adventure truly has it all – the Pacific coast, the awe-inspiring Amazon, and the archeological highlights and cultural treasures of the Andean highlands. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, tear it up on mountain bikes, raft wild rivers, catch big waves, and get your adrenaline pumping on exciting optional excursions. With local transportation and authentic accommodation, this adventure offers an intense blend of included activities and free time to explore on your own.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 35 days
    Service level: Basic
  • Starts in: Quito
    Physical Grading: Demanding
  • Ends in: La Paz
    Ages: 18+
Quito to La Paz Adventure - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Quito

Start place: Quito

Spend the first day of your trip wandering Ecuador’s capital city. Meet the group in the evening at the hotel.
Arrive at any time.

End place: Quito

Day 2: Quito/Tena

Start place: Quito

Travel overland to the jungle city of Tena, located on the edge of the Amazon. From there, transfer by truck to the local community of Pimpilala. Stay in rustic wooden huts in the community of a Quichua family, enjoy the hospitality of these wonderful people, and experience life in the jungle first-hand.

End place: Tena

Meals: B, L, D
Day 3-4: Tena

Start place: Tena

Head out on nature walks and learn about uses of traditional plants, their cultural beliefs, and local traditions in the Amazon jungle.

End place: Tena

Meals: B, L, D
Day 5: Tena/Baños

Start place: Tena

Travel to Baños, the perfect setting to get your adrenaline pumping, try out horseback riding, canyoning, hiking, mountain biking, or rafting in the surrounding mountains.
Meals: B
Day 6: Baños
Enjoy a free day in Baños, opt to check out the swing at the end of the world or soak in nearby hot springs. Opt to pre-book the "Baños Canyoning Adventure" or "Baños Ziplining Adventure Bundle" activity on the checkout page ahead of time to include this optional on your tour.
Day 7: Baños/Cuenca
Ecuador's third largest town, Cuenca, retains a pleasant provincial air with its colonial architecture, art galleries, and museums. The surrounding countryside is an outdoor playground. Visit national parks, take walks in the beautiful countryside, and see Ecuador’s only Inca ruin site.
Enjoy the scenery on the way to the charming town of Cuenca.

End place: Cuenca

Day 8: Cuenca

Start place: Cuenca

Enjoy a free day in beautiful Cuenca. Explore the city’s sights including cobbled streets, red-tiled roofs, art galleries, flower markets, shady plazas, and museums or opt to visit nearby Cajas National Park or the Inca ruins of Ingapirca. Later, catch an overnight bus to Mancora.

End place: Cuenca

Day 9: Máncora
Arrive early into the seaside town of Mancora, a village populated by fishermen and surfers from around Peru and the world. Chill out and breathe in the salty air.
Day 10: Máncora
Opt to relax on the beach, discover Mancora, go horseback riding, or take a surf lesson.
Day 11: Máncora/Huanchaco
Free time in Mancora. Overnight bus to Huanchaco.
Day 12: Huanchaco
We continue heading south along the coast to Trujillo, the largest city in northern Peru. It is known for its beautiful colonial structures and nearby attractions of Chan-Chan ruins and the resort town of Huanchaco, where we spend the night.
Enjoy more beach time or opt to visit pre-Inca sites or the city of Trujillo.
Meals: B
Day 13: Huanchaco/Lima
Full day in Huanchaco before boarding a night bus to Lima.
Meals: B
Day 14: Lima
To get a feel for colonial Lima, take a cab to the Plaza de Armas and watch the changing of the Palace Guard in the afternoon. Walk around the streets surrounding the Jirón de la Unión for great examples of Spanish-colonial architecture and to experience life in a large South American city. There are many fine museums in and around the city, including the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera. An optional city tour visits many of the cities highlights.
Explore Peru's capital on an optional city tour or simply relax. Be sure to try the tasty ceviche and pisco sours.
Meals: B
Day 15: Lima
Enjoy the day exploring the city. Opt to pre-book the Lima Cooking Class and learn how to cook some classic Peruvian dishes using ingredients from the local market. If you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 (10:30 from Aug-Dec) and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 13:00.
Day 16: Lima/Paracas
Savour a pisco sour while staying in Pisco's neighbouring town of Paracas.
Free morning in Lima before travelling by bus to Paracas.
Meals: B
Day 17: Paracas/Nazca
There is time in the morning for an optional excursion to the popular Ballestas Islands, which provide an excellent chance to view a lively sea lion colony, pelicans, penguins, and other varieties of birdlife. Pre-book by adding the Ballestas Islands Wildlife Tour on the checkout page or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Back on land, catch a bus south to Nazca. On the way, pass by the pleasant colonial town of Ica.

Ica enjoys a dry, sunny climate year-round and is known for its huge sand dunes. Located around the nearby oasis of Huacachina, the dunes are perfect as subjects for photographs and for a favourite local past time: sandboarding. Apart from the dunes, Ica is famous for its wines and there are several wineries and distilleries in the area.
Optional visit to Ballestas Islands before travelling to Nazca. En route, stop at a winery and at the oasis of Huacachina.
Meals: D
Day 18: Nazca/Arequipa
Opt to pre-book your Flight over Nazca Lines on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Opt for a flight over the Nazca Lines before an overnight bus to Arequipa.
Day 19: Arequipa
Explore Arequipa, the 'white city'. Interested in history and architecture? Opt to visit to the Santa Catalina Monastery, offering a brief respite from the outside world and a unique view into a bygone way of life. Pre-book by adding the Arequipa City Tour & Santa Catalina Monastery on the checkout page or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

For spicy food lovers, checking out one of the “Picanterías” is a must. Arequipa has a variety of regional food: alpaca, shrimp, pork, lots of soups, and spicy sauces.
Opt to explore the Arequipa on a city tour or soak in a local hot spring.
Day 20: Arequipa/Colca Canyon
Enjoy an overnight excursion to the impressive Colca Canyon - one of the deepest canyons in the world. Stop in fascinating villages and at “miradors” (scenic lookouts), where, with a little luck, visitors can see Andean condors soaring over the majestic Andes. Other unusual animals that can be spotted in the Andean landscape include three different species of camelids: alpaca, llama and vicuña.
Take a full-day tour of the spectacular Colca Valley, and opt for a soak in hot springs.
Meals: B
Day 21: Colca Canyon/Arequipa
Get an early start to go on the lookout for flying condors. Travel from Chivay town to a condor viewpoint to admire these magnificent birds in the air. On the way back, stop by some local villages and viewpoints to see old terraces and sections of Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world.
Set out looking for the majestic soaring condors over Colca Canyon. Head back to Arequipa to enjoy the city in the evening.
Meals: B
Day 22: Arequipa/Cusco
Explore Arequipa and opt to take a city tour. Take an overnight bus to Cusco.
Meals: B
Day 23: Cusco
Free time to explore Cusco. Choose to pre-book the optional Cusco Cooking Class. Opt for a city tour or go whitewater rafting, horseback riding or mountain biking. Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00.
Day 24: Cusco
Opt to visit and hike the famed Rainbow Mountain, pre-book on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Enjoy another free day in Cusco. Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class. Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00.
Meals: B
Day 25: Cusco/Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a major Inca ruin site and a first taste of what lies ahead. For those craving more before they head out on the Trail, opt to take a Sacred Valley tour which includes a visit to a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op.
Learn about the Sacred Valley en route to Ollantaytambo. Opt to take a Sacred Valley tour with a visit to a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op.
Meals: B
Day 26: Inca Trail
Trek through beautiful scenery, with a variety of flora that changes with the seasons, passing several smaller ruin sites like Llactapata.
Depart Ollantaytambo by van to km 82 where the hike begins. A crew of local porters, cooks, and guides will take care of all the details for the duration of the hike. Porters carry the majority of the gear so you’ll only need to carry a small daypack with water, rain gear, snacks, a camera, etc.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 27: Inca Trail
Start early to climb the long steep path to Warmiwañusca, better known as Dead Woman’s Pass. This is the highest point of the trek at 4,198m (13,769 ft). Most hikers reach camp by early afternoon, with ample time to rest and relax.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 28: Inca Trail
Cross two more passes and ruins along the way. The first pass is Runquraqay at 3,950m (13,113 ft) where, on a clear day, hikers can catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. Hike through cloud forest on the gentle climb to the second pass of the day, walking through original Incan constructions. The highest point of the pass is 3,700m (12,136 ft). On a clear day, enjoy the spectacular views of the Urubamba Valley.

At 3,650m (11,972 ft), reach the ruins of Phuyupatamarca, the "town above the clouds." Camp here or go another 1.5 hrs to the Wiñay Wayna ruins ("forever young") located at 2,650m (8,694 ft).
Meals: B, L, D
Day 29: Machu Picchu/Cusco
The final day of the hike starts pre-dawn to reach the Sun Gate before sunrise. Wake up around 03:30 and walk to the checkpoint. Catch the first views of the breathtaking ruins of Machu Picchu on a clear day. Hike down to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the site and free time to explore. Opt to visit the Inca Bridge, if time allows.

Catch the bus to Aguas Calientes to meet any non-hiking members of your group. Eat and relax before your train back to Cusco in the afternoon.
Meals: B
Day 30: Cusco
Free day to explore more of Cusco or just relax.
Meals: B
Day 31: Cusco/Puno
Travel through the high Altiplano region to travel to Puno on Lake Titicaca.
Meals: B
Day 32: Puno/Lago Titicaca

Start place: Puno

Head out by boat across Lake Titicaca. Visit the community on Taquile Island and enjoy a local lunch with spectacular views.

After, cruise to another village for an overnight homestay on the shores of the lake (the homestay location can vary based on community availability). This experience provides an opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and to participate in local traditions. Eat with the family, learn some Quecha and Spanish language skills, try on traditional costumes, and help out with daily chores around the village.
Guided tour of Lake Titicaca with a homestay in a local village.
Meals: B, D
Day 33: Lago Titicaca/Puno
Leave the homestay families late morning, and visit the Uros Islands on the way back to Puno. A popular optional activity in Puno is a visit to the spectacular chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani, a pre-Inca archaeological site only a short drive away.
Visit the floating islands of Uros. Optional visit to the Sillustani burial site.

End place: Puno

Meals: B, L
Day 34: Puno/La Paz

Start place: Puno

Enjoy a full-day drive around the lake and through the Altiplano to La Paz. Bolivia is filled with spectacular views of the countryside. La Paz sits nearly 4,000m (13,120 ft) above sea level, so be prepared for cool evenings and mornings.
Cross over into Bolivia for a night out in the highest city of the trip. Oxygen bar anyone?

End place: La Paz

Meals: B
Day 35: La Paz

Start place: La Paz

Depart at any time.

End place: La Paz

Inclusions

Included

  • Your G for Good Moment: Shandia Biking & Community Experience, Shandia Your G for Good Moment: Shandia Community Lodge, Shandia Your G for Good Moment: Handmade Biodegradable Soap Products Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group Your Local Living Moment: Amazon Jungle Experience, Tena Your Discover Moment: Baños Your Discover Moment: Lima Your Foodie Moment: Huacachina Winery Visit, Huacachina Your Discover Moment: Cusco Your Big Night Out Moment: Cusco Your Local Living Moment: Lake Titicaca Homestay, Lake Titicaca
  • Amazon Jungle excursion to a local community
  • Beach time in Mancora and Huanchaco
  • Pachamanca-style dinner (Nazca)
  • Colca Canyon excursion
  • Guided tour of Machu Picchu
  • Inca Trail hike with a local guide, cook, and porters (4 days)
  • Lake Titicaca excursion
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
  • Transport

    Public bus, Boat, Truck, Motorized canoe, Train, Hiking
  • Accommodation

    Simple hotels (19 nts), Hostel (4 nts, multi-share), Overnight buses (4 nts), Camping (3 nts), Homestay (3 nt), G Adventures-supported community lodge (1 nt)
  • Meals

    22 breakfasts,
    7 lunches,
    8 dinners

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