Sisterhood Trip in the Andes & Amazon
$2999 per person
Trip Highlights
This 9-day all-women trip through Ecuador’s Andes and Amazon is just what the doctor ordered. I think we all need some self care and pampering after the last three years. Or am I alone on that?
This trip will allow you to let it all go – and spend some time just for you. Pamper yourself with rich experiences alongside other wonderful women. Enjoy spa treatments, delicious food, daily mindfulness and meditation practices, various natural hot springs, with your days packed full of adventure. From the moment we pick you up at the airport to the moment we drop you off again, every detail will be taken care of for you. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
Discover the tremendous biodiversity of the Amazon Basin during a stay in a jungle lodge. Travel down the Avenue of Waterfalls and soak in the natural hot springs in Baños. Visit one of the highest active volcanoes in the world to watch wild horses run. Step back in time in UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quito, to take in its many cultural treasures. This trip will be packed with daily adventure, decadent pampering, fun and laughter. Food for the soul.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Welcome to Ecuador!
Day 2: Discover Quito’s Squares & Towers (B/L/D)
Day 3: Travel to the Amazon Basin (B/L/D)
Day 4: Community Visit and Jungle Hike (B/L/D)
Day 5: Animal Rescue Centre Visit, Travel to Baños, Avenue of Waterfalls (B/L/-)
Day 6: Hot Springs in Baños (B/-/-)
Day 7: Spa or Adrenaline – You Pick (B/-/-)
Day 8: Avenue of Volcanoes & Cotopaxi National Park (B/L/-)
Day 9: Free Day in Quito & Home (B/-/-)
*(B/L/D) = Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner, when included in package; (-/-/-) when not.
Trip Details
- 2,999 CAD per person
- Trip duration: 9 Days/ 8 Nights
- Group Size: Minimum 6 women, maximum 16
- Dates: this trip can be organized for a group of 6 women any time of the year. If there are more in your group, please inquire for discounts (the more, the merrier & the cheaper)!
- Inclusions: All taxes; All ground transportation in private air conditioned vehicles, including airport transfers; all accommodations (6 nights in hotels, 2 nights in a jungle lodge); all entrance fees & activities included in the itinerary; English-speaking Tour Leader throughout plus additional specialized nature guide in the jungle; 15 meals (8 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 3 Dinners, listed in Tour Plan as (B/L/D), with vegetarian options always available; carbon offsetting of all activities, transportation and international flights.
- Single supplement 399 CAD per person (noting we can try to match you with a roomie).
- Exclusions: international airfare; any tips; alcohol; activities and meals not listed in itinerary.
- Payment:
- A lifetime deposit* of $500 CAD required to hold your spot (see explanation below).
- Balance required two calendar months prior to travel.
- Payments may be made by e-transfer or credit card via PayPal.
- See PRICING tab on the top right of this page for more details.
* Lifetime deposit = if you end up having to cancel your spot on this trip for any reason (no medical proof or otherwise required), this deposit can be applied to any EarthTreks travel offering any time in the future and can even be transferred to a friend or family’s trip or retreat.
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Destination
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Departure
Quito, Ecuador -
Included
AccommodationsActivities (detailed in itinerary)Airport Transfer (Arrival)Airport Transfer (Departure)All TaxesAll Transportation (including internal flights, when applicable)English-speaking Tour LeaderMeals (detailed in itinerary) -
Not Included
Drinks, Alcoholic BeveragesPersonal ExpendituresReturn International Airfare
From Our Gallery
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Day 1: Welcome to Ecuador!
Welcome to Ecuador! You will have someone waiting at the airport with your name on an EarthTreks sign to take you to your hotel (just under half an hour away) - whatever time you arrive.. If you arrive early, there is lots of fun to be had in the capital of Ecuador. Quito is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the western hemisphere, separated into the old colonial centre, where your hotel is located, and the newer more commercial centre. The long, skinny city sits almost directly on the equatorial line, nestled among volcanoes, at over 2,800 meters (almost 10,000 feet) above sea level. You may feel the altitude a little right away, so take the opportunity to acclimatize. The natural remedy of coca tea is at your disposal in the hotel lobby, as needed. The old city is full of beautiful historical buildings, squares, and churches, many of which are a very short walk from the hotel.
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Day 2: Discover Quito's Squares & Towers (B/L/D)
After breakfast with a view at the hotel, your guide will join you for a briefing about the details of your wonderful upcoming trip.Then you will head out on a guided walking tour of the old city - some of the most beautiful squares in the capital can be found a short walk from the hotel. Stroll through Plaza Grande (also referred to as Independence Plaza) and through the Archbishop's Palace to try some traditional candy. From here, walk about 800 meters uphill to reach the Basilica del Voto Nacional – where you may darlingly choose (or not) to climb the church's towers for incredible views and photos opps. After your first traditional Ecuadorian meal for lunch, your guide will point you in whatever direction you choose for the afternoon - whether that is taking the Teleferico up the active volcano or possibly heading to the Equator to do some fun experiments at the open air museum called Intiñan.
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Day 3: Travel to the Amazon Basin (B/L/D)
This day will mostly be about travel - with amazing scenery along the way, and a stop to soak in the natural thermal springs if Papallacta on the way. From Quito, you will climb high up over the Papallacta Pass - where the condors fly, and where you will be stopping at the best hot springs in South America - before traveling down into the Amazon basin, with waterfalls lining the way for most of the trip. The journey from Quito to Tena takes about 4.5 hours in total. Then a vehicle from the jungle lodge will pick you up in Tena and take you the rest of the way - about another 45 minutes. You will arrive just in time for a welcome lunch, before heading out with your local guide for a hike into the jungle to learn about medicinal plants and life in the Amazon, as well as visiting the Giant Ceibo tree. Be sure to ask about a night hike after dinner, if you feel up for it!
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Day 4: Community Visit and Jungle Hike (B/L/D)
Today you will have opportunity to explore both the unique culture and nature of the Amazon - with a few different stops by motorized canoe along the Napo River. On one stop you will get to spend time with a local Indigenous family who have opened their home to teach visitors about some of their traditions, such as how to make Chicha, a traditional welcome drink. Then you will have an opportunity meet some of the Amazon's unique wildlife at an Animal Rescue Centre. It will be a day to remember!
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Day 5: Travel to Baños, Avenue of Waterfalls (B/L/-)
This morning you're off to Baños - the trip will take around 3.5 hours, crossing the Amazon and climbing back up again into the Andes. The highway as you get close to Baños is referred to as the Avenue of Waterfalls, as there are 17 waterfalls in total. You will get out at a few of them, including a hike down into the most beautiful of them all - el Pailon del Diablo. Then you'll head out from your hotel on foot to get a brief walking tour of the area surrounding your hotel. The evening is yours to explore the town at your own pace, including dinner at your choice between a variety of options within close proximity of the hotel. Prior to heading out for dinner would be a good time to look at booking whatever you feel up to the next day (if that's necessary), whether local spa services or something more adventurous. There are LOTS of options here.
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Day 6: Hot Springs in Baños (B/-/-)
Enjoy a day on your own in Baños. There are lots of optional activities to choose from today - from relaxation to big adrenaline fun. Let's see what you feel up to, noting the best hot springs in town are less than a five minute walk from the hotel.. and another great set five minutes further. The nightlife is a lot of fun seven days a week here too.
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Day 7: Spa or Adrenaline - You Pick (B/-/-)
Today you will have more freedom to do whatever you didn't get to do yesterday - whether that's a pedicure, climbing the stairs up the mountain behind the hotel, doing the swing at the end of the world, horseback riding to the source of the country's natural spring water, paragliding across to the volcano, white water rafting, a full body massage, repelling through waterfalls, zip lining, hiking, shopping or otherwise. You likely haven't hit all of the hot springs yet either, so see what you feel up to!
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Day 8: Avenue of Volcanoes & Cotopaxi National Park (B/L/-)
This morning, after breakfast, it's time to pack up and head to the stunning Cotopaxi National Park to mountain bike down - one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. Your biking adventure starts at the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park, where you will meet your local biking guide. Take a drive in one of the 4x4 jeeps for about 40 minutes - to the base of Cotopaxi's glacier, and then take some time to test your bike, gear up and listen to your local guide's safety briefing, before you begin pedaling alongside Cotopaxi volcano. The path is mostly flat and allows for plenty of stops on the way. Be sure to keep your eye out for condors flying overhead and the wild horses that run freely through the park. Your chances of seeing both are excellent. After a few hours, you will stop to enjoy a fresh meal while resting your legs. Then it's back on your bike for another hour, eventually reaching the park's entrance, where your biking adventure comes to an end. Return to Quito for the night. Maybe dinner out on la Ronda? That's a very fun street just a few minutes walk from the hotel, often with live music options. Have you tried guinea pig yet? There are some great restaurants on La Ronda too.
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Day 9: Free Day in Quito & Home (B/-/-)
There are no activities planned today. You can leave your hotel at any time, and will be transferred to the airport for your flight - noting that the trip to the airport can take up to an hour in traffic. If you have some time before your flight leaves (give yourself at least an hour to get to the airport), there are lots of museums, galleries, and other activities to choose from. Just ask for some suggestions!
Then it's back home again, after what we hope was a wonderful trip to this unique part of the world!
Pricing is in $CAD, per person, and includes all applicable taxes:
- Cost per person:
- 2,999 CAD per person (6 minimum)
- Be sure to inquire for larger groups (over 6) for discounts
- Single supplement 399 CAD per person
- Price includes:
- All taxes
- All ground transportation (in private air conditioned vehicles, including airport transfers)
- All accommodations (7 nights in hotels, 2 nights in a jungle lodge)
- All entrance fees & activities included in the itinerary
- English-speaking Tour Leader throughout (plus additional specialized nature guide in the jungle)
- 15 meals (8 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 3 Dinners)
- Carbon offsetting of all activities, transportation and all international flights
- Exclusions: international airfare; any tips; alcohol; activities and meals not listed in itinerary (detailed in the TOUR PLAN Tab above)
- Payment:
- Lifetime* deposit of $500 CAD required to hold your spot (*see below).
- Balance required two calendar months prior to travel.
- Payments may be made by e-transfer or credit card via PayPal.
- Payments may be made instalments if pre-arranged.