Tour Cotopaxi & Quilotoa All in One - 1 Day

I would like to give this excursion 3.5 stars if I could. The trip did take us to two magnificent natural destinations in one day, which made for a long day with a lot of time spent on the road. Our stop at Cotopaxi was a long way from the summit, I wish we could have driven at least somewhat closer to the top of the volcano. The hike down to Quilotoa was strenuous but invigorating; riding a horse back up was money well spent, especially since we were behind schedule and short for time at that point. We were a group of four on a private tour in a very nice but surprisingly large bus. The trip was more expensive than the competition for no apparent reason. The hotel pickup and dropoff was convenient and on time. The included lunch was at an attractive hostel near the Quilotoa lagoon, although the food was just average, and we also had a stop for coca tea at a pleasant snack bar bear Cotopaxi. The guide did provide bottled water and fresh fruit for snacks. The guide, Carlos, was knowledgeable, had a good personality, and spoke English well. The biggest problem with the trip was that Carlos spent virtually the entire day chatting with the bus driver; almost the only time he spoke with the guests was when we asked him a question. When we asked questions, his answers were generally excellent, but there was a lot of time during the day when he said nothing to us when he could have been providing us more information about what we were seeing. Also, our group included two people in their 70's with mobility issues, but he generally didn't ask how they were doing, offer restroom breaks, etc. My overall review is that I'm glad we got to see these two wonderful places, but this trip would have been much better had the guide been more attentive to the guests.

Carlos Iza and Mairon were terrific guides for this amazing private experience to go to Cotopaxi National Park and Quilotoa in the same day. They coordinated everything to my comfort and interest level and even took special care for some dietary restrictions I have as a diabetic which was incredibly thoughtful. Unfortunately, it was very cloudy at Cotopaxi so I didn't get to see the volcanic cone, but Carlos Iza still made the experience very interesting and I think it actually made me pay attention more to what I learned about the wildlife in the National Park. I learned a lot about the native plants to the paramo region, how they have been used by indigenous peoples for health purposes or rituals, and how geological changes with the tectonic plates have even influenced the biospheres and ecosystems in the Andes and surrounding areas. It was really excellent. In Quilotoa, we took a challenging but rewarding hike down to the lagoon and then had a really good lunch afterward. I told Carlos Iza and Mairon that sometimes the food on tours is not very good, but this food was excellent! On the way back to Quito we stopped at to see a local artist and how they make pictorial representations of the local cultural legends and also stopped at the home of an indigenous family to see their way of life (I was originally afraid this would be a cringey experience, but it actually was a very wonderful sharing of ideas of how local people live with the animals and plants of their land). Overall, the only think I would change is having been able to see the Cotopaxi Volcano, but I chose to come to Ecuador during the winter months and fully recognize that no one can control Mother Nature when it comes to the clouds and the rains! This tour was absolutely an A++