Private day tour from Quito · About 9 hours
A private hike 50 minutes from Quito in the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, one of the few volcanic craters in the world where people live and farm, up to the lava domes of El Chivo or Pondoña.
At a glance
A private day tour with your own certified English-speaking guide and transport, from your hotel in Quito.
| Departure and return | Your hotel in Quito (the airport and the valleys with an extra cost) |
|---|---|
| Departure time | 7:00 am |
| Duration | About 9 hours, back around 4:30 pm |
| Highlights | Inhabited crater, lava domes, orchids |
| Price | US$140 per person, based on 2 people (1 person: US$240 · 3–4 people: US$110 per person · 5 or more: ask us) |
Your day
Morning
After a 50-minute drive from Quito, the Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve, protected since 1966. Pululahua is an inactive volcano whose cone collapsed about 2,500 years ago; inside its crater, about 5 km wide, the fertile soil is farmed and inhabited, which makes it one of the few inhabited volcanic craters in the world. The reserve has a great diversity of plants and animals, with more than 60 species of orchids. We register at the entrance and get ready to hike.
The hike
Option 1, the Chivo trail (1.1 km, 1 hour): through montane forest to El Chivo, a lava dome at 2,698 m south of the crater, with time for photos and lunch.
Option 2, the Pondoña trail (2.5 km, 2 hours): to the summit of Pondoña, a larger lava dome at 2,975 m, with a fabulous view.
Then 50 minutes to the lookout for panoramic photos of the crater; back at the hotel around 4:30 pm.
Times are approximate and may change with traffic, the weather and your pace; your guide always looks for the best option of the day.
Before you go
More day trips
| Day tour | Type | Highlights | Departure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotopaxi National Park | Nature | Cotopaxi volcano, Limpiopungo lagoon, páramo birds | 7:00 am |
| Cotopaxi Hike & Bike | Adventure | Hiking, mountain biking, Cotopaxi volcano | 7:00 am |
| Otavalo market | Culture | Indigenous market, crafts, the equator | 7:00 am |
| Papallacta hot springs | Relax | Hot springs, páramo, Andean Bear country | 8:00 am |
| Cayambe-Coca hike and Papallacta | Hike + relax | Páramo lagoons, Polylepis forest, hot springs | 7:00 am |
| Quilotoa crater lake | Nature and culture | Crater lake, indigenous markets, Tigua painters | 7:00 am |
| Quito and the Middle of the World | Culture | UNESCO old town, the equator, Pululahua crater | 9:00 am |
| Cuicocha Loop hike | Hike | Crater lake hike, Cotacachi or Otavalo | 7:00 am |
| Rucu Pichincha hike | Hike | Summit hike, views of Quito | 8:30 am |
| Pichincha mountains hike | Hike | Three summits, views of Quito | 8:00 am |
| Pasochoa hike | Hike | Andean forest, birds, volcano summit | 8:00 am |
| Pululahua hike · you are here | Hike | Inhabited crater, lava domes, orchids | 7:00 am |
| Antisana and condor watching | Nature | Andean Condor, páramo, Antisana volcano | 8:00 am |
All our day tours are private, from your hotel in Quito. Prefer birds? Try our half-day birding tour in Mindo (about 4 hours). Staying longer? See our land tours of Ecuador and our Galápagos cruises. See all our day trips from Quito.
Price
| 2 people | US$140 per person |
|---|---|
| 1 person | US$240 |
| 3–4 people | US$110 per person |
| 5 or more people | Ask us for a quote |
Prices per person for a private tour, with guide, transport, lunch and entrance fees. Pick-up at the airport or in the valleys around Quito has an extra cost.
Questions
At your hotel in Quito, at 7:00 am. Pick-up at the airport or in the valleys around Quito is possible with an extra cost.
Yes: your own certified English-speaking guide and private transport, just for you and your companions.
Quito is at about 2,850 m and many of these places are higher. If you have just arrived, start with an easier day, drink plenty of water and bring warm layers.
Yes. We combine day tours with our land tours, a stay in Mindo Cloud Forest and Galápagos cruises, with all the transfers coordinated.
That’s why you choose Dana Tours
Tell us your date and how many people are traveling. We confirm the guide and the pick-up time within 24 hours.
Or write to us at [email protected]
