4-Day Amazon Rainforest & Hot Springs Tour from Quito: Private

Soak in thermal pools, then canoe through primary rainforest with a local guide.

A 4-day private tour from Quito that starts in the Andes at Papallacta Hot Springs, then descends into the Ecuadorian Amazon for rainforest hikes, river canoe trips, and time with indigenous Kichwa communities. You stay overnight at a lodge in the jungle, visit Anaconda Island on the Napo River, and end at a clay lick where hundreds of parrots gather at dawn. All meals, accommodation and transportation are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Quito to Papallacta Hot Springs

• Pick up from Quito hotel or airport
• Drive through Cayambe Coca and Antisana Parks
• Arrive at Papallacta village
• Walk along paths observing nature
• Relax in Papallacta Hot Springs
• Descend through cloud forest and rivers
• Visit lower Cayambe Coca National Park

Day 2: Amazon Rainforest Walk and Kichwa Community

• Breakfast at lodge
• Hike primary and secondary forest
• Return for lunch
• Visit Indigenous Kichwa community
• Learn about traditional chicha drink
• Participate in chicha preparation
• Enjoy traditional dance and buy handicrafts

Day 3: Anaconda Island and Amazonico Park

• Breakfast at lodge
• Canoe ride to Anaconda Island
• Observe wildlife and visit indigenous family
• Lunch at lodge
• Visit Amazonico Park rescue center
• Return to lodge and relax

Day 4: Parrot Clay Lick and Return to Quito

• Early departure to Parrot Clay Lick
• 15-minute canoe ride upstream
• Observe parrots and parakeets feeding
• Return for breakfast
• Collect luggage and travel to pier
• Transfer back to Quito hotel or airport

The experience

The tour picks you up from your Quito hotel or the airport and drives east into the Cayambe Coca National Park, climbing through the Andes highlands as the landscape shifts from valley to páramo. After about an hour, you reach Papallacta village and the Termas Papallacta lodge, where you'll spend the first night. A short walk through cloud forest and streams precedes your first soak in the natural hot springs: mineral-rich pools surrounded by misty peaks and mountain streams.

On day two, you hike for roughly three hours through primary and secondary rainforest along the Arajuno River, moving through dense vegetation and giant lianas where tití pygmy monkeys sometimes appear. After lunch, an indigenous Kichwa community hosts you for a cultural afternoon: you'll learn about their forest life, participate in preparing chicha (a fermented cassava drink), taste traditional dishes, and watch children perform a traditional dance. Members of this community work at the eco-lodge, so your visit supports their livelihoods directly.

Day three takes you by canoe for 40 minutes to Anaconda Island on the Napo River, where you spot hoatzin birds, monkeys and squirrel monkeys, and visit an indigenous family to learn about medicinal plants and ancestral hunting methods. After lunch, you spend time at Amazonico Park, a rescue center for endangered animals native to the Ecuadorean Amazon, not a zoo, but a place to observe wildlife up close in a protected setting. The afternoon is free to use the lodge facilities.

On the final morning, you depart early by canoe upstream to the Parrot Clay Lick, where hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather to eat mineral-rich clay from the riverbank. An event that depends on weather. After breakfast, you return to the pier and drive back to Quito, with drop-off at your hotel or the airport.

What’s included

• All meals at the eco-lodge and at Papallacta.
• standard accommodation for three nights (one at Termas Papallacta, two at the 3-star eco-lodge).
• professional guide and driver with private transportation throughout the 4 days.
• canoe trips on the Napo and Arajuno rivers.
• rainforest hikes and visits to indigenous communities.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 to 85 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (7 to 11 years) · Under 7: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 22 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Galapagos My World

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving in Quito and want to combine highlands and rainforest in one trip. You'll move through both regions with a private guide at your own pace, with all meals and lodging included.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (7 to 11 years). Children under 7 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the Parrot Clay Lick and why do the birds go there?

The Parrot Clay Lick is a riverbank wall on the Napo where hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather to eat mineral-rich clay, which helps them digest the fruits and seeds they've consumed. You watch from a canoe upstream, and binoculars help you see the birds descend from the canopy to feed.

Will I definitely see wildlife like monkeys and birds?

Wildlife sightings depend on weather, season and how active the animals are that day. The rainforest hikes and river trips create opportunities to spot tití pygmy monkeys, hoatzin birds, squirrel monkeys and others, but sightings are not guaranteed. The Amazonico Park rescue center offers close-range viewing of endangered species in a protected setting.

What happens during the visit to the indigenous Kichwa community?

The community welcomes you for an afternoon that includes learning about their daily life and forest interaction, participating in the preparation of chicha (a traditional fermented cassava drink), tasting traditional dishes, watching a dance performed by children, and shopping for handmade handicrafts. A $5 USD donation per person supports the community.

How physically demanding is the rainforest hiking?

The main rainforest walk lasts about three hours and depends on your pace and fitness level. The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.

What meals and lodging are included?

All meals at the eco-lodge in the Amazon and at Papallacta are included. You stay in standard double rooms: one night at Termas Papallacta in the highlands and two nights at a 3-star eco-lodge in the jungle. Professional guide and private transportation for the full 4 days are also included.