Cotopaxi Volcano: Horseback Ride & Hike to José Ribas Refuge

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.97 (116 reviews) 98% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/23

Duration10h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Ride into the Andes, then climb to where the air gets thin

You ride horses through highland grassland for 1.5 hours, then hike to a high-altitude refuge with views of the Andes, all guided by someone who knows the mountain. Lunch and entry fees are covered, and if the main hike feels too steep, you can choose the lagoon loop instead. Hotel pickup and return keep the logistics simple.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Cotopaxi Volcano Horseback Ride and Hike

Depart from location at 7:30AM
Travel along Avenue of the Volcanoes
Horseback ride for 1.5 hours at 12,800ft
Drive 35 minutes to parking lot
Hike from 14,763ft to José Ribas Refuge at 15,958ft
Take frequent stops with water and snacks
Optionally hike around Limpiopungo Lagoon
Enjoy local cuisine and feed llamas
Return to hotel around 5PM

The Experience

You're picked up at 7:30am and the highlands open up around you almost immediately — potato fields, cattle scattered across slopes, and Cotopaxi itself rising ahead, the highest active volcano in South America. The drive along the Avenue of the Volcanoes takes about an hour, and your local guide meets you at the horse station. If you've never ridden before, don't sweat it; the 1.5-hour ride stays at 12,800 feet where the terrain is forgiving and the cowboy leading knows exactly how to pace a beginner. You're moving through páramo grassland, the air thinner than you expected but not punishing yet.

After the ride, there's a 35-minute drive to the parking lot where the real climb starts. You're heading from 14,763 feet up to the José Ribas high camp at 15,958 feet — that's a push, and the guide won't pretend otherwise. But the pace is steady, there are frequent stops, and you get water and snacks along the way. The views open up as you climb: the Andes spreading out in every direction, other peaks visible on clear days, and the landscape getting sparser and more dramatic. If the altitude or the climb doesn't feel right, there's an alternative — a flat, easy loop around Limpiopungo Lagoon at the lower elevation, same incredible scenery, no summit push.

Lunch happens after you've come back down, and it's local food, not a packaged meal. Then there's the part that catches people off guard: you get to feed the llamas. It's a small thing but it lands differently when you're tired and the animals are curious and you're still standing at elevation in the middle of the Andes. The whole day loops back to your hotel around 5pm, so you're done before dark and you've actually done something, not just driven past it.

What’s included

Entry fees to Cotopaxi National Park, 1.5 hours of horseback riding with a local cowboy guide, the hike to José Ribas Refuge or the Limpiopungo Lagoon loop, lunch with local cuisine, horse rental, an air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers, water and snacks during the hike, and time to feed the llamas before returning to your hotel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Ecuador a Color tour operator

Is this one for you?Right for anyone who wants to see the Andes up close and doesn't mind a full, active day — the horseback section handles the beginner riders, the hike has a gentler alternative if you need it, and the guide paces the whole thing so you're not scrambling.