Quilotoa Lagoon day trip from Quito: hike the crater rim

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1/9

Duration11h–12h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Hike a volcano crater, meet Andes painters, cross the Avenue of Volcanoes in one day

A guided day tour from Quito to Quilotoa Lagoon combines a moderate hike around a 3-kilometer crater rim, a visit to the Tigua Painter's Community to learn about indigenous Andes cultures, and views of Ecuador's volcanic landscape. Hotel pickup and entrance are included; the tour runs 11 to 12 hours and operates in all weather. A live guide leads in English or Spanish, and lunch is included in the private service option.

11h–12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Quilotoa Lagoon and Volcanoes Avenue Tour

Travel from Quito to Quilotoa Lagoon
Admire Andes Mountains views
Visit Tigua for paintings and culture
Hike moderately around Quilotoa Lagoon

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your Quito hotel and a drive south through the Avenue of Volcanoes—a corridor of peaks that frame the high Ecuadorian Andes. The route itself is the first stop: you'll see the landscape shift as you climb toward the highlands, passing through terrain that shows why this region shaped the cultures living here. After roughly two hours of driving, you arrive at Quilotoa Lagoon, where the real walk begins.

The lagoon sits inside a caldera left behind when the Quilotoa volcano erupted in 1280. The crater is 3 kilometers across, and the water filling it is a brilliant turquoise—the color comes from minerals in the volcanic rock. The hike is moderate and follows the rim; you're not descending into the crater itself, but walking the edge where you can see the whole expanse. The word "quilotoa" comes from Quechua, the language of the indigenous peoples who have lived in these mountains for centuries. This is the centerpiece of the day, and the hike is the reason the tour takes the time it does.

After the lagoon, the tour includes a stop at the Tigua Painter's Community, where you'll see naïf paintings and learn directly about the culture and landscape traditions of the region. This is not a museum visit—it's a chance to meet artists and understand how the Andes and its people are represented in their work. The drive back to Quito takes the afternoon, with hotel drop-off by evening. If you book the private service option, lunch is included; the small group option does not include a meal, so plan accordingly. Vegetarian options are available if you request them when booking.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off from Quito.
live guide in English or Spanish.
entrance to Quilotoa Lagoon.
guided hike around the crater rim.
visit to the Tigua Painter's Community.
lunch (private service option only).
vegetarian meals available upon request.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Latin Adventures Cía Ltda

Is this one for you?Book the private service if your group wants lunch included and prefer a smaller party; choose the small group option if you're flexible on meals and want to share the cost with other travelers. Either way, the tour handles all logistics—transport, entrance, and timing—so the day holds together without you arranging the route or the stops.