Local Living Ecuador - Amazon Jungle - G Adventures (7 Days From Quito to Quito)

Itinerary

Arrive at any time.

Booking pre- or post-trip accommodation is highly recommended to fully experience the city and take advantage of the many optional activities available. Opt to pre-book the "Quito City Tour & Equator Line" activity on the checkout page ahead of time to include this optional on your tour.

Accommodation: Hotel Eugenia

Included Experiences

Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Optional Experiences

Quito City Tour & Equator Line: Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city. Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Please note that this tour starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.
Cotopaxi Volcano - Full Day: Enjoy a spectacular 2 hour drive to Cotopaxi Volcano National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world (5,897m/ 19,347 ft). Visit a museum in the park and hike around a lagoon at the bottom of the volcano to learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. Continue by car up the volcano to the parking lot, at over 4,500m/14,763 ft. Walk for an hour and a half to the refuge and after a short break, continue to the glacier (if the weather holds out). Return to Quito in the early evening.

Travel by bus and truck into the Amazon Jungle. Spend the next 4 nights in rustic wooden huts with a local Quichua family as hosts. Walk to a viewpoint and get a natural mud face mask treatment.

Accommodation: Cabanas Pimpilala

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Included Experiences

Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Amazon Jungle Experience: Learn about local traditional beliefs and customs on this cultural jungle experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon close to Napo River. Stay in rustic wooden huts with a local Quichua family as hosts near the community of Cando. They've introduced countless visitors to local living and a completely different way of doing things — one that may give you a different perspective on life. Take part in a number of amazing activities. Hike through the rainforest, plunge into waterfalls, and learn the uses of tropical plants. Experience local tradition, and learn about Quichua history and culture.
Mud Mask Therapy: Head out on a walk into the jungle with your CEO and local Quichua host to an area known for its healing mud. After an explanation about the exfoliating, rejuvenating, and relaxing properties of the mud, experience a therapeutic mud mask applied by your Quichua host. Walk back to the homestay letting the mud work its magic.

Guided walk to a waterfall then return home for a cacao culinary experience and tasting. Learn about medicinal plants on an afternoon jungle walk.

Accommodation: Cabanas Pimpilala

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Included Experiences

Amazon Jungle Experience: Learn about local traditional beliefs and customs on this cultural jungle experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon close to Napo River. Stay in rustic wooden huts with a local Quichua family as hosts near the community of Cando. They've introduced countless visitors to local living and a completely different way of doing things — one that may give you a different perspective on life. Take part in a number of amazing activities. Hike through the rainforest, plunge into waterfalls, and learn the uses of tropical plants. Experience local tradition, and learn about Quichua history and culture.
Cacao and Chocolate Experience: Expand your knowledge of local food production and learn everything there is to know about cacao. If it's in season, collect cacao pods from the nearby plants and learn about the history of cacao in Ecuador. While the plant has been harvested since the early 16th century, the late 19th century saw the beginning of the Ecuadorian cacao boom. The plant remains a key export and is fundamental in supporting local communities across the country. Roast and de-shell the beans, then re-heat the beans with milk and cinnamon into a fondue to be eaten with local fruits. When finished, enjoy a fire-side traditional jungle snack.

Optional Experiences

Medicinal Plant Jungle Walk: Take a walk through the rainforest with locals and learn how to identify and prepare different medicinal uses of plants and insects found in the jungle.
Guided Waterfall Walk: Make your way through the jungle, learning more about the lush greenery and insects and animals that call it home. Walk to a series of waterfalls, suit up in a harness, and climb your way to the top for beautiful views.

Morning car and canoe ride to the amaZOOnico Animal Rescue Centre. Free time in the afternoon to relax in the jungle.

Accommodation: Cabanas Pimpilala

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Included Experiences

AmaZOOnico Animal Rescue Centre Visit: Take a guided tour of amaZOOnico, a rescue and rehabilitation centre that rehabilitates, reintroduces, and cares for animals who are victims of illegal trafficking. See large cats and reptiles up close, and learn all about the important work of this sanctuary.
Free Time: Kick back and relax in a hammock or explore more of the jungle.
Amazon Jungle Experience: Learn about local traditional beliefs and customs on this cultural jungle experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon close to Napo River. Stay in rustic wooden huts with a local Quichua family as hosts near the community of Cando. They've introduced countless visitors to local living and a completely different way of doing things — one that may give you a different perspective on life. Take part in a number of amazing activities. Hike through the rainforest, plunge into waterfalls, and learn the uses of tropical plants. Experience local tradition, and learn about Quichua history and culture.

In the morning, experience a shamanic healing ceremony and a mock jungle marriage ceremony. Later, cycle to the nearby community of Shandia and discover the beauty of the Amazon with a member of the community as your guide.

Accommodation: Cabanas Pimpilala

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Included Experiences

Jungle Wedding Ceremony: Learn more about local traditions in a mock jungle wedding ceremony. Hey, what happens in the jungle stays in the jungle, right?
Shamanic Healing Ceremony: Take in some culture and witness a shamanic healing ceremony done by a local shaman. A volunteer from the group will participate, and the CEO will translate the ceremony as the shaman does a mock healing complete with chanting.
Shandia Biking & Community Experience: Cycle to the Indigenous Shandia community, a rural village surrounded by rivers and lush Amazonian landscapes. With the support of G Adventures and Planeterra, the community has developed new culturally immersive experiences led by the village’s youth. Spend 40 minutes cycling from Shandia lodge stopping along the way to take in the beauty of the Amazon. These cultural tours are seen by the community as a way to rescue their Indigenous culture and provide opportunities for the future. This provides an economic opportunity for youth who traditionally would have left the community to find work. Leave Shandia community knowing your visit is creating opportunities for a new generation in the community and contributing to the preservation of their culture.
Amazon Jungle Experience: Learn about local traditional beliefs and customs on this cultural jungle experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon close to Napo River. Stay in rustic wooden huts with a local Quichua family as hosts near the community of Cando. They've introduced countless visitors to local living and a completely different way of doing things — one that may give you a different perspective on life. Take part in a number of amazing activities. Hike through the rainforest, plunge into waterfalls, and learn the uses of tropical plants. Experience local tradition, and learn about Quichua history and culture.

Enjoy a blowgun demonstration and participate in a contest to show off new found skills. Say goodbye to your Quichua family, then travel back to Quito.

Accommodation: Hotel Eugenia

Included Meals: Breakfast

Included Experiences

Blowgun Contest and Demo: Learn how a blowgun and darts are made and how they are used in the jungle. Take turns trying to use one; the closest dart to the target marks the honourary blowgun champion of the group.
Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Depart at any time.

If you choose to do a full-day optional activity today, we recommend booking a post-night accommodation. Some departures are subject to availability.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Optional Experiences

Quito City Tour & Equator Line: Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city. Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Please note that this tour starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.
Cotopaxi Volcano - Full Day: Enjoy a spectacular 2 hour drive to Cotopaxi Volcano National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world (5,897m/ 19,347 ft). Visit a museum in the park and hike around a lagoon at the bottom of the volcano to learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. Continue by car up the volcano to the parking lot, at over 4,500m/14,763 ft. Walk for an hour and a half to the refuge and after a short break, continue to the glacier (if the weather holds out). Return to Quito in the early evening.
Quito & Middle of the World Tour: Drive northwest for 2 hours, enjoy the dramatic change of vegetation heading down from the Andes into the cloud forest. Mindo is a tiny town set amidst some of the most beautiful and peaceful countryside in the entire country. It is a centre for both nature and adventure activities. Go walking through the cloud forest and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the different waterfalls, take time to ride up the cable car with amazing views. Visit a butterfly farm and see an array of colourful hummingbirds for which Mindo is renowned. In the afternoon, opt for an organic chocolate tour and tasting. This trip takes roughly 9 hours departing at 7 am, and includes a guide, transport and lunch. Any activities upon arrival will be additional. **Check availability at destination because this tour does not have daily departures. (70-100 USD per person)
Otavalo Market - Full Day Trip: Discover some amazing local art, tapestries, and textiles at Otavalo’s famous artisan market, the largest handicraft market in South America. Wander the stalls to meet local artists, and find one-of-a-kind souvenirs. Head north from Quito along the Pan-American highway for 2.5 hours. On the way, visit the village of Calderon to see colourful figures made of bread and visit Cayambe to taste typical ‘biscochos’ (local biscuits). Try your hand at haggling in the market – it’s expected for every purchase. A good negotiator could get at least 20 per cent off the starting price. After, continue on to the leather market at Cotacachi or Peguche the weaving town. The market is open daily, however Saturdays are the busiest. This trip takes roughy 8 hours, departs daily at 8 am.

Trip Inclusions

Live like a local in the Amazon Rainforest.
Learn Quichua traditions by interacting with your local hosts.
Visit an animal rescue centre and hone your blowgun skills.

Your G for Good Moment: Shandia Biking & Community Experience, Shandia
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
Your Local Living Moment: Amazon Jungle Experience, Tena
Your Wellness Moment: Mud Mask Therapy, Tena
Your Hands-On Moment: Blowgun Contest and Demo, Tena
Visit to amaZOOnico Animal Rescue Centre
Walks to a viewpoint and a waterfall
Medicinal plants jungle walk
Shamanic ceremony
Cultural night including a jungle marriage ceremony
Transport between destinations and included activities
Local bus, motorized canoe, pickup truck, walking
CEO (Chief Experience Officer) throughout, local Quichua guides

Rustic Jungle Lodge (4 Nights), Hotel (2 Nights)

6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners

Accommodation, itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included.

Operator

G Adventures

(146) Reviews

Total No. of Trips973

G Adventures came from a desire to deliver authentic and responsible small group travel adventures that were equally life-changing for travellers and the communities they visit. And we’re been doing just that for almost 30 years. Our award-winning trips span seven continents and over 100 countries, more

Trip Style: Local Living

For travellers who want to go beyond the guidebooks, Local Living tours offer a deeper, slower way to explore. You will stay in one place for the week, often with a local host family, giving you the chance to truly settle in and see how life is lived every day. With most meals included and plenty of time for hands-on experiences like cooking or crafts, you will connect with culture in the most personal way.

Dates & Pricing AUD

Twin Share

Solo Share

Saturday 22 Aug 2026 22 Aug 26 Quito

Friday 28 Aug 2026 28 Aug 26 Quito

Details

Definite Departure

Our Price

A$1,369

Twin Share (Per Personpp)

Sold Out

Note
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you Enquire. Additional savings may apply. T&C’s apply.