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Cotopaxi Full-Day from Quito Including Entrances

Badge of ExcellenceQuito, Ecuador
Cotopaxi Full Day from Quito Including Entrances

From $69.00

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

  • 12 hours
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Cotopaxi Volcano is the centerpiece of Cotopaxi National Park. At more than 19,000 feet (nearly 6,000 meters), its snowy peak dominates the landscape of the park. During this full-day tour from Quito, travelers experience the volcano from many vantage points. Explore a lagoon favored by water birds, learn more about the area at an interpretive center, and hike up the flanks of Cotopaxi Volcano to a recently-renovated climbers' refuge to experience this active volcano up close.
  • Enjoy outdoor adventure close to the city
  • Hassle-free exploration of a popular national park
  • Gain insights with an English-speaking guide
  • Convenient private transportation including hotel pickup and drop-off

What's Included

  • Tourist transport
  • Bilingual guide (English and Spanish)
  • All entrances
  • Details not specified
  • Tips
  • Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 AM

Pickup details

Se confirmará la hora y lugar de pick up hasta las 21h00 pm del día anterior a su tour, si no recibe esta información debe contactarse al +593983359-796, realizamos pick ups en las 3 zonas: La Carolina, Plaza Foch, Plaza Grande, si deseas ser retirado en otra zona podemos hacer con un pago adcional/The time and place of pick-up will be confirmed until 9:00 p.m. the day before your tour departes. If you do not receive this information, you must contact +593983359-796, We make pick ups in this 3 main areas: La Carolina, Plaza Foch, Plaza Grande, if you want you can add a transfer with extra fee.

What To Expect

Cotopaxi National Park

5 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Laguna de Limpiopungo

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Cotopaxi Volcano

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Hannah_M
Camilla was our guide and she was awesome! Very knowledgeable about the area and made the group feel comfortable. The ride was comfortable. The views were great! The lagoon was beautiful. Tips: Wait a few days to acclimate to the altitude in Quito before trying to hike Cotopaxi. I did this hike on my second day and felt altitude sickness. Bring lots of water! Water is not provided, so make sure you bring your own Have a warm jacket because the hike up Cotopaxi is very cold. Only bring what you can carry or feel comfortable leaving on the bus. This trip was great and I highly recommend it!

Reviews

5.0
799 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 799 reviews
Great guide to Cotopaxi!
Briana_T, Mar 2024
While the weather didn’t give us a full view of Cotopaxi, the experience was still incredible. In addition, Irene was an amazing guide, full of passion and energy for the trip to Cotopaxi.
Amazing day in Cotopaxi with Irene and Jimmy
Sarah_H, Mar 2024
My partner and I had an amazing day in Cotopaxi National Park with Irene and Jimmy! Irene was a fantastic tour guide (we opted for a private excursion), and told us lots of interesting facts about both Cotopaxi and other volcanoes in the area. She also taught us a few Kichwa words on the drive. :) The road up to Cotopaxi was a bit difficult due to the rainy season, but our driver Jimmy handled it like a pro. We were so lucky to have him. We got to see Cotopaxi from below beautifully clear, and when a hail storm descended on the mountain during our hike, Irene guided us perfectly to the base camp. Overall, it was a fantastic day from the drive through Cotopaxi, the hike, a visit to the lagoon to spot some birds, and lunch after. The lunch spot also had friendly llamas. :) Thanks Irene and Jimmy!
Great well organized day trip.
Marya_L, Mar 2024
Adrian the guide and Jimmy the driver were wonderful. The tour was well organized, streamlined and Adrian provided all the necessary information to keep us aware of the plan throughout the day as well as his knowledge of the national park and its ecosystem. He also checked in with each of us regularly as we hiked up making sure everyone was handling the altitude. They provided a delicious vegan lunch, and we got to feed some llamas. There were no unnecessary stops or any waiting around.
Loved it!
Sonia_S, Mar 2024
Veronica was a fantastic attentive guide. Very cheerful and knowledgeable. She insured we were safe with altitude. Thoroughly enjoyed this hike (even if it was challenging) - fortunate enough to get great views.
Otherwordly climb, amazing experience
Julien_F, Mar 2024
This trip was amazing, while the weather certainly could have been a lot better, the surreal landscape that you get to climb on your way up more than makes up for it. This was a very memorable experience, our guide Camilla was absolutely lovely, very knowledgeable and took very good care of us.
Great day at the Cotopaxi National Park
Robert_R, Feb 2024
What a tremendous activity.... it's a way to really push and challenge yourself and feel great satisfaction at the end. Carlos was an amazing guide and he made this tour so much foun for our group. I'm very happy that I did this!
Great experience in Cotopaxi 🗻
La_D, Jan 2024
The hike up the volcano was tough due to the altitude, but definitely worth it! We got lucky and could see the submit for a couple of minutes :) Our guide Irene was full of energy and very enthusiastic to share about her country. Thank you, Irene!
Great trip to a volcano
Tara_M, Dec 2023
Excellent trip to a beautiful volcano. Irene, our tour guide, was fun and informative. Great day, no waiting around, many opportunities to see the volcano and lake and to take pictures
Excellent Cotopaxi day tour!
Carlos_F, Dec 2023
Excellent!!! enjoyed the day and the Cotopaxi experience 😃👍 Many thanks to our guide Misael and driver Bryan who lead the tour Great job.
Best Cotopaxi Experience with a knowledgeable Guide
Christopher_N, Dec 2023
This was a trip of a lifetime. The view was amazing, even though it was a cloudy day. You feel like you are in Star Wars or on Mars. Very surrealistic. Our guide Carlos made this experience well rounded. While driving, we heard some history of Ecuador, Quito and Cotopaxi. The guide made it very interactive and could engage the entire group in a discussion about geography, geopolitics, climate and travel. No cliche games or anything. Just a friendly chat. It is not a short ride, but the trip was split into smaller segments: we stopped for snacks/breakfast/coffee (get some Pacari chocolates!), and at the entrance point to get some coco tea ($1, suggested) and some water if needed (bring about 1 liter). The last 15 minutes is not an easy drive: you will be going off road, but the vehicle is comfortable and, as someone who is very prone to motion sickness, I was OK. We stopped to enjoy some vies of the lake and quickly visited a museum. Very informative. The hike itself is rather short, but challenging enough! Carlos knew exactly what each person, with his/her own level of preparation should do. We made some stops to enjoy the view and hear some quick lessons about the volcano. When we reached the basecamp, we had some tea, chatted, walked around and descended. The view was unforgettable! Going down was fairly easy and it is a great opportunity to take more pictures. Your shoes might get messy and hiking boots are a must! On the way back, we had a lovely meal (the vegetarian option is the BEST!), fed lamas and played with geese. We shared our Ecuador experiences by the fireplace or just walked around and headed back. Highly suggested! The hike is not long, but it is a great introduction for further summitting the volcano. It is a good challenge, though! Bring sunglasses, warmer jacket and wear layers! Carlos- we hope to see you in a couple of years when we come back to climb Cotopaxi (you cannot yet, as it is active).
Irene is a gem, attentive and knowledgeable
Davis_T, Dec 2023
Cotopaxi volcano was amazing, but the guide Irene made the tour even better. She’s knowledgeable about Cotopaxi and passionate of her culture. We learned a lot from her. The bus ride was half the fun.
Great experience regardless of the weather
Ivo_V, Nov 2023
We encountered extreme weather on Cotopaxi so the climb was really really tough. Yet Adrian kept the spirits high and was an excellent guide all day. His English was perfect and he and Maurizio made sure we got everything out of the experience, regardless of the weather.
Excellent day long outing from Quito
Cyriac_D, Nov 2023
Jessica our tour guide is excellent and did a fantastic job. Trip up to the base camp was exciting, few stops and lot of deep breaths. Weather is unpredictable but we were lucky to get a few sunny breaks.
Absolute Must Do!
gillettenicole, Nov 2023
Erika and our driver Jimmy were absolutely terrific. The entire experience from beginning to end was incredible. We had such a unique experience and was one of the most memorable during our time in Quito!
Excellent!
Brian_B, Nov 2023
Irene was an amazing guide! She kept us safe and on track to enjoy everything Cotopaxi has to offer!
Amazing day trip to Cotopaxi!
Kim_D, Nov 2023
What an amazing day this was! If you are in and around Quito for more than one day, you should do this trip! Our guide Erikka was fantastic; perfect blend of knowledge, spunk, kindness and sense of humor. And our skilled driver, Patrick, got us there with no worries. We had members in our group of different capabilities and they made sure we were all well taken care of. We are absolutely loving our time in Ecuador so far and this will for sure be one of our top memories from this trip! 110% recommend!!!
Nice volcano experience
Yunior_P, Nov 2023
The tour was amazing specially tge driver and the tour lady , this combination was the key for the successful experience… unfortunately I don’t remember the names OMG sorry .. she was short with black hair very enthusiastic and cool . I recommend it
Great views! Fun hike! Wait a few days after arriving in Quito before doing this trip!
Hannah_M, Oct 2023
Camilla was our guide and she was awesome! Very knowledgeable about the area and made the group feel comfortable. The ride was comfortable. The views were great! The lagoon was beautiful. Tips: Wait a few days to acclimate to the altitude in Quito before trying to hike Cotopaxi. I did this hike on my second day and felt altitude sickness. Bring lots of water! Water is not provided, so make sure you bring your own Have a warm jacket because the hike up Cotopaxi is very cold. Only bring what you can carry or feel comfortable leaving on the bus. This trip was great and I highly recommend it!
This was my favorite...
Miguel_R, Sep 2023
This was my favorite experience during my stay in Quito. We were lucky because the day was clear so we able to take amazing pictures of Cotopaxi. Mauro was our tour guide and he did an amazing job. The hike is a bit challenging due to the high altitude, but Mauro was patient with everyone. Walk slow and take lots of breaks! You'll make it :). I recommend taking this tour.
Cotapaxi was awesome.
Dominick_M, Sep 2023
Overall was worth the price. Apparently a guide is required anyway, and I do not see how someone could get from the entrance of the park to the area you start to walk up without a guide. Veronica was awesome, answered any questions. We stopped at the visitors center and it had information about the volcano with bird and plant information. Was one of our favorite things to do in Quito. The restaurant Rondador Cotapaxi we stopped at after the park was awesome. We got to fed llamas. Check out Dominick Maone’s reviews on Google for about 100 pics of the volcano and the restaurant. My complaint- we just stopped at too many places before park for people to try to sell us stuff. Stopped twice to take pictures of the five volcanos around Quito. Stopped at a gas station that sold food for 30 minutes. Stopped at a little shop once in the park to buy tea or chocolates to help with the altitude. Would have easily been 2 hours shorter if we skipped those things and went straight to the park. Probably could have saved 1.5 hours in traffic too if we were able to leave the park by noon or one pm. But then it is only a 7 hour tour and not a 10 hour tour.
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