Many think there is nothing to do to kill a long, boring layover near the new Quito Airport… not true!
OFF-SITE things and nearby day trips we can help arrange… inquire on our contact us page…
-Hiking trips in surrounding mountains, 2-3 hrs, $15 per person
-Quito micro-brewery pub tour, 4 hrs, $20 per person (beer and cover fees not included, only transport and guide).
-Horseback riding in mountains surrounding the airport. 2-3 hrs
-Quito FAVELA Tour, discover some of Quitos roughest neighborhoods with a local guide.
-Charity tour. 2 hrs. Drive around and hand out donations to Venezuelan refugees in the streets of Quito.
-BIRDING near the airport. transport and guide included. 4 hrs.
– See Condors in the wild, natures largest bird. 3 hrs.
– Quito Bike Tour. (Sundays only) Rent a bike and see Quito by bicycle with a local bilingual guide.
– Soccer Match and Pub tour. (When matches persist) See the famous Independiente de valle (Recent champions of South America) then off to celebrate at a local pub
-Ecuador Foodie Tour in Quito area… Seafood, meats off the grill, vegetarian? get only the best of the best tailored to your likes.
-Chocolate-making delight. Learn the tricks of the trade making chocolate where the beans grow, in Ecuador!
And much more! Inquire here for availability…
But please inquire first because the shared tours don´t leave everyday, however, you can hire a private tour but the prices would be different than those listed below…
Papallacta Hot Springs day trip. Travel time from UIO airport: 50 minutes. Taxi from Tababela town (where our hotel and the UIO airport are located) $25 each way with the wait up to 2 hours included. Great place to spend a few hours bathing in the hot springs surrounded by lush, green mountains and have a delicious garlic trout with shrimp sauce for lunch. Hot springs entry fee $7 per person. Click here for more Papallacta from the Quito airport.
Hike Quilotoa Crater Lake. Travel time: Leave 7am return 7pm. With turqoise-colored water and picturesque Andean landscape all around, you won´t regret you took this guided day trip from the airport complete with a bilingual guide, all transportation costs and a full course lunch . All for $45 per person. Click here for more on Quilotoa from the Quito airport.
Otavalo indigenous market visit day trip. Travel time: Leave 7am return 7pm. Looking for that Alpaca sweater to show off at home? Shop til you drop at one of the largest, most complete handycraft markets in all the Andes! The new UIO airport is actually one hour closer to Otavalo than Quito city making the airport just 2 hours away. This guided day trip from the airport complete with a bilingual guide, all transportation costs and a full course lunch . All for $45 per person. Click here for more Otavalo from Quito airport.
Cotopaxi Volcano downhill bike day trip. Travel time: Leave 7am return 7pm. What better way to experience a 20,000 foot volcano and the closest point to the sun then on a bike heading downhill on a paved road with a bilingual guide? Drop down from the snow line through multiple different eco-systems on this wild ride. This guided day trip from the airport complete with a bilingual guide, all transportation costs and a full course lunch . All for $45 per person. Click here for more Cotopaxi from the Quito airport.
Mindo Cloud-forest reserve day trip. Travel time: Leave 7am return 7pm. I bet you didn´t realize instead of loafing around the airport all day you could visit a cloud forest with one of the largest variety of bird species per mile on the planet, visit a chocolate factory and a butterfly sanctuary and more? This guided day trip from the airport complete with a bilingual guide, all transportation costs and a full course lunch . All for $45 per person. Click here for more on Mindo from the Quito airport.
See Condors at Mica Lake! That´s right, see one of the world´s largest birds within an hour or so of the airport. $50 per person.
For more information on these tours please contact us here. Please keep in mind the tours do not leave everyday. Discounts for large groups are possible. The tours are NOT private as other travelers will join you which helps us keep the costs down.