Cotopaxi Full-Day from Quito Including Entrances

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Departure from Quito to the Cotopaxi National Park.

   5 hAdmission included

2. You will visit the Limpiopungo lagoon, it is located in the slops of the volcano. In this place we will stay to enjoy the landscape and take beautiful pictures of the volcano and the lagoon. We will visit the "Mariscal Sucre" Interpretation Center.

   30 minAdmission included

3. We will do a trekking to the "José Rivas Refuge" (4864 msnm). Leaving the Cotopaxi National Park we will return to Quito.

   3 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 1,548 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Definitely add this to your 'must do' list in Quito!

  This was such a great first activity to do when I landed in Ecuador! From the time I booked, the communication was great. I also received a message from our guide, Irene, in the morning to confirm the pick-up time and she sent us photos from the day afterwards too. The bus was super clean and modern and our driver (Jimmy) got us there and back very safely, taking care of the bus by cleaning it when we stopped too. It is a long day but not too bad and the trip is broken up a lot by going for breakfast, doing the short hike to Cotopaxi base-camp, visiting the laguna and then going for lunch. The hike itself is only short - but the altitude is no joke if you're not used to it! If you get to base-camp early you have the option to walk a little further up the hill and make it to 5,000 MASL. This was a little bit tough but so glad I did it! Cotopaxi itself is stunning if you get good weather - the disappearing glacier is beautiful and sad to see 🥹We even saw an Andean fox! There is no food provided on the tour, this was the only down side - but I was aware of this when booking. As a vegan, I would recommend taking your own food for the day as the cafe's don't really cater well for veggie/vegans. But I sat with everyone and ate my own food, no problems. Thank you for a wonderful day guy🗻I'll remember this trip forever!

  Rachael_SSeptember 2026via Viator

• 5Ideal for for visiting Cotopaxi 🗻

  Loved this trip so much, what a way to start my adventures in Ecuador! Irene, our guide, was great! She messaged me in the morning before pick-up which was so nice, especially as a solo traveller. The bus was super clean and modern and Jimmy, our driver, with Irene were a great team. The day was amazing, as we arrived into the national park the mist was so think I thought it would be a wash-out, but the clouds parted as soon as we got close to Cotopaxi. The walk to the base camp isn't too difficult if you're used to hiking at altitude but just enough of a challenge. If you want to reach 5,000 meters you can walk for another, 15-20 minutes 🗻 We even saw an Andean Fox! 🦊 The surrounding landscape is so interesting and the mountains opposite Cotopaxi are just as beautiful ⛰️⛰️ We were taken to two restaurants for breakfast & lunch (additional $10-15 total) or you can take your own food for the day. On the way home the bus dropped me closer to my hostel too which was super helpful 😍 Thank you to Irene and Jimmy for a great first day in Ecuador. I can recommend this tour indeed ❤️

  rootravels2018September 2026via Tripadvisor

• 3Day visit to Cotopaxi with stops along the way

  A challenging hike with stops for snacks, tea, lunch, etc. While we could have done without some of the stops before the hike (snacks, tea, and museum), because it made the day unnecessarily long (would have preferred to spend more time at the park), the hike and views were great. Also of note, the bus didn't have curtains, which made for uncomfortably warm driving.

  Ashley_HSeptember 2026via Viator

• 5Must do!

  This tour is a MUST DO!!! I am so glad I got to not only see Cotopaxi, but hike up to the Base Camp!! Jorge did a fantastic job of explaining things and keeping us very informed of food stops, bathroom stops, etc. He was extremely friendly and made sure we got some good photos! The drive up to the parking lot of Cotopaxi was no easy feat and I honestly cannot believe a bus can even make the drive, but Mauricio handled it like a boss!!! I felt super safe as a solo female joining along!! The price is fantastic for the value you get. Also, breakfast was huge and $4 and lunch was also huge, included a petting zoo with alpacas, and was only $6! They also dropped me off at a different spot along their route rather than my hostel so I could go for a much deserved beer!!

  Andrea_RSeptember 2026via Viator

• 5An amazing day!

  We had an amazing day! Our tour guide was very informative, and super kind throughout the trip. The stops for breakfast and lunch were very good and came at a great time. Highlight was obviously the hike to the refuge center, we were able to see the peak of Cotopaxi a few times while the clouds parted. Our guide took lots of pictures of everyone too, which was really nice to look back on all of the photos. She also was really helpful at all of the meals and wore many hats assisting everyone. Would for sure do again!

  Sophie_OSeptember 2026via Viator

• 4Altitude

  Be prepared for the altitude, especially if you’re coming from sea level. It’s quite windy up there so I have a face covering as well It did not rain much when I was up there, but I could see that being a big issue if it were to have happened

  Paul_KSeptember 2026via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in Quito

• Its from-price is 55% below the median of the 338 day trips we list in Quito.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 338.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Quito

Quito, Ecuador's high Andean capital, has one of the best-preserved colonial centres in Latin America, ringed by volcanoes and green mountains.

The historic centre was among the very first places named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its churches, plazas and monasteries are spectacular. La Compañía de Jesús glows with gold leaf inside, the Basilica del Voto Nacional has gargoyles shaped like Ecuadorian animals, and Plaza Grande is surrounded by the cathedral and the presidential palace.

Top-ranked sights in Quito: Cotopaxi National Park, Basilica of the National Vow (La Basílica del Voto Nacional), Independence Plaza (Plaza de la Independencia).

See all 1008 experiences in Quito