Private Tour
Cotopaxi Volcano Tour from Quito – Day Trip to the Andes
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Cotopaxi National Park is located in the eastern mountain range of the Andes. Cotopaxi is the second-highest volcano in Ecuador with a height of 5897 meters. It is surrounded by other mountains such as Sincholagua, Pasochoa, and Rumiñahui, all within the avenue of volcanoes. With its wonderful symmetrical shape, it is an excellent stratovolcano, translated from Quichua into Spanish as the neck of the moon.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Cotopaxi National Park
Arrival to the southern entrance of the Cotopaxi National Park.
Cotopaxi Volcano
Arriving at the parking lot at 4600 (15.091ft) above sea level. Our hike starting to the Refugio Padre Ribas where we can get a hot drink.
What‘s Included
Professional guide
Lunch
Pick Up / Drop Off
Entrance to Cotopaxi National Park
Transport by private vehicle
Breakfast
Alcoholic Beverages
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Shared Tour- No Lunch
Shared Tour- no Lunch: This shared tour requires a minimum of 6 passengers. If the minimum is not met, we will contact you with alternative options
Duration: 8 hours
Pickup included
Small Group includes Lunch
Duration: 8 hours
Lunch
Pickup included
Private Tour Included Lunch
Pickup included
Reviews
71 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Amazing experience – highly recommend!
dabremer1,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an incredible experience on the Cotopaxi Volcano tour—definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, and the entire day was well organized and enjoyable from start to finish. Our guide, Ayrton, was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly knew his stats and information inside and out. He explained everything in a way that was easy to understand and added great context throughout the day. On top of that, he was very charismatic and made the experience fun and memorable for everyone. Overall, a fantastic tour with a great guide. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Quito!
An amazing experience that exceeded all expections
jamesgD2963WP,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00First of all let me just say if you are on the fence for a cotopaxi tour go ahead and pull the trigger on this one. Aryton was our guide and made our day by his extreme knowledge of the area, land, and history from Quito to Cotopaxi. Our journey started from getting picked up from our hotel where we found out that we essentially had a private tour! After a quick and complementary water stop we entered Cotopaxi Park and took a stop at the museum to learn more about the history, ecology, and geology of the park. Then it was on the parking lot where we started our fun trek up to the refuge! There was no rush and we made the hike and took some hot chocolate inside the refuge. Then it was time to return to the truck but not before seeing red foxes, wild horses, deer, and 2 caracara birds. We stopped for a loop around the lagoon before heading to our included Ecuadorian lunch (large portion) at a local spot with a backyard zoo! All in all 10/10 experience!
Wonderful trip to Cotapaxi
Bruce B,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00My wife and I had a fantastic private trip to Cotopaxi with our guide Andres and driver Santiago. I climbed Cotopaxi almost 30 years ago and wanted to revisit the Jose Ribas refugio. I wasn't sure if my wife was up to the hike up to the refugio, but Andrés and Santiago were very patient and we all made it. We're both in our mid 60's. The weather was great and the views were truly spectacular. Andres was very knowledgeable about the area and the geology. His English was very good and he brought great energy to the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Cotapaxi and would recommend a small group or private group trip if you want to be assured of a rewarding day out.
Wonderful day trip to Cotapaxi.
BruceBous,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I had a fantastic private trip to Cotopaxi with our guide Andres and driver Santiago. I climbed Cotopaxi almost 30 years ago and wanted to revisit the Jose Ribas refugio. I wasn't sure if my wife was up to the hike up to the refugio, but Andrés and Santiago were very patient and we all made it. We're both in our mid 60's. The weather was great and the views were truly spectacular. Andres was very knowledgeable about the area and the geology. His English was very good and he brought great energy to the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Cotapaxi and would recommend a small group or private group trip if you want to be assured of a rewarding day out.
Amazing trip to such a special place.
Bosmat G,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I had a wonderful experience one on one with Edison, my guide for the day. Very kind, knowledgeable, a person I could have a conversation with. I learned a lot too.
Great Tour to Cotopaxi
Rewster775,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I had a great time! Pedro picked us up in front of our hotel and we were off. Pedro was extremely very informative. The hike up to base camp was breathtaking, literally. Take it slow and take controlled deep breaths, there’s a lot less oxygen up there. Totally worth it though! On the way back to Quito, we stopped off and had lunch at a local restaurant. It was just the two of us for the tour and in total it was about a 7 hour day. Would highly recommend!
Excellent Tour
justinhY1629XY,Jan 20, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Pedro was a terrific guide! He was very nice, knowledgable, and helpful. We not only got to see the mountain but birds and other wildlife around the lagoon. If you like birds I recommend bringing binoculars.
Excellent, exceptional
Marcela M,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing, our guide Andres exceptional, his knowledge and accompaniment was incredible, I appreciate every minute of this tour
Perfect trip to Cotopaxi
coriolson,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A trip to Cotopaxi is a must if visiting Ecuador, and this is a perfect day trip from Quito. Diego was a great guide, photographer, and driver (in his extremely clean vehicle). He was so nice and is very knowledgeable about his beautiful country. The trip includes a hike to the Refugio sitting at 15,953 feet, a visit to the Limpiopungo lagoon, an informational stop at the visitor center, and a delicious lunch. Highly recommend this as a separate trip from Quilotoa if you want to complete the hikes. 10/10!
Beautiful trip and excellent guided tour with Ayrton!
228skyer,Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ayrton was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide! We had a great trip to Cotopaxi National Park, visiting the Limpiopungo Lagoon and hiking to the Jose Rivas refuge. Ayrton picked us up at our hotel in Quito and told us the history of the regions we passed on our way to the park. He also took beautiful photos of us as an added perk. This trip deepened our knowledge and cultural experience of Ecuador. We highly recommend this trip and Ayrton as a guide!
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Operated by Real Dreams Tour