The crater
Quilotoa loop tour from Quito
Quilotoa day trips from Quito reach the crater and come back. The loop through the villages is a different, slower trip. Prices stay on the partner’s page.
Photograph by Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Listings
Ways to book
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GetYourGuide
Crater day from Quito
One long day that includes the rim, with the option to go down.
An early pickup in Quito, the Avenue of the Volcanoes, a stop at an indigenous home, Tigua, and the crater. The listing lets you descend or stay on the rim.
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GetYourGuide
Saquisilí, then the lake
A day that adds a Thursday-town market and the canyon on the way.
Pickups named at Plaza Foch, in Quito, or at Plaza San Blas. The route takes in Saquisilí, Tigua, Toachi Canyon, and the crater, on foot or by donkey.
Photograph by Fährtenleser, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Viator
Quilotoa on Viator
A second desk, if you want to compare the same kind of day.
A Viator search for Quilotoa. Open a listing before you trust a duration.
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Buttons above are paid partner links. How that works.
On the ground
Trip tips
- Quito
- Latacunga
- Tigua
- Zumbahua
- Quilotoa rim
The published drive is the Panamericana to Latacunga, then a paved regional road. Quilotoa is about 178 km southwest of Quito and about 66 km from Latacunga. Latacunga to the crater is published at 1.5 to 2 hours by car, or about 2 to 2.5 hours by bus. A Toachi canyon viewpoint sits about 7 km from Quilotoa toward Zumbahua.
When
A private car makes a day trip possible. Drive it in daylight. Published bus timetables were flagged as likely to change.
Weather
Mountain weather is described as cutting visibility on steep, narrow roads, with limited parking at the rim.
Stops
Tigua and Zumbahua are the stops writers single out on the way to the rim. Saquisilí appears on one of the booked days. The Toachi viewpoint is the short detour on the Zumbahua side.
Altitude and what to bring
The rim village is at 3,914 m, higher than Quito. The shore is about 364 m below the rim. Carry water, and treat a swim as the cold, high-altitude dip one operator warns against.
Sources: Happy Gringo · Explorers Away · Real Dreams · Quilotoa.com . Rewritten here. Fees, hours, and roads change.
Before you go
Good to know
- The 10-hour listing starts with an early pickup in Quito.
- The 8–10 hour listing names Plaza Foch, Quito, and Plaza San Blas as pickups.
- Going down to the water is a choice on these listings. The rim is the view either way.
Landing at Mariscal Sucre and would rather not start in a city taxi? UIO Transfers is a private car from the airport. It is the owner’s company, not a third-party ad.
Questions
Before you click
How long is a Quilotoa day trip from Quito?
One listing says 10 hours. Another says 8–10 hours. The drive itself is published as a little over three hours, or 3.5 to 4 hours once traffic is counted.
How high is Quilotoa?
The rim is given as 3,914 m. The shore is described as 364 m lower than that. A rim circuit is published at about 3 to 5 hours.
Is the Quilotoa Loop the same as a day trip?
The loop through Sigchos, Isinlivi, and Chugchilán is a multi-day trek. A day tour from Quito reaches the crater and returns.
Can you swim in the crater lake?
One operator says swimming is a poor idea: the water is very cold, and the altitude is high. Kayaks are mentioned on that same page.