Overview
A stunning boutique hotel and working farm, Hacienda Zuleta is in an exquisite setting at 9,000 feet in the Ecuadorian Andes. The 19-room estate has 11 private rooms available to guests, each with hand-embroidered linens and beautiful garden views. With its wonderfully remote ambience, famous hospitality, and beautiful rural surroundings, Zuleta offers an authentic experience of the Ecuadorian highlands. Today the working farm produces a wide range of products including milk, cheese, quinoa, potatoes, and organic vegetables. Of special interest to many guests are the hand-embroidery workshop (optional tour at extra cost), condor rehabilitation project, trout farm, and cheese factory. Outside Magazine named Zuleta one of the world’s “Top Ten Finds.” After your stay at the hacienda, enjoy a tour of the famous market in the village of Otavalo, visit the workshop of a master weaver in Agato, and, time permitting, visit the colonial town of Cotacachi, famous for its leatherwork and views of deep-blue Cuicocha lagoon, a sacred crater lake.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Quito
You will be met upon arrival at the Quito airport and transferred to the Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel for overnight. Meals are on your own today. If you’d like to add additional nights in Quito to explore the historic center, we suggest an upgrade to the Hotel Mama Cuchara.
Arrive Quito - Day 1
Hotel Mama Cuchara
Quito, Ecuador
Day 1 (1 night)
Situated in Quito’s World Heritage-listed historic quarter, the Mama Cuchara is a restored colonial mansion with a mix of historic and modern architecture. The rooftop terrace is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail and panoramic views over the historic quarter, and the restaurant, set in the original colonial courtyard, has a menu that changes daily to reflect Ecuador’s diverse regional cuisines. All the delights of colonial Quito are within walking distance.
Wyndham Quito Airport
Quito, Ecuador
Day 1 (1 night)
The Wyndham Quito Airport is a nice hotel with a great location right next to the airport. Rooms are spacious, with plush bedding and great views of the nearby hills, and the lounge area is perfect for relaxing upon arrival. The hotel also has a spa with a sauna.
Day 2
Hacienda Zuleta
Morning pickup from your Quito hotel and drive north along the Pan-American Highway into the green and beautiful Ecuadorian highlands. Arrive in time for lunch and optional afternoon activities at beautiful Hacienda Zuleta, owned by the Galo Plaza-Lasso family, who have provided two of Ecuador’s presidents. Virtually everything gracing the table at Zuleta comes fresh from Zuleta’s rich earth and is carefully prepared by hand...BLD
Hacienda Zuleta - Day 2
Hacienda Zuleta
Highlands, Ecuador
Days 2 to 3 (2 nights)
There is something quite special about Hacienda Zuleta. Surrounded by more than 2,000 acres of forest and grazing lands, it was built at the end of the 16th century and is still a private family home. You can get a sense Ecuador’s history here, and that of the Galo Plaza-Lasso family (which has produced two of country’s most beloved former presidents) in their photos, paintings, and furnishings. There are just 11 guest rooms at the estate, plus beautiful gardens, famous hospitality, and excellent food, often fresh from the organic garden and trout farm (and Zuleta’s hand-made artisan cheese is delicious). All the guest rooms and the main sitting room have roaring fireplaces to keep away the chill of the 9,000-foot altitude. There are no TVs or video games here to break the spell, just peace and quiet in a spectacular Andean setting. It’s a delightful place to call home after a day of hiking, visiting the condor rehabilitation project, or horseback riding in the high Andes.
Day 3
Hacienda Zuleta
You may wish to walk some of the beautiful trails at the hacienda, or join your bilingual guide on your choice of the many tours available at Hacienda Zuleta. Tours included on your stay include a visit to the organic gardens, chapel, cheese museum, milking sheds, calf stables, embroidery shop, and Cananqui pyramids. Other activities, such as mountain biking and horseback riding, are available at an additional cost...BLD
Hacienda Zuleta - Day 3
Hacienda Zuleta
Highlands, Ecuador
Days 2 to 3 (2 nights)
There is something quite special about Hacienda Zuleta. Surrounded by more than 2,000 acres of forest and grazing lands, it was built at the end of the 16th century and is still a private family home. You can get a sense Ecuador’s history here, and that of the Galo Plaza-Lasso family (which has produced two of country’s most beloved former presidents) in their photos, paintings, and furnishings. There are just 11 guest rooms at the estate, plus beautiful gardens, famous hospitality, and excellent food, often fresh from the organic garden and trout farm (and Zuleta’s hand-made artisan cheese is delicious). All the guest rooms and the main sitting room have roaring fireplaces to keep away the chill of the 9,000-foot altitude. There are no TVs or video games here to break the spell, just peace and quiet in a spectacular Andean setting. It’s a delightful place to call home after a day of hiking, visiting the condor rehabilitation project, or horseback riding in the high Andes.
Day 4
Otavalo Market / Agato / Cotacachi / Return to Quito
In the morning, visit the village of Otavalo at the foot of the majestic Mt. Imbabura, with its famed market offering the best selection of Ecuadorian woven tapestries, alpaca clothing, and pottery. Otavalo’s daily market is a wonderful opportunity to meet the indigenous peoples of Ecuador who come from nearby Quichua mountain villages to buy and sell their wares. After your market visit, enjoy lunch at a local hacienda and a visit the workshop of Master weaver Miguel Andrango in the village of Agato. His workshop walls are lined with weavings; designs are based on Inca patterns and the traditions of Miguel and his family. The workshop uses only pure wool and Alpaca; the weavers card and spin it themselves and then dye it with natural inks made from mosses and seeds.
For Pre-Trip Extensions:
Galápagos Adventure and Ultimate Galápagos: On the final day of your extension (Day 4), you will arrive in Quito and be transferred to our Quito hotel for overnight. Day 4 of the extension is Day 1 of your Galápagos group trip.
Galápagos Private Journey: On the final day of your extension (Day 4), you will arrive in Quito and be transferred to our Quito hotel for overnight. This is an additional overnight in Quito (an "on your own" expense) before your flight to the Galápagos the following day, which is Day 1 of your Private Journey.
For Post-Trip Extensions:
Galápagos Adventure, Ultimate Galápagos and Galápagos Private Journey: On the final day of your extension (Day 4), you can connect out to a homeward-bound flight departing Quito, or if needed, add an extra night(s) in Quito.
