A 10-day self-drive loop from Quito along the Avenue of the Volcanoes: Cotopaxi, the Quilotoa crater lake, adventure-capital Baños, Chimborazo, and colonial Cuenca.
Planning an Ecuador road trip itinerary? This 10-day self-drive loop from Quito follows the Avenue of the Volcanoes, the Andean corridor Alexander von Humboldt named in 1802, through some of the most dramatic scenery on the continent: a snow-capped active volcano, a crater lake that glows iridescent green at 3,914 metres, the adventure sports hub of Baños where the Andes drop to the Amazon basin, and the colonial city of Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the southern Andes.
Ecuador is compact: the distances on this route are shorter than the scenery suggests, all roads are paved, and the country is among the most affordable in South America for self-driving. A standard hire car from Quito handles every road on this loop.
The Avenue of the Volcanoes runs south from Quito through a valley flanked by two parallel ridges of the Andes, each with a line of volcanoes. The driving is straightforward but altitude is the main variable: Quito sits at 2,850 metres, Cotopaxi's car park at 4,500 metres, and Quilotoa at 3,914 metres. Take altitude sickness (soroche) seriously: drink water, avoid heavy alcohol on your first two days, and do not rush from sea level to 4,000 metres in the same afternoon.
The best season for the highlands is June to September, the driest months. October to May brings more cloud and rain, though the volcanoes still clear regularly. Ecuador straddles the equator, so seasonal patterns are gentler than further south.
Ecuador's capital has the best-preserved colonial old town in South America, a UNESCO-listed district that climbs the flanks of Volcán Pichincha. Spend the first afternoon in the historic centre: the Jesuit church of La Compañía de Jesús is the most ornate church interior in Ecuador, taking 160 years to complete. The Basilica del Voto Nacional offers exterior views of the entire city from its towers.
On day two, take the TelefériQo cable car up Volcán Pichincha to 4,100 metres for a panorama of the city, the two Andean ridges, and Cotopaxi on a clear day. A half-day trip to El Mitad del Mundo, the equator monument 22 km north of Quito, is worth combining with the Intiñan Solar Museum, which demonstrates the equatorial effects on water drainage and balance.
The 80 km drive south from Quito takes about 1.5 hours, much of it on the Panamerican Highway. Cotopaxi National Park entrance fees are payable at the gate ($3 for foreign visitors). Drive to Limpiopungo Lagoon at 3,800 metres, where wild horses and llamas roam the páramo grassland with the volcano directly behind them. The car park at the volcano's base sits at 4,500 metres; even at rest, the altitude demands slow movement and plenty of water.
A self-drive loop from Budapest through Pécs, Lake Balaton's wine country and the castle city of Eger. Ten days, manageable distances and a range of Hungarian life that most visitors never see.
The Josè Rivas refuge at 4,864 metres is a 2-hour hike from the car park and reaches the glacier line. Do not attempt it unless you have been acclimatising at altitude for several days. An overnight at a hacienda or lodge inside the park gives time for a proper sunrise on the volcano the following morning.
The drive from Cotopaxi to Quilotoa via Latacunga takes about 1.5 hours. Quilotoa is a caldera lake at 3,914 metres, formed when a volcanic eruption collapsed the summit around 800 years ago and the crater filled with water. The lake appears green or turquoise depending on the light and cloud, the colour coming from dissolved minerals in the volcanic rock.
The rim walk circles the entire crater in 3 to 4 hours. A steep zigzag trail descends 400 metres to the water, where kayaks can be rented for $5. The village of Quilotoa, inhabited by Kichwa-speaking people, clusters around the crater rim with guesthouses, craft stalls selling painted pottery and weavings, and a basic infrastructure that feels remote even though it is within two hours of Quito.
Spend the night in the village to see the lake colours shift at dusk and catch a clear sunrise the following morning.
The 2.5-hour drive from Quilotoa drops nearly 2,000 metres from the high páramo to the subtropical town of Baños, where the Andes fall toward the Amazon basin and the air is noticeably warmer and wetter. Tungurahua volcano, still active, forms the backdrop to the town.
The Ruta de las Cascadas is the defining experience here: rent a bike in town for $5 to $10, join a shuttle to the top at 2,100 metres, and ride 17 km downhill through the Pastaza River gorge past six waterfalls. The final stop is the Pailón del Diablo, a waterfall that drops 80 metres into a narrow canyon with a viewing platform close enough to get thoroughly wet. The bus back to Baños costs $1 from the waterfall car park.
Spend the second day at the thermal baths (the town is named for them), which run with mineral water from the flanks of Tungurahua, or book a half-day of white-water rafting on the Pastaza River (Class III to IV). The famous swing at Casa del Árbol, a weather station on a ridge above town with a view of Tungurahua, is a 30-minute drive and a short hike.
The 1.5-hour drive south from Baños brings you to Riobamba, a provincial city in the shadow of Chimborazo. At 6,268 metres, Chimborazo is Ecuador's highest peak and, due to the equatorial bulge of the Earth, the point on the planet's surface furthest from its centre and closest to the sun. A paved road reaches the first refuge at 4,800 metres; continue to the upper refuge at 5,000 metres by 4WD.
Riobamba is also the departure point for the Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) railway, a 1908 engineering feat in which the train descends a 500-metre cliff via a series of switchbacks, reversing direction on each zig. The journey departs from Alausí, 97 km south of Riobamba; book in advance at the station.
The 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Riobamba follows the Panamerican Highway south through the central Andes. Cuenca sits at 2,550 metres in a valley fed by four rivers and has the most complete surviving colonial centre in Ecuador, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two cathedrals on Parque Calderón are the signature image of the city: the New Cathedral's turquoise domes are visible from most of the old town.
Spend a morning at the Pumapungo Museum, which sits on the remains of an Inca palace and includes the most important on-site collection of Inca archaeology in Ecuador. On the second day, make the 80 km day trip north to Ingapirca, the largest pre-Columbian site in Ecuador, combining Cañari and Inca stonework around a Temple of the Sun aligned with the summer solstice.
Cuenca is also the global centre of Panama hat production. Despite the name, these fine straw hats originate here. Visit one of the family workshops in the city's outskirts, where toquilleras weave for hours under low light to achieve the finest grade.
The 4.5-hour drive north on the Panamerican Highway returns to Quito to close the loop. Chimborazo and Cotopaxi are visible to the east for much of the route. Allow extra time for the Quito ring road to reach the airport, which is 37 km north of the historic centre.
When to go: June to September is the driest and clearest season in the Andes. October to May is the wettest but the volcanoes still clear regularly. Ecuador's proximity to the equator means the seasons are less extreme than further south.
Altitude: Quito (2,850 m), Cotopaxi car park (4,500 m), and Quilotoa (3,914 m) are all above the threshold where most visitors feel some effect. Drink plenty of water, eat light for the first day or two, and do not attempt strenuous high-altitude hikes until you have spent 24 to 48 hours at elevation.
Car hire: Quito has multiple international rental agencies at the airport. A compact car handles all roads on this loop. Budget $30 to $50 per day. Fuel costs around $1.80 per litre at petrol stations across the route.
Budget: Ecuador is very affordable for South America. Guesthouses and small hotels run $25 to $60 per night. Meals at local restaurants (fondas and comedores) cost $3 to $8 for a full lunch. Activity costs are similarly low: crater rim entry $3, bike hire $5 to $10, rafting $20 to $35.
Currency: Ecuador uses the US dollar, which removes currency exchange from the equation entirely. Keep small bills: $20 notes are often refused in rural areas and markets.
Hadrian's Wall is the most visited Roman monument in northern Europe and the most underexplored major route in northern England. This seven-day loop from Carlisle covers the Wall's finest stretches at Housesteads, Vindolanda and Steel Rigg, then returns through the quiet Eden Valley via Appleby-in-Westmorland and Penrith.
The full route — stops, maps, and driving times — is on Routebook by Kington.
A 10-day self-drive loop from Quito along the Avenue of the Volcanoes: Cotopaxi, the Quilotoa crater lake, adventure-capital Baños, Chimborazo, and the colonial city of Cuenca.
Routebookby Routebook
