Ecuador Culture Tours with Wild About Travel

Helping you design and book a unique and affordable cultural holiday

Ever thought of exploring Ecuador on a culture tour?  Why Ecuador?  Well, if you are interested in ancient civilizations, traditions and customs, our experienced guides can help unlock some of Ecuadors unique history, including sites established by the Incas.  So please read on.

Well before the famous Egyptian Pyramids of Gizeh were built, the Ecuadorian Coast and later the Andes and Amazon regions were home to some of the most ancient (10,000 B.C.) and remarkable cultures in Latin America.  Thankfully, they left behind a truly superb legacy of their skills and knowledge, in evidence at the many excavations and site museums and in the outstanding objects which can be admired in dozens of museums and private collections across Ecuador.

A perfect place to start a culture tour is Quito, known as the “Andean Shangri-la” or the “Florence of America” and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Walk centuries old narrow streets and cross plazas to uncover its rich cultural legacy on a guided tour of the old city.  Santo Domingo church and convent is spectacular.  Entering through colossal doors one can admire ceilings covered with oil paintings and gold leaf, with the best exhibition of architectural and religious art in the city.  Independence Square is where you will find the Archbishop's palace, the Cathedral and much more to explore locally. Quito's TeleferiQo (cable car) is one of the easiest ways to admire stunning views.  Best appreciated on a clear morning, the cable cars take off at 9,680 feet from the slopes of Volcan Pichincha by Quito and reach 13,287 feet in about 10 minutes. 

We can take you on a journey to the Cloud Forest to visit the Site Museum of Tulipe where you can learn about the culture of the Yumbos, ancient inhabitants that built ceremonial structures named tolas and pools all around the area of Tulipe.  A natural path bordering the river leads to the first six archaeological pools. 

It would be easy, too, for you to experience the beauty of the Protected Cloud Forest Mindo - Nambillo with over 500 species of birds, 300 species of butterflies and 370 species of orchids recorded.  See for yourself the gaudy Aracaris (related to Toucans) and many species of brightly coloured Hummingbirds and Tanagers.

Leaving the very best till last, your intinerary could include Ecuador's prime site, Ingapirca.  The Inca fortress here is by far the most important archaeological site left by the Inca Empire in this fascinating country.  Ingapirca  offers a combination of Canari and Inca architecture on a single site. A museum houses numerous examples of ceramic, textile and metal works found within the areas of influence of these two cultures.

It would be remiss not to mention that Ecuador straddles the equator, from which it takes its name.  Only 20 minutes from Quito, at Mitadel del Mundo and the Intiñan Museum, you can visit the centre line of the earth, latitude 00 degrees, 00' 00".  You can defy the laws of physics with educational games and take a step back in time in replica Ecuadorian homes from a previous era.  A few minutes away from the Intiñan Museum is Rumicucho Pucará, an Inca stone fortress.

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