Booking choice: The Cotopaxi and Quilotoa day, ★ 4.1 (687). Check dates Compare the options below
Cotopaxi and Quilotoa are the two big day trips south of Quito, and both lie along the Avenue of the Volcanoes, the long Andean valley between two ranges of peaks. Cotopaxi is a towering, glacier-capped cone in the eastern range; Quilotoa is a collapsed volcano in the western range, its crater now filled by a lake.
This guide compares the two honestly, explains what a one-day combination really looks like and suggests how to fit in both. If you choose Cotopaxi, the Cotopaxi refuge hike guide explains the hike, and the altitude guide covers how the height feels.
The quick answer
Cotopaxi: a snow-capped active volcano in a national park, about 1.5 to 2 hours by road from Quito; Limpiopungo lagoon at about 3,800 m, the car park at about 4,500 m, the refuge hike to 4,864 m. Quilotoa: a crater lake with its rim at about 3,900 m; 30 to 45 minutes down to the water and 1 to 1.5 hours back up; about 3.5 to 4 hours by road from Quito. Between the two: about 2 to 2.5 hours by road. Both in one day: possible, 10 to 12 hours, much of it driving, and no refuge hike on the combined tours here. Best plan with more time: two separate days. Entry: no ticket is needed for Cotopaxi park, you register at the gate with your passport; the Quilotoa community charges its own entry, included on some tours. Cancellation: full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours ahead on every tour listed here.
Cotopaxi or Quilotoa: which day trip is better for you?
Pick Cotopaxi for the volcano, the glacier views and a high-altitude hike; pick Quilotoa for the crater lake and a steep but lower walk. Neither is better in general: they are two different days.
- Choose Cotopaxi if you want to stand close to a glacier-capped volcano, walk to the José Ribas refuge at 4,864 m, see wild horses on the páramo or ride a bike down from the car park. It is closer to Quito, so the day has less driving.
- Choose Quilotoa if you want the turquoise lake, a hike down into a crater, Andean villages and the painters of Tigua on the way. The rim is lower, at about 3,900 m, but the climb back up from the water is steep.
- Choose a combined day if you have only one day, do not mind long drives and are happy to see Cotopaxi from the lagoon rather than hiking to the refuge.
Weather shapes both trips. Views of the Cotopaxi cone are never guaranteed, and cloud usually builds by late morning to midday. Quilotoa can be misty and windy too, so on either day an early start gives you the best chance of clear skies.
What is the difference between Cotopaxi and Quilotoa?
Cotopaxi is a high, glacier-capped active volcano where you walk uphill to a refuge; Quilotoa is a crater lake where you walk downhill to the water first and back up after. Cotopaxi is also about half as far from Quito.
The two days feel different. A Cotopaxi day is about altitude and space: the open páramo, the cone filling the windscreen and a slow hike in thin air. A Quilotoa day is about the lake and the people who live around it: Kichwa communities, the market town of Zumbahua on the road and the painters of Tigua. The table puts the practical differences side by side.
| Place | Altitude | The walk | Time from Quito | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotopaxi | Limpiopungo about 3,800 m, car park about 4,500 m, refuge 4,864 m | 45 to 60 minutes up a steep sand slope to the refuge, or a flat lagoon trail | About 1.5 to 2 hours by road | The volcano and glacier up close, high altitude, wild horses, biking down |
| Quilotoa | Rim about 3,900 m, the lake a few hundred metres below | 30 to 45 minutes down to the lake and 1 to 1.5 hours back up, or a walk on the rim | About 3.5 to 4 hours by road | A turquoise crater lake, Andean villages, Tigua painting |
The volcano itself: the visitor centre, Limpiopungo lagoon and the hike to the José Ribas refuge with a bilingual guide.
Check dates for the day trip with the refuge hikeCan you do Cotopaxi and Quilotoa in one day?
Yes, but plan on 10 to 12 hours, several of them on the road. The combined tours on this site visit Limpiopungo lagoon and the foot of the volcano, not the refuge, and then drive on to the crater rim.
The roads set the shape of the day. Quito to Cotopaxi park takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, the park to Quilotoa about 2 to 2.5 hours, and the drive from Quilotoa back to Quito is the longest leg of all. That leaves time for a walk at Limpiopungo and a visit to the rim, but not for the refuge hike as well.
The Cotopaxi and Quilotoa day trip is the most booked tour on this site and, at 4.1 from 687 reviews, also the lowest rated of the main tours. It runs for 10 hours with pickup in central Quito, an Andean welcome ceremony with a native guide, a walk at Limpiopungo, empanadas and a warm drink at a viewpoint restaurant and a walk on the crater rim; the descent to the lake is not listed. Mixed-language groups sometimes get two guides. The small-group Cotopaxi and Quilotoa day (4.7 from 70 reviews, 11 hours) adds an optional hike down to the lake; lunch, drinks and the Quilotoa entry are paid separately. With pickup at your hotel or Quito airport, the Andean highlights day (5.0 from 12 reviews) covers the Limpiopungo valley and the Quilotoa rim with a certified guide-driver.
Both volcanoes in one booking: pickup in central Quito, an Andean welcome ceremony, a walk at Limpiopungo, then the Quilotoa viewpoint with empanadas and a warm drink and a walk on the crater rim. No refuge hike. Rated 4.1 from 687 reviews, the most booked tour here.
Explore the Cotopaxi and Quilotoa dayHow far is Quilotoa from Cotopaxi?
About 2 to 2.5 hours by road from Cotopaxi National Park. The route runs south on the Panamericana towards Latacunga, then west into the hills past Pujilí and Zumbahua to the crater.
From Quito, Quilotoa is about 3.5 to 4 hours by road, roughly twice as far as Cotopaxi. The second half of the drive is the more beautiful one: the road climbs out of the valley past patchwork fields, crosses the high páramo and reaches the Kichwa villages around Zumbahua and Tigua. Tours usually stop at a viewpoint or two on the way.
If you get car sick, take it into account: the mountain road winds a lot, and on a combined day you spend many hours in the vehicle. Sit near the front, eat lightly and look at the horizon. Because Quilotoa is the more distant stop, an early start matters there too: the light over the lake is usually best before cloud builds up.
Small groups and an optional hike down to the lake: Cotopaxi park and Limpiopungo first, then the Quilotoa viewpoint.
Check dates for the small-group Cotopaxi and Quilotoa dayHow long is the Quilotoa hike?
About 30 to 45 minutes down to the lake and 1 to 1.5 hours back up to the rim, at about 3,900 m. The full walk around the crater rim takes about 4 to 5 hours.
The trail down is a wide zigzag of sand and dust on the inner slope of the crater. Going down is quick but slippery in places, so shoes with grip help. The way back up is the hard part: steep, sandy and at altitude, so most people stop often. Mules can carry you back up for an extra payment, and the Quilotoa lagoon day trip lists the mule ride as an optional extra.
The rim walk is a different hike: about 7.5 to 10 km around the crater, with views into the lake at almost every turn and some steep, sandy stretches. It does not fit into a combined day with Cotopaxi; it suits a night in the village or a day dedicated to Quilotoa. On any Quilotoa day, bring layers: the rim is windy and cold, and the sun is strong when it comes out.
Is Quilotoa worth it?
Yes, for most people who have the time. The lake is one of the most striking sights in Ecuador, and the drive passes villages and painting workshops you would not see on a Cotopaxi day. It is less worth it if you dislike long drives.
The water changes colour with the light, from emerald to turquoise, and the round crater makes it look almost unreal from the rim. The other half of the trip is cultural. Tigua, on the road to the lake, is known for its paintings: bright, detailed scenes of Andean life, festivals and volcanoes, traditionally painted on sheepskin. Many visitors take one home.
The Quilotoa crater lake day trip (4.7 from 110 reviews, 10 hours) is built around the lake rather than the volcano: the Shalalá viewpoint, the community viewpoint, the hike down to the lake and back up, a visit to a family in the páramo, a Tigua craft workshop and the Toachi canyon. Food is not included. If Quilotoa is your main goal, this is a better day than a combined tour, because there is time to walk down to the water.
A whole day for the crater lake: the Shalalá viewpoint, the hike down to the water and back, a Tigua workshop and the Toachi canyon.
Check dates for the Quilotoa day tripHow do you see Cotopaxi and Quilotoa over two days?
Give each volcano its own day. Do Cotopaxi with the refuge hike on one day and a Quilotoa day trip on another, sleeping in Quito in between, or stay a night south of Quito and shorten the drives.
From Quito, two separate day trips are the simplest plan. Do Cotopaxi first, with the Cotopaxi day trip with the refuge hike (4.8 from 390 reviews), and Quilotoa a day or two later; the extra time at altitude also helps on the climb back up from the lake. If you prefer one trip south, spend the night between the two, around Latacunga or at a hacienda near Cotopaxi, and you avoid driving back to Quito in between. Visiting Cotopaxi without a tour lists places to stay near the park.
If two days are too many, decide on your priority. For the volcano close up, choose Cotopaxi. For the lake and the villages, choose Quilotoa. For a taste of both in one long day, choose a combined tour and accept that the refuge is not part of it.
Make your Cotopaxi day the real thing: pickup in Quito, a bilingual guide, the visitor centre, Limpiopungo lagoon and the hike to the José Ribas refuge at 4,864 m, with breakfast and lunch stops paid on the spot. Rated 4.8 from 390 reviews.
Explore the day trip with the refuge hikeWhat is the Quilotoa Loop?
A walk of several days through the hills and villages around Quilotoa, usually ending at the crater rim. You walk between small villages and sleep in simple guesthouses on the way, so it is a trip of its own, not a day out.
The loop links villages such as Isinliví and Chugchilán with Quilotoa through valleys, farmland and canyons in the western range. Walkers usually start from Latacunga, the nearest town on the Panamericana. It is a fine way to see rural Ecuador at walking pace, but it needs its own planning, and none of the day tours on this site cover it.
If you are short of time, a day trip gives you the crater and the lake, which are the highlight of the loop anyway. With a week or more around Quito, you can do both: Cotopaxi from Quito with the refuge hike, then a few days on the Quilotoa Loop. Before any Cotopaxi day, check whether Cotopaxi is open, since rules can change at short notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Quilotoa higher than Cotopaxi?
No. The Quilotoa rim is at about 3,900 m, while a Cotopaxi day reaches about 4,500 m at the car park and 4,864 m at the refuge.
Do the Cotopaxi and Quilotoa day tours hike to the refuge?
No. The combined days on this site visit Limpiopungo lagoon and the foot of the volcano, then drive to Quilotoa. For the refuge, book a Cotopaxi day.
Can you walk down to the Quilotoa lake on a combined tour?
On the small-group combo, yes, as an option. The most booked combined day lists a walk on the rim, not the descent to the lake.
Is there an entry charge at Quilotoa?
Yes, the Quilotoa community charges its own entry. Some tours include it; the small-group combo leaves it to you.
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Cotopaxi and Quilotoa Crater Lake in One Day
- Pickup and drop-off in central Quito
- A native guide and an Andean welcome ceremony
- Limpiopungo lagoon walk at the foot of the volcano
Cotopaxi and Quilotoa, Small Group
Limpiopungo, then the Quilotoa viewpoint and an optional hike down to the lake; no refuge hike
