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ANTISANA · FULL DAY · FROM QUITO

Antisana Day Tour from Quito.

The shy volcano.

Páramo, high-altitude wetlands and one of Ecuador’s great volcanic landscapes. A quieter side of the Andes.

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FROM US$59

shared tour

DURATION Full Day

Quito to Antisana

HIGH POINT ~3,900 m

La Mica

FLOW STYLE Nature

páramo + wildlife

THE EXPERIENCE

This isn't the Andes at full volume.
It's the Andes paying attention.

Antisana is one of the great volcanic landscapes east of Quito, surrounded by high-altitude páramo, wetlands and wide-open Andean horizons.

We travel east from Quito into the Antisana Ecological Reserve, climbing through the high-altitude páramo toward La Mica at approximately 3,900 metres.

This is a day for slowing down, watching the weather move across the mountains and keeping your eyes open for the wildlife that makes this protected landscape home.

THE LANDSCAPE AT A GLANCE

From city streets to open páramo.

01 QUITO

Leave the city behind.

Climb east toward the high Andes and the landscapes surrounding Antisana.

02 PÁRAMO

The landscape opens.

High-altitude grasslands, wetlands and enormous Andean skies replace the city.

03 ANTISANA

Look up.

The volcano is famously elusive. Cloud, light and weather decide how much it reveals.

04 WILDLIFE

Look closer.

Slow the pace and scan the protected landscape for high-Andean wildlife.

05 LA MICA

Follow the water.

Reach the high-altitude lagoon and see another side of the páramo ecosystem.

CarpeDM travellers beside La Mica in Antisana National Park
HIGH PÁRAMO You came looking for a volcano.

You’re standing inside a water system.

YOUR DAY

Quito to Antisana.
And into the quiet.

Antisana makes its own weather. Exact timings and viewpoints may move with conditions, traffic and the pace of the group.

MORNING
QUITO

Leave the city behind.

Travel east from Quito toward the high Andean landscapes surrounding Antisana.

PÁRAMO
ANTISANA NATIONAL PARK

Enter another Ecuador.

Move into the high-altitude páramo and begin reading the landscape rather than rushing through it.

WILDLIFE
THE SEARCH

Eyes on the sky.

Pause at viewpoints and open landscapes where high-Andean wildlife may appear.

ANTISANA
THE VOLCANO

Let the mountain decide.

Antisana is often wrapped in cloud. When it appears, the waiting becomes part of the story.

LA MICA
THE WATER

Slow down again.

Experience the lagoon and the high páramo around it, where water, weather and landscape are inseparable.

AFTERNOON
RETURN

Back toward Quito.

Leave the open páramo behind and descend toward the city after a very different day in the Andes.

SEE ANTISANA

Some landscapes ask you
to look a little longer.

CHOOSE YOUR FLOW

Your landscape. Your attention.

01

Look Up

Watch the volcano, the weather and the huge Andean sky change around you.

02

Look Closer

Slow down for wildlife, wetlands and the details hidden inside the páramo.

03

Take It Slower

Antisana rewards patience. Not everything worth seeing arrives on command.

FIND YOUR SLOW FLOW STYLE

How this journey travels.

Not every experience creates impact in the same way. Here's where Antisana sits in the CarpeDM travel framework.

TRAVEL APPROACH
△

Traditional

A classic high-Andean journey through one of Ecuador’s great volcanic landscapes.

◒

Responsible

Local guiding and thoughtful travel through a protected high-Andean landscape.

≈

Slow Flow

Slow down. Watch the weather. Notice what appears when the checklist stops driving the day.

TOUR DNA
👥 Small Group ▰▰□□□ Nature ♧ Wildlife ♧ Nature
IMPACT CONNECTIONS
8 Decent Work
& Economic Growth
15 Life
on Land
CARPEDM FLOW

Travel can entertain, support or regenerate. Knowing the difference is part of travelling better.

Antisana volcano rising above the high Andean páramo in Ecuador
THE SHY VOLCANO Antisana doesn’t promise to show itself.

That might be part of the point.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

We bring the essentials.

  • Bilingual Spanish / English guide
  • Tourist transport from Quito
  • Guided Antisana National Park experience

BRING WITH YOU

Antisana makes its own weather.

Warm layers Waterproof jacket Gloves Hat Comfortable walking shoes Binoculars if you have them Water Sun protection Snacks

Bring water, snacks and anything personal you may need for a full day in a cold, high-altitude environment.

YOUR GROUP. YOUR ANTISANA.

One quiet landscape.
Four simple prices.

The per-person price changes with your group size. No mystery at checkout.

ANTISANA DAY TOUR
Private Your own guide, vehicle and pace
US$179 per person
2 travellers
US$89 per person
3 travellers
US$69 per person
4+ travellers
US$59 per person
Book Antisana
NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

Your landscape.
Your pace.

Travelling with a larger group, looking for a different setup or simply want to talk it through? Send us a message.

Talk to CarpeDM →

THE OTHER ANDES

No crowds to impress.
No checklist to conquer.

ANTISANA National Park

A high-Andean landscape of páramo, water, wildlife and a volcano that often keeps part of itself hidden.

CarpeDM transport travelling through the high Andean landscape near Antisana
THE ROAD EAST Some journeys have been
part of CarpeDM for years.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Good questions.
Especially in the high Andes.

What is the Antisana day tour like?

It is a full-day nature-focused journey from Quito into high-altitude páramo, volcanic landscapes and the La Mica area.

Will I definitely see Antisana volcano?

No mountain view can be guaranteed. Antisana is frequently covered by cloud, and changing weather is part of travelling in the high Andes.

Can we see wildlife?

Antisana protects important high-Andean habitat, but wildlife is wild. Sightings depend on the day, conditions and a little patience.

How high do we go?

The La Mica area sits at roughly 3,900 metres above sea level, so you should expect a cold, high-altitude environment.

What should I bring?

Bring warm layers, waterproof protection, sun protection, comfortable walking shoes, water and snacks. Binoculars are useful if you have them.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Conditions can change quickly. Your guide may adapt the day’s timing, stops or activities when weather, road conditions or safety require it.

Can I book Antisana privately?

Yes. Ask us about a private departure if you prefer your own guide, vehicle and pace.

SLOW FLOW TRAVEL

Not everything worth seeing
arrives on command.

Antisana can disappear behind cloud while you are standing right in front of it.

So you watch the páramo instead. You notice the water, the birds, the wind and the way the light moves across the mountain.

And sometimes, while you are busy paying attention, the volcano appears.

KEEP EXPLORING

One quiet landscape leads
somewhere else.

Antisana is one version of Ecuador. Here are three completely different ones.

Quilotoa crater lake in the Ecuadorian Andes
ANDEAN LIFE

Quilotoa

Highland communities, an extraordinary crater lake and another side of the Andes.

Explore Quilotoa →
Hummingbird in the Mindo cloud forest of Ecuador
CLOUD FOREST

Mindo

Waterfalls, hummingbirds and chocolate in an entirely different Ecuador.

Explore Mindo →
Otavalo Women in Market
CULTURE · ANDES

Otavalo

Markets, landscapes and indigenous culture along the road north of Quito.

Explore Otavalo →

READY?

One volcano. One lagoon.
A lot of space.

Antisana Day Tour from Quito · Shared departures from US$59.

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