Cotopaxi in One Day
The classic day trip from Quito: jeep up, three hours of downhill through volcanic ash, Inca ruins and pine forest. Back in the capital by evening.
Full one-day tour details →The signature Biking Dutchman ride
Cotopaxi Volcano Bike Tour
Ride a mountain bike down the side of the world's highest active volcano — from just below its 14,770 ft snowline to its green foothills. It can literally take your breath away.
5,897 m volcano
The world's highest active volcano
3 hours of downhill
From 4,500 m to 3,200 m — the jeep does the climbing
1.5 hours from Quito
Ecuador's most accessible big mountain
Condors overhead
Keep an eye on the sky at lunch
Why Cotopaxi?
Ecuador's Rite of Passage for Mountain Bikers
Drive through páramo landscape to the highest point and enjoy a stunning view of eight different volcanoes. Then the bike adventure begins: dirt roads through volcanic ash and páramo to the Inca ruins at 3,700 m, a packed lunch while keeping an eye toward the sky — you might see a condor — and, in the afternoon, single track down from Lake Limpiopungo through pine forest.
Long known to eco-tourists for its Galapagos Islands and Amazon jungles, Ecuador is slowly emerging as a mecca for mountain bikers who want to hurtle down the sides of its majestic Andean peaks — and this is the ride they come for.
"Amazing. Brilliant. Stunning."
— Jaqui Reid, South Africa, reduced to single-word exclamations more by the thrill than by the thin oxygen, even halfway through her three-hour downhill ride
Four ways to ride it
Cotopaxi Tour Options
Cotopaxi – Quilotoa
Ride Cotopaxi, then overnight at a cozy inn on the rim of the Quilotoa crater before descending the "Grand Canyon" of Ecuador to Pujilí.
See the two-day tour →
Cotopaxi – Chimborazo
Two giants in two days: Cotopaxi's flanks, then Chimborazo's 5,000 m refuge and a wild descent where vicuñas are the only neighbours.
See the two-day tour →
Cotopaxi & the Country
Cotopaxi is Day 1 of our 5-day Andes & Amazon trip and a highlight of the 12-day grand tour — paired with jungle lodges and rafting.
Before You Ride
Altitude & weather
You start at 4,500 m — take it easy the first day in Quito (2,850 m) before riding. The páramo is sunny but windy: dress in layers, bring mittens and a fleece, and don't forget sunscreen at this altitude.
What's provided
Quality mountain bike, helmet, gloves and pads; veteran bilingual guide; 4x4 support vehicle; packed lunch. National-park entrance fee (US$ 10) is paid on site. See the full packing list for what to bring.
Conquer the volcano — downhill
The ride our guests call "the most fun since we got here". Reserve your Cotopaxi day, or combine it with Quilotoa, Chimborazo or the Amazon.