On this day you meet your guide at the lobby and you
head to Tumbaco Valley to visit and experience
Barroquema Art Gallery. In this gallery, besides
enjoying all the pottery pieces, you also meet the artists
and you see a sculpture modeling demonstration. Also,
you will make a hand molded bowl with red clay. Your
piece is going to be ready in 3 days. Do not worry, we
will pick it up for you.
Then we leave to visit Cumbaya, which is one of the
most exclusive districts of Quito. There you will enjoy a
gastronomic experience at the 3500 restaurant.
There, while eating a dish, you will enjoy a work of art.
Not only because of the aesthetics of its presentation but
also because of the combination of flavors, which are a

mix of traditional Ecuadorian food and the most avant-
garde techniques of world cuisine.

After lunch you continue to Quito downtown, to visit an Art Gallery. On this occasion, you meet Mrs. Carole
Lindberg and she will share her story with you. The Galleria/Taller is a six-room gallery located on the ground floor
of a 25 room colonial residence in the San Roque neighborhood of the historical center of Quito. The house was built
in the mid-1800s and was formerly owned by the famous woodcarver and designer, Neptali Martinez.
Carole will give you a private tour of the gallery and house, explaining the development of the different genres of her
artistic expression and the restoration process of a historic residence in Quito. The gallery area has recently been
restored by Carole Lindberg and is home to a permanent collection of her work. Various adjoining studio areas are
used by Carole as well as by other artists.
Later in the afternoon, you return to the San Marcos neighborhood well known for being home to artisans. Your first
visit will be at Casa Coraje, a workshop where 2 magnificent artists work and live: Illowaski Guanchala and Pamela
Suasti. Illowaski is a contemporaneous realistic painter, he paints what he sees on the streets while he is walking, or
something that graves his attention while he is stunning at his window or drinking a cup of coffee in the neighbor's
cafeteria. His work is really nit-ed and when you think it is simple it gets complex with all the details that Illowaski
takes care of in his painting style. Pamela works are an alternative way of art. She makes different figures with wool
embroidery. Her work is of such high quality that she has been called to exhibit in different galleries nationwide. She
is also in charge of illustrating children's books with this art.
Continuing with the tour, the next stop is at the Watercolor Museum, where you learn more about a famous
Ecuadorian painter Muñoz Marin. Return to the hotel.
Overnight.

Today your tour begins at the “Equatorial line” complex.
Its monument is located at the latitude 0o 0 ́0" and
provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to straddle both
hemispheres or hop between the two in the blink of an
eye. The monument forms the focal point of a park and
leisure area with gift shops and restaurants. The site
occupies an important place in the solar-based Andean
cosmovision since ancient Andean people were aware of
its significance many thousands of years ago. The
Ethnographic Museum at the complex provides a fine
overview of Ecuador’s varied cultures and geography.
Continuing with the tour, your next stop is at the
bohemian neighborhood ̈La Floresta, known for its
contemporaneous galleries. It is also a unique place where
you can find a lot of coffee shops, local and international
restaurants. You have free time for lunch (optional).
After lunch, you will visit Pentasiete, which is a
contemporary gallery where they exhibit projects from
emerging artists as well as from renowned artists of
Ecuador and Latin America.
Later on, you will do a city by night tour in which you
explore the bustling streets and squares of the largest
historical center in the Americas, You visit some of its
most important churches such as the impressive Cathedral,
majestic Compañía, and iconic San Francisco, guardians
of a stunning multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage.
At the San Francisco convent, you have a private tour to
know more about this congregation. Finally, you taste
their original craft beer, which is made with a recipe from
the XVI Century.
Return to the hotel, dinner, and overnight.

This morning you will depart to Otavalo town famous for its artisan market. On route, you will stop at
Guayllabamba, a small town where you can try a typical fruit called chirimoya. Also, you have a quick stop at
Cayambe, a little town where the famous bizcochos (a mix between a cracker and bread) are made.
In Otavalo you visit the textile market located at the “Plaza of Ponchos'', one of the most famous markets in South
America. There you find all kinds of handicrafts including tapestries made on the Spanish weaving loom as well as
the indigenous back-strap loom. You have some free time for bargaining and buying from the friendly Otavaleños.
Afterwards you visit Mr. Miguel Andrango Workshop at Agato. There you have a weaving demonstration given by
three generations of this family. You will be able to observe how the raw wool is turned into thread, thread to be used
with looms. You will see not just the process, but also the tools used for hundreds of years to make it. You also have
a look at the plants they use for the different natural colors. After the demonstration, you will be able to visit the store
and to buy something if you want.
You have lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui, a famous historic hacienda. After lunch, you continue to Hacienda Zuleta,
which is a colonial-era working farm that has belonged to the family of Mr. Galo Plaza Lasso, a former president of
Ecuador. It was chosen as one of the world’s “Top Ten Finds” by Outside magazine and named one of the best
“Ecuadorian Hotels” by National Geographic Traveler.
Overnight.

After having a farm-to-table breakfast, you meet Zuleta's
ladies. This women of the community are recognized
nationwide for their fine embroidery in bright colors that
matches their traditional knee-high pleated skirts.
Some sources state that embroidery was first introduced
into the area during the late nineteenth century. But its
status as a true profession in the community, with its
application to clothes, only arises with the Zuleta
Embroidery Workshop, created by Rosario Pallares, wife
of former Ecuadorian President Galo Plaza Lasso. You
have a traditional lunch before returning to Quito.
Upon arrival in the capital, you visit the Capilla del
Hombre, Oswaldo Guayasamín museum. Guayasamín was
an Ecuadorian painter and sculptor of Kichwa and Mestizo
heritage. He dedicated his life to painting, sculpting, and
collecting a large number of archaeological, colonial, and
contemporary pieces of art.
He was given a prize for "an entire life of work for peace"
by UNESCO. His death on March 10, 1999, was
considered a great loss to Ecuador and occurred in the
midst of a political and socio-economic crisis, with the day
marked by strikes by the indigenous people (whom he
spent his life supporting) and other sectors of society. He is
still lauded as a national treasure.
In 2002, three years after his death, a building co-designed
by Guayasamín, La Capilla del Hombre ("The Chapel of
Man"), was completed and opened to the public. The
Chapel is meant to document not only man's cruelty to
man, but also the potential for greatness within humanity.
It is co-located with Guayasamín's home in the hills
overlooking Quito. Here you will enjoy a cocktail on-site,
while you admire the fabulous work of Guayasamín.

Today after breakfast your guide will transfer you to Quito Airport in time for your Galapagos or International
flight.