Hopping on Ecuador Hop
07:15am - 07:30am Direct pick-up from the hostal across the street behind our Airbnb in Carolina Quito to begin the trip to Baños. They will pick us up from Hostal Santa María Gracia, Juan de Velasco N 26-10, Quito, Ecuador and the pick-up time is approximately 7:15 to 7:30.
08:45am Arrive at the Chuquiragua Lodge.
Here we will have the chance to enjoy a delicious breakfast and observe
the stunning Cotopaxi Volcano, one of the country's most famous sights.
11:30am Toachi River Canyon lookout point – we stop at the canyon's deepest point, at 100 meters deep, and allow you to take in the view and learn a little about the canyon
11:45am Shalala lookout point – enjoy the stunning views of the Quilotoa volcano lake from one of the best viewpoints
12:50am Depart Quilotoa Volcano Lake
4:00pm Arrive at Baños.
04:30pm Swing at the End of the World – visit the famous swing at La Casa del Árbol and take in an amazing view of the gorgeous mountain landscapes.
Check into La Chimenea Casa de Piedad.
About the Swing on the Tree at the End of the World at Casa de Arbol
Casa de Arbol is one of the top reasons people visit Baños, Ecuador: everyone’s seen that iconic picture, flying high above the mountains, leaving all your cares behind. Well, it’s a great picture, but don’t get your hopes up too high: you’re not actually that high off the ground, and getting that picture takes a bit of finagling.
But don’t let that dissuade you. You should visit Casa de Arbol because giant swings are super fun and there’s also a cable that you can swing on like a low-flying zipline, all for the $2 entrance fee. For the less adventurous types, this is the perfect level of low-risk fun! There are 3 giant swings – one with employees that push you and a very long line, and 2 self-guided swings with much shorter lines.
Once you get the hang of swinging and stopping on your own, the self-guided swings are a blast.
- Tour companies will offer you a shuttle to and from the Casa de Arbol for as low as $5 each. They leave multiple times a day and are great if you prefer the ease of shuttles and you don’t mind long lines, limited time, and huge groups of people. The self-guided option, which is just a bus that leaves from the center of town and goes straight to the Casa de Arbol. It costs half as much, you have as much time as you want to spend swinging to our hearts content, and you're able to avoid the long lines that develop every time one of the shuttle buses pulled up.
- When you pull up to the Casa de Arbol, you will immediately see a treehouse with a swing at the top of a steep hill. This is not the Casa de Arbol – the Casa de Arbol is actually up a little trail and on the other side of the hill. But, this is a giant swing over a huge hill, and it’s cheaper than the Casa de Arbol (by $1) and has less lines. So, by all means, give it a try if you like. But the actual Casa de Arbol is to the right and up a short trail.