6-Day Ecuador Culture & Art Tour: Quito, Otavalo & Zuleta

If you love art, history, and community-based tourism, this tour is a must. The artisans in Otavalo and the embroidery workshops in Zuleta were eye-opening. It’s a wonderful, immersive way to connect with Ecuador's heritage while exploring beautiful highlands.

This tour was such a wonderful way to discover a different side of Ecuador. One of my favorite experiences was visiting the Barroquema Art Gallery in Tumbaco, where we watched a pottery demonstration and had the chance to make our own clay bowl, it was truly enjoyable, but above all, meeting local artists and seeing their work up close made the most of the experience. I also really enjoyed our time in Otavalo and Zuleta, we watched traditional weaving techniques, which gave me a much greater appreciation for the skill behind Ecuadorian handicrafts, especially the Zuleta embroidery, handmade by local women artisans, we learned about their traditional and intricate embroidery techniques, which we saw beautifully displayed on their clothing and fabric handkerchiefs. We also visit the Equator Line, it was fun, but the evening tour through Quito’s historic center and the craft beer tasting at the San Francisco Church made it very special. Spending those days learning more deeply about the work of artisans and artists (like Guayasamín) and learning about Ecuadorian traditions, left me with a emotional perspective when thinking about the country’s art and history. It is beautifu to experienced Ecuador through the people who keep its artistic traditions alive.