We, a group of three friends, just returned from an unforgettable week-long tour of mainland Ecuador, and one of the absolute highlights was having Luis Gonzales as our guide and driver for the entire trip. From the moment we met him, Luis was professional, warm, patient and knowledgeable, making sure we had the best experience possible. What stood out most was his ability to balance structure with flexibility. We never felt rushed and he always gave us ample time to soak in the landmarks and experiences (and take lots of photos). His driving was excellent, and we felt safe and well taken care of the entire time. He also made the long drives fun and engaging. That said, we did have some frustrations with the tour operator, Javier, who we communicated with when booking via Cuenca BesTours. While he seemed nice and eager to help, there was a lack of transparency regarding extra costs—particularly entrance fees, optional activities, and some logistical details. Things were said one way during our video calls but then changed later via email/messages, which caused a few misunderstandings along the way. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but definitely something to be aware of.

We had 2 days based from Cuenca to visit Ingapirca and Cajos park then we went to Quito via Chimbazaro with a night in Riobamba, on to Banos then on to Quilotoa and the next day Cotopaxi. Louis was our guide and driver and was engaging, knowledgeable and very enthusiastic. He was the perfect ambassador for Ecuador and we really enjoyed his company and encouraging approach to all we saw and did along the way. The standard of accommodation was good and in Riobamba excellent. The last day Louis returned to Quenca and Lincoln was our guide for Cotopaxi, he was also excellent and made for a great day out. This bespoke tour was really fabulous and was made even more enjoyable by Louis being such a great travelling companion which gave us such a wonderful insight into the sights, culture and food of this wonderful country. Highly recommended!