11-Day Program | A unique Spanish language immersion experience begins for your student group upon your arrival in Ecuador! Live, laugh and learn in Quito while attending morning Spanish classes at the Academia Guayasamín. Enjoy activities such as cooking, salsa dancing and trips to La Mitad del Mundo and Otavalo, South America's largest handicraft market. Spend evenings relaxing at home with your familia quiteña (2-3 students per family). Our unforgettable Family Stay Experience® allows students to become temporary locals and appreciate the everyday Ecuadorian lifestyle. Spanish language skills learned in the classroom come to life in this in-depth language immersion travel experience in Latin America. All travel dates are tentative, pending teacher approval and airline confirmation.
Program Overview
11 Days
Guided
Family Stay: Xperitas Family Stay
From $3,884.00 pp from
Features
Round-Trip Airfare Overnight Accommodations In-Country Transportation Insurance 24/7 Emergency Support While Abroad
Program Itinerary
Day 1Quito
Arrive in Quito, transfer to your hotel.
Included meals:
None
Day 2Quito
Explore Quito with a costumed character from the capital city’s colorful history. Enjoy sites such as la Plaza de la Independencia and el Palacio Presidencial, and visit la Basílica del Voto Nacional. After a day of exploring what UNESCO refers to as the most well-preserved colonial city in Latin America, enjoy an Xperitas welcome dinner.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - 5Family Stay
Begin Spanish classes at the esteemed Academia Guayasamín and settle into your stay with your Ecuadorian host family. Over the next few days, you'll engage in meaningful cultural experiences, including visits to a local fruit market and the Casa Museo Guayasamín, and learn some new moves during a salsa dance class. Afternoons and evenings offer the chance to connect with your host family and further immerse yourself in daily Ecuadorian life.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6Mindo
Leave Quito early and travel to the cloud forest of Mindo for a full day of nature and adventure. Zipline through the forest canopy and take time to relax at the lodge. In the evening, listen to the unique “frog concert” during a nocturnal nature hike.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7Family Stay
After breakfast, hike to Mindo’s famous waterfalls. Then, return to the lodge for a farewell lunch in Mindo. In the afternoon, visit the butterfly garden before heading back to Quito to rejoin your host family.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - 9Family Stay
Continue your Spanish immersion with a morning Spanish class, followed by a meaningful volunteer visit to a local center for seniors. Later, take part in a hands-on cooking class and prepare a traditional Ecuadorian meal alongside your classmates. The next day, head north to Otavalo to explore the largest artisan market in South America. Visit a weaving workshop in Peguche, admire the stunning Cascada de Peguche, and enjoy a live demonstration by a family of Andean musicians. End the day with a quick stop in Cotacachi, famous for its leather goods, before returning to Quito.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10En Route
Enjoy a final morning of Spanish class. Afterwards, visit the Teleférico skylift for panoramic views of Quito and explore the iconic Mitad del Mundo monument. Take a chocolate tour and visit the Pululahua volcanic crater. In the evening, say hasta luego to your host family and transfer to the airport for your overnight flight home.
Included meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11Return
Arrive in the United States.
Included meals:
None
The Family Stay Experience®
We believe that spending time with a family, speaking their language and participating in their customs is the best and most authentic way to experience another culture. It’s also what makes our programs different from any other travel experience. After 50 years of arranging family stays, we’re no longer surprised when our participants say that spending time with a family was the best part of their experience!
Non-Profit | Since 1972 | 100 Host Communities & Growing
Xperitas is a community of lifelong intercultural learners who believe in a world built on deeper understanding
between cultures. Our values are reflected by our commitment to increasing accessibility to language immersion
programs. We provide aid and merit-based scholarships to qualified participants. Xperitas also achieves this goal by
providing grants to schools, better helping to promote global communication through language learning.
