Gen Z Travels: South America

Unstuck, Empowered, and Inspired: Your story begins here

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Two countries, two awe-inspiring ecosystems (Andes and Amazon), three cities, and ONE adventure to bring them together

Ready for a once-in-a-lifetime mash-up of wild nature, vibrant cities, and real community connection? Join us for our most ambitious Cultural Travel Experience yet: Ecuador and Colombia in 21 days!

This specialized experience moves from the natural spleandour of the Amazon Rainforest and Andes mountains into the urban energy of Quito, Bogotá, and Medellín. You’ll experience South America’s diversity through a climate-and-culture lens that changes how you see the world (and yourself).

Ecuador + Colombia are calling! Let’s go learn on the land, in the city, and with the people who call these places home.

DATES
July 19–August 8, 2026 (21 days / 14 in Ecuador, 7 in Colombia)

AGES
18+ (co-ed)

LOCATIONS
Ecuador: Quito • Otavalo • Cuicocha • Cochasqui • Cayambe • Cotopaxi • Napa River region
Colombia: Bogotá • Medellín

PRICES (CAD)
Early Bird Rate (Ends Dec. 1, 2025): $10,459 + GST
Regular Rate: $12,459 + GST
Non-refundable deposit: $1000
Includes flights to and from Ecuador/Colombia from Vancouver or Toronto. Payment plans available

Includes:
– Flights to and from Ecuador/Colombia (departing from Vancouver or Toronto)
– Pre-course Zoom orientation
– 8-hour Spanish
– 8-hour Coaching
– 14 days in Ecuador and 7 days in Colombia
– Direct contact with our Duke of Edinburgh Award Centre (18-24 year olds)
– 24/7 instruction and support by Fireside & VCAW staff
– Most meals
– All accommodation (eco-lodge, hotel, homestay)
– Private ground transportation
– Flight coordination and guidance
– Admission into all parks
– Horseback riding in Cotopaxi
– City tours of Quito, Medellín and Bogotá
– White-water rafting and river canoeing experiences with gear

Does not include: Anything not mentioned above.

More info: office@firesideadventures.ca

Why this hits different

When young people talk, we listen.

At Fireside and VCAW, we hear it again and again: Gen Z doesn’t want a meaningless, touristy holiday where fun comes at the cost of local people and ecosystems. That’s why our Gen Z adventures are designed to be authentic, community-based travel experiences that are socially and environmentally conscious —aligning with what Gen Z travellers value most. Here are just a few ways that Fireside instructors and VCAW therapists work together to create wellness adventures that align with Gen Z’s values:

• Transformative Travel PLUS. We believe every young person deserves the chance to truly see, feel, and experience the world, especially those who benefit from a little extra support and encouragement. We know that travel and cultural immersion have the power to reshape perspective, deepen one’s sense of belonging, and build lasting resilience. PLUS is an additional service for young people to feel more comfortable as they travel, while getting daily coaching.

• Two countries, one purpose. Both Ecuador and Colombia share ecosystems and a passion for Indigenous-led sustainability. Explore Ecuador’s cloud forests, crater lakes, and snow-capped volcanoes. Then, jump to Colombia’s coffee highlands, wax-palm valleys, street-art corridors, and community-led innovation.

• People first, always. We travel within local communities, not outside them. Learn Kichwa words in Amazon communities, try artisan weaving and cacao making, and hear stories of climate action and social transformation, such as Medellín’s neighborhood revitalization and Bogotá’s bike-centric culture.

• Wild + urban balance. Paddle tributaries that feed the Amazon, ride horses beneath volcanoes like Cotopaxi, and trek Andean ridgelines. Then, compare that with metro lines, cable cars, markets, plazas, and music scenes that show how urban cultures adapt to a changing world.

• Pre-departure, learn and prepare: Before you go, participate in an 8-hour online Spanish and  8-hour 1:1 Coaching Course with one of our Latin American instructors. This virtual program helps participants develop essential Spanish conversation skills while also introducing mindfulness and reflection tools to strengthen emotional readiness for travel and group life abroad.

Signature Experiences

Together with our Indigenous partner Equator Face, and other partners such Huasquila Eco-Lodge, we will explore and discover the wonders of Ecuador. Here are just a few adventures we’ll have along the way:

• Go deep in nature: Navigate Amazon rainforest trails, rivers, and high-altitude páramo (the Andes’ “water towers”), learning how ecosystems store carbon and supply water to millions.

• Live the culture: Stay in homestays with Indigenous families, help cook local meals, pick up everyday phrases, and learn traditional practices like weaving and carving.

• Meet change-makers: Sit down with climate and social-justice leaders including reforestation teams, river guardians, and youth educators transforming neighborhoods into hubs of creativity and hope.

• Build real skills: Expedition planning, navigation, risk-assessment, city-transit savvy, storytelling, and more.

• Through the Lens Project: Throughout the journey, participants document their growth and learning using short video clips and photos as field notes. By the final week, each traveler creates a 2-to-3 minute mini-film that blends culture, landscape, and personal reflection into a powerful story of change.

What you’ll take home

Climate literacy that sticks: You won’t just hear about climate change, you’ll see it in glaciers, forests, and streets, and learn what communities are doing right now.

Cultural humility and connection: Respect, reciprocity, and real friendships—because the best memories are made around kitchen tables and campfires.

Leadership you can trust: Return as a Gen Z traveller with confidence, purpose, and a plan who is ready to lead at school, at home, and in your community.

Come with curiosity. Leave with courage.

Led by Vancouver Counselling and Wellness Centre

This journey is supported and co-led by counsellors from VCAW, who provide wellness guidance, facilitated reflection sessions, and ongoing support throughout the expedition.
Their presence ensures participants have safe spaces for personal growth, open dialogue, and mental-health awareness woven into each stage of the adventure.

Eva Sarango

Eva is a proud and charismatic Ecuadorian outdoor educator who believes that protecting the planet means protecting and teaching humanity—especially youth and young adults. From this vision, Conscious Tourism was born as one of the most powerful alternatives for global awareness. Her purpose is to show her country and her continent in all its dimensions, cultures, and faces.

Besides her passion and commitment to exceptional experiences, Eva is bilingual, widely travelled, and recently graduated as a Development Projects Specialist.

Clara Kirby

“I went to Ecuador as a participant a few years ago, and it ignited my passion for outdoor education. Now being able to run that same trip means I can give new Fireside kids the same amazing experience and learning I had.