# Tungurahua Refugio, Ecuador: what it is and when to go > Tungurahua Refugio is a mountain hut in Ecuador (Ambato, Ecuador), at 3,830 m above sea level. Interests: Mountains and Hiking. The best time to visit is November to February and June to August, a short season because of the altitude. There are about 12 h 05 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/tungurahua-refugio/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-11 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Mountain hut · Mountains, Hiking - **Where:** Ecuador - **Elevation:** 3,830 m - **Best time:** November to February and June to August. - **Nearest airport:** UIO Quito, 148 km as the crow flies - **Run by:** Ricardo Robalino - **Coordinates:** -1.44962, -78.4429 ## What it is and where Tungurahua Refugio is a mountain hut in Ecuador (Ambato, Ecuador), at 3,830 m above sea level. It is in [Ambato, Ecuador](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/ambato/), where this site lists 17 more places to see, 28 km from the centre. Its coordinates are -1.44962, -78.4429; the nearest main airport is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO, Quito), 148 km as the crow flies. How to get around Ecuador (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-1.449621%2C-78.442905) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-1.449621%2C-78.442905) - **Run by:** Ricardo Robalino It is one of the [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/montana/) and [Hiking](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/senderismo/) places in Ecuador. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Tungurahua Refugio is **November to February and June to August**, and the season is short because it sits at 3,830 m: above 1,800 m there is snow until June and it returns in October. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 12 h 05 | | February | Best time | 12 h 03 | | March | Possible | 12 h 01 | | April | Possible | 11 h 58 | | May | Possible | 11 h 56 | | June | Best time | 11 h 55 | | July | Best time | 11 h 55 | | August | Best time | 11 h 57 | | September | Possible | 12 h | | October | Possible | 12 h 02 | | November | Best time | 12 h 04 | | December | Best time | 12 h 05 | There are about 12 h 05 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. | What you come for | Best time | Possible | | --- | --- | --- | | Mountains | November to February and June to August | March to May and September to October | | Hiking | November to February and June to August | March to May and September to October | It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Tungurahua Refugio has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you. When to go to Ecuador in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Ecuador To enter Ecuador there are 9 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Passport with six months' validity and ninety days per year”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Ecuador checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/#antes-de-salir). Currency: US dollar (USD); plugs: Type A and B · 120 V · 60 Hz (the US plug: 230 V-only devices will not work); emergencies: 911. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Tungurahua](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/tungurahua/): Volcano in Ecuador · 2.0 km - [El Salado Hot Springs](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/el-salado-hot-springs/): Hot spring · 5.1 km - [Ojo de Fantasmo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/ojo-de-fantasmo/): Hot spring · 6.0 km - [Ecozoológico San Martín](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/ecozoologico-san-martin/): With kids · Wildlife · 6.0 km - [Museum de mi Pueblo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/museum-de-mi-pueblo/): Museum · 6.1 km Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Ecuador guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/). ## More in Ecuador: Mountains - [Chimborazo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/chimborazo/): volcano and highest mountain in Ecuador - [Mojanda](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/loma-mojanda/): mountain in Ecuador - [El Panecillo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/estatua-virgen-del-panecillo/): mountain in Quito, Ecuador - [Alto Nangaritza](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/alto-nangaritza/): mountain in Ecuador - [Cerro de Arcos](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/cerro-de-arcos/): mountain in Ecuador - [Cerro del Carmen](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/cerro-el-carmen/): hill in Guayaquil, Ecuador Every Ecuador place under Mountains, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/montana/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Tungurahua Refugio? It is a mountain hut in Ecuador. ### When is the best time to visit Tungurahua Refugio? November to February and June to August, and it is worth checking carefully: at 3,830 m the season is shorter than lower down. There are about 12 h 05 of daylight all year round: this close to the equator the days barely change. ### How do you get to Tungurahua Refugio? The nearest main airport is Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), 148 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-1.449621%2C-78.442905) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Ecuador is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Ecuador map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Tungurahua](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/tungurahua/), [El Salado Hot Springs](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/el-salado-hot-springs/), [Ojo de Fantasmo](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/ojo-de-fantasmo/). The rest is in [the Ecuador guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/ecuador/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1610667631), licensed under the ODbL. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).