Chimborazo, the dormant volcano that dominates the skyline west of Riobamba, is the obvious day trip from the city. Its permanent snowcap is visible on clear mornings from the streets below, and the journey up — through páramo grassland and then into the rocky, windswept high zone — is dramatic. A paved road leads to the first refuge at around 5,000 metres, which is reachable in a hired truck or guided tour from Riobamba. From there the views of the surrounding Andes are immense.
Vicuñas — the wild ancestors of the llama — graze on the lower slopes, reintroduced here after near-extinction in the 20th century. Reaching the actual summit requires serious mountaineering equipment and experience; even the walk from the first refuge to the second (at about 5,300 metres) demands acclimatisation. But the road trip alone is worth it for the landscape. Tours from Riobamba are easy to arrange and typically combine Chimborazo with a visit to a local weaving cooperative.