Altitude shapes the plan
Quito sits at about 2,850 metres and Cotopaxi's climbing refuge at nearly 4,900. Spend your first days at moderate heights before higher hikes, go slowly and ask a doctor about altitude if you have health concerns.
Destination
Ecuador
Colonial Quito, snow-capped volcanoes, market towns and waterfall valleys in the Andes, with the Galápagos Islands as a wildlife chapter reached by flight from the mainland.
QuitoHistoric capital
Galápagos IslandsWildlife islands
CotopaxiSnow-capped volcano
CuencaColonial city
OtavaloMarket town
BañosAdventure town
Top destinations in Ecuador
Handpicked places that create different chapters of the same country.
Quito
PichinchaA high-altitude capital at about 2,850 metres, whose colonial historic centre was among the very first UNESCO World Heritage Sites, listed in 1978.
Capital · HeritageGalápagos Islands
GalápagosA protected Pacific archipelago, UNESCO-listed in 1978, where giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies can be seen close up.
Wildlife · IslandsCotopaxi
CotopaxiA snow-capped cone of 5,897 metres, among the highest active volcanoes in the world, about 50 km south of Quito.
Volcano · PáramoCuenca
AzuayA colonial city at about 2,540 metres, UNESCO-listed in 1999, with the blue domes of its New Cathedral and the Tomebamba river.
Colonial · RiverOtavalo
ImbaburaA highland town known for its Saturday market of Otavalo textiles, set among volcanoes and near Laguna Cuicocha.
Markets · TextilesBaños
TungurahuaA town of thermal baths and waterfalls below Tungurahua volcano, at 1,820 metres, with rafting, canyoning and the Pailón del Diablo nearby.
Adventure · Springs
Explore Ecuador by experience
Use travel style to decide what deserves more time.
Hotels and flights
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Hotels in Quito and flights into it at live prices for your dates, booked and paid in one step. The rest of the route we plan with you.
Ecuador travel guide
Practical thinking for a better-paced first plan.
Galápagos needs its own days
The islands lie far out in the Pacific, reached by flight from the mainland, and national park rules shape where you can land and how. Decide between a boat-based and an island-based stay early.
Two sets of seasons
The Andes are driest roughly June to August, with showers more likely the rest of the year. In the Galápagos the warm season runs about December to May and the cooler, misty season about June to November.
Check entry and access
Entry rules depend on your passport and can change, so check them with official sources before booking. Volcano parks such as Cotopaxi can limit access when activity rises, so confirm before you go.
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Start with your dates, pace, interests or budget, and get a route drafted from what we sell, with its prices, before you book anything.