About this tour
📅 Flexible departure dates — start by joining our travellers’ group
This is a small-group trip (average group size around 8) that runs on flexible dates. The best first step is to join our free WhatsApp discussion group for Central & South America — hear about upcoming departures, ask questions and connect with fellow travellers.
💬 Join the Central & South America WhatsApp group
Ecuador in one journey — the Andes, the cloud forest, the Amazon and the Galápagos. From colonial Quito and the Otavalo highlands to volcano country at Cotopaxi and days in the wildlife wonderland of the Galápagos, Ecuador packs astonishing variety into a small, friendly country. We offer it two ways — choose the one that suits your time.
Two ways to experience Ecuador
- Highlights of Ecuador — 10 days / 9 nights. Quito, the Otavalo market and Cuicocha lagoon, Cotopaxi National Park, then 5 days in the Galápagos on Santa Cruz. The compact taste.
- Grand Ecuador & Galápagos — 16 days / 15 nights. Everything in the Highlights, plus the Mindo cloud forest, the spa town of Baños and a rainforest lodge in the Amazon near Tena. The full journey.
Both are private, tailored trips with English-speaking guides throughout, finishing in the Galápagos. Tell us which appeals — or your preferred dates and length — and we’ll build it around you.
Option 1 — Highlights of Ecuador (10 days / 9 nights)
Quito & the Andes · Otavalo · Cotopaxi · Galápagos (Santa Cruz)
- Day 1 — Arrival in Quito. Private airport transfer; the rest of the day free.
- Day 2 — Quito City & the Middle of the World. Guided tour of the UNESCO old town, then the equator monument.
- Day 3 — Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Lagoon. The famous craft market, then the crater lake below Cotacachi volcano.
- Day 4 — Cotopaxi National Park. One of the world’s highest active volcanoes, wild horses, Limpiopungo Lagoon and an optional hike.
- Day 5 — Welcome to the Galápagos. Fly to Santa Cruz; wild giant tortoises, highland lava tunnels and the Charles Darwin Research Station.
- Day 6 — Cerro Mesa & Garrapatero Beach. Highland reserve views, then a white-sand beach to swim and explore mangroves.
- Day 7 — Uninhabited Island & Snorkelling. Small-group boat trip to a wild island, lunch aboard and afternoon snorkelling.
- Day 8 — Tortuga Bay. A walk to one of the Galápagos’ most beautiful beaches; free afternoon in Puerto Ayora.
- Day 9 — Galápagos to Quito. Fly back to the mainland; transfer to your Quito hotel.
- Day 10 — Departure. Private transfer to Quito airport.
Option 2 — Grand Ecuador & Galápagos (16 days / 15 nights)
Quito · Otavalo · Mindo Cloud Forest · Cotopaxi · Baños · Amazon (Tena) · Galápagos
- Day 1 — Arrival in Quito. Private airport transfer; free afternoon.
- Day 2 — Quito City & the Middle of the World. UNESCO old town and the equator monument.
- Day 3 — Otavalo Market & Cuicocha Lagoon. Craft market and crater lake in the northern Andes.
- Day 4 — Mindo & the Cloud Forest. Hummingbird and bird reserves, and the Mindo butterfly garden.
- Day 5 — Full-Day Mindo Expedition. Tarabita cable car, the waterfall trail and a bean-to-bar chocolate session.
- Day 6 — Cotopaxi National Park to Baños. Volcano country, then on to the lively spa town of Baños.
- Day 7 — Baños at Leisure. Hot springs and optional adventures — rafting, canyoning, biking or hiking.
- Day 8 — Into the Amazon. The Pailón del Diablo waterfall, then a rainforest lodge near Tena and a guided jungle walk.
- Day 9 — Exploring the Rainforest. Canoeing, river tubing, Caiman Lagoon and the Selva Viva animal-rescue reserve.
- Day 10 — Papallacta Hot Springs to Quito. A thermal soak on the way back, overnight near the airport.
- Day 11 — Welcome to the Galápagos. Fly to Santa Cruz; giant tortoises, lava tunnels and the Darwin Station.
- Day 12 — Cerro Mesa & Garrapatero Beach. Highland reserve and a white-sand beach.
- Day 13 — Uninhabited Island & Snorkelling. Small-group boat trip, lunch aboard and snorkelling.
- Day 14 — Tortuga Bay. One of the islands’ finest beaches; free afternoon.
- Day 15 — Galápagos to Quito. Fly back to the mainland and transfer to your hotel.
- Day 16 — Departure. Private transfer to Quito airport.
Good to know: the itinerary may adjust slightly for weather, sea or operational conditions; several Galápagos excursions run as small groups, and the Galápagos National Park fee (USD 200 per person) is paid in cash on arrival.
Let’s plan your Ecuador adventure
Dates, group size and a tailored quote are all arranged around you. Send us an enquiry — tell us whether the 10-day Highlights or the 16-day Grand journey appeals — and we’ll put your trip together. Price on request.
