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Introducing Ecuador

Ecuador has it all. Between the Andean peaks, the Amazon rainforest, and the beautiful white sand beaches, travelers have a myriad of experiences to pick and choose from to suit their level of adventure and comfort.

When is the best time to visit?
Ecuador is a year-round destination. There’s no real summer or winter season, and with its varied geography, weather patterns are more dependent on location than the time of year. In the mountains, don’t be surprised to experience four seasons in one day. The Andes are a little drier from June through September. The best time to visit the beaches of Ecuador is, surprisingly, during the rainy season from December to May, when the weather is pleasantly warm, with rains usually limited to afternoon showers. Learn more

Where to go in Ecuador?
Ecuador offers a compelling mix of outdoor experiences and culture. Experience one of the most amazing national parks in the world at the remarkable Galapagos Islands, soak in the scenery and rural way of life in the Andes Mountains, tour the Amazon Rainforest with local guides, and enjoy the photographic colonial plazas of Quito and Cuenca.

How many days do I need?
Spend as few as 3 days and as many as 16 days in Ecuador. With as much as there is to see and do in this adventurer’s paradise, really the answer to this question is as many days as possible. Learn more

Explore trips by duration: 5 days · 6 days · 7 days · 8 days · 9 days · 10 days · 11 days · 12 days · 13 days · 14 days · 15 days · 16 days

Ecuador Tours & Itineraries

Get inspired by trips other travelers have loved
Tiny tortoises of the Santa Cruz breeding center
Map of Quito & the Galápagos Islands - 8 Days
Quito & the Galápagos Islands - 8 Days

See contrasting sides of Ecuador on this eight-day islands-and-city adventure. Discover the astonishing biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands, where you'll meet playful sea lions, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises during stays on San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz. The country's capital, Quito, sandwiches your island time—your springboard to discover Indigenous and colonial culture and the surrounding volcanic Andes.

Countryside near Riobamba
Map of Best of the Ecuadorian Highlands - 7 Days
Best of the Ecuadorian Highlands - 7 Days

Traverse the very best of the Ecuadorian highlands on this 7-day itinerary. Starting and finishing in the capital, Quito, you will encounter bustling markets, awe-inspiring volcanoes, centuries-old colonial towns and Inca ruins. There's great hiking along the way in terrain ranging from glaciers and high-level plateau through to forests and waterfalls.

Enjoy the beaches of Ecuador
Map of The Real Ecuador: Quito, Otavalo, Amazon & Galapagos - 14 Days
The Real Ecuador: Quito, Otavalo, Amazon & Galapagos - 14 Days

Experience the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Ecuador over the course of two weeks. From the urban sprawl of Quito to the serene shores of the Galapagos and everything in between, this tour will span several diverse regions and truly open your eyes to one of South America's most fascinating countries.

Cordillera Occidental Andes Central Ecuador
Map of Ecuador: Amazon, Andes, and the Coast - 16 Days
Ecuador: Amazon, Andes, and the Coast - 16 Days

Explore the best of Ecuador in this 16-day tour through the Amazon, Andes, and Coastal regions. You'll visit beautiful colonial towns, indigenous communities, and experience ways of life both ancient and modern in this diverse country.

Ziplining toward a waterfall near the town of Baños
Map of Ecuador Highlands & Amazon - 7 Days
Ecuador Highlands & Amazon - 7 Days

This action-packed seven-day tour of Ecuador is perfect for travelers searching for adventure, culture and spectacular scenery all within a few hours' drive from the capital Quito. The trip begins with a thrilling bike ride down an active volcano and continues with hikes in the cloud forest, a climb up a waterfall and visits to an indigenous community. There will be plenty of opportunities to unwind too, with stops at hot springs and a quiet, mountainside hacienda.

Make the Most of Your Time in Ecuador

Have a fixed number of days? Maximize the things to see and do during your visit
Quito in the foreground with an erupting Cotopaxi volcano in the distance
How Many Days to Spend In Ecuador

Ecuador is a country that packs enormous diversity into a small area, so it's ideal to visit for a short trip. You can spend a long weekend exploring Quito and the mountains,...

Highly active marmoset monkeys can be spotted on trips into the Ecuadorian Amazon
Map of 1 Week in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
1 Week in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Spend a week in Ecuador exploring the country's diversity, from volcanoes to the rainforest. Each trip starts in Quito, with tours of the UNESCO-designated historic city and a...

Marine Iguana, Galápagos Islands
Map of 2 Weeks in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
2 Weeks in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Two weeks in Ecuador gives plenty of time to enjoy all three of the country's main ecosystems—Amazon, Highlands, and Galápagos—or focus on one to fully immerse yourself in the...

Ecuador Travel Essentials

All you need to know to get started planning the perfect trip
Cotopaxi
Best Time of Year to Visit Ecuador

On the northwestern side of South America, straddling the equator, Ecuador contains a remarkably diverse range of landscapes, altitudes, and climates. Despite their great...

Trekking along the Quilotoa Loop is an Ecuador highlight
Best Things to Do in Ecuador

Ecuador boasts a remarkable range of landscapes, cultures, and ecosystems from the Amazon to the Andes and straddling the southern and northern hemispheres. From raucous...

The mountains surrounding Guaranda, an off-the-beaten-path town in Ecuador well worth visiting
Going Off-The-Beaten-Path in Ecuador

Even with the tourism boom in Ecuador, there are still plenty of enticing destinations that remain under the radar, offering travelers the chance to explore architectural gems,...

One of the Ecuador's dramatic train rides, the Naríz del Diablo
Options for Touring Ecuador

By South American standards, Ecuador is a fairly small country. Most major destinations — with the exception of the Galápagos Islands — are within a day's drive of each other....

Ecuador Travel Advice

Read our detailed insights to make sure you have the best trip

Ecuador Hotel Advice

Unique places to stay, curated by kimkim specialists
Ecuador has many lodges in the middle of the Amazon rainforest
6 Unique Places to Stay in Ecuador

Ecuador has plenty of great hotels. But staying in alternative accommodations, from hip hostels in colonial cities to romantic haciendas in the highlands and dreamy cloud forest...

Guest room at Hotel Victoria, Cuenca (photo courtesy of Hotel Victoria)
The 8 Best Boutique Hotels in Cuenca

Easily one of the most beautiful cities in Ecuador, compact Cuenca is crisscrossed by rivers and surrounded by Andean slopes. Crammed with gorgeous colonial cathedrals, a...

Enjoy your time exploring Quito
The 9 Best Boutique Hotels in Quito

There is something for everybody in Quito, and a hotel for every taste and sensibility. Top neighborhoods include the historic center and hip La Floresta. English is largely...

Our Latest Ecuador Content

Dancers in Ecuadorean traditional dress
Map of Mainland Ecuador for Families: Andes to the Amazon - 14 Days
Mainland Ecuador for Families: Andes to the Amazon - 14 Days

Compact but diverse, Ecuador is a perfect destination for an epic two-week family vacation. This fun-filled itinerary begins and ends in Quito, with adventures in the Andean highlands and Amazon rainforest in between. Along the way, you'll keep the kids busy as you horseback ride at a hacienda in Cotopaxi National Park, brave suspension bridges over the waterfalls of Baños, spot monkeys and capybaras at your jungle ecolodge, and barter with the locals at the colorful markets of Otavalo.

Family adventures await in Ecuador
Map of Active Family Fun in Ecuador: Quito, Baños, Cuenca & Guayaquil - 14 Days
Active Family Fun in Ecuador: Quito, Baños, Cuenca & Guayaquil - 14 Days

This two-week family adventure starts in Quito, Ecuador's capital city. Explore local cuisine in a family cooking class, climb volcanic slopes via cable car, then depart for Baños, where you'll hike and bike to the Pailón del Diablo waterfall and relax in the town's healing hot springs. Continue to Cuenca for traditional pottery-making classes and hikes along the alpine lakes of El Cajas National Park, ending your tour in the vibrant city of Guayaquil with its stunning architecture, culture, and family parks.

Go for a swing at the "end of the world" in Baños
Map of Active Family Adventure in Ecuador: Andes, Amazon & Cloud Forest - 14 Days
Active Family Adventure in Ecuador: Andes, Amazon & Cloud Forest - 14 Days

The small South American country of Ecuador is rich in wildlife, biodiversity, and natural beauty. Active kids, whatever their ages, will love this two-week tour of the country, which takes you from the high-altitude capital of Quito to the Andean plains, the jungles of the Amazon, and the cloud forests of Mindo. Horseback ride across the highlands, take night and day-time tours of the rainforest, admire dramatic waterfalls, zipline through a cloud forest, and much more.

Ecuador Travel Maps

Get the lay of land, and understand distances between the places you want to visit
Ecuador map: 10 Days in Ecuador: 5 Suggested Itineraries
10 Days in Ecuador: 5 Suggested Itineraries
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Ecuador map: 7 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
7 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
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Ecuador map: 2 Weeks in Ecuador - 4 Unique Itineraries
2 Weeks in Ecuador - 4 Unique Itineraries
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Meet our Local Travel Specialists

Experienced travel agents with a passion for Ecuador
Travel specialist Mathias Onisseit
active 1 day ago

Mathias Onisseit

Originally from Germany, in 2010 I set out to explore South America and soon fell in love with the super-diverse country named Ecuador (and its neat little attachment Galapagos). What fascinates me...

read more...
Travel specialist Alvaro Pereira
active 1 day ago

Alvaro Pereira

Born and raised in Ecuador, I am the ideal person to design a unique trip in my country; traveling and getting to know new and exciting places have always been my biggest passion. I believe that...

read more...
Travel specialist Linda Schulz
active 1 day ago

Linda Schulz

Originally from Germany, I have traveled around the world and lived in Australia, Bangladesh, and finally Ecuador. Ecuador is such a diverse and beautiful country, so I soon fell deeply in love...

read more...
Travel specialist Tamer Obeid
active 1 day ago

Tamer Obeid

A traveler myself since 1997, blessed to have had unforgettable experiences in different parts of this world that hasn’t ceased to amaze me! Originally from the middle east, I have lived in the...

read more...

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Why travelers love kimkim

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A portion of every kimkim trip goes toward the removal of carbon from the atmosphere. Learn more
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Trip Reviews for Ecuador

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

we are very happy that we called KIMKIM and ...
Ecuador | May 18 - May 28, 2023

J
jay p.
Knoxville, TN | Reviewed on May 31, 2023

we are very happy that we called KIMKIM and Lucia was the best person we talked to . we talked to her multiple times for last 2months for the tour and she was always available to talk and we got great advice and answered all our questions.
She guided us for the trips ,excursions and local smart shopping , hotels ....etc
I would recommend KimKim and Lucia to anybody looking for tour to Ecuador and near by Latin countries .

Transportation arranged by Lucia along with local Guides... read more

we are very happy that we called KIMKIM and Lucia was the best person we talked to . we talked to her multiple times for last 2months for the tour and she was always available to talk and we got great advice and answered all our questions.
She guided us for the trips ,excursions and local smart shopping , hotels ....etc
I would recommend KimKim and Lucia to anybody looking for tour to Ecuador and near by Latin countries .

Transportation arranged by Lucia along with local Guides were great too. Alexandro the driver at Quito was the best.
Marco at Quito as guide and Indira at Santacruz ( Galapagos) were very good.
Danny on last day at Quito was OK , he was rushing us .

Over all we are very happy with Lucia and her teak.

Kalpesh and Jagruti Parikh from USA

Local specialist: Lucia Cazar
Lucia
Lucia Cazar
Local specialist in Ecuador | Replied on May 31, 2023

Hi Jay,
I hope you are doing well!
I would like to thank you for those lovely words, and feedback about the whole trip, it is very useful for me as a travel specialist, those details makes us improve every day more with future travelers also we will give this information to our coworkers and providers, they should know the comments our travellers has.
In addition it was really nice to plan this tailormade trip plan, also it was a pleasure to meet you, thank you one more time for the trust.
Thank you so much :)
Best regards,
Lucía

Paradise
Ecuador | May 4 - May 18, 2023

J
james s.
Blue Springs, MO | Reviewed on May 24, 2023

Our 15 day cruise was amazing! We enjoyed many islands and an abundance of wildlife. Birds, tortoises, sea lions, iguanas, lizards, whales, dolphins, penguins. Our naturalist, Pablo, was an encyclopedia of information. Excellent English, and very personable. The crew on the Monserrat always had a smile on their faces, and were very helpful. Most crew spoke Spanish only, which did create some communication breakdowns at times. The meals were delicious with a lot of variety. Our boat did... read more

Our 15 day cruise was amazing! We enjoyed many islands and an abundance of wildlife. Birds, tortoises, sea lions, iguanas, lizards, whales, dolphins, penguins. Our naturalist, Pablo, was an encyclopedia of information. Excellent English, and very personable. The crew on the Monserrat always had a smile on their faces, and were very helpful. Most crew spoke Spanish only, which did create some communication breakdowns at times. The meals were delicious with a lot of variety. Our boat did have a bug problem however. (Roaches) Never having been on a Galapagos cruise, we do not know if this is common on most boats. Our local specialist, Tamer, with KimKim, seemed to be available 24/7. He was always very responsive with answers to our questions. Tamar did a fantastic job keeping us informed each step of the way with our planning. We would highly recommend the services of KimKim . We cannot emphasize enough the beauty of the Galapagos Islands. It is definitely a large piece of paradise.

Hotel Review
M/Y Monserrat
Quito

The crew always had a smile on their faces, and were very personable. Most crew spoke Spanish only, which made communication challenging at times. The food was excellent. We had a great variety of meals during our 15 day cruise. The bar service fell a little short. Cold beer at times was hard to come by. They seemed to wait until they ran out before replenishing supply. Not that anyone was partying, but a cold beer tastes really good after a day of hikes and snorkeling. They also ran out of white wine for 4-5 days. There was a roach problem. We had them in our bathroom, and on our bed pillow. The roaches were also in the dining area. I little disturbing watching roaches climbing up and down the walls and across your table while you are eating. Never having been on a Galapagos cruise before, we do not know if this is common on all boats. Doors and drawers did not fit properly. The boat is in need of maintenance. There is a nice upper deck which provides great views. I would have a difficult time recommending the Monserrat cruise.

Staff
Very friendly and personable.
Cleanliness & Comfort
New furnishings. Existing furniture is dirty. The seating in the dining area is uncomfortable. I don't think the floor in our cabin was swept at all during our 15 day cruise. You need to get control of the roach problem.
Local specialist: Tamer Obeid
Tamer
Tamer Obeid
Local specialist in Quito, Ecuador | Replied on May 25, 2023

Cindy & Jim,
Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. We are so happy here at KimKim to know that you enjoyed the charming Galapagos Islands and their fascinating nature and wildlife; we knew since the early stages of planning this trip that this was our goal, and I'm so glad that Galapagos didn't disappoint :) I'm also happy that to know that the guide rose to the occasion, and positive comments regarding the boat staff will be duly conveyed. It was great meeting you in person, we... read more

Cindy & Jim,
Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. We are so happy here at KimKim to know that you enjoyed the charming Galapagos Islands and their fascinating nature and wildlife; we knew since the early stages of planning this trip that this was our goal, and I'm so glad that Galapagos didn't disappoint :) I'm also happy that to know that the guide rose to the occasion, and positive comments regarding the boat staff will be duly conveyed. It was great meeting you in person, we enjoyed a nice meal I must say :) Yet as I mentioned to the group before when we met in JW Marriott, we have worked with the boat operator and I assure you that they have taken all the corrective measures to maintain the boat; the humidity of the ocean and the tropical environment can be a reason behind the unpleasant existence of those little creatures, but applying the right procedures and fumigation on time will make sure no future travelers experience the same.
I thank you again, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Best,
Tamer

Great tour of Galapagos and Ecuador!
Ecuador | Apr 28 - May 12, 2023

X
Xavier M.
Bulgaria | Reviewed on May 24, 2023

Alvaro was great in the organization of the trip. The team on the ground was very attentive, committed and pretty well organized (albeit some Latin American habits never change like not being on-time for your fist meeting :) ) and showed us how great is Ecuador. The Galapagos are fantastic and highly recommended - make sure you spend enough time there and book the right visits. Thank you! read more

Alvaro was great in the organization of the trip. The team on the ground was very attentive, committed and pretty well organized (albeit some Latin American habits never change like not being on-time for your fist meeting :) ) and showed us how great is Ecuador. The Galapagos are fantastic and highly recommended - make sure you spend enough time there and book the right visits. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews
Casa Opuntia Galapagos Hotel
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Fiesta
Puerto Ayora
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
the staff tried to put us in a very badly located room next to a swamp....although there were many other, nice r rooms available..
Hotel Las Plazas
Quito
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
La Floresta
Baños
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
EB Hotel by Eurobuilding Quito
Quito
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Napo Cultural Center
Quito

simple yet nice location

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Alvaro Pereira
Alvaro
Alvaro Pereira
Local specialist in Quito, Ecuador | Replied on May 24, 2023

Hello Xavier!
Thank you so much for sharing your incredible experience! I am absolutely thrilled to know that your trip was truly unforgettable. It is always our mission to put our hearts into organizing every detail and ensuring you had a fantastic time.
Understanding that cultural differences can sometimes lead to variations in punctuality, and we appreciate your understanding regarding this matter.
And oh, the Galapagos Islands! They're absolutely breathtaking, aren't they? I’m thrilled... read more

Hello Xavier!
Thank you so much for sharing your incredible experience! I am absolutely thrilled to know that your trip was truly unforgettable. It is always our mission to put our hearts into organizing every detail and ensuring you had a fantastic time.
Understanding that cultural differences can sometimes lead to variations in punctuality, and we appreciate your understanding regarding this matter.
And oh, the Galapagos Islands! They're absolutely breathtaking, aren't they? I’m thrilled that you got to witness the unparalleled beauty and wonder of this extraordinary destination. Your recommendation to spend ample time there and carefully select the right visits is spot on. It truly allows you to delve deep into the magic of the Galapagos.
I am incredibly grateful that you chose Ecuador for your journey, and I genuinely appreciate your kind words. I will be overjoyed to have the opportunity to welcome you back on another marvelous adventure soon. If there's anything else I can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Hugs to the entire family from the middle of the world!
Alvaro