Things to do in Ecuador
Day Trips from Quito21 optionsQuito City Tour10 optionsQuito Walking Tour20 optionsCuenca City Tour5 optionsCotopaxi Volcano Tours9 optionsQuito Airport Taxi12 optionsCotopaxi National Park Tours23 optionsExtreme Sports17 optionsMindo Cloud Forest Tours6 optionsWhite Water Rafting7 optionsQuito Volcano Hike12 options
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Cave of the Tayos & Shuar Community: Jungle Trek, Caves, OvernightYou’ll hike through dense Amazon jungle from Puyo to stay overnight with the Shuar community, sharing meals and stories by firelight before exploring the mysterious Cave of the Tayos twice with a local guide. Expect muddy boots, honest food, laughter around a bonfire—and memories that’ll stick long after you’ve left.
Santa Cruz Bay Tour & Snorkeling: Sharks, Sea Lions & GalapagosYou visit four snorkeling sites around Santa Cruz in one day: a sea lion colony, a shark channel, a narrow canal between rock walls, and a freshwater inlet. The boat carries no more than ten people, your guide speaks English and Spanish, and snacks keep you going through the afternoon. Bring a wetsuit or rent one — the water is cool even near the equator.Is it for me?Book this if you want to snorkel four different Galapagos sites in one day without arranging your own boat, guide or timing — the small group size and fixed schedule are what make it possible to hit all four stops and still have time underwater at each one.
Cuyabeno Jungle Tour 4-Day: Caiman Lodge & Siona CommunityA 4-day jungle tour based at Caiman Lodge near Laguna Grande in Ecuador's Cuyabeno Reserve, accessed by canoe and guided by a bilingual naturalist. You travel from Lago Agrio by private transport, hike the primary forest, watch pink dolphins at sunset, visit a Siona community cassava plantation, and meet one of the last four shamans of the tribe. Private transport, meals from lunch on day one through day four, and all guide services are included.Is it for me?This tour is built for travelers arriving in Lago Agrio or Quito who want to spend four full days in the jungle without arranging canoes, guides, meals or transport themselves—everything is coordinated, so you step off the bus and into the forest.
Leaning Ladder Circuit Adventure: Cascade Rappel & Canopy in BañosIf you’re after something different in Baños, this circuit mixes adventure with wild views—rappel down beside a cascade, cross wire bridges, climb an inclined ladder over roaring water, then zipline back to base. It’s safe, fun, and run by folks who really know their stuff.
Rock Climbing Tour in Baños: Beginner & Intermediate RoutesYou’ll get hands-on guidance from local experts as you climb real lava rock walls just outside Baños. Whether you’re new or have some experience, this tour gives you a safe way to challenge yourself while soaking up the fresh mountain air and lively vibe of Ecuador’s adventure capital.
Quilotoa Lagoon day trip from Quito: Trek to crater lakeA full-day tour from Quito to Quilotoa Lagoon in the Illinizas Ecological Reserve, with a bilingual guide, includes exploration of a highland indigenous market, a visit to an Andean family home, and a trek down into the crater to the lake's edge. The lagoon sits 270 meters deep and spans three kilometers across; private transportation, entrance fees, and lunch are included. Children from age 6 are welcome; moderate fitness helps with the trek.Is it for me?Book the private tour if you want the day entirely to yourself, or choose the small group or shared option if you're traveling solo and want to split the cost with other travelers heading the same direction. The trek into the crater is the defining moment—it takes moderate fitness and a few hours, but it's the only way to stand at the lagoon's edge and see the color shift as the day cools.
Quito to Baños & Cotopaxi: 3-Day Andes Crater & Volcano TourYou get three days moving through Ecuador's high country with a naturalist guide who photographs and explains what you're seeing. The itinerary covers a crater lake you can hike into, a waterfall route with a gondola crossing, a swing over a gorge, and trails around an active volcano — all with accommodation, meals, park fees, and transport included from your Quito hotel. No arranging permits, no figuring out which market operates which day, no negotiating transport between stops.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want the main Andes highlights — crater lake, waterfalls, volcano — in one trip without arranging your own transport, park permits, or timing between stops. The naturalist guide handles the logistics and the explanations, which is what makes three very different landscapes fit into three days.
Cotopaxi Volcano tour: Hike Limpiopungo Lagoon, 4800 metersThis day trip to Cotopaxi National Park in the Ecuadorian Andes combines a drive along the Route of the Volcanoes with a hike around Limpiopungo Lagoon and a visit to the Mariscal Sucre interpretation center. The tour climbs to 4800 meters where glacial ice is sometimes visible, includes a stop for regional fruit ice cream, and runs six to eight hours with a certified guide in English or Spanish. Moderate fitness is required; the high altitude and cold climate mean warm layers, gloves, a hat and waterproof clothing are essential.Is it for me?The tour departs with hotel pickup included, so you do not need a car or directions to reach the national park—the guide and driver handle the full day from start to finish. Book this one if you want to climb high on an active volcano and hike at altitude without arranging the logistics yourself.
Full-Day Private Tour: Of Artisan Markets North of QuitoA full-day private tour from Quito visiting three artisan towns north of the city — Otavalo, Cotacachi and San Antonio — with a professional guide, hotel pickup and lunch included. You walk through South America's largest textile market, browse leather workshops and meet families who have carved wood for generations. The route covers the northern highlands and the guide speaks English or Spanish.Is it for me?A private tour means you set the pace at each market and the guide adapts to what interests you — if you want to spend extra time with a particular artisan or haggling in the textile stalls, you can. A shared group tour would move you through on a fixed schedule, but this one is built around your preferences and your group only.
El Altar Trekking Baños: Yellow Lagoon & Collanes ValleyYou trek twelve kilometers through Collanes Valley on day one, sleep at the El Altar mountain refuge, and climb to Laguna Amarilla on day two to see glaciers hanging above the crater. Transport from Baños, certified guide, four meals, and lodging are included in the fixed price. Plan for early mornings and moderate physical effort — that's what gets you to the yellow lagoon and back before evening.Is it for me?Right for hikers with moderate fitness who want to see glacial lagoons inside a volcano without arranging their own logistics. Expect early mornings, cold weather, and a full two days out — that's what puts you at the yellow lagoon and inside one of Ecuador's most beautiful mountains.
Cotopaxi Hike & Bike from Quito: Glacier to lagoonA full-day guided tour from Quito takes you into Cotopaxi National Park for a hike up to the glacier at 5,000 meters (16,404 ft), followed by a downhill mountain bike descent to Limpiopungo Lagoon and a walk around the high-Andean lake. The route includes multiple acclimatization stops, a picnic lunch, and entry to the park's museum and interpretation center. A bilingual guide, bike, helmet, permits and lunch are included; children from 5 years old can join with parental supervision.Is it for me?This tour is shared and guide-led, so you're climbing and biking with other travelers and following a set schedule. Choose it if you want the high-altitude experience and the bike descent without renting gear separately or navigating the park on your own—the guide handles the route, the acclimatization timing, and the logistics so you can focus on the climb and the ride.
Altar Volcano Trek & Yellow Lagoon: 2-Day Tour from GuayaquilYou’ll start before dawn in Guayaquil, trekking through Collanes Valley’s wild grasses with a local guide who knows every turn. Camp under Andean skies near Altar Volcano, wake early for sunrise at Laguna Amarilla—and feel that cold mountain air settle into your memory long after you’ve left.
Baños & Tayos Caves: 2-Day Shuar Community Stay & Cave TourYou depart Puyo at 6am and walk an hour into the jungle to reach the Shuar community's cabins, where you stay overnight and eat meals prepared by community members. The tour includes two separate explorations of the Tayos Caves—one on day one, a deeper one on day two—with time for jungle walks and flora-and-fauna interpretation between. You return to Puyo by early afternoon on day two.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want to spend time inside a cave system and with an Indigenous community, not just pass through—the overnight stay and two cave descents mean you're not rushing, and the meals cooked by the Shuar are part of the experience itself.
Ecuador: Cotopaxi Camping, Biking & Hot Springs AdventureYou’ll taste chirimoya at Otavalo market, soak in volcanic hot springs at Papallacta, camp under Cotopaxi’s shadow with expert guides, bike wild Andean trails, spot condors at Zuleta hacienda—and still have time for fireside laughter. This journey isn’t about rushing; it’s about feeling Ecuador in your bones.
Altar Volcano Trek: 3-Day Hike to Laguna Amarilla from RiobambaYou’ll trek muddy Andean trails from Riobamba up to Altar Volcano’s crater lake with a local guide and fellow travelers. Expect wet boots, simple nights at Collanes Refuge, hot meals after long hikes, and moments where even conversation stops at Laguna Amarilla’s edge. This is less about comfort than connection—to place, people, and yourself.
Otavalo Market Tour from Quito: Private Guide, No ArrangementsA full-day private tour from Quito to Otavalo's indigenous market, the largest in South America, with stops in the leather-working town of Cotacachi and the mountain village of Peguche. Your guide speaks English or Spanish, handles all transportation and timing, and picks you up from your hotel. The market runs every day; Saturdays draw bigger crowds. Lunch is on your own.Is it for me?Book this tour for your first or second day in Quito if you want to see how the highlands work and what indigenous Ecuador actually looks like, without spending the morning figuring out buses, guides and which stops matter. The private setup means you move at your own pace through the market and the leather shops instead of waiting for a group.
