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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Quito Street Food Tour: Hole-in-the-wall stands & local recipesYou’ll wander Quito’s real streets with a local guide who knows every shortcut and snack stall. Taste hot empanadas, exotic fruits, seafood bites, and finish with Ecuadorian chocolate and cocktails. Expect laughter, new flavors, and glimpses into everyday life most travelers miss.
Baños: Cashaurco Canyoning Adventure with Lunch & PhotosYou’ll start your day in Baños gearing up for canyoning at Cashaurco—with a local guide who knows every twist of the river. Jump into clear pools, zipline over gorges, abseil down rock faces and laugh with your group through every splash. Afterward, warm up with a fresh lunch (vegan options too) before heading back to town still buzzing from it all.
Quito: Equator Line & Teleférico Private Tour with PickupYou’ll walk right along the equator line near Quito, try your luck balancing an egg at Intiñan Solar Museum, then ride up into cool mountain air on Quito’s Teleférico cable car with a local guide. Expect laughs, odd science tricks, sweeping volcano views — plus hotel pickup and private transport so you can just enjoy being here.
Guayaquil Highlights Tour: Iguana Park, Malecon 2000 & Las PeñasYou’ll wander among free-roaming iguanas in Seminario Park, take in neoclassical buildings near Administration Square, stroll along Malecon 2000 by the river, and climb through colorful Las Peñas old town—all with a local guide who knows every shortcut and story. Expect laughter, local flavors, and moments you’ll want to remember long after you leave Guayaquil.
Quito: Private Colonial City Tour, Cable Car & Equator LineYou’ll start by wandering through Quito’s colonial heart—gargoyles on cathedrals, gold-leaf churches, plazas buzzing with life—before riding the Teleférico cable car high above the city. Stand at Mitad del Mundo with one foot in each hemisphere and try quirky experiments at Intiñan Museum. This private city tour includes pickup, local guide, flexible stops and time for surprises along the way.
Quito: Cotopaxi, Quilotoa & Baños 3-Day Andes TrekYou travel three days through Ecuador's Andes with a local bilingual guide, hiking to Cotopaxi volcano's first refuge, walking around Quilotoa's turquoise crater lake, and swinging from a tree house above Baños. Transport, park entry and all major attractions are included; you book your own hotels in Cotopaxi and Baños the night before departure, and the itinerary can shift based on weather and road conditions.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want the main Andes highlights — volcanoes, crater lakes, waterfalls — without arranging transport and park tickets separately, and who have a few days and moderate fitness for high-altitude hiking. The guide's pace means you're not racing between stops, which is what makes the altitude manageable and the views stick.
Cajas Park Day Trip from Cuenca: Lakes Walk & Tres Cruces ViewYou’ll hike through Cajas’ wild highlands with a local guide from Cuenca—walking past glacial lakes and ancient Polylepis forests before reaching Tres Cruces Viewpoint at over 4,100 meters. Expect shifting weather, silence broken by birdsong, hotel pickup included—and moments that stick with you long after you leave.
Baños: Swing at End of World & Waterfall AdventureYou visit seven major waterfalls and three swings, with optional ziplines and adventure activities at each stop. The tour includes a cable car ride over the Bride's Veil, lunch with water and snacks, and entry to all attractions. A guide handles the route and timing, so you don't navigate the old Baños-Puyo road yourself or guess which waterfall entrance to take. You end the day at a sunset viewpoint with affordable coffee and food, returning to Baños in the evening.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Baños's most famous waterfalls and swings in one day without arranging transport between scattered stops or deciding which entrances to take—the guide handles the route and timing, and adventure activities stay optional so you control the intensity.
Quito Old Town: Walking Tour with Church History & Local Food TastingsYou walk through Quito's colonial center visiting four major churches — the golden Jesuit baroque, the oldest church with South America's first brewery underneath, the Gothic Basilica, and the Independence Plaza where the city's history is written in the buildings around you. Local food tastings are included, and if you visit Monday through Friday, you climb to the roof of Ecuador's first university for a view that ties the whole morning together.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want to understand Quito's colonial architecture and history through the buildings themselves, not just walk past them — the churches are the story, and the food tastings ground it in the city's everyday life. The walk covers cobblestones and involves climbing, so plan for steady legs and comfortable shoes.
Cuenca to Ingapirca, Gualaceo & Chordeleg: Day Trip with LunchYou’ll step among Ingapirca’s ancient stones with a local guide from Cuenca, then share lunch in Gualaceo before wandering Chordeleg’s jewelry stalls and visiting a weaving workshop. Expect real conversations, unexpected flavors, and small moments that linger long after you’re home.
Quito: Middle of the World Tour & Agave Tasting ExperienceYou’ll stand on both sides of the world at Quito’s Middle of the World Monument, play with quirky equator experiments at Intiñan Museum, and taste real agave spirits at Casa Agave. With a bilingual local guide leading every step (and joke), you’ll leave with new stories—and maybe even your own “egg master” bragging rights.
White Water Rafting Pastaza River Baños: Class III+ RapidsWhite water rafting on the Pastaza River in Baños puts you in control of a raft through Class III+ rapids in a tropical canyon. You meet at the agency at 9 am, get equipped and a safety briefing, then drive past three waterfalls to the put-in. After an hour of active paddling, you finish at Topo and return to Baños for lunch. A professional guide and safety kayaker stay with the group; all gear, transport by private van, photos and videos are included.Is it for me?You paddle the raft yourself with the guide calling commands—this is not a spectator trip. A minimum of five people per booking means you're sharing the experience with others, and the group stays small enough that the guide can watch everyone. Choose this if you want to be active on the water rather than watching from a boat, and if you're comfortable with a full day of physical effort in tropical heat.
Ingapirca Archaeological Site Tour: Cañari & Incan RuinsA full-day tour from Cuenca to Ingapirca Archaeological Site includes hotel pickup, a professional guide in English or Spanish, transport by private vehicle, and lunch. You walk the ruins of Ecuador's most important archaeological complex, learn about Cañari and Incan cultures and their construction methods from 500 years ago, visit the famous Incan face carved into a mountainside 20 minutes away, and tour the Virgen del Rocio church perched on a sacred Cañari hill. The tour runs 7 to 8 hours and returns you to Cuenca by late afternoon.Is it for me?Choose the group tour with lunch if you want the full day structured and the cost shared; pick the private tour if you prefer a smaller group or want to set the pace and lunch stops yourself. The group option without lunch works if you'd rather eat on your own schedule or have dietary needs the standard menu doesn't cover.
Quito: Full City Tour with Cable Car, Equator Line & All AdmissionsYou’ll climb basilica towers for city views, ride the Teleferico cable car up above Quito, stand on both hemispheres at Intiñan Solar Museum, wander centuries-old plazas with your local guide—and maybe taste real Ecuadorian chocolate along the way. Expect moments that stick with you long after you leave.
Baños ATV Rental: Self-Guided Trails & EquipmentYou rent an ATV by the hour and ride unguided trails around Baños with fuel included. Pick your own route, your own pace, and your own return time. The vehicles are new and maintained, the rates are fair, and you're responsible for getting yourself back safely.Is it for me?Right for riders who want to explore Baños' trails at their own pace without a guide or group schedule. You handle the riding and navigation yourself, which is what makes solo adventure possible.
Pinzón Island snorkeling and fishing tour: Sharks, turtles, tunaA full-day snorkeling and fishing activity in the Galápagos that takes you to Pinzón Island and La Fé Bay, where you'll move from shallow, calm water into deeper zones rich with sharks, sea turtles, rays, sea lions, marine iguanas and other species. The boat carries wetsuits, snorkel equipment and a naturalist guide; lunch and water taxis are included. Seven hours total, with English or Spanish-speaking guide; children from age 2 are welcome.Is it for me?Spend a full day snorkeling and fishing without the logistics—we provide the boat, gear, wetsuits, and naturalist guide who navigates the route and explains the wildlife you encounter.
Mindo Cloud Forest: Private Day Trip with Waterfalls & HummingbirdsYou’ll feel the mist from hidden waterfalls, watch wild hummingbirds dart past your head, and taste fresh chocolate straight from local cacao beans — all in one private day trip from Quito to Mindo Cloud Forest. With an expert guide by your side and plenty of time for hiking or just soaking up the green quiet, this is nature at its most alive.
Cotopaxi Volcano Day Trip from Quito & Limpiopungo LagoonYou get picked up from your Quito hotel and driven into Cotopaxi National Park to hike around Limpiopungo Lagoon, climb to Padre Rivas Refuge at 4,830 meters, and see the active volcano's cone and glacier. Park entry, a certified English-speaking guide, lunch, and return transport are all included. Minimum two people per booking.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Ecuador's most recognizable volcano and a glacial lagoon without arranging transport, park fees, or a guide yourself — the fixed itinerary and included meals mean you show up and climb, nothing else to plan.
Snorkeling Isabela Island: Penguins, sharks and giant tortoisesThis full-day snorkeling tour of Isabela Island combines underwater wildlife—sea turtles, rays, sharks and penguins—with land walks to see flamingos, giant tortoises and marine iguanas. A naturalist guide leads the boat tour and the snorkel activity; you travel by public speedboat from the mainland, with a private driver handling transport on Isabela itself. The tour runs 10 hours and includes lunch at an oceanfront restaurant, snorkel gear and wetsuits, entry to the tortoise breeding centre, and a walk along Isabela's only coconut palm beach.Is it for me?The tour runs 10 hours with water entry, multiple walks and an early start, so it suits travelers comfortable with a full day of activity and movement. If you want to see both underwater and land wildlife in one outing—penguins, sharks, tortoises and flamingos—without arranging your own boat or guide, this combination of snorkeling and guided stops does that.
Cotopaxi Volcano Day Trip from Quito: Hike to 4,864m RefugeYou get picked up in Quito before dawn, driven to Cotopaxi National Park, guided through a two-hour trek to the 4,864m refuge with views of the snow-covered cone, then taken to Limpiopungo Lagoon for lunch and bird-watching. Transport, meals, and a guide who knows the altitude and the terrain are all included, so you don't arrange logistics yourself — you just show up ready to walk.Is it for me?Book this if you want to experience Ecuador's most visited volcano without arranging your own transport, park tickets, or timing — the fixed schedule gets you to altitude and back to Quito in a single day, and the guide handles the logistics so you focus on the walk.
