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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Baños Day Trip from Quito: Waterfalls and Cloud ForestA private day trip from Quito to Baños de Agua Santa with a bilingual guide, hotel pickup, and all fees included. You visit four named waterfalls along the Avenue of the Waterfalls, cross the Pastaza River canyon on a cable car, and hike through cloud forest to Bride's Veil waterfall. The route climbs from the Andes into tropical rainforest, passing volcanoes and the Agoyan hydroelectric dam on the drive down. Lunch is your choice to arrange; zip line rides are optional add-ons at checkout.Is it for me?The early 7:30 a.m. pickup and 11-hour day mean you start before dawn and return after dark, which is what fits four waterfalls, two microclimates and a cable car crossing into a single trip. If you prefer a shorter outing or a later start, look for a half-day Baños tour instead.
Cotopaxi National Park hiking & biking tour from QuitoThis 9-hour tour from Quito combines hiking and mountain biking in Cotopaxi National Park. You start with a challenging 45-minute walk to a mountain refuge at 4,800 meters (15,750 feet), descend by bike to Limpiopungo Lake, and finish with lunch at a local community. A bilingual guide leads the route, handles transport from Quito, and provides the bike; you need moderate fitness and warm layers for the altitude.Is it for me?The 9-hour commitment means you leave early and return by evening, which works for a full day but rules out combining this with other activities. If you have a free morning and afternoon in Quito, this tour fills both; if you're short on time or prefer a half-day option, look for a shorter park visit instead.
Cuenca to Guayaquil: Cajas Park Hike & Cacao Farm TransferYou’ll cross from Cuenca to Guayaquil through wild Andean scenery, walk among ancient trees in Cajas Park, taste fruits you’ve never heard of at a bustling market, and learn how real chocolate is made on a working cacao farm — all with a local guide who keeps things easygoing. Expect muddy shoes, full bellies, and stories you’ll want to retell.
Baños 2-Day Tour from Quito: Cotopaxi, Quilotoa & SwingYou get picked up from your Quito hotel and driven to Cotopaxi for breakfast, then spend the morning at two viewpoints of Quilotoa Lagoon before reaching Baños by afternoon. Day two includes a cable car crossing over the Pastaza River and a visit to Pailon del Diablo waterfall, with transport and all entry fees included. You return to Quito in the evening.Is it for me?This works well if you want to escape Quito for two days without arranging transport, park entries, or timing yourself across multiple stops — the fixed itinerary handles all of that, and the overnight in Baños means you're not rushing the waterfalls or the views.
Quito Night Tour: Old Town & Plaza Grande with Free TimeYou board a double-decker bus at 7pm and travel through Quito's illuminated Old Town, then spend 90 minutes on a guided walk through Plaza Grande and the Street of the Seven Crosses with your bilingual guide. After the walking tour ends, the time is yours to explore cafés, chocolate shops, and local restaurants at your own pace before returning to your pickup point.Is it for me?This works well if you want to see Quito's historic center at night without arranging your own transport or navigating unfamiliar streets after dark—the guide handles the route and timing, leaving you free to linger over dinner or a drink once the walking part ends.
Cuenca – Guayaquil: Private Shuttle Transfer with PickupYou’ll travel between Cuenca and Guayaquil in a private shuttle with door-to-door pickup by a local driver who knows every twist of the road. Enjoy flexible timing, space for your group only, and help with luggage or baby seats if you need them. It’s a calm way to cross Ecuador’s mountains — one of those rare transfers you’ll remember for how simple it felt.
Birdwatching Tour Ecuador: Private Guide & Pro Gear IncludedYou’ll join a local guide in Ecuador’s famous birding hotspot, using pro-level scopes and binoculars to spot toucans, tanagers, parrots and more. Expect hands-on help with photography, private transport included, and plenty of laughs as you learn bird names (and maybe butcher them). The feeling of catching your first wild toucan on camera sticks with you.
Quito - Cuenca: Andes tour with Cotopaxi & IngapircaTravel from Quito to Cuenca with a local guide and discover Ecuador’s Andes: hike around Quilotoa’s crater lake, climb Cotopaxi’s slopes for mountain views, feel the spray at Baños’ waterfalls, and wander ancient Ingapirca ruins. You’ll meet locals along the way and taste Andean flavors — moments you’ll remember long after you’re home.
Extreme Rafting in Baños Ecuador: Level III & IV RapidsExtreme rafting on the Pastaza River near Baños takes you through Level III and IV rapids with a professional guide, helmet, life jacket and all rowing gear included. The day runs 5.5 hours: a 40-minute drive through the Route of the Waterfalls, instruction and safety briefing at the river, the rapids themselves, then lunch with four food choices before return to the city by 2:30 pm.Is it for me?You paddle the boat yourself under the guide's commands, so this suits anyone who wants to be active in the rapids rather than watch them pass. The Level III and IV difficulty means you need moderate fitness and comfort with fast water, but the guide's control of steering and route-finding keeps the day manageable for strong paddlers without elite experience.
Cuenca City Tour: UNESCO Center, Markets & Hat FactoryA private city tour of Cuenca's UNESCO-listed historic center with a bilingual guide and hotel pickup, covering the colonial neighborhoods, markets, cathedrals, and the Homero Ortega Panama Hat Factory over seven hours. You customize the stops and pace with your guide; lunch at a local restaurant is your choice, and gratuities are optional.Is it for me?Choose the full-day tour if you want to move at your own pace through the colonial neighborhoods, markets, and viewpoints without the rush of a group schedule. The half-day option works if you have limited time and want to focus on the historic center and one or two key stops. Add the Chordeleg village extension if you want to see artisanal crafts and a different landscape outside the city.
Mindo Cloud Forest day trip from Quito: Birdwatching with guidesYou travel by private car from Quito into the cloud forest, spend the day on trails with a nature-focused guide doing bird watching and waterfall walks (or butterfly house, orchid garden — your choice), and return to the city in the evening. Transportation is included, so you skip the logistics of getting there yourself.Is it for me?This works well if you want to see the cloud forest without arranging your own transport or navigating the drive yourself — the private car and guide handle both, leaving you free to focus on the forest and whatever activities appeal to you most.
Mindo Cloud Forest Birdwatching: Hummingbirds & WaterfallThis birdwatching and hiking tour from Quito explores the Mindo Cloud Forest in seven to eight hours with a bilingual guide, hotel pickup, and an air-conditioned vehicle. You visit the Ornithological Point to feed hummingbirds, ride the Mindo Cable Car over the mountains to reach Nambillo waterfall, walk through the Butterfly Farm, and tour a chocolate factory. Two purchase options let you add or skip entry tickets and lunch.Is it for me?Choose All Included if you want meals and entry fees covered upfront; pick No Ticket–No Lunch if you'd rather pay separately and control your own timing at each stop.
Cotopaxi Horseback Riding Tour from Quito & VolcanoYou ride horseback through Cotopaxi National Park with two guides—one English-speaking, one a traditional chagra—choosing between 2 and 4 hours in the saddle. The route takes you past wild horses and up to the volcano viewpoint, with a stop at Limpiopungo Lagoon and lunch included. Hotel pickup and drop-off in Quito bookend the day, so transport and park logistics are already arranged.Is it for me?Pick this tour if you want to ride in Cotopaxi National Park without arranging your own transport, guides, or timing—the pickup from Quito and the inclusion of both an English speaker and a local chagra means you're set up to ride rather than manage logistics.
Quilotoa & Baños 2-Day Tour: Lagoon, Swing & Cable CarYou spend two days moving through Ecuador's highlands and cloud forest, visiting Quilotoa's crater lake and Baños' adventure attractions. Your guide handles the route, all entry fees are covered, and you return to Quito by evening on day two. Bring layers—the altitude and weather change fast.Is it for me?Book this if you want Ecuador's most famous highland and adventure attractions in one trip without arranging your own transport, guides, or tickets—the two-day structure is what fits all the major stops into one journey from Quito.
4 Days Cuyabeno Amazon Tour: Community-run Waita LodgeYou paddle through black-water lakes at dawn, climb a 92-foot observation tower into the canopy, and walk the jungle floor learning about medicinal plants from a local guide. Four days at a community-run ecolodge includes all transport from Lago Agrio, meals, gear, and a bilingual naturalist. You return to town by mid-afternoon on day four.Is it for me?This tour is built for travelers who want to see the Amazon without arranging transport, lodging, meals, or a guide separately, and who value staying at a lodge run by the indigenous families who live there rather than an outside operator—the fixed itinerary and community-based model are what make both possible.
Horseback Riding near Quito: Cotopaxi Volcano & Chagra CultureHorseback riding near Quito combines two hours on criollo horses at a traditional hacienda with a guided exploration of Cotopaxi National Park, the world's second-highest active volcano. You'll wear authentic Chagra clothing, learn about local cowboy culture from your guide, and travel through ancient lava flows and mountain ecosystems at elevation. Hotel pickup, transport, safety equipment, and lunch are included; the full day runs from early morning to mid-afternoon.Is it for me?Your guide speaks English, so language won't slow down the commentary or the cultural explanation—book this if you want to understand the Chagra way of life and the landscape as you move through it, not just pass through it.
Antisana Volcano & Condors Day Trip from Quito: 5,753m peakThis day trip from Quito climbs Antisana Volcano—Ecuador's fourth highest peak at 5,753 meters—with a certified English-speaking naturalist guide, private transport and lunch included. The route takes you through the Ecological Reserve to 3,810 meters where Andean Condors nest and roost, then to Mica Lake at 4,050 meters for views of the volcano and high-altitude water birds found nowhere else in Ecuador. Hotel pickup starts at 7:00 a.m., and you return by 4:00 p.m.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see Andean Condors in their actual nesting and roosting sites rather than from a distance—the route takes you to the canyon cliffs where they sleep and the slopes where they hunt, which is what makes close-range wildlife watching possible on a single day from Quito.
Bucay Cloud Forest & Waterfalls Private Tour from GuayaquilYou’ll start your day leaving Guayaquil behind for Bucay’s cloud forest, hiking muddy trails with a local guide who knows every bird call. Taste fresh sugarcane juice at a working trapiche before cooling off under three wild waterfalls — including Isabela, the tallest in Bucay. Lunch is simple and local. You’ll come home damp and happy.
Guayaquil: Cacao Farm Day Trip & Chocolate Making ClassYou're picked up from your Guayaquil hotel and driven to a family cacao farm 50km outside the city, where you tour fruit plantations, taste seasonal produce straight from the trees, grind your own cacao beans, learn chocolate tempering, and make artisan bars to take home. Lunch is organic and farm-grown. Hotel drop-off completes the day.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand where Ecuadorian cacao comes from and actually make chocolate yourself, without arranging your own transport or figuring out what to do with a farm visit — the structure and the guide handle both.
Quito Airport Transfer: Private Pickup & Downtown DeliveryYou land, collect your bag, and find your driver waiting with your name on a sign. They handle the 50-minute drive to downtown Quito in a private, air-conditioned vehicle while you relax. Flight arrivals are tracked, so delays don't leave you stranded, and the bilingual driver can answer questions about the city along the way. The price is locked in before you book.Is it for me?Right for travelers arriving alone or in a small group who want to skip the taxi queue and arrive at a fixed price. The 50-minute drive is part of the service — it's how you get from the airport to your hotel without arranging transport yourself.
