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 Zip Lining & Tibetan Bridge: Canopy AdventureYou get picked up, driven to the zip-line site, and fitted with full safety gear by an English-speaking guide. Choose between a pure zip-lining circuit or add a tibetan bridge, cable skateboard, and via ferrata climbing. The tour takes three to four hours and includes all equipment and transport back to town.Is it for me?Book this if you want an adrenaline rush with real scenery and don't want to arrange your own transport to the launch point — the fixed departures and included pickup mean you show up ready to go, not hunting for directions.
Cuenca City Tour: 4-hour guided highlights with hotel pickupA guided 4-hour tour of Cuenca covers the city's landmarks — Central Park where the city was founded in 1557, Ecuador's largest church, the 10 de Agosto market, the toquilla straw hat factory, and Turi Viewpoint overlooking the entire city. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with a professional guide in English or Spanish and a local snack on Herrerias street.Is it for me?Book this if you want a structured itinerary that covers five key sites in one morning—your guide handles navigation and timing, so you move through the city without gaps or backtracking.
Cotopaxi horseback ride and hike from Quito: Private tourA private tour from Quito combines a 2–3 hour horseback ride around Cotopaxi Volcano with a 1 hour hike at Limpiopungo Lagoon, both in Cotopaxi National Park. Your guide picks you up at your hotel, provides helmets and ponchos for the ride, and handles all park entry; the 90-minute drive from Quito passes through Andean villages and mountain landscape. A lunchbox comes partway through the day, and you return to your hotel by evening.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want to combine horseback riding and hiking in a single day with a private guide who sets the pace—you'll spend 2-3 hours on horseback around Cotopaxi's grasslands, then hike to Limpiopungo lagoon, without splitting your attention between multiple activities or locations.
Biking Cuenca City Tour: Riverside trails and Pumapungo ruinsA guided bike tour through Cuenca, Ecuador's UNESCO World Heritage city, following riverside trails past the Barranco's hanging houses, the Pumapungo Inca site with its crop terraces, and the modern neighborhoods that frame the old town. The tour runs three hours with hotel pickup, a licensed bilingual guide, helmet and bike rental included; children from age 5 are welcome, and you can book as a small group or private tour.Is it for me?Choose the small-group tour to share costs with other travelers, or book private if you want the guide's full attention and flexibility to linger at sites like Pumapungo.
Yasuni National Park 3-day Amazon wildlife tour from CocaA 3-day guided tour of Yasuni National Park departing from Coca combines motorized canoe travel, a 40-meter climb into the rainforest canopy, visits to parrot and macaw clay licks, and indigenous community cultural demonstrations. Guides speak English or Spanish; pickup from Coca is included; children from age 7 are welcome. Comfortable rooms with private bathrooms and hammocked balconies serve as your base between daily jungle walks and night excursions.Is it for me?The three-day span is what makes the canopy tower, clay licks and night walks possible without rushing—each day builds on the last, and the comfortable rooms mean you rest between walks instead of pushing through on adrenaline alone. Book this if you want to see the Amazon's richest wildlife zone without the logistics of arranging canoes, guides and community access yourself.
Baños Paragliding Tandem Tour & Tungurahua ViewsYou get picked up in Baños, driven to Niton Mountain near Pelileo, and strapped in with a certified pilot for a tandem flight over the Andes with views of Tungurahua volcano. The pilot handles the flying; you handle the experience. Equipment and instruction are included. You're back in Baños by 6pm, or if weather cancels the flight, you pay transport only and get your flight fee refunded.Is it for me?Book this if you want the thrill of flying without needing to learn paragliding first — the certified pilot does the work, and you get the view of Tungurahua and the Andes. Weather can cancel the flight at the last moment, so flexibility on timing is part of the deal.
Isabela Island: Sierra Negra Volcano Hike with Local GuideYou’ll hike across ancient lava fields on Isabela Island with a local guide leading the way to Sierra Negra volcano’s massive crater. Feel volcanic warmth under your hand, share stories over a simple lunch with views you won’t forget, and finish your day back at Puerto Villamil — probably a little dusty but glad you came.
San Cristóbal: Kicker Rock Snorkel & Sea Lions Day TripYou board a boat in San Cristóbal, snorkel twice at Kicker Rock and Isla Lobos with a naturalist guide spotting sharks, sea turtles and sea lions, eat lunch on a secluded beach, and pass Darwin's historic landing site. All gear, food and guide expertise are included; you bring only a swimsuit and sunscreen.Is it for me?Book this if you want a full day in the water without arranging your own boat, guide or gear—the naturalist guide and fixed itinerary handle the logistics and wildlife spotting, leaving you to focus on the snorkeling itself.
Ingapirca Archaeological Site & Cuenca City TourA full-day small-group tour from Cuenca to Ingapirca Archaeological Complex—the most significant archaeological site in Ecuador—followed by a guided walk through Cuenca's colonial neighborhoods, markets, churches and plazas. The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional guide in English or Spanish, lunch, and transport by private vehicle. Children from age 5 are welcome; a current valid passport is required.Is it for me?Book the private tour if you want the flexibility to move at your own pace and skip the market or spend longer at Ingapirca; choose the group tour with lunch if you prefer to share costs and have the meal arranged. Children from age 5 can join, though the eight-hour day and walking through the archaeological site and city neighborhoods require a moderate level of physical fitness.
Quito Airport Transfer: Private Car & Hotel PickupYou get a private car from Quito airport to your hotel (or the reverse) with a named driver holding a sign at arrivals. The vehicle is air-conditioned and sized for your group. Pickup time is confirmed in advance, and pricing is fixed — no negotiating at the curb or waiting around for a shared shuttle.Is it for me?Book this if you're arriving in Quito with luggage and want to skip the taxi negotiation at the curb — the fixed price and named driver mean you know exactly what to expect before you step off the plane.
Quito Airport Shuttle: Shared Transfer to City HotelsYou book online, land at Mariscal Sucre, meet your driver within the hour, and ride a shared minivan to your Quito hotel with air conditioning and a professional at the wheel. No taxi negotiation, no rental car hassle, no solo-traveler markup. The fixed price and licensed service mean you know exactly what you're paying before you arrive.Is it for me?Book this if you're arriving alone or with a small group and want to skip the taxi stand—the shared model and fixed price take the negotiation out of ground transport, and online booking means one less thing to arrange once you land.
Cabo Rosa & Tuneles snorkel tour Isabela: Sea lions and blue sharksYou board a boat in Puerto Villamil with snorkeling gear and a guide who knows where the endemic species congregate. You spend the morning at Tuneles and Cabo Rosa, the two best reef sites on Isabela Island, with blue sharks, sea lions, and seahorses as your company. Lunch and towels come on board. Hotel pickup handles the logistics, so you only need to be ready when the boat arrives.Is it for me?Right for travelers staying on Isabela Island who want to see endemic marine life without arranging their own boat and guide—the small group size and specialized guide are what make the reef sites feel manageable and the animals feel real, not like a passing show.
Baños: Canopy Ziplining at Puntzan with Equipment & PickupYou get picked up in Baños, driven to Puntzan Adventure Park, and guided through six ziplines that cross 2,000 meters between two mountains. The harness, helmet, and all safety equipment are provided, along with instruction at each platform. A couple of hours total, including the drive both ways, and you return to town with your adrenaline still running.Is it for me?A good fit if you want an adrenaline activity near Baños without arranging transport or worrying about gear—pickup and all equipment are handled. The circuit takes a couple of hours, which is enough time to move through the fear and actually enjoy the ride.
Rafting in Baños: Class III+ and IV rapids with lunchRafting in Baños is a guided activity on class III+ and IV rapids with equipment, safety instruction and transport from town. You start at the office at 9am, travel by private vehicle through the Waterfall Route past Agoyán and Bride Mantle falls, receive shore training from your guide, then paddle through an hour of rapids before finishing at the Mole sector. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian or Turkish; children from age 1 are welcome, and lunch is included after the run.Is it for me?You paddle the raft yourself on this one, not watch from a boat—the guide steers and calls commands, but your paddle and your crew's paddle power the run. Pick this if you want to be in the current and working, not observing from the side.
White Water Rafting from Quito: Pastaza River Level III+A full-day white water rafting trip from Quito takes you down the Pastaza River (level III+ rapids) between Sangay and Llanganates National Parks, then into the Avenue of the Waterfalls for hikes, a 500-meter cable car crossing, and views of Bride's Veil and Agoyan waterfalls. Hotel pickup starts at 5:30 a.m., lunch is included, and guides speak English and Spanish.Is it for me?An 11- to 12-hour commitment means you leave before dawn and return after dark, which works if you have a full day free but rules out half-day plans or evening activities. The early start and long drive give you the full river-to-rainforest transition and all three waterfalls without rushing the hikes or the cable car crossing.
Quito to Otavalo Market: Indigenous Crafts & Andes Full DayYou get picked up at 8am and driven north through the Andes with a certified local guide who stops at a countryside fruit market, the Equator monument, an artisan bakery, and a lake viewpoint before reaching Otavalo's Plaza de los Ponchos in the early afternoon. After lunch and visits to a pan flute maker's studio and a fabric gallery, you return to Quito by 6pm. Hotel pickup, guide, entry fees, and tastings are all included—you arrange nothing yourself.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the main Otavalo market and learn how indigenous textiles and instruments are actually made, without arranging transport, guides, or timing yourself—the fixed schedule and local knowledge are what make five stops and a full market visit fit into one day.
Half Day Guayaquil Walking Tour: Iguana Park & Malecón 2000You’ll see real Guayaquil: iguanas sunning themselves in Parque Seminario, riverside views from Malecón 2000, lively plazas, football history, and colorful hillside streets—all with stories only locals know.
Rafting in Baños: Pastaza River, Class 3-4 rapidsHalf-day rafting on the Pastaza River near Baños pairs a bilingual certified guide, all equipment, and a safety briefing with five to six hours of paddling through class 3-4 rapids in a landscape of waterfalls. Transport from Baños to the river, the rafting itself, and lunch afterward are included; you meet at 9am and finish in the afternoon. Children from age 6 can join; you'll need to swim.Is it for me?You paddle the rapids yourself rather than watch from the sidelines, so pick this if you want to be active on the water instead of a passenger. The shared group and fixed 9am start mean you're paddling with other travelers on a set schedule—good if you want the social energy and don't need to customize the timing.
Guayaquil City Tour & Chocolate Farm: Private Day Trip with LunchA private day trip from Guayaquil combines the city's waterfront and colonial neighborhoods with a hands-on visit to a family-run cacao farm. You explore the Malecón 2000 and Las Peñas—a hillside district of colorful houses—then ride a cable car across the Guayas River to a local farm where you learn to grow, skin, roast and grind cacao beans into chocolate. Lunch, made with cacao, is served at the farm. The tour runs 8 to 9 hours with private transportation, an English-speaking guide and hotel pickup included.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want a private day that mixes city exploration with a working farm experience—the cable car and the cacao farm are the parts most travelers don't arrange on their own, and the family farm keeps the group small and personal.
Quito Airport Transfer to Hotel: Private Car & Spanish DriverYou're met at Quito airport arrivals with a nameplate, driven in a private car by a Spanish-speaking driver, and dropped at your hotel with a bottle of water included. The journey takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on your hotel location, and the price is set before you book — no negotiation, no hidden charges, no shared stops along the way.Is it for me?Book this if you want to skip the taxi queue and arrive at your Quito hotel without arranging transport or haggling over the fare — the driver meets you by name and the price is locked in before you land.
