Ecuador

• Ecuador as a whole: between June and August
• Coast: from November to February, from September to October for whales watching
• Cordillera: between June and August
• Amazon rainforest: from June to September for lodge based trips (dry season) and from December to May for Amazon river cruises (high water season)

• Avenue of the Volcanoes
• Baños
• Churute National Park
• Cuenca
• Devil’s Nose Train
• El Cajas National Park
• Guayaquil
• Ingapirca
• Lake Cuicocha
• Machalilla National Park
• Otavalo
• Quito
• Quitsato Sundial, Middle of the World
• Sangay National Park
• The Galapagos Islands
• Yasuni National Park

Language: Spanish

Calling code: +593

Electricity:

• Power sockets: type A and B
• Standard voltage: 120 V
• Standard frequency: 60 Hz

Currency: US dollars

Time zone: Mainland: GMT – 5 / Galapagos : GMT – 6

International airports: Quito, Guayaquil

Direct flights to Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO): 

• From Atlanta (ATL): 5h10
• From Fort Lauderdale (FLL): 4h15 
• From Houston (IAH): 5h15
• From Madrid (MAD): 10h30
• From Miami (MIA): 4h20
• From New York (NYC): 6h15
• From Paris (CDG): 11h10
• From Toronto (YYZ): 6h35

Direct flights to Guayaquil José Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE): 

• From Amsterdam (AMS): 11h35
• From Fort Lauderdale (FLL): 4h30
• From Madrid (MAD): 11h15
• From Miami (MIA): 4h30
• From New York (JFK): 6h35

Recommended vaccines:

No vaccines are compulsory to enter Ecuador. However, we do recommend you to ask your doctor in advance (3 months) for medical advice on the following vaccinations.

• Routine vaccines:
  • measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
  • diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP)
  • varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
  • polio vaccine
  • flu shot
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid Fever 
• Yellow Fever if you travel to the Amazon Rainforest

Galapagos requirements:

You will need to show proof of medical insurance coverage for the duration of your stay to enter the Galapagos Islands. If your insurance bought outside the Galapagos Islands doesn’t meet all the insurance requirements, you might need to buy additional coverage at Quito or Guayaquil airports.

Upon arrival at Baltra or San Cristobal airport, you will have to pay for:

• the entrance fee to Galapagos National Park (100 USD/person)
• the Migration Card (20 USD/person)

Entry/exit requirements:

General formalities:

You may be asked about your reason for travel and to provide evidence of a return or onward flight/bus ticket when you arrive.

If you enter Ecuador by land from Colombia or Peru, you are required to register with the Ecuadorian immigration office at the border. You must provide your passport and indicate where you are going and how long you intend to remain in Ecuador. Ensure you receive an entry stamp in your passport. Failure to do so may cause significant problems when trying to exit the country.

US CITIZENS

Passport: Valid passport for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Ecuador.

Tourist visa: Not requested for stays of 90 days or less in a 365-day period.

CANADIAN CITIZENS

Passport: Valid passport for at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave Ecuador.

Tourist visa: Not requested for stays of 90 days or less in a 365-day period.

AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS

If you are travelling to Ecuador through the United States of America, including Honolulu, you'll need to meet US entry/transit requirements, even if transiting. 

Passport: Valid passport for at least 6 months from the date you intend to return to Australia.

Tourist visa: Not requested for stays of 90 days or less in a 365-day period.

UNITED KINGDOM CITIZENS

Passport: Valid passport for at least 6 months from the date of entry in Ecuador.

Tourist visa: Not requested for stays of 90 days or less in a 365-day period.