Ecuador

Ecuador Family Tour

11 days | 10 nights
Private tour
From On request per person
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Tour Description

Thinking of traveling to Ecuador with your kids? With friendly locals, volcanoes, hummingbirds, condors, Amazon rainforest, wildlife, waterfalls and… chocolate, Ecuador is a great family destination!

While the country offers many opportunities for you to quench your cultural thirst in the colonial cities of Cuenca and Quito both UNESCO-listed as well as learning about the Incas in Ingapirca and exchanging with indigenous people in colorful markets, there are also plenty of activities to share between the whole family, young and not-so-young.

Think about horseback riding in the shadows of giant volcanoes, canoeing through mangroves, swimming in hot springs, learning about chocolate-making in a cacao plantation, riding the zigzagging 'Devil's Nose' train or spending a night with a local community.

This small Andean country is one of the safest and most authentic countries in South America. So do not hesitate and bring the kids over for a great family vacation filled with nature, wildlife, culture, tradition, and fun activities!

Destinations

Ecuador

Trip at a glance

Visits

QUITO: City Museum, Independence Square, Metropolitan Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, the City Hall. Convent and Church of San Francisco, Panecillo Hill

QUITO REGION: Middle of The World, Otavalo Market, Condor Park, Quitsato Sundial, Hummingbird Farm

BAÑOS: Amazon Rainforest Excursion, Pailon del Diablo, Route of the Waterfalls, Casa del Arbol

CUENCA: Flower Market, Calderon Plaza, New & Old Cathedral, San Francisco Plaza, Handicraft Market, Turi Hill, Straw-hat Factory, Pumapongo Museum

GUAYAQUIL: Malecon 2000, Seminario Park, the Cathedral, City Hall, La Rotunda Monument, Las Peñas District

OTHER: Papallacta Hot Springs, Nariz del Diablo Train, Ingapirca Archeological Site, Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve, El Cajas National Park, Churute Mangrove Natural Reserve, Cacao Plantations

 

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Trip details

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Quito

Afternoon

Arrival at Mariscal Sucre, Quito international airport. 

Meet and greet with your English-speaking private guide. 

Transfer to the city centre and check in at your hotel (50 min).

Evening

Free evening.

Overnight at your hotel in Quito. 

Day 2 Half-day city tour of Quito, middle of the world

Morning

Discover with your guide the least-altered and best-preserved Latin American capital. 

Quito, was the first city in history listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. 

Take a walk to visit the colonial churches and monasteries of this urban jewel starting at the Independence Square, flanked by the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito. 

Take the opportunity to climb the cathedral's bell tower and cupolas. 

A block away is the Church of the Society of Jesus, one of the most remarkable in Latin America. The central nave is profusely decorated with gold leaf, gilded plaster and carved wood panels. The combination of the baroque and mudéjar styles makes it the most ornate church in South America. 

Next make your way to the City Museum, located in the oldest building of the city inaugurated on 1565, Quito's first hospital. The Museum is a great place to experience the daily life of Ecuadorians through colonial times and the republican period as well as learning about the architecture of the renovated area of the ancient hospital. 

On your stroll through the historic district of Quito passing La Ronda Street with its craft workshops, have a break and treat your whole family to a 'Helado de Pailataste', the famous local ice cream.

Drive up to the top of the Panecillo hill for breathtaking panoramic views of Quito. 

Afternoon

In the afternoon, drive out of the city to the Equatorial Valley (50 min), north of the capital, where you will visit the Middle of the World monument.

Visit the Intiñan museum, where you can have fun with some practical and didactic experiments to learn about the unique aspect of the laws of physics of the Middle of the World. 

Drive back to your hotel in Quito (50 min). 

Evening

Evening and overnight at your hotel in Quito. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 3 Otavalo market, Condor park

Morning

Drive to the Otavalo province in the north of the country (2 hours). 

Stop at the 'Parque Condor' on the way. Perched on the steep hillside of Pucara Alto you can meet eye to eye with the Andean condors, as well as eagles, owls, falcons and hawks. 

The Foundation in charge of the park works with all these birds of prey to help with their conservation. If the weather allows it, you will have the opportunity to attend a free flight demonstration. 

Afternoon

Drive to Otavalo (15 min) to discover its indigenous market, one of the largest and most colorful in South America that comes alive every day of the week.

There you can find all types of handicrafts: woven rugs, alpaca sweaters, shirts, wall hangings, bags, paintings, clay figurines, silver jewelry and many other local souvenirs. 

On Saturdays only, locals come to trade livestock and other agricultural goods. The market is also very busy on Sundays and Wednesdays. Many stall owners belong to the Otavalo community and can be recognized by their traditional clothes. The many sights of women dressed in long skirts and embroidered blouses while men proudly wear hats to cover their long hair make this market a great opportunity for beautiful pictures.

Evening

Overnight at your hotel. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 4 Papallacta hot springs, hummingbird farm, night in the rainforest

To make your stay easier, we recommended to only take a small back pack with your travel essentials for your 2-day stay in the Amazon Jungle. Your larger items of luggage will be locked and stored safely on the bus, under the supervision of the driver.

Morning

On the way to the Amazon, we'll stop to visit a hummingbird farm where you may see more than 14 different species in one hour, including the sword-billed hummingbird, which has a unique and long beak.

Afternoon

We continue our journey to the Amazon. The road ends at Punta Ahuano, a small port town on the north bank of the Napo River, where canoes await for a 15-minute ride to the lodge. We arrive in time to settle in and enjoy the sunset from the pool with a welcome cocktail.

Evening

After a delicious dinner, we will get ready with our flashlights and cameras for a night excursion, which will allow us to capture and listen to the sounds of the jungle, we will be able to observe grasshoppers, toads, frogs, spiders, tarantulas, bats, insects and possibly snakes.

On our return if the sky is clear we will enjoy a large number of stars.

Overnight at your lodge.

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Dinner included

Day 5 Full day excursion in the amazon rainforest

Morning

Early in the morning we will leave by canoe (5 minutes) to La Isla for bird watching, during this activity, the passengers together with the guide will make a walk specifically focused on the sighting of different species of birds.

Return to the lodge for breakfast.

Excursion and walk in the Amazon rainforest, where you can observe the Amazonian flora with our local guide who will accompany us to offer explanations about the Amazonian ecosystems. We will navigate the Napo River where we will reach several excursion sites.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, we will go on an excursion consisting of caiman watching in the lagoon, followed by the experience of the artisanal chocolate process with the indigenous community in La Isla, which can also be accessed by motorized canoe.

Evening

Free evening in the rainforest.

Overnight at your lodge. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the lodge
  • Lunch at the lodge
  • Dinner at the lodge

Day 6 Full day excursion in the amazon rainforest

Morning

Visit AmaZOOnico Animal Rescue Center. Observe animals native to the region that are difficult to see in the wilderness. Your visit will help guarantee the protection of the center’s residents, which struggled to re-adapt to the wild after they were taken by poachers and sold on the black market. Then, flote down the Arajuno River to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing ride in an inner tube. A guide will accompany you in a motoraized canoe to bring you back a the end of the run.

Afternoon

Visit a local Kichwa family that will show you how to prepare chicha, a local drin, and invite to taste it. Watch an indigenous woman mold clay from the riverbed into a beautiful bowl. She will demonstrate how the community creates ceramics from natural materials found in the forest, and the techniques used to seal and decorate them.

Evening

Free evening in the rainforest.

Overnight at your lodge. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the lodge
  • Lunch at the lodge
  • Dinner at the lodge

Day 7 Amazon rainforest, pailon del diablo, waterfalls' route, casa del arbol, baños

Morning

After a 30-minute canoe ride back to the road, head over to Puyo by car.

Journey to the Andean region through the 'Route of the Waterfalls', on your way to the province of Baños.

Stop en route at el Pailón del Diablo, the 'Devil's Cauldron', a spectacular waterfall with an impressive 260-foot drop (80 m) splitting over rocks.

Depending on the weather you might be able to see the 'Manto de la Novia', a ravishing twin waterfall. 

Afternoon

A 20-minute drive from Baños, pull over at la Casa del Arbol (the Tree House). Originally used to monitor the activity of mount Tungurahua the views of Baños and its surrounding mountains are spectacular.

Anyone over 5 years can launch themselves into the air on the 'Swing at the End of the World', hanging from the tree over the edge of the mountain. A fun experience with the active Tungurahua volcano in the background.

Drive to Baños, named after the thermal springs located in the area.

Take time to visit Baños and enjoy its splendid views of Tungurahua, the active volcano nearby. The town is popular with visitors who come for its famous hot springs, its lush scenery and for being the gateway to the jungle.

Your kids will love trying 'melcocha', a traditional candy made from molasses. 

Evening

Overnight at your hotel in Baños. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the lodge

Day 8 Chimborazo wildlife reserve

Morning

After breakfast, transfer to Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve (2 hours 30 min), home of Ecuador's highest mountain, the Chimborazo volcano (20,549 ft - 6263 m).

Chimborazo may not be the highest volcano in the world but its location on the equator makes its peak the furthest point away from the center of the earth.

On the Reserve you might spot 3 of the 4 South American camelids introduced to the reseve: llamas and alpacas, domesticated during the Inca empire, and the wilder yet elegant vicuña. The native species of Peru and Chile have well-adapted to this environment.

The surrounding grounds are covered in the local vegetation known as 'páramo' made of valerian, gentian and lycopodium.

 

Afternoon

Visit a local community that works with llama reintroduction to their natural habitat of the Andean plateau. 

Drive to Riobamba village. 

Evening

Overnight at the hotel in Riobamba. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 9 RIOBAMBA, DEVIL’S NOSE”* VIEWPOINT, INGAPIRCA RUINS, CUENCA

Morning

We continue our journey to the south, passing through spectacular landscapes typical of the Andes, which resemble a mosaic of sloping and very colorful cultures, until we reach Ingapirca, the most notable Inca archaeological site in Ecuador. During the tour we will make some stops, starting with the church of La Balbanera, the first one built by the Spanish settlers in Ecuador, the beautiful Colta Lagoon with an approximate extension of 275 hectares that houses several species of native birds and a great variety of multicolored fish, and the Pistishi Viewpoint, one of the most important attractions of the province and the country, for many years it was the famous railway route "Nariz del Diablo", where our guide will explain the history of the train. 

Afternoon

Arriving in the province of Cañar, we will visit Ingapirca Ruins or "Inca Wall" the largest and best preserved archaeological site in Ecuador, which is located at 3200 meters above sea level and is a testimony of the Inca domination in the country. Research has established that it was once an important religious and ceremonial site dedicated to the main Inca deity: the sun. The Inca temple was built over an important ceremonial center of the Cañari culture at the time of their victory in the conquest of the region. Visit to the Temple of the Sun: oval-shaped ceremonial place built with stones carved in a parallelepiped shape, with perfect joints according to the Inca technique, so well assembled that they give the impression that no cement was used to hold them together. ItWe continue our journey to the south, passing through spectacular landscapes typical of the Andes, which resemble a mosaic of sloping and very colorful cultures, until we reach Ingapirca, the most notable Inca archaeological site in Ecuador. During the tour we will make some stops, starting with the church of La Balbanera, the first one built by the Spanish settlers in Ecuador, the beautiful Colta Lagoon with an approximate extension of 275 hectares that houses several species of native birds and a great variety of multicolored fish, and the Pistishi Viewpoint, one of the most important attractions of the province and the country, for many years it was the famous railway route "Nariz del Diablo", where our guide will explain the history of the train. Arriving in the province of Cañar, we will visit Ingapirca Ruins or "Inca Wall" the largest and best preserved archaeological site in Ecuador, which is located at 3200 meters above sea level and is a testimony of the Inca domination in the country. Research has established that it was once an important religious and ceremonial site dedicated to the main Inca deity: the sun. The Inca temple was built over an important ceremonial center of the Cañari culture at the time of their victory in the conquest of the region. Visit to the Temple of the Sun: oval-shaped ceremonial place built with stones carved in a parallelepiped shape, with perfect joints according to the Inca technique, so well assembled that they give the impression that no cement was used to hold them together. Itwas also used for astronomical observations, thanks to which the equinoxes and solstices were established. Finally, arrival in Cuenca for our check in at the hotel.

Evening

Free evening in Cuenca.

Overnight at the hotel in Cuenca. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Day 10 Half-day city tour of Cuenca, Pumapongo museum

Morning

Discover Cuenca, a jewel of Spanish colonial architecture, built on the ruins of Tomebamba, an ancient Inca city.

Walk around the town center's narrow streets lined with magnificent houses and beautiful colonial balconies.

Visit the flower market, the Calderon plaza, the new and the old cathedral, the San Francisco Plaza and its handicraft market.

Drive up to Turi hill to enjoy a splendid panoramic view of Cuenca, listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

At a straw-hat factory you will learn more about the famous 'Panama hat' and where it really comes from. 

Afternoon

Visit the Pumapongo Museum, one of Ecuador's most significant museum. With time for the young ones to learn and play in the gardens with its llama residents, the museum has a lot to offer to learn about the country, its money, its indigenous population, archeology and more.

Transfer back to your hotel (10 min). 

Evening

Free evening in Cuenca.

Overnight at your hotel in Cuenca. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Lunch included

Day 11 Road to Guayaquil: el cajas national park

Morning

Departure to Guayaquil (3 hour 30 min).

Drive through El Cajas National Park and Lake La Toreadora.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, you will get to Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and the country's busiest port. 

Evening

Free evening.

Overnight at your hotel in Guayaquil. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel
  • Lunch included

Day 12 Guayaquil city tour, departure

Morning

In the morning, enjoy a private city-tour.

Stroll along the Malecon 2000 (the waterfront boulevard) and the Seminario Park with its numerous resident iguanas.

Discover Guayaquil's Cathedral, the City Hall and La Rotonda monument.

Walk up the tiny streets of Las Peñas, a colorful and traditional neighborhood.

At the indicated time, transfer to Guayaquil airport (15 min).

Check-in and assistance. 

MEALS
  • Breakfast at the hotel

Services

What's included

Accommodation

Nights
10 hotel nights in 3* or 4* premium hotels

Meals

Bed & Breakfast plan
10 breakfasts + 1 lunch + 2 dinners
Full board plan
10 breakfasts + 10 lunches + 10 dinners

Transportation

Train
Nariz del Diablo Round-Trip
Boat
Shared boat for all transfers and excursions in the Amazon Rainforest on day 4, 5, 6
Car
Private car and driver during the whole trip

Orientation

Guide
Private English-speaking guide and driver except in the Amazon Rainforest (shared guide)

Entrance Fees

All entrance fees to mentioned sites

What's not included

  • International Flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Extra Meals
  • Drinks
  • Tips

Prices


Important notes

People with heart conditions are strongly advised to seek medical advice before booking. 

This tour includes many visits at sites above 10,000 ft (3000 m). To avoid altitude sickness, we strongly advise against any strong physical effort or any alcohol consumption in high-altitude places. 

This trip is accessible for children aged 5 years and over.

All children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. 

Any person under 18 years of age traveling with an adult other than their parents (or with only one parent) will need to present a certified letter by their parents (or non-traveling parent), granting authorization to travel, including the dates of travel.

Accompanying adults are responsible for the safety of their children including providing any necessary safety or specific equipment. 

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