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Overview

Family trip to Ecuador
Ecuador is a great place to bring your family for an exotic vacation and is the perfect introduction to Latin America. This country is like a condensed version of the whole continent: there are lakes, snow-covered mountains, active volcanoes dominating high plains, and visitors can effortlessly travel from these highlands to the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Ecuador’s inhabitants – the majority of which are Quechua Amerindians – are friendly and welcoming people, most of whom still wear traditional clothing. Lively and colorful markets, including Otavalo’s famous Saturday market, are national institutions where visitors can browse alleys filled with a dynamic variety of crafts as well as exotic fruits and vegetables. They are a great opportunity to discover this country’s inhabitants in a genuine and authentic way. One of South America’s most beautiful cities, Quito is blessed with unique architectural heritage that transforms any visit into a journey to Spanish colonial times. We invite you to discover all this and more on this wonderful family trip to Ecuador. Discover breathtaking scenery and search for rare and exotic wildlife as you and your family follow hiking trails trough breathtaking scenery. Hop on an ATV, or go horseback riding in Cotopaxi national park, surrounded by impressive volcanic craters, or ride the remarkable autoferro through the canyons of the Andes, these high mountains that cut across the whole country. Often, your daily routine will include a pleasant dip in a naturally warm pool (Merced is one such destination), a pleasant picnic in the heart of exceptional vegetation, and even going for a swim in the Amazon River. This adventure-filled journey of discovery was specially designed for families, and will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on you – and your children!

Feel free to contact Uniktour’s South America specialist for more information on this custom-designed trip for you and your family!

Itinerary

Day 1| Arrival in Quito
Arrival at Quito’s Mariscal Sucre airport late in the afternoon or early in the evening. Customs formalities. Airport welcome by your English-speaking guide. Transfer to your downtown hotel. Dinner at own expense and overnight in hotel.

Day 2| Quito – City tour – Cable car - Los Chillos valley
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Surrounded by verdant hills, the climate in Quito is simply delicious. Bursting with life, it’s easily one of South America’ most beautiful cities. The many churches and colonial palaces are a living reminder of this city’s rich past. A short transfer will take you to the cable car, which climbs from an altitude of 2950m all the way to 4050m at Cruz Loma on Pichincha volcano, for exceptional views of the city. We then head to Panecillo, a small hill overlooking the city, where stands an immense religious statue. Enjoy lunch on your own in the city. Visit Quito’s colonial city center, and discover its beautiful baroque masterpieces: the cathedral and the Sacred Heart, the church of the Company of Jesus Christ and the church of San Francisco, with its lovely cloisters. There might be more gold and silver here than you can handle! Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 3| Valley –Rio Pita waterfall – La Merced - Otavalo
Breakfast at hotel. A short drive (30min) will take us to the starting point to our first walk in the forest, taking us to rio Pita waterfall, whose source lies in Cotopaxi volcano. Then, hop on a short transfer to the foot of Ilalo volcano for a dip in La Merced’s thermal pools (a 3-hour walk). Picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we get back on the road and head to Otavalo (3h). Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 4| Otavalo – Cuicocha – Condor Park – Otavalo
Breakfast at your hotel. A 30 min transfer will take you to Cuicocha lagoon on the slopes of Cotacachi volcano (4936m). Two islands surge from the surface of this lovely lake at the bottom of Cuicocha’s crater. This volcanic crater’s edge supports a variety of plant life (orchids, elephant ears, etc.) and offers magnificent views of Imbabura province (2-3 hours of hiking).
Enjoy lunch at the Mirador. In the afternoon, we go for a boat ride on Cuicocha lagoon before going to Condor Park, where we can observe the flight of these birds of prey. Return to Otavalo. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 5| Otavalo – San Pablo – Zuleta - Otavalo
Breakfast at your hotel, followed by a short transfer to the village of San Pablo. This is a beautiful area where Imbayo and Cayambe Indians still practice traditional agriculture on the flanks of Cayambe, Imbabura, and Cusin volcanoes. Superb patchwork of cultivated lands and eucalyptus forests. Return to Otavalo. Total hiking time: 3-4 h. Dinner and overnight in the same hotel.

Day 6| Otavalo – Autoferro – Lechero – Peguche - Otavalo
Breakfast at your hotel. Early morning transfer to Ibarra station for a ride on the autoferro*, a picturesque bus on rails that easily climbs the Andes’ steep slopes. We will travel to Lita, passing mountains, valleys, and deep gorges, marveling at the superb scenery and tropical vegetation. After lunch in Otavalo, we take a small walk around El Lechero, an old tree considered sacred by the area’s aboriginals, and explore the area surrounding San Pablo lagoon and the Peguche waterfalls. We also visit the village of Peguche and an aboriginal house where we can see the weavers at work. Return to Otavalo. Dinner in the city and overnight the same hotel.
*If there are no service interruptions on the railways. Should this problem occur, we will instead take a stroll on the flanks of Imbabura or Cubilche volcanoes (3-4 h hike).

Day 7| Otavalo market - Tambopaxi
Breakfast at your hotel. On Saturday, Otavalo is the place to be. This is surely one of the highlights of our trip. The whole region gathers here to trade and exchange just about anything you can think of during this weekly reunion, which usually ends up occupying a good part of the village. Of course, there are also plenty of visitors, but it is still easily worth coming here. The local inhabitants have managed to preserve their original lifestyle and traditions, producing a considerable amount of crafts, most notably, hand-woven fabrics. The men sell these around the country – and all around the world. Lunch in the city. Transfer to Quito and then to Cotopaxi National Park (4-5 hours on the road). Dinner and overnight at the Tambopaxi (or similar).

Day 8| Tambopaxi – Cotopaxi - Tigua
Breakfast at the Tambopaxi. We will go for a superb horseback ride in the heart of Cotopaxi National Park and explore the Paramo, these high altitude grasslands covering the region at the foot of the world’ highest active volcano: Cotopaxi, a snow-covered cone that rises to 5897m. Picnic lunch. We then continue until we reach the end of the road (4600m), at which point we start climbing towards a shelter. From the shelter (4800m), we head towards the glacier: impressive, but difficult to get to. We return to our vehicle and head to Quilotoa (2h). Dinner and overnight at the inn.

Day 9| Tigua - Quilotoa – Banos
Breakfast at the inn. Today we discover the magnificent area surrounding the famous Quilotoa Lagoon (alt. 3900m) in the western Andes, a lovely lake sitting at the bottom of a perfect crater. From there we get stunning views of the Andes, including beautiful mountainsides scattered with small pastures and sheep grazing on a semi-desertic plain whose face is scarred with large canyons. Hike down to the bottom of the crater (2-3 h), and come back up on mule back. Picnic lunch. In the afternoon, a 90-minute drive will take us to the village of Pujili (ceramic) for a visit. Transfer to Banos (3h). Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 10| Banos
Breakfast at the inn. Located at al altitude of 1800m in a subtropical zone at the foot of Tungurahua volcano (5016m), Banos is a small slice of paradise that’s mostly known for its hot springs. Visitors coming here often get the impression that time stands still. Take a morning stroll in the area, amidst tangerine, blackberry, and sugar cane plantations (3-4 h of walking). Discover the city center, its cathedral, balsa and tagua (vegetal ivory) and the thermal pools filled with ferruginous 40° water. Lunch in the city. Dinner and overnight in the same hotel.

Day 11| Banos – Amazon rainforest
After breakfast at the hotel, it will take us at least 6 hours on the road before we reach the Amazon rainforest, passing by the “route of the waterfalls” and stopping for lunch along the way. We are now in the Oriente, which is the part of the country covered by the Amazon rainforest – roughly half the country’s total surface area! Following a path that dives into the lush vegetation, we reach a charming lodge right in the heart of the forest, next to an equally charming small creek, where swimming is a pleasant option. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 12| Amazon rainforest
Breakfast at the lodge. This morning, we take a walk in the forest in a very unique area where we can observe a wide variety of plans, birds, insects, and animals or all shapes, sizes, and colors. 4-5 hours of walking. Picnic lunch. Return to the lodge and, late in the afternoon, go for a dip, and perhaps a small stroll in the forest. Dinner and overnight in the lodge.

Day 13| Amazon rainforest– Papallacta - Quito
Breakfast at the lodge. Early this morning we leave the lodge and hop back on the road for a 6-hour drive to the capital. We stop in Papallacta on the way, to get some lunch and take a dip in the superb hot water pools, at the foot of the Antizana. Dinner at own expense at overnight in hotel.

Day 14| Departure from Quito
Breakfast at your hotel. Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy some free time in the city before heading to the airport for your return flight. End of the trip.

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

Overview

The country of Ecuador lies on the Pacific coast of South America, bordered by Columbia to the north and Peru to the east and south. There 14.3 million Ecuadorians scattered across a territory whose total surface area is 283 000 km2. Ecuador takes its name from the fact that it straddles the line that separates the planet’s two hemispheres. The official language is Spanish, but many native communities living in the Andes and in the eastern shuar still speak Quechua, a language that dates back to the Inca Empire.

Ecuador is split into four main geographical areas: the Costa, the Sierra, the Amazon, and the Galapagos archipelago. Each region has its own distinct and unique climate and landscapes, which makes this a country of natural contrasts. Traveling through the wonderful natural world of Ecuador, we can float along the currents of wide rivers and narrow streams, take a rest on the shores of crystal-clear lakes, explore mysterious caves and gaze at bizarre and unique plant and animal species that evolved far from Man on deserted islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Geography

Continental Ecuador is divided into three clearly delimited geographical areas from east to west. The coast, known as Costa, covers a third of the western region, stretching for 800 km from the foothills of the Andes all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The mountain range, or Sierra, seems to split the country in half. Many mountains in this area reach dizzying heights, including Chimborazo (6310 m), the country’s highest peak, and the mythical Cotopaxi, the world’s tallest active volcano, with an altitude of 5897 meters. This region is also home to the country capital, Quito, as well as many other of the country’s important urban areas. The Oriente is the region starting along the eastern slopes of the mountains that is covered by the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. With such luxuriant vegetation, the Oriente is relatively hard to reach, and is therefore sparsely populated.

It is important to mention the Galapagos archipelago, a group of 48 volcanic islands located 960 km from the Ecuadorian coast: these islands’ rich biodiversity earned them the status of UNESCO world heritage site.

Culture

Like many other South American countries, Ecuador has had an eventful history. Early in the 16th century, it was conquered by the Inca Empire, which was conquered in one fell swoop with the arrival of Pizarro and the Spanish conquistadors in 1532, who the Incas saw as magicians. Offering no resistance, the Inca Empire was quickly overrun. This was the beginning of the colonial era, which dramatically altered the country’s identity. Nowadays, it is impossible to ignore the heritage left by this conquest, particularly when looking at the architecture and the superb baroque buildings in the bigger cities. The Catholic Church has also played a major role since the beginning of the Spanish conquest. Still today, Ecuadorians are very religious: close to 95% of the population is catholic. However, in many cases Catholicism was merely added to the country’s indigenous beliefs, which often has created some rather surprising religious views. Also, the more we travel into the Andean regions, the more we find Quechua traditions and other relics of the pre-Columbian era, offering a rare glimpse into the foundations of Ecuador.

Ecuador is a flamboyant country bursting with cultural contrasts and alive with traditional music. Rich from centuries of varied influences, Ecuadorian music blends Spanish sounds with the traditional pan flute music from the Andes. In addition, African influences dating back to a long period of slavery are still very apparent.

To properly get a grasp of this country’s soul, all you need is to make your way to any of the many typical markets that bring the cities and villages to life early in the morning: fruits and vegetables, cattle, ceramics, hats, carpets, and handicrafts of all kinds are waiting to dazzle you with their colors! Here, shopkeepers selling textiles and handicrafts exchange light-hearted and passionate rants with each other, creating a great spectacle that visitors are sure to enjoy! By far the country’s most famous market, flamboyant Otavalo market offers a condensed version of Ecuadorian handicrafts. Here you’ll find magnificent wools, carpets, and ponchos. Of course, this is also a great place to marvel at the beauty of the handicrafts produced by the Otavalo Indians.

Many festivals and celebrations give life to the Ecuadorian calendar and offer a great way to get to know the country:

- Mardi Gras in February: the country’s most important festival, celebrated with colorful carnivals.
- The Corn and Tourism Festival, held during the last week of June: with parades featuring traditional groups and street mimes, this colorful festival is also a great opportunity to view some of the local handicraft exhibitions. Not to be missed.
- The Fiesta de San Juan, in June: this lively Indian celebration features a wide variety of costumes and dances. It lasts for 3 days and 3 nights and ends with a mass.
- Esmeralda’s Independence, on August 5th: for almost a week, people celebrate dancing during this festival that focuses on merengue and salsa.
- Todos los Santos, November 1st: Day of the dead during which people converge to the cemeteries in order to invite the deceased to come back to the world of the living. This important day is an opportunity to honor the deceased by decorating their tombs, but also to play music and sample some local dishes.
- Foundation of Quito, in December: colorful vehicles and traditional music fill the streets, samba orchestras play and the atmosphere is out of this world.

Climate

Each of Ecuador’s main geographical areas has a its own distinct climate, allowing travelers to visit the country all year long. The climate is generally tropical, though the Andes’ influence means it is also moderate. Temperatures are therefore relatively cool in higher altitudes, and there are considerable variations between regions. In short, Ecuador has two main seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season lasts from December to May in the flatlands and from January to April on the coast, with daily showers that get stronger later in the day. It rains all year long in the Amazon region, though more precipitation occurs between April and June. The dry season lasts for the rest of the year.

The coast benefits from a warm and dry climate all year long, particularly between April and June. The beaches are lovely and the temperatures are generally ideal for swimming. The rainy season takes place between January and April. Later in the year between July and August, clouds and fog appear. The cold Humboldt Current influences climate in the southern coast, where temperatures are generally cooler.

The Sierra | The Sierra’s climate is often described as “permanent spring”. Here, temperatures stay cool, particularly in higher altitudes (14°C to 18°C), and temperature differences between night and day are surprising. The rainy season lasts from December to May, but there is considerable cloud cover throughout the year. The best time to visit is between June and September, when temperatures are generally comfortable and there is less humidity.

The Oriente | As one would expect, the Oriente climate is hot and humid, with rainfall occurring throughout the year, especially between April and June. The tropical forest covers most of the eastern half of the country, and the average temperature is 25°C. It can get pretty cold in the forest, particularly at night and when it rains.

The Galápagos | The climate of the Galápagos Islands is influenced by the Humboldt Current and is thus dry and tropical. There are two main seasons: the dry season (or Garua season) and the warm season. During the dry season, which lasts between June and November, temperatures oscillate between 20°C and 24°C and the waters are cooler than during the rainy season. There is very little rain, but the wind blowing from the south brings a quasi-permanent fog (Garuas). During the warm season, which lasts from December to May, average temperatures rise to 25°C, with a warm sun and sporadic rains.