Make the Most of Your Time in Ecuador

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Quito in the foreground with an erupting Cotopaxi volcano in the distance
How Many Days to Spend In Ecuador

Ecuador is a country that packs enormous diversity into a small area, so it's ideal to visit for a short trip. You can spend a long weekend exploring Quito and the mountains, stay for a week venturing into the Amazon jungle or cruising the Galápagos, or spend two weeks climbing volcanoes, exploring cloud forest,s and enjoying adventure sports before relaxing on the Pacific beaches. Whatever your preference, use this guide to help you make the most of your visit.

Green sea turtle in the Galapagos
5 Days in Ecuador - 3 Unique Itinerary Ideas

If you've only got five days in Ecuador, pick from one of the country's three main ecological zones to maximize your time. Base yourself in Quito and explore the surrounding region, or head directly to Yasuni National Park for four days of wildlife viewing and rainforest adventures. If you prefer remote wilderness, bypass the city and fly directly to the Galapagos to see giant tortoises, snorkel, and visit an uninhabited island.

Wandering through the cobblestone plazas of Quito's beautiful Old Town
Map of 5 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
5 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Have just five days in Ecuador? No problem: it's one of the smallest countries in South America, so it's possible to move around to more than one place in less than a week. Read on for our top suggestions for a quick visit to this gorgeous and geographically diverse destination.

Enjoy views of Quito on a hike of the Pichincha Volcano
Map of 6 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
6 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

In six days, you can explore Quito's highlights and a few nearby destinations, like Cotopaxi and Otavalo. Or add in Mindo and venture into its cloud forest to see one of the world's most remarkably diverse landscapes. Concentrate solely on the capital city for an in-depth experience, or include Andean locales like Cotacachi and Apuela in northern Ecuador. Alternatively, get off the mainland, grab your camera and seek wild tortoises, seabirds, and sea lions on islands in the Galápagos.

Highly active marmoset monkeys can be spotted on trips into the Ecuadorian Amazon
Map of 1 Week in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
1 Week in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Spend a week in Ecuador exploring the country's diversity, from volcanoes to the rainforest. Each trip starts in Quito, with tours of the UNESCO-designated historic city and a visit to the equator site. From here, choose to stay on the mainland and explore the highlands, cloud forest, and national parks, or fly to the Galapagos for a quick highlights tour of the biodiverse archipelago.

Boy riding a horse at Quilotoa lake in Ecuador
Map of 10 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
10 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Locals are fond of saying that Ecuador is four countries in one: coast, highlands, jungle, and the Galápagos. Whether you want to relax on the beach, climb volcanoes, hike around Andean lakes, zip-line in the cloud forest, canoe up an Amazon tributary, or cruise the Galápagos, there is a perfect itinerary for everyone.

See stunning birdlife in Ecuador's Mindo Cloud Forest, like the plate-billed mountain toucan
11 Days in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

With 11 days in Ecuador, you can see three to four regions depending on your preferred travel pace. Most trips start in Quito and visit the Andes, the Amazon, the Pacific Coast, or the Galapágos Islands from there. Get off the beaten path in southern Ecuador, visit crater lakes, hot springs, and waterfalls in the Andes, see endemic animals in the Galápagos Islands, tour the Amazon Rainforest, or choose a hiking-focused itinerary through active and dormant volcanoes in the highlands.

Marine Iguana, Galápagos Islands
Map of 2 Weeks in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas
2 Weeks in Ecuador - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Two weeks in Ecuador gives plenty of time to enjoy all three of the country's main ecosystems—Amazon, Highlands, and Galápagos—or focus on one to fully immerse yourself in the area. Use Quito as a base for day trips to local volcanoes and national parks while still exploring the capital's history, or opt to spend your time looking for wildlife on the remote Galápagos Islands. Alternately, maximize your trip by adding a week in Peru to see Lima, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. Read on for more unique itineraries.