We think we will return to the real world one day, at which point we probably won’t be able to spend a full month in Ecuador. For the sake of planning our return trip – and lending a hand to any of you who might want to go yourselves – we each broke down our favorites into two very different, but equally thrilling, 1-week vacations!
So, with no further ado…
Option #1:
Elizabeth’s “See-It-All-But-Remember-You’re-on-Vacation” Itinerary
Day 0, Friday
Depending on flights, this might require a half-day off work. From Atlanta, the flight is only about 5 hours and leaves at dinner time with arrival in Quito close to midnight. Heads up, this can be confusing with hotel bookings, since you will need a place to sleep the night of arrival (i.e. if your flight ends at 12:01 a.m. on the 28th, you need a room on the 27th)!
Day 1, Saturday
In the late morning, take a walking tour of Quito’s historic center and its 7 cathedrals, then have lunch nearby at Hasta La Vuelta, Senor. The restaurant is located on the 3rd floor of a building on the Plaza Grande. I loved the empanada de viento (massive cheese empanada) and shrimp ceviche. In the afternoon, take the Teleferico to the top for incredible views of the city and the surrounding volcanoes! If you are struggling with the high altitude (i.e. headache, lethargy), skip this, take a nap, avoid alcohol, and chug water! There is a lot to see in Quito, but it’s okay to rest on vacation! I would finish up the day with a local craft beer at Bandido Brewing, followed by dinner at Somos Restaurant.
Day 2, Sunday
Hop on an early morning flight to the Galapagos. We documented how much there is to see in the rest of Ecuador, but I can’t imagine going back and not spending time exploring more of these pristine islands. I’d go straight to the port near the airport for a 4-day, 3-night cruise.
Days 3 & 4, Monday & Tuesday
Cruising
The cruise lengths can be deceiving, based on our experience. Sunday would be Day 1 and Day 4 would involve an early morning drop off at the airport on Wednesday, so the 4-day cruise is really only ~2.5 days of exploring.
Day 5, Wednesday
Finish up the cruise early in the morning and spend a day and night in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. The day I shopped and wandered around this quaint-yet-bustling port town (while Mike was scuba diving) was one of my favorite days in Ecuador.
Days 6 & 7, Thursday & Friday
Thursday morning, head to the airport for a connecting flight to Cuenca. Take a few days to enjoy everything we described in our Cuenca post! This would be the time for hiking in the nearby national park, reading by the river and napping.
Day 8, Saturday
Travel day! Flights back to the USA leave at night, so we had fun spending most of the last day in Cuenca. With arrival very early on Sunday morning, the last day of vacation can be dedicated to resting at home and getting ready for whatever the real world involves on Monday morning.
Option #2:
Mike’s “Ultimate Week-Long Ecuadorian Adventure, Minus the Galápagos”
Disclaimer: While Elizabeth made sure to jam the Galápagos into her itinerary above, I’m of the opinion that is a completely separate trip. To do it right, I’d recommend budgeting a full week there alone, at least!
Day 0, Friday
Wake up and chug a bottle of water, first thing. Take a half day off work, and head to the airport. Chug more water. Arrive to your hotel or Airbnb in Quito by midnight, chug another glass of water, and get a good night’s sleep.
Day 1, Saturday
Wake up early (~7am), chug more water, grab coffee, hop in a rental car, and drive 2 hours north to a town called Otovalo. Start at the weekly livestock market (only on Saturdays) just outside of town for a little shock factor and then head into the indigenous village to shop around the lively artisanal market. Here, you’ll be able to find all your souvenirs for the week at half the price (the Otovalo market is where most store owners in Ecuador come to get their goods!). Have a quick lunch in town and stop by the Cascada de Peguche (waterfall) on your way back to Quito.
Rest for a bit, then finish the day with a night tour of the historic district (shoutout to Airbnb Experiences) and a late dinner at Somos Restaurant, our favorite high-end Ecuadorian/American fusion spot.
Day 2, Sunday
Sleep in. Now that you have your bearings a bit from the tour, spend the morning strolling around the empty streets of Quito while everyone is at Mass. Better yet, rent a bike and join the locals for Ciclopaseo, which runs from 8am-2pm in many parts of Quito. Refuel over lunch at Llama Love, a hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant with delicious tacos.
In the afternoon, be sure to hop down to La Ronda, the historic pedestrian street flooded with authentic shops, cafes and restaurants. Trek over to Bandido Brewery, our favorite spot to grab cerveza on draft and order the nachos if you’re still hungry. As this will be your last evening in Quito, I’d recommend bouncing around the city as much as possible before grabbing an early sushi dinner at Shibumi (we went 2x and ordered the chef’s selection both times… unreal!).
Day 3, Monday
Wake up at the crack of dawn and visit El Teleferico, a big gondola that takes you high into the mountains above Quito. It opens at 8am, so try to arrive around then to maximize your day. At the top, you’ll have panoramic views of Quito and be able to see multiple volcanoes on the horizon (including Cotopaxi, which you’ll be visiting in a couple days!). Afterwards, head back to your place, load up your rental car (SUV!) and drive 3 hrs south to Quilotoa.
There, you’ll be visiting the extremely photogenic crater lake (photos). When you get there, park in town, walk up a small hill to the crater rim, and prepare to have your breath taken away.
Then, take your time walking all the way down to the crater lake, where you can rent canoes. Be sure to take a bunch of photos before the somewhat exhausting hike back up to the top of the crater rim! You can also pay to ride a tiny smelly donkey back to the top (but I wouldn’t…). Spend the night at the nearby Hacienda La Cienega, a 400+ year old estate that has been converted into a boutique hotel. Have some wine and eat at the hotel restaurant, then chug more water and hop in bed!
Day 4, Tuesday
Again, wake up early and drive to the base of Cotopaxi for a bike tour. Meet your guides (we used the Biking Dutchman; they provided everything, including lunch), and they’ll take you up the mountain for a few-hour-long ride.
Pro tip: bring a GoPro as you’ll get some cool timelapse footage of the ride. Once you finish up (~2pm), start your scenic drive about 3 hours farther south to Baños, which is known as the adventure capital of Ecuador. It’s a little pricey, but if you can swing it, stay a night at the Samari Spa Resort. Get a cheap massage in the spa, chill by the indoor pool and have dinner served on a hot volcanic rock. Sleep easy.
Day 5, Wednesday
Wake up early and start the guided adventure tour of your choice. Options include: canyoning, rafting, ATV riding, horseback riding, etc. Have lunch at Leoni Pizza in town (use the passion fruit hot sauce!), followed by some gourmet hot chocolate or a milkshake (my preference) at Aromi Cafe, the chocolatier across the street.
On your way out of town, I’d pick one of the following to check out: either El Pailon del Diablo, one of the largest waterfalls in Ecuador, or, Casa del Arbol, a massive swing high above the mountains (do it for the ‘gram!). Hop back in your car and ride 2.5 hours to Tena, a town known as the gateway to the Amazon. Arrange for a canoe transfer to take you up river to the Itamandi Eco Lodge. Hopefully you’ll have arrived in time for dinner and the guided night walk full of wildlife.
Days 6 & 7, Thursday & Friday
Once you get to Itamandi, you’re kind of at the mercy of their schedule, which consists of daily guided tours around the jungle. For the next couple of days, immerse yourself in the local indigenous culture, take photos of exotic wildlife, and enjoy your time off the grid in the Amazon rainforest. For me, this visit to Itamandi was probably my favorite part of Ecuador as its awesomeness was much less expected than that of the Galápagos Islands.
Day 8, Saturday
Now it’s time to head home. Leave Itamandi after breakfast, and drive the 3.5 hours back to the Quito airport (to be safe, budget 5 hours for the drive as the roads are dicey at best; see this post for all the details). Hop on the plane and get back Stateside early Sunday morning!