How long is the flight from London to Quito?

Around 15 to 17 hours in total via Madrid, Amsterdam or Bogota, including the connection. Via a US hub it is more like 18 to 22 hours.

Should I fly into Quito or Guayaquil?

Quito for the Andes, haciendas and the Amazon. Guayaquil for the coast and the quickest hop to the Galapagos. Most of our trips fly into one and home from the other so you do not backtrack.

How do I get to the Galapagos from the UK?

Fly to Quito or Guayaquil, then take a domestic flight to Baltra or San Cristobal, under 2 hours from Guayaquil. Flights from Quito usually stop in Guayaquil. We book the Galapagos flight with your holiday. The national park fee (USD 200 per adult) and the transit card (USD 20) are in the price on some trips and paid on arrival on others, and each trip page says which.

Do I need a visa for Ecuador?

UK passport holders can currently enter Ecuador for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days. If you connect through the US you need an ESTA even to transit. Always check the latest UK government travel advice before you travel.

Do you sell flight-only to Ecuador?

No. We build complete, ATOL-protected Ecuador and Galapagos holidays with flights, hotels, transfers and experiences in one package.

Snow-capped Cotopaxi Volcano against clear skies in the Ecuadorian Andes

Flights to Ecuador from the UK

Q: How much does a flight to Ecuador cost?

As a 2026 guide, a return economy fare from London to Quito or Guayaquil is roughly £700 to £900 in quieter months, £900 to £1,100 for most of the year and £1,100 to £1,500 or more at peak. The Galapagos return adds about £350 to £450. Our holidays include all flights in one price.

Q: When are fares to Ecuador lowest?

Fares from the UK are usually lowest from late January to March and in October and November. June to August and Christmas are the busiest and most expensive.

Routes, airlines, flight times and the best months to fly in 2026, with Ecuador and Galapagos holidays built around you.

There is no direct flight from the UK to Ecuador. The main routes are Iberia via Madrid, KLM via Amsterdam and Avianca via Bogota, landing in Quito (UIO) or Guayaquil (GYE) after about 15 to 17 hours door to door. US carriers connect through Miami and Houston, which takes longer and needs an ESTA.

Which airport you choose matters. Quito is the gateway to the Andes, the haciendas and the Amazon, and it sits at 2,850 m. Guayaquil is at sea level and is the closer hop to the Galapagos. On most of our trips you fly into one and out of the other, with the Galapagos flight booked in the middle. Flights are included in every Ecuador holiday we sell, so the whole trip is ATOL protected.

Flights to Ecuador at a glance

Distance
About 5,700 miles
London Heathrow to Quito is 5,707 miles (9,185 km) in a straight line. Guayaquil is 5,883 miles (9,467 km).
Flight time
15 to 17 hours with one change
About 11 to 12 hours of it is the long flight from Madrid, Amsterdam or Bogota. Via the US it is more like 18 to 22 hours.
Direct flights
None from the UK
As of 2026 there is no non-stop flight between the UK and Ecuador, so every route changes planes once.
Time difference
5 hours behind the UK
Ecuador is on UTC minus 5 all year: 5 hours behind in the UK winter and 6 in summer. The Galapagos are one hour further back.
Airports
Quito (UIO) and Guayaquil (GYE)
Quito, at 2,850 m, for the Andes and the Amazon. Guayaquil, at sea level, for the coast and the closest hop to the Galapagos.
Cheapest months
Late January to March, October and November
June to August and Christmas are the busiest and dearest. There is a fare guide below.

How to fly to Ecuador from the UK

As of 2026 there are four ways to fly from the UK, each with one change. The times include the connection.

Via Madrid with Iberia
15 to 16 hours in total
About two and a half hours from London to Madrid, then about 11 hours to Quito or Guayaquil. Usually the quickest, from London Heathrow.
Via Amsterdam with KLM
16 to 17 hours in total
Just over an hour to Amsterdam, then about 12 hours to Quito, where the same plane goes on to Guayaquil. Five or six flights a week, with connections from Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and other UK airports.
Via Bogota with Avianca
15 to 17 hours in total
Non-stop from London Heathrow to Bogota in about 11 hours, then just under 2 hours to Quito or about 2 hours to Guayaquil.
Via the US
18 to 22 hours in total
American Airlines through Miami to Quito or Guayaquil, or United through Houston to Quito. You need a US ESTA even to change planes.
On to the Galapagos
Under 2 hours from Guayaquil
LATAM and Avianca fly from Quito and Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristobal; flights from Quito usually stop in Guayaquil. Every visitor pays the national park fee, USD 200 per adult, and a transit card, USD 20. Some of our trips include both and on others you pay on arrival; each trip page says which.

How much do flights to Ecuador cost

As a 2026 guide, return economy fares from London to Quito or Guayaquil run roughly £700 to £900 in quieter months, £900 to £1,100 for most of the year and £1,100 to £1,500 or more at Easter, in July and August and over Christmas. The Galapagos return flight adds around £350 to £450. Our Ecuador holidays include all of it in one price.

When to fly to Ecuador

Ecuador is a year-round destination. As a rule, the Andes are driest June to September, the Galapagos are warmest and calmest December to May, and the Amazon is wet all year. Fares from the UK are lowest from late January to March and in October and November. June to August and Christmas are the busiest and dearest.

Before you go: UK passport holders can currently visit Ecuador for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days, but always check the UK government travel advice for Ecuador before you book. Ecuador uses the US dollar, so there is no money to change if you take dollars.

Vaccinations: TravelHealthPro, the UK travel health service, lists what it recommends for Ecuador, and our Ecuador guide sums it up. TravelHealthPro lists a yellow fever certificate only for arrivals from Brazil, Uganda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so a change of planes in Madrid, Amsterdam, Bogota or the US does not need one. See your GP or a travel nurse 4 to 6 weeks before you go.

Frequently asked questions: flights to Ecuador

No. As of 2026 there is no non-stop flight between the UK and Ecuador. The quickest routes connect once: in Madrid with Iberia, in Amsterdam with KLM or in Bogota with Avianca.

Ecuador holidays with flights included

Every trip includes flights from London and is ATOL protected.

Ecuador

Tailor-Made

Galapagos holidays with flights included

Every trip includes flights from London and is ATOL protected.

A teal lagoon behind a lava shoreline under a wide cloudy sky on Santa Cruz island, Galápagos

Galapagos Islands

Tailor-Made

Galápagos Island Hopping: Santa Cruz & Isabela

10 daysModeratePrivate to 2 or more travellers

Galápagos & Machu Picchu: Andes Twin-Centre Holiday

10 daysModeratePrivate to 2 or more travellers

Galápagos & Machu Picchu Honeymoon: Luxury Twin-Centre

11 daysModeratePrivate to just the two of you

From£6,499

ATOL protected

View Details

Heading for the Galapagos too? See our Galapagos holidays and Galapagos cruises. For what to see and when to go, read our Ecuador guide, or tell us your dates and we will build it.

Travel Insurance for Ecuador

Ecuador trips mix altitude in Quito and the Andes with boat days in the Galapagos. Check that any policy you buy covers walking above 2,500 m and any snorkelling, diving or kayaking you plan, alongside medical costs and repatriation. Arranging cover as soon as your trip is confirmed also means you are covered if you have to cancel.

Visit Just Travel Cover

We are not insurance advisers and we do not recommend a particular policy or provider. The link above is to an independent company and we may be paid a commission if you buy through it.

eSIM for Ecuador

An eSIM gets your phone online as soon as you land. You buy it online and install it at home on wifi. All three work in Ecuador:

Airalo: the widest choice of plan sizes, usually the cheapest for a set amount of data.
Saily: priced close to Airalo, with no limit on hotspot use.
Holafly: unlimited data priced by the day. Code TRAVELFAB takes 5 percent off.

Visit Airalo

We may earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It never adds to your price, and it does not change which one we suggest.

Let us plan your Ecuador holiday

Our specialists choose the right airports, book the Galapagos flight and build in the haciendas, cloud forest and Amazon, so your ATOL-protected Ecuador holiday comes together as one trip.

Plan your Ecuador holiday

We typically respond within 24 hours

Flights to Ecuador from the UK

Flights to Ecuador at a glance

Distance

Flight time

Direct flights

Time difference

Airports

Cheapest months

How to fly to Ecuador from the UK

Via Madrid with Iberia

Via Amsterdam with KLM

Via Bogota with Avianca

Via the US

On to the Galapagos

How much do flights to Ecuador cost

When to fly to Ecuador

Frequently asked questions: flights to Ecuador

Ecuador holidays with flights included

Haciendas of Ecuador: Otavalo, Papallacta & Cotopaxi

Ecuador Small Group Tour — Volcanoes, Ingapirca and Cuenca

Ecuador Amazon & Andes: Quito, Otavalo & the Jungle

Ecuador Volcano Avenue Adventure

Ecuador & Galápagos Grand Tour: Amazon, Andes & Islands

Ecuador & Galápagos Journey: Quito & Santa Cruz

Galapagos holidays with flights included

Galápagos Island Hopping: Santa Cruz & Isabela

Galápagos & Machu Picchu: Andes Twin-Centre Holiday

Galápagos & Machu Picchu Honeymoon: Luxury Twin-Centre

Let us plan your Ecuador holiday