Ecuador & Galápagos Grand Tour: Amazon, Andes & Islands
Twelve set departures through 2027, flights from London included
Your trip
Your 12 days in Ecuador
Most people going to Ecuador have to choose between the mainland and the islands. This route does not make you choose. You start in Quito, spend a morning at the Otavalo market, cross the equator, drop into the Amazon to stay with a Quichua community, then come back up through the waterfalls at Baños, the vicuña country below Chimborazo and the Inca walls at Ingapirca, and finish the mainland in Cuenca and Guayaquil. Then you fly out to the Galápagos for four nights on land, on Santa Cruz and Isabela, walking the lava and snorkelling from the shore rather than looking at it from a cabin window. It runs on set dates with a small group, no more than sixteen of you, and it is guaranteed to go from two travellers, so you can book it on your own.
At a glance
12 days11 nights
Small group, max 16See all small group tours
Easy to ModerateActivity level
Flights includedATOL protected
20 Jan 2027Next departure
EcuadorOur destination guide
What makes it special
Highlights
Quito and the equator
Quito old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, and the equator line at Quitsato
Otavalo and Lake San Pablo
The Otavalo market in the Andes, and a night on the shore of Lake San Pablo
Cacao in the Amazon
Two days in the Amazon with a Quichua community, harvesting cacao and making chocolate
Baños
The Pailón del Diablo waterfall at Baños, where the Andes fall away towards the jungle
Chimborazo and Ingapirca
Vicuñas on the Chimborazo reserve at over 4,000 metres, then Ingapirca, the largest Inca site in Ecuador
Panama hats in Cuenca
Cuenca, a colonial city of blue domes, riverside walks and the workshops where Panama hats are actually made
The Galápagos on land
Four nights in the Galápagos on land, on Santa Cruz and Isabela, with snorkelling at Concha y Perla and the Tintoreras
Guaranteed to run
A small group of no more than sixteen, guaranteed to run from two travellers
Day by day
Your itinerary
Day 1London to Quito
Fly from London to Quito, where your guide meets you and takes you to the hotel for dinner. Quito sits at 2,850 metres, so the first evening is deliberately a quiet one.
Day 2Quito, then north to Otavalo
A morning in the UNESCO old town: Independence Square, the gold leaf interior of La Compañía, San Francisco, and a tasting of the sweets Quito has made for generations. Lunch downtown, then the drive north to the Otavalo market, the biggest indigenous market in the Andes. You stay on the shore of Lake San Pablo.
Day 3The equator line and into the Amazon
Stand on the real equator at Quitsato, below Cayambe, then take the road over the Guacamayos ridge and down into the Amazon basin, with lunch and river trout at Baeza. At Cotundo a Quichua community shows you the cacao harvest, and you make and taste the chocolate yourself. Night at a jungle lodge.
Day 4Amazon, the waterfall road and Riobamba
A morning walk in the forest and a swim in the river, then west towards the Andes. A balsa wood workshop at Puyo, the Pastaza canyon, the Avenue of Waterfalls and the Pailón del Diablo, then time on foot in Baños before you carry on to Riobamba with Chimborazo ahead of you.
Day 5Chimborazo, Ingapirca and Cuenca
The Balbanera church at Lake Colta first, then the Chimborazo reserve, where the vicuña herds were brought back from near extinction. On to the Inca fortress of Ingapirca and lunch with a Cañari family, and into Cuenca in the evening.
Day 6Cuenca, then down to Guayaquil
A full morning in Cuenca: the flower market, the French Route, the Turi viewpoint, a Panama hat workshop and the Museum of Aboriginal Cultures. After lunch you cross Cajas National Park, where the páramo is scattered with hundreds of glacial lakes, and come down off the Andes to the Pacific plain and into Guayaquil, with a panoramic tour of the city on arrival.
Day 7Guayaquil to the Galápagos, Santa Cruz
The flight out to Baltra, then the crossing to Santa Cruz. You spend the day in the highlands at the Los Gemelos craters and a giant tortoise reserve, with lunch at a ranch, and finish at the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora.
Day 8Santa Cruz to Isabela
Two hours by boat to Isabela, the largest and youngest of the islands. The tortoise breeding centre, the Humedales wetlands and the flamingo lagoon, then snorkelling at Concha y Perla, where sea lions usually join you. Night in Puerto Villamil.
Day 9The Tintoreras, and back to Santa Cruz
A morning at the Tintoreras islet: a walk across the lava where white-tipped reef sharks rest in the channels, and an hour of snorkelling. After lunch you take the boat back to Santa Cruz.
Day 10A free day on Santa Cruz
The day is yours. Tortuga Bay is an easy walk from town, or you can add a shared day boat to North Seymour, Bartolomé, South Plaza or Santa Fe at a supplement, which we will book for you before you travel.
Day 11The Galápagos back to Guayaquil
The transfer to Baltra and the flight back to the mainland, arriving in Guayaquil in the afternoon with the evening free.
Day 12Guayaquil to London
A free morning, then your transfer to the airport for the flight home.
Read the video script
Imagine snorkelling with curious sea lions, swimming with penguins, and if you are lucky, spotting white-tip reef sharks. And that is only how this grand journey ends. Visit Ecuador and the Galápagos with Travelfab. Start your adventure high in the Andes, in the historic heart of Quito. Browse the colourful Otavalo market, before standing with one foot in each hemisphere, right at the equator. Drop deep into the Amazon, to craft chocolate alongside a Quichua community. Ride the waterfall road to the thunderous Pailón del Diablo, and meet wild vicuñas roaming beneath Chimborazo. Walk the ancient Inca walls of Ingapirca, and wander Cuenca, where Panama hats are really made. Then fly out to the legendary Galápagos Islands. See sea lions sleeping in town, giant tortoises roaming free in the highlands, and dive into that incredible snorkelling we promised you. Experience this beautiful country in twelve days, guided by an English-speaking expert all the way. We offer set dates through 2027, with flights included and full ATOL protection. Prefer a custom itinerary? Our UK team is ready to tailor-make your journey, for any length of time. Plan your trip at travelfab.co.uk.
Your price covers
What's included
Flights
Return flights from London, with an ATOL certificate for every booking
We can also book other airlines, including flights with one stop, to suit your dates and preferences.
Internal flights
Return Galápagos flights from the mainland, and the transfers at both ends
Accommodation
Eleven nights in the hotels listed, or similar, in double rooms
Meals
Breakfast every day, plus the lunches and dinners shown in the day by day
Guides and tours
An English-speaking guide throughout, on the mainland and in the islands
Transport
Private transfers and private land transport for the group
Entry fees
- All entrance fees and visits in the itinerary
- The INGALA transit card and the Isabela port tax
Experiences
Galápagos day excursions on boats carrying no more than sixteen
ATOL protection
Your holiday is ATOL protected (ATOL 10898). You get an ATOL Certificate when you book.
Not included: The Galápagos National Park fee, USD 200 per adult and USD 100 per child under 12, paid on arrival in the islands · Drinks, personal spending and tips for guides and drivers · Travel insurance, which we strongly advise you arrange as soon as you book · The single supplement, around GBP 400, if you would rather have your own room · Optional island day tours such as Bartolomé or North Seymour, and hotel upgrades in the islands
Your next step
Dates and price
Departure Dates
Choose a date, then enquire.
No commitment, we reply within one working day
Before you book
Frequently Asked Questions
No, and that is deliberate. You stay in hotels on Santa Cruz and Isabela and go out on day boats, so you sleep on land, you can walk into town in the evening, and it costs a good deal less than a cabin. The trade-off is that you see fewer of the outer islands than a cruise would reach.
We strongly recommend you buy travel insurance as soon as you book. Make sure it covers the whole trip, the Galápagos and Guayaquil included, and any medical conditions you have. Whichever insurer you are looking at, battleface included, ask them to confirm that in writing. We are not insurance advisers, so we cannot tell you which policy to choose.
Yes. It is a set departure with a small group, so you are not paying private-trip prices to travel alone, and it is guaranteed to run from two travellers. If you would rather not share a room the single supplement is around GBP 400 for the twelve days.
Sixteen at the most, on the mainland and on the island day boats, with an English-speaking guide who is with you throughout.
Quito is at 2,850 metres and the Chimborazo reserve is over 4,000, though you are only up there for part of a day. The first evening in Quito is kept free on purpose so you can take it gently. Drink plenty of water, walk slowly for the first day or two, and tell your guide if you feel it.
There are twelve departures across 2027 and the islands are good all year. January to May is warmer with calmer, clearer water, which suits snorkelling. June to November is cooler and choppier, with more seabird activity. Tell us what matters most to you and we will talk it through.
Twelve dates across 2027
Tell us roughly when you would like to travel and who is coming, and we will come back with the dates that still have space and a price for your party.
Real reviews
What our customers say
They organised excellent accommodation and transfers from airport to destination and between destinations which was seamless and gave us peace of mind for our trip. We stayed in the nicest casa particular in Havana right on the outskirts of the major hustle of the old town but within walking distance to every site and lots of lovely restaurants. Our hotel in Varadero had 5 a la carte restaurants which were delicious and wonderful beaches! Would definitely go back to Cuba and use TravelFab again.
Annabelle
Excellent service. Fabien responded to all our queries promptly and efficiently and was always willing to spend time talking to us. The itinerary was well-considered and well-organised with an adequate amount of time in each location. Locations were varied and interesting. The service provided by the B&B owners was good to outstanding. The organisation of the coach services for transfers from one destination to another was super with comfortable journeys in clean, air-conditioned coaches. Thanks, TravelFab!
David
I was very impressed with Fabian's dedication, patience and professionalism in organising a group of 8 young persons (over 60's) to get to Cuba. The whole experience has been a very positive one. Despite having to relocate to another hotel at the last minute, that change over went very smoothly. Our accommodations were excellent. We will definitely book with TravelFab again. Thank you!
Yvette T
More holidays in Ecuador
Ecuador Small Group Tour — Volcanoes, Ingapirca and Cuenca
Ecuador & Galápagos Journey: Quito & Santa Cruz
Haciendas of Ecuador: Otavalo, Papallacta & Cotopaxi
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Tailor-made · ATOL 10898
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