A beginner's guide to Ecuador

If your priority is a Galapagos Cruise but you'd really like to spend a little time in Ecuador on either side of your trip, then this is the perfect Ecuador holiday for you.

This five-day mini-break is a great introduction to everything Ecuador has to offer from the colonial splendour of Quito, to the dramatic natural scenery of the Cotopaxi National Park, complete with a trip to the local market of Otavalo - this trip is a great way to make sure you get to see a slice of the Real Ecuador!

Day One - Arrival in Quito

As your holiday in Ecuador begins, we’ll be there to pick you up and take you to your hotel, which is in the heart of Quito. You will probably be wanting some time to rest and get used to the altitude so we have left the rest of today free for you to relax. Your hotel is close to dozens of restaurants and cafes, as well as all the other facilities you'd expect from a capital city, so if you're feeling up to it then why not head on out and explore?

Day Two - City tour of Quito

After a free morning to relax and settle into things, we will pick you up after lunch and take you for a tour of Quito’s Old Town, including the plazas, Cathedral and other sites of interest before heading out of town to the “Mitad del Mundo” (Middle of the World) centre, located right on the Equator, so you can stand astride the world!

Day Three - Cotopaxi National Park

The snow-capped mountain of Cotopaxi is one of the enduring symbols of Ecuador, and no holiday in Ecuador is complete without a trip to see it. Today we will take you on a full-day tour through the Cotopaxi National Park, giving you the chance for some breathtaking photos before we head back to Quito in the evening.

Day Four - Otavalo Market

An early start today, as we head out of Quito into the mountains to the north for a slice of the Real Ecuador! We'll be heading to the bustling local market at Otavalo - a typical mountain town that just happens to be home to the largest market in Ecuador! You can check out the beautiful local textiles, haggle over some excellent leather goods, or just sit back with an Ecuadorean coffee and take it all in! After a full day here, we will return to Quito in the evening.

Day Five - Onward bound!

Your flight to the Galapagos will leave in the morning, so you’ll just have time for breakfast today before it’s time to say goodbye to the mainland as we pick you up and take you to catch your flight on to your Galapagos cruise...

Because all our Ecuador holidays are tailormade, our prices are flexible and depend on the accommodation and activities you want. If you want to change the length of this holiday, or the activities you do, or the type of accommodation you use - let us know! We can send you a tailormade itinerary, including price, absolutely free!

Our standard price for this trip is £395 per person. This price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room in our standard 3-star accommodation (details available on request).

And what does it include?

We know that you need to be able to see how much things are going to cost you, so everything that you read about on the previous page is included in this price. The only "biggie" that we don't include is your international flight to and from the UK. We ask you to buy these yourself, but we will do all the research for you and find you the best deal going, so you don't have expend any effort here.

Just to be absolutely clear, here is what you're getting for your money on this holiday:

• All accommodation in superior hotels we have personally checked out
• All transfers
• All internal transport
• All entrance fees
• Half-day tour of Quito, including the "Middle of the World"
• Full-day tour of Cotopaxi National Park
• Full-day tour of Otavalo market
• Full buffet breakfast every day
• Packed lunch on your Cotopaxi trip

Easy upgrades

As we've said, we can tailormake your itinerary to your exact specifications, and you can have a look at our Ecuador Guide or some of our other Ecuador Holidays for ideas about how to add to this holiday, but we can also offer you some easy optional extras which fit into this exact itinerary:

• This price is based on our standard 3-star accommodation. All the hotels we would use for this trip are family-friendly with ensuite bathrooms, cable television, full buffet breakfasts, etc. but if you'd like to upgrade your hotels to something with a little more luxury then please just ask and we'll make some recommendations! Cost: Please ask
• Why not take a couple of days and head to Cuenca to see the traditional 'panama' hat makers at work in one of Ecuador's most pleasant cities. Cost: from £200pp
• Or take a trip into the Amazon rainforest... We have trips from 2-8 days in the jungle. Cost: from £400pp

Tailormade for you

Of course, what we want you to remember is that we're here to offer you any guidance and advice you need. We're not about trying to sell you more than you want - we want you to have the holiday that's right for you, so give us a call or send us an email and we can start to find out what sort of Ecuador holiday is right for you!