Short but sweet - a beginner's guide to Ecuador...

Ecuador holiday galapagos cruise

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!


Download Factsheet

Depart on this Ecuador holiday any day in 2009 for £495pp

Our prices include almost everything and we're totally flexible on dates. See details below or download our factsheet for this Ecuador holiday.

Holiday Itinerary

Quito 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?

Quito 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. We’ll focus on the beautiful colonial Old Town, with its winding cobbled streets and grand plazas. The area is a designated World Heritage Site, and it’s home to some of South America’s finest colonial architecture, including the stunning Cathedral and several other churches, all overlooked by the winged Virgin of Quito statue on the nearby Panecillo hill.

Cotopaxi National Park Day Three - Cotopaxi National park

Day Six - 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 along the way.

Otavalo market 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.

Last day in Ecuador Day Five - Onward bound

Most flights back to the UK and to the Galapagos leave in the morning, so you’ll just have time for breakfast today before it’s time to say goodbye to Ecuador as we pick you up and take you to catch your flight either home, or on to your Galapagos cruise...

Options

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:

luxury hotels in Ecuador Upgrade accommodation - from £50pp

This price is based on our standard 3-star hotels, which all have ensuite bathrooms, cable television, full buffet breakfasts, etc. However, 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!

Quito Full-day tour of Quito - from £45pp

This itinerary includes a half-day tour of Quito's Old Town, which is one of the jewel's in Ecuador's crown. However, just north of Quito is the actual line of the Equator so if you'd like to see for yourself which way the water goes down the plughole, we can extend your tour and take you there to stand astride the world and to enjoy some of the weird and wonderful experiments you can only perform on the Equator!

Cuenca Travel to Cuenca - from £250pp

Why not take a couple of days and head to Cuenca? This is widely regarded as the most beautiful of Ecuador's colonial cities, and also has some stunning countryside around it, including Ecuador's only major Inca site: Ingapirca.

Ecuador Amazon jungle Amazon jungle adventure - from £400pp

Or take a trip into the Amazon rainforest... We have trips of all types and lengths in Ecuador's Amazon jungle, from some superb jungle lodges, to Amazon river cruises aboard specially-adapated boats - so why not see the Amazon in style?

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!

Prices

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 £495 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 as these can vary depending on the time of year. However, we will do all the research for you and find you the best deal going, so you don't to 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
  • Full-day tour of Cotopaxi National Park
  • Full-day tour of Otavalo market
  • Full buffet breakfast every day
  • Packed lunch on your Cotopaxi trip

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