Andes → Amazon → Galápagos · 12–15 days
Ecuador Adventure Tours: Andes, Amazon & Galápagos
Ecuador's three regions in one journey: a multi-day Andes trek, an Amazon rainforest lodge and island-hopping in the Galápagos. Few Ecuador adventure tours build the trip around a trek. This one does.
From US$4,890 per person
What is the Gran Travesía de Ecuador?
Ecuador packs three of the planet's great ecosystems into one small country: the high Andes, the Amazon headwaters and the Galápagos. Many operators string them together as a series of comfortable transfers and day visits. We open with a multi-day Andes trek on foot, then drop to the rainforest and finish in the islands. Of our Ecuador adventure tours, this is the most complete, and the trek is its backbone.
From the páramo we fly east into the Amazon for several nights at a rainforest lodge, with canoe trips, jungle trails, a canopy tower and a visit to a local community. Then we head west again and out to the Galápagos for land-based island-hopping: walking Sierra Negra's crater rim, snorkelling with sea lions, and tracking giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies with a naturalist guide. The whole expedition takes twelve to fifteen days. Without the Amazon leg, the 12-day Ecuador Galápagos tour on foot keeps the trek and the islands.
Which legs are trekking and which are not
The three regions don't all allow the same thing. The Andes leg is a multi-day trek, with days on the trail and nights lodge to lodge. The Amazon leg is lodge-based: you explore by canoe and on jungle day-walks from a fixed rainforest lodge. In the Galápagos a multi-day wilderness trek is not legal. The National Park requires a certified naturalist guide and only allows day visits to authorised sites, so that leg is land-based island-hopping with day hikes. Few 'Andes–Amazon–Galápagos' tours include a trek at all, and we won't sell the jungle and the islands as something the rules don't permit.
Your itinerary
The three legs
Acclimatize in Quito, then a 2–3 day guided trek through Cotopaxi's páramo and the Quilotoa Loop, sleeping in haciendas and village lodges.
Fly to the rainforest for canoe expeditions, jungle trails, a canopy tower and a Kichwa or Siona community visit from a comfortable eco-lodge.
Fly to the islands for land-based island-hopping (Sierra Negra, highland tortoises, snorkelling and the wildlife) with a naturalist guide.
The 14-day flow, day by day
Arrive in the capital, walk the old town to start adjusting to 2,850 m, and prep gear for the trail.
Into Cotopaxi National Park and onto the Quilotoa Loop on a multi-day trek, lodge to lodge, with the altitude paced day by day.
Fly east to Coca, canoe to a rainforest lodge, and explore by dugout, jungle trail and canopy tower, with a community visit.
Fly out to the archipelago for land-based island-hopping across Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristóbal: Sierra Negra's crater, snorkelling and the wildlife.
Stretch the islands to a fifth day or add a final night in Quito before your flight home. We fit the ending to your dates.
Altitude on the Andes leg
Only the first leg is at altitude, but it matters. We open in Quito and trek the páramo before flying down to sea level in the Amazon and the islands:
- Quito: 2,850 m
- Cotopaxi páramo: 3,800 m
- Quilotoa rim: 3,900 m
- Amazon lodge: 250 m
Prices
- 14 days: Andes, Amazon and GalápagosFrom US$4,890
Per person in US dollars, based on 2 travellers sharing. Groups of 4 or more pay less per person; solo travellers pay a supplement. We confirm the exact price for your dates and group. Includes the Quito–Coca and Quito–Galápagos flights. The Galápagos park entry ($200) and transit card ($20) are paid separately.
What's included
Included
- ASEGUIM trekking guide (Andes) + certified naturalist guides (Amazon & Galápagos)
- Domestic flights: Quito–Coca and Quito–Galápagos
- Hacienda, rainforest-lodge and island-hotel accommodation
- Amazon canoe transfers + Galápagos inter-island transport
- Most meals (full board at the Amazon lodge)
Not included
- International flights to and from Quito
- Galápagos National Park entry ($200) + Transit Control Card ($20)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Some city meals, drinks and gratuities
Gear
We provide
- Group first-aid & emergency kit
- All park permits & logistics
- Snorkel gear in the Galápagos
- Luggage transfer on the trek
You bring
- Hiking boots + layers for the cold páramo
- Light, quick-dry clothing for the Amazon
- Rain shell & insect repellent
- Swimwear, sun hat & reef-safe sunscreen
- Daypack & refillable water bottle
Safety on the mountain
- ASEGUIM-certified trek guide in the Andes
- Galápagos National Park-certified naturalist guides in the islands
- Local rainforest guides in the Amazon
- Altitude paced before any flight to sea level
Ecuador adventure tour FAQ
How long does a combined Ecuador Andes, Amazon and Galápagos tour take?
Plan 12 to 15 days. That's enough for a 2–3 day Andes trek, three or four nights at an Amazon rainforest lodge, and four to five days of Galápagos island-hopping, without the whole trip turning into a string of airports. Shorter than 12 days and something has to be cut.
What is included in this Ecuador adventure tour?
The domestic flights (Quito–Coca and Quito–Galápagos), all accommodation from hacienda to rainforest lodge to island hotels, your guides in each region, Amazon canoe and Galápagos inter-island transport, and most meals. The main exclusions are international flights and the Galápagos park fees.
Can I combine the Galápagos with an Amazon lodge stay?
Yes. This tour is built around that, with a multi-day Andes trek added before them. The legs connect by short domestic flights through Quito, so you go from páramo to rainforest to islands inside a single guided itinerary.
Is there really a multi-day trek in this trip?
Yes, on the Andes leg: a 2–3 day guided trek through Cotopaxi's páramo and the Quilotoa Loop, lodge to lodge. The Amazon leg is lodge-based and the Galápagos leg is day-hike island-hopping, because park rules don't allow a wilderness trek in the islands. Most of the walking happens in the Andes.
What fitness level do I need?
Moderate. If you can hike 4–6 hours on consecutive days at altitude on the Andes leg, the Amazon and Galápagos legs are easier, with short walks, canoe trips and snorkelling. We pace the high-altitude days before any flight down to sea level.
When is the best time to do a multi-region Ecuador tour?
It runs year-round. June to September gives the driest Andes trekking; the Amazon is wettest (and liveliest) from roughly March to June; the Galápagos is good all year with calmer seas December–May. We help you pick dates that balance all three.
How much does a 12–15 day Ecuador tour like this cost?
The 14-day program starts at US$4,890 per person for two travellers sharing, including the flights to Coca and to the Galápagos. The Galápagos park entry ($200) and transit card ($20) are paid separately. Groups of four or more pay less per person, and we confirm the exact price for your dates.
What makes this different from a standard operator's package?
Two things. It contains a multi-day Andes trek instead of only day visits, and you book direct with the people running the mountain leg (ASEGUIM-certified guides) rather than through a marketplace. We design the trip around the trekking, then add the rainforest and the islands.
Andes, Amazon and Galápagos in one trip
Tell us your dates and how hard you want to walk, and we'll shape your gran travesía (an Andes trek, an Amazon lodge and the Galápagos) into one well-paced expedition.