Family Luxury Adventure Travel in Ecuador

In a country as small as Ecuador, you can go mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding in the Andes today, and canoeing through the jungle rivers of the Amazon or surfing Pacific waves tomorrow.

Quito is one of the best preserved colonial capitals in South America, with churches covered in gold, and fascinating museums. A short drive out of the city will take you to the Andean highlands, with large indigenous towns such as Otavalo, famous for its massive market.

One of the most popular ways to experience traditional and authentic Ecuadorian life is to spend a few days on a traditional hacienda, or colonial style homestead, with its cowboys, ranching and multiple activity options.

With easy access to both cloud forests and deep jungle, one can experience vital ecosystems at risk from climate change. These ecosystems are home to multiple animal species as well as indigenous peoples, and time spent exploring such pristine natural environments is hugely important to understanding the fragility of today’s world.

Day 1
Arrive in Quito. Stay on the central colonial square with views of palaces and churches.

Day 2
Explore historical Quito with its monuments and markets. Enjoy a traditional cooking lesson too and enjoy local Andean specialities. What about trying guinea pig?

Day 3
Head to the mountains, stopping for some shopping at the largest indigenous market in South America. Your destination? A traditional mountain hacienda!

Day 4
Hacienda activities – go hiking or mountain biking or horseback riding, or you can explore the gardens and get to know the animals if you prefer.

Day 5
Another day on the hacienda – be as active or as relaxed as you like.

Day 6
Leaving the highlands, travel to the Amazon region by car, plane and then canoe! Spend 3 nights exploring this pristine but endangered environment.

Days 7-8
Explore jungle rivers and lakes by kayak or canoe, see the amazing birdlife and listen to the sounds of the jungle. You’ll also meet the local indigenous people.

Day 9
Travel back to Quito and depart for home, or extend your trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Since Ecuador sits on the equator, it has no seasons and is great to visit all year round. Dec-March is the rainy season in the high altitude area of the mainland, but it’s also high season in the Galapagos, which sees very little rain at any time of year.

Staying on a hacienda is an incredibly fun family vacation. With horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, cooking lessons, great local markets and so much more. One can also easily access the fringes of the Amazon jungle and spend a few days in a great lodge learning about this amazing biosphere.

The mainland offers an amazing variety of fun adventures, including zip lines, rafting, jungle canoeing, high ropes courses, horseback riding and mountain biking near volcanoes! Meet locals, enjoy cooking lessons and shop in the markets!

Amazingly, Ecuador produces most of its food. You can enjoy great seafood at the coast, while the food inland includes amazing fruit, interesting soups – some with avocado, and many different stews. Of course there are plenty of international foods available. Popcorn is the national snack!

Boutique colonial style hotels, modern Western hotels, amazing mountain ranches, luxury jungle lodges and seaside resorts -there is something for everyone in Ecuador.

At the luxury level it can be, but in general, Ecuador offers excellent value when compared with many other destinations.