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You can canoe through the Ecuadorian Amazon, visit artisan markets, and see the extraordinary wildlife of the Galapagos in Ecuador. A small country that offers an incredibly diverse range of attractions, Ecuador combines natural wonders with historic cities, active volcanoes, and rich traditions.

You can hike or canoe through the Amazon Rainforest searching for monkeys, toucans, and river dolphins, visit highland cloudforests to find delicate orchids, learn about the nation’s complex history on a guided city tour, or take a switchback railway down the slopes of the Andes.

Elsewhere, you could climb volcanoes in Cotopaxi National Park, see Panama hats being made in the Gualaceo, or visit local communities to learn about cocoa cultivation, chocolate making, and the challenges of forest conservation at La Selva Negra Mountain Resort and Coffee Estate.

In Ecuador, you can stay in regal townhouses, restored haciendas, and rainforest lodges. The choice of hotels can be a highlight of your visit, for example you can get an insight into the country’s history with a stay at an elegantly restored mansion or some time on a working hacienda.

In the highlands, you’ll get the chance to track birds and see delicate orchids from a cloudforest dome, you could head into the jungle to stay at a rainforest lodge to learn about conservation efforts, or choose a river cruise on the Napeo River, a tributary of the Amazon, instead.

For some more ideas on where to stay, browse our collection of Ecuadorian hotels.

Some of the top places to go in Ecuador include Quito, Otavalo, the Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands.

Quito, the Ecuadorian capital, is a vibrant and absorbing city with narrow streets lined with churches, monasteries, mansions, and markets. By comparison, Otavolo feels more rustic, its residents are often seen in traditional dress and its markets are filled with artisan crafts and intricate textiles.

In the Andes, you can see Panama hats being made in Cuenca or climb the conical peak of Cotopaxi in the Avenue of Volcanoes where crater lakes and snow-capped mountains form the backbone of the country.

For jungle walks and vividly feathered birds, the Ecuadorian cloudforest and Amazon offer a wilderness experience, while the Galapagos Islands are a natural wonder brimming with rare and endemic wildlife lulled into fearlessness by a lack of predators.

It takes around seven hours to fly from the East Coast of the US to Ecuador, and around nine and a half hours from the West Coast.

The time zone in Ecuador is UTC-5 hours. Daylight Savings Time isn’t observed.

The best way to get around in Ecuador is by car. We can arrange for a private car and driver to accompany your trip or for private car journeys between destinations. You’ll need to fly if you want to visit the Galapagos Islands, and flying into the Ecuadorian Amazon at Coca can save time on windy, badly maintained roads. In the Andes, the train trip along the Devil’s Nose is a dramatic way to see the mountains.

Use our travel tool to find up-to-date visa and passport requirements for Ecuador. Enter where you’re traveling to and from (including any stopover destinations en route or flight layovers), along with your intended travel dates and passport details, for a full list of requirements.

• Entry requirements travel tool

Your doctor can provide you with immunization advice for Ecuador, but you should also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country. You can also check the recommended vaccinations by visiting the .

Rest on arrival and drink plenty of water, and you shouldn’t find the altitude a problem in Ecuador. Quito is the second-highest capital city in the world so it’s not unusual to feel fatigued, have a headache, or be a little short of breath on arrival, but your body will acclimatize quickly if you take it easy for your first few days.

Our specialists will plan your trip so the increase in altitude is gradual, and listen to your body, as altitude affects everyone differently. If you still feel uncomfortable after a few days, see a doctor, or descend to lower altitudes.