Ecuador is a fantastic country and has a huge variety to offer- from historical and colonial cities, to mountains, volcanoes and jungle terrain. If you were to take your time, you could easily spend a month here travelling around the different locations. I personally felt that two weeks was enough to see the highlights. As I was travelling for some time, I was on a fairly tight budget and unfortunately couldn’t afford a trip to the Galapagos. I would love to return in the future and take a trip there. It looks unbelievable. I have heard from others that have visited that there is so much to do in the Galapagos so I would try and factor in at least 7-10 days there. Maybe 7 days on a tour of the islands and a few days to explore for myself. If you do plan to visit the Galapagos, the cheapest place to take flights from is Guayaquil so it would be useful to plan your trip from there.  

Here is my Ecuador itinerary with the actual times I spent in each place, where I stayed and some cool things to do.

If you would like more information on each place, make sure to click on the links and read my other articles.

Guayaquil (2 nights)

Guayaquil is the second largest city in Ecuador with over 2 million people living there. It is home to the main port for the Galapagos cruises and also the second biggest international airport in Ecuador and therefore is a popular stopover for travellers. If you have the time, Guayaquil is worth visiting for a day or two.

Suggestions of things to do/see:

• Walk the Malecon 2000- a riverfront promenade stretching for 2.5km. Along the Malecon are gardens, restaurants and cafes, several monuments and entertainment complexes.

• Go and see the iguanas at Parque Seminario- a small park located in front of the Metropolitan cathedral and only a couple of blocks from the Malecon 2000. The iguanas are very tame and locals often feed them.

• Take a walking tour of the city. (The day time tour starts from Parque Seminario). There is also an evening tour. I did both and they were great and very interesting. We visited all the major sites in the city and learnt more about the history of Guayaquil and the significance of different buildings and monuments. I would recommend this tour if you don’t have lots of time to explore everything by yourself.

• Climb the 444 steps to see the colourful neighbourhood of Cerro Santa Anna

• Visit the El Faro lighthouse and enjoy the 360 panoramic views over the city.

• Ride the largest Ferris wheel in South America.

Where to stay:

Nazu city hostel– central location just across the road from the Malecon 2000 and only a 5-minute walk into the city centre. The location is situated only 10minutes from the airport and bus terminal so it is perfect if you are arriving from Peru or planning on departing to your next destination.

Montanita (2 nights)

Montanita is a very small little bohemian town, located on the Ecuadorian coast. Well known for its laid-back, chilled and hippy vibe, it is one of the most popular locations in Ecuador for backpackers. Every year, thousands of travellers’ flock to Montanita to enjoy the sunshine, surfing and the wild nightlife.

Suggestions of things to do/see:

• Take part in yoga classes or if you’re interested in staying longer, complete your yoga training course. At Kundalini hostel they offer free yoga classes twice a week.

• Try surfing. This place is known for being a surf town so is the perfect place to take surf lessons or rent a board. You can rent a board for between $5-8 dollars and lessons start at $20. I tried surfing for the first time here and I loved it. The instructor said that I would only pay for the lesson if I actually managed to stand up and catch a wave. Even though I swallowed half the ocean, surprisingly I actually managed to stand and was so chuffed with myself!

• Relax on the beach and soak up the sunshine or enjoy the sunset- Montanita is a very chilled place and is perfect for a few days of relaxing.

• Hit the bars for a night out. This place is known for its wild party scene! There are a wide range of bars and clubs and even one that looks like Alcatraz prison. The drinks are cheap and the music is cheesy, but you’ll be sure to have a great time!

Where to stay?

Kundalini hotel- beautiful hostel/hotel located right on the beach, only a 2-minute walk from the town and the bus stop. Enjoy the breakfast buffet, sunset views and free yoga classes twice a week. Wish I could have stayed longer in this place! 

Cuenca (2 nights)

Cuenca is a large city located in southern Ecuador. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Ecuador with a population of over 580,000. The city is recognised for its century old architecture, colonial buildings and European flare. The historical centre is one of Ecuador’s UNESCO world heritage sites.

Suggestions on things to do/see:

• Visit the viewpoint- Mirador de Turi and enjoy panoramic views over the city of Cuenca. It also has a little park Parque Extreme Turi with a range of swings and zip lines. It is only $1 (50p) to enter and $2 (£1.00gpbp) to ride the swing. It is a little scary and doesn’t look like the safest swing, however it was good fun and the views are great! You can easily walk to this point from the centre in around 30minutes or take a taxi or local bus.

• Walk along the Rio Tomebamba Riverfront or rent a bike. There are also several cafes and restaurants located alongside the river.

• Climb the towers of the new cathedral and enjoy views over the historical centre. You can enter into the cathedral for free and then you will need to pay a couple of dollars (£1.00gbp) to buy a ticket to climb the towers.

• Wander through the flower market and observe the beautiful flower arrangements. The market is located right next to the cathedral and is filled with venders selling a range of beautiful and colourful flowers.

• Take a walking tour of the city and learn more about the history of the colonial buildings and architecture.

Where to stay?

Selina hostel- If you haven’t heard of Selina Hostels before they are amazing. Selina is a large chain which is located all over the world, from south and central America to Europe. These hostels are very modern and perfect for digital nomads. I stayed in many Selina hostels when in South America and I cannot recommend them enough. They are more like hotels but still have the social hostel vibe and excellent facilities.

Aluasi (1 night)

Aluasi is a very small Ecuadorian town located in the highlands of Ecuador. It is quite off the beaten track, but fairly popular for visitors who wish to ride the famous ‘Devil’s Nose Train’. There is not much to do there apart from the train ride but is perfect for a 1 day/1-night trip.

Suggestions on things to do/see:

• Ride the famous Devil’s nose train – a scenic and unique train ride through the glorious Ecuadorian Andes and along the ‘Devil’s nose’. This journey was engineered over a century ago and was later named the ‘Devil’s nose’ due to the difficulty of the build and the fact that during the construction more than 2000 workers died. It is a beautiful train ride with amazing views and you also have the opportunity to visit a local village and watch/ join in with a typical dance show.

• Visit the Indigenous market on Thursdays and Sundays.

• Hiking in the mountains- You can go on a hike where you can watch the train pass by the Devils nose and the valley. Ask Marco at the hostel and he can give you more details about the hike.

Where to stay?

Community hostel is a great, modern and clean hostel ran by a lovely guy named Marco. He is extremely friendly, welcoming and informative. The hostel is located only a few minutes from the train station so it is perfect if you are planning to ride the Devil’s nose train. Inside the mixed dorms there were two private bathrooms for both males and females. There is free tea, coffee and water available 24/7 and breakfast and dinner can be added at an additional cost. The breakfast was amazing so I would totally recommend it!

Banos (3 nights)

Banos is a city located in a beautiful valley at the base of an active volcano called Tungurahau. It is nestled between the Amazon jungle and the Andes mountains. The town is perfect for adrenaline junkies and is known as the adventure capital of Ecuador. I loved this place; it was easily my favourite destination in Ecuador. There is so much to do and see in Banos, you could easily spend a week here. Read my Banos article for more information.

Suggestions on things to do/see:

• Visit ‘Casa del arbol’ treehouse and swing at the end of the world.

• Rent bikes and cycle the Ruta de las Cascadas to the Paillon del Diablo waterfall- The route is 18km (11 miles) in total and is a moderately difficult ride. I was told it is all downhill…it definitely is not but was still worth doing to enjoy the beautiful views on the way. The waterfall itself is magnificent at around 80m high.

• Ride the zip lines across the valley.

• Take a bungee jump.

• Go white water rafting

• Relax in the hot spas.

Where to stay?

Community Hostel, Banos

After having such a good experience in Community hostel in Aluasi, I decided to stay in community hostel in Banos. This hostel was one of the best I had stayed in all of my trip. It was modern, clean, right in the centre and it had such a social and as the name suggests ‘community’ atmosphere.

Quito (3 nights)

A trip to Ecuador wouldn’t be complete without visiting the capital city. Quito is the second highest capital city in the world at 2,850m above sea level. The old town historical centre of Quito is another of Ecuador’s UNESCO world heritage sites (the other being the Galapagos and the one I mentioned earlier in Cuenca).

Things to do:

• Take a walking tour of the city, visit the sites and learn more about the history and culture of Quito. There are different walking tours that you can take. If you stay at Community hostel, there is a booking office on the first floor where you can book a walking tour and other tours.

• Visit the middle of the world equator line and museum. Visit the Mitad de Mundo monument, try balancing an egg on a nail, walking along the line with your eyes closed and some other cheesy but fun experiments at the museum.

• Experience the night life of Ecuador by going on a pub crawl.

• Take the funicular to the Cruz Loma lookout. From 4500m high, you can enjoy amazing views of the city or carry on hiking for a few more hours up to the Pichincha Volcano.

• Climb to the top of the basilica to see the views over the city.

• Climb Up The El Panecillo Hill

• Take a day trip to hike Cotopaxi volcano.

Where to stay?

Another community hostel- can’t recommend this place enough! Community hostel, Quito.

Would I recommend changing the itinerary?

Yes if I went again and had more time, I would ensure I factored in some time to visit:

• Cotopaxi volcano- hike up (if you’re very hit and can handle extremely high altitude) or take a truck up and mountain bike down.
•  Trek the Quilotoa Loop and visit the gorgeous blue lagoon.
• Visit Otavalo market.

You can choose to stay near these places or go on day trips from Quito.

I hope this itinerary gave you some inspiration for a trip to Ecuador and an idea of places to visit and where to stay. If you have any further suggestions, please comment below.