Activities in Ecuador, From Quito to the Galápagos

October 19, 2026

Safety notice for travellers, October 2026: Check two government sources before booking Ecuador: the UK FCDO page and the US State Department advisory . At the time of writing the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the coastal provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (airside transit at Guayaquil airport is excepted) and to the 20 km Colombian border strip, which takes in Lago Agrio. The US rates the country Level 2 overall, with Level 3 and Level 4 areas named inside it. A 60-day state of exception that began on 15 September 2026 covers eight provinces, Pichincha and Quito among them, and curfews have returned more than once this year. The highlands, Cuenca and the Galápagos fall outside the FCDO regions. Even there, plan around muggings, bag snatching, express kidnapping after street-hailed taxis and heavy El Niño rain and landslides. Everything on this page concerns places outside the warned areas.

Ecuador rewards visitors who pick a few activities in one region rather than crossing the country. The highlands around Quito and Cuenca and the Galápagos have the best-documented options, and the lists below give the numbers you need to plan. The currency is the US dollar. Small notes and coins are easier to spend than $50 and $100 bills, which shops often decline.

Highlands

TelefériQo, Quito. An 18-minute cable car ride over 2.5 km, from 3,117 m up to Cruz Loma at about 3,950 m. The single (non-resident) adult fare is US$9.00, and under-18s pay US$7.00. Expect cold wind and cloud at the top. Quito itself is about 2,850 m, so take it gently on day one.
Cotopaxi National Park. The volcano reaches 5,897 m. Its last eruptive period ran from October 2022 to July 2023, so look at the IG-EPN Cotopaxi page and ask the park about access before leaving. The gentle option is a loop around Laguna de Limpiopungo, roughly an hour on the flat. The harder one is a steep 45 to 75 minute scree walk toward the José F. Ribas refuge at about 4,800 m. Reported entry is free, with ranger registration and a passport at the gate.
Quilotoa. The crater lake sits at a rim height of about 3,900 m. Visitors pay a community fee of about US$2, walk down in 30 to 45 minutes and climb out in 1 to 2 hours. Kayaks rent for roughly US$3 to 6 per hour block.
Otavalo. The market is biggest on Saturday, with the Plaza de Ponchos open every day.

Rail

Nariz del Diablo train. It departs Alausí Thursday to Sunday at 08:00, 11:00 and 14:00 and runs for about 2.5 hours. A foreign adult ticket costs US$30 plus VAT and service charge on Ticket Éxito . It does not start in Cuenca or Quito.

Galápagos

Park fee for foreign visitors: US$200 over 12, US$100 under 12.
Transit Control Card: US$20, bought at the CGREG counter in the Quito or Guayaquil airport before check-in.
Activities: snorkelling, wildlife walks and Kicker Rock day trips from San Cristóbal, listed at about US$215 to 270, all with an authorised naturalist guide.
Flights only. The islands lie about 1,000 km offshore.

Areas with advisories

Puerto López whale watching runs from June to September, and Cuyabeno is normally reached via Lago Agrio. Both sit in zones under government warnings, so expect to need current local advice and an official guide, and do not treat them as easy side trips. Guayaquil is best treated as a transit point only.

For a ready-made schedule, look at tours on Viator .