Top Things to Do in Ecuador

October 19, 2026

Travel advisory, October 2026: Ecuador is under a state of exception in eight provinces, including Pichincha (Quito), declared for 60 days from 15 September 2026, and curfews have been imposed several times this year, so check the current decree. The UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the coastal provinces (Esmeraldas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, with airside transit at Guayaquil airport excepted) and to the 20 km strip along the Colombian border, which includes Lago Agrio. The US State Department rates Ecuador Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, with higher levels for named areas. Quito’s old town, the Andean highlands and the Galápagos lie outside the FCDO areas, but street crime, express kidnapping and taxi scams are real, so use registered taxis, stay on busy streets by day and keep valuables out of sight. Heavy rain and landslides are forecast for the 2026-27 El Niño. Read the current UK FCDO advice and US State Department advisory before you book and again before you fly. This page is written for the areas outside the warnings.

Ecuador packs Andean cities, glaciated volcanoes, cloud forest, a long-running train line and the Galápagos into a country the size of a large US state. The activities below are the best-documented ones in the highlands and the islands, with current fares where an official source publishes them. Currency is the US dollar, so carry small notes ($1, $5, $10 and $20) and coins, because $50 and $100 notes are often refused.

Quito: cable car and old town

The TelefériQo climbs about 2.5 km in roughly 18 minutes from a base station at 3,117 m to Cruz Loma at about 3,950 m. The adult fare is US$9.00, with US$7.00 for under-18s and US$6.50 for over-65s and visitors with a disability. It opens every day, at 10:00 from Monday to Thursday and at 08:00 from Friday to Sunday, and weather can halt service. Quito itself sits at about 2,850 m, so take the first days gently and keep strenuous hikes for later.

The Centro Histórico was among the first sites on the UNESCO list, in 1978. Walk it in daylight, take a registered taxi after dark and keep bags in front of you.

Cotopaxi National Park

Cotopaxi is 5,897 m and listed as active, with its last eruptive period running from October 2022 to July 2023. Entry is reported to be free, but you register with the rangers at the gate and carry your passport. No public bus enters the park, so you need a tour, a taxi or a 4x4 pickup from the highway. A flat loop around Laguna de Limpiopungo takes about an hour. A steep 45 to 75 minute walk on loose scree leads from the car park to the José F. Ribas refuge at about 4,800 m. Check the IG-EPN Cotopaxi page and the park before you go, because access can change at short notice.

Nariz del Diablo train

The Devil’s Nose train runs from Alausí to Sibambe and back, about 2.5 hours, on Thursday to Sunday and holidays, with departures at 08:00, 11:00 and 14:00. Foreign adults pay US$30 plus VAT and a service charge, and tickets are sold through Ticket Éxito . Alausí is a full day out from Cuenca or Quito, so plan it as its own trip.

Quilotoa and Otavalo

The Quilotoa crater lake has a rim at about 3,900 m. The community charges about US$2 per adult, the walk down takes 30 to 45 minutes and the climb back 60 to 120 minutes, and a mule uphill costs roughly US$10 to 12. There are no ATMs in the village. Otavalo’s craft market peaks on Saturday, and the Plaza de Ponchos trades daily.

Galápagos

Snorkelling and guided walks are the draw. Foreign visitors over 12 pay a US$200 park fee (US$100 for under-12s) to rangers on arrival at Baltra or San Cristóbal, plus a US$20 Transit Control Card from the CGREG counter at the Quito or Guayaquil airport. Most sites need an authorised naturalist guide, and Kicker Rock day trips from San Cristóbal are listed from about US$215 to US$270. Use reputable boat operators and check life jackets.

Coast and Amazon lowlands

Puerto López whale watching (June to September) and the Cuyabeno reserve, usually reached through Lago Agrio, both lie inside advisory areas described above, so treat them as trips needing current local advice and an official guide rather than easy add-ons.

To compare tours in the highlands, browse Ecuador activities on GetYourGuide .