The Best Places to Visit in Ecuador

At 2,850m (9,350ft), Quito is the world’s second-highest capital city and contains many of Ecuador’s most important religious landmarks. Within its Unesco-listed historic center, the Church of La Compañía de Jesús, the Presidential Palace and the San Francisco Church and Monastery display some of South America’s most beautifully preserved colonial architecture. For superb aerial views, climb up the Basilica del Voto Nacional or ride the TelefériQo gondola to Pichincha – the volcano which overlooks the city. At the Intiñan Museum, north of the city center, you can snap a photo at the equator.

With Culture Trip, you can enjoy a guided walking tour of Quito and visit the equator as part of our exclusive eight-day Ecuador adventure, led by our Local Insider.

Renowned for informing Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, the Galápagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago comprising 13 main islands and over 100 smaller islands, islets and rocks, around 620mi (998km) off the coast of mainland Ecuador. They’re home to an abundance of endemic species, including Galápagos Giant Tortoises, Galápagos Sea Lions and Marine Iguanas, with landscapes varying from lava fields to mangroves and cactus forests. You can fly to the Galápagos from either Quito or Guayaquil, which takes around two hours, and you’ll find the best choice of accommodation and restaurant options on Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal. Are the Galápagos on your travel bucket list? Consider joining Culture Trip’s express five-day overland Galápagos Islands trip, which includes Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and a visit to one of the uninhabited islands.

Just a two-hour drive south of Quito, the Cotopaxi National Park looks and feels much more remote than it actually is. Part of the Avenue of Volcanoes – a chain of volcanoes running down the Andean spine of Ecuador – it’s dominated by the glacier-capped Cotopaxi volcano (Ecuador’s second-highest peak). If you’re up for the challenge of hiking to the summit, it’s essential to acclimatize to the high altitude first and go with an experienced guide. Alternatively, follow the trail around Limpiopungo Lake for a much less strenuous but similarly scenic hike.

Ecuador only contains a tiny portion of the Amazon rainforest’s total area (around two percent), but it’s still the largest of the country’s four main regions, covering six provinces. The 2.4 million-acre (971,246ha) Yasuni National Park is one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems, home to over 1400 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, including jaguars, giant armadillos and white-bellied spider monkeys. If you’re keen to spot wildlife and experience a total contrast to the rugged Andean landscapes, Coca, Tena and Nueva Loja are all convenient starting points – accessible by road from Quito.