How many days do you need in Quito, Puerto Ayora, Isla San Cristóbal & Puerto Villamil?
- Most travelers spend 10-13 days in Quito, Puerto Ayora, Isla San Cristóbal, and Puerto Villamil combined
- Visiting Quito, Puerto Ayora, Isla San Cristóbal, and Puerto Villamil in 8 or 9 days is possible, but it will feel rushed
- With 14 or more days, most travelers choose to add more stops to their trip
- The most common extensions are Baños, Cotopaxi, and Yasuni National Park
How Many Days to Spend In Ecuador
Recommended Itineraries for Quito, Puerto Ayora, Isla San Cristóbal & Puerto Villamil
Recommended Itinerary for 12 Days
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Quito, Free Day | Quito |
| Day 2 | Fly to Puerto Ayora, Visit the Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 3 | Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 4 | Discover Pinzon Island & La Fé | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 5 | Wildlife Tour on Isla Isabela | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 6 | Kayaking in Puerto Villamil, Biking in Cave Sucre | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 7 | Hiking on Sierra Negra Volcano, Speedboat to Santa Cruz | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 8 | Speedboat to Isla San Cristobal, Visit an Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 9 | Snorkeling at Kicker Rock | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 10 | Embracing Nature: Discovering Wildlife on Isla Española | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 11 | Fly to Quito, Free Day | Quito |
| Day 12 | Depart Quito |
Experience the best of Quito and the Galápagos Islands on this thrilling 12-day itinerary. Featured on ABC's Good Morning America, the trip starts and ends in Ecuador's vibrant capital city, where you'll enjoy two full days of sightseeing. The rest of the adventure happens in the Galápagos, where you'll explore several islands, spot rare birds in the wild, snorkel with penguins, and see giant tortoises up close. Read more
Recommended Itinerary for 13 Days
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Quito, Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin! | Quito |
| Day 2 | Colonial Quito City Tour, Visit the Middle of the World Monument | Quito |
| Day 3 | Fly to Isla San Cristóbal, Visit an Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 4 | Embracing Nature: Discovering Wildlife on Isla Española | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 5 | Snorkeling at Kicker Rock | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 6 | Speedboat to Isla Santa Cruz, Kayaking on Tortuga Bay | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 7 | Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 8 | Cycling at Cerro Mesa Reserve, Kayaking at Garrapatero Beach | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 9 | Transfer to Puerto Villamil, Excursion to Los Túneles | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 10 | Hiking on the Sierra Negra Volcano | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 11 | Rappelling in Trillizos, Biking in Puerto Villamil | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 12 | Stand-Up Paddle Boarding, Transfer to Puerto Ayora | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 13 | Transfer to Isla Baltra, Depart Ecuador |
From Quito at the equatorial center of the world, begin your journey to the Galápagos Islands, which you'll explore by boat, kayak, bike, foot, and swimming. See blue-footed boobies and swim alongside sea turtles on Isla Española and snorkel at the lion-shaped rock formations of Kicker Rock. Kayak through Tortuga Bay's mangrove forests and hike on islands uninhabited by humans on this adventure-full itinerary. Read more
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Extended Itineraries
10-Day Itinerary Including Baños & Cotopaxi
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Quito, Self-Guided Exploration | Quito |
| Day 2 | Tranfser to Baños via Quilotoa Lagoon | Baños |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Cotopaxi, Follow the Avenue of Waterfalls to Cotopaxi | Cotopaxi |
| Day 4 | Explore Cotopaxi National Park on Horseback, Transfer to Quito | Quito |
| Day 5 | Fly to Isla San Cristóbal, Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 6 | Transfer to Puerto Villamil, Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 7 | Rappelling & Biking on Isla Isabela | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 8 | Transfer to Puerto Ayora, Visit the Highlands Tortoise Reserve & Charles Darwin Research Station | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 9 | Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 10 | Transfer to Isla Baltra, Depart Ecuador |
Adventure awaits on this exhilarating 10-day journey through Ecuador. Starting in the country's rugged Andean highlands, you'll hike and horseback ride through a landscape of towering volcanoes, crater lakes, and dramatic waterfalls before hopping over to the Galápagos to discover some of the most remarkable biodiversity on earth. Explore uninhabited islands, snorkel with sharks, and get your adrenaline pumping as you rappel deep into a dormant volcano. Read more
15-Day Itinerary Including Yasuni National Park
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Quito, Self-Guided Exploration | Quito |
| Day 2 | Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class, Visit the Middle of the World Monument | Quito |
| Day 3 | Explore Local Culture at Otavalo Market, Hiking at Cuicocha Lake | Quito |
| Day 4 | Transfer to Yasuni National Park, Visit the Napo Wildlife Center | Yasuni National Park |
| Day 5 | Visit the Parrot Clay Lick & Kichwa Community, Rainforest Hike | Yasuni National Park |
| Day 6 | Climb a Canopy Tower, Rainforest Hike & Canoe Rides | Yasuni National Park |
| Day 7 | Napo River Canoeing Excursion, Transfer to Quito | Quito |
| Day 8 | Fly to Isla San Cristóbal, Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 9 | 360° Tour of Isla San Cristóbal: Highlights, Beaches & Marine Life | Isla San Cristóbal |
| Day 10 | Transfer to Puerto Ayora, Visit a Tortoise Reserve & the Charles Darwin Research Station | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 11 | Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 12 | Transfer to Puerto Villamil, Excursion to Los Túneles | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 13 | Hiking on the Sierra Negra Volcano | Puerto Villamil |
| Day 14 | Stand-Up Paddle Boarding, Transfer to Puerto Ayora, Farewell Dinner by the Sea | Puerto Ayora |
| Day 15 | Transfer to Isla Baltra, Depart Ecuador |
Nature lovers will adore this journey through Ecuador, which takes you to the Amazon rainforest and the Galápagos Islands. Start in Quito, where you'll tour the city, take a cooking class, and visit the equator. Then, take a day trip to an Indigenous market and volcanic crater lake before heading into the Amazon for some wildlife spotting and a visit to a Kichwa community. Return to Quito and fly to the Galápagos, where you'll see giant turtles, snorkel with marine wildlife, try paddleboarding, and hike up a volcano. Read more
How to travel between Quito, Puerto Ayora, Isla San Cristóbal & Puerto Villamil
The natural paradise that is the Galápagos Islands isn't just a must-visit destination in Ecuador, it's one of the world's most wonderful and important natural sights, containing wildlife that you simply cannot find anywhere else. Traveling there from Quito is usually via Guayaquil, the big port city in Southern Ecuador, which sits much closer to the islands. Arrival on the islands is normally through the airports of Isla Santa Cruz or Isla San Cristóbal. Read more
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