Ecuador Family Travel

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Planning your family trip to Ecuador

Daredevils won't want to miss a ride on the Swing at the End of the World

10 Days in Ecuador - 5 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas

With 10 days in Ecuador, you and your family can visit at least three regions. Families keen on wildlife and watersports should head for the Pacific coast or the Galápagos. Those that stick to mainland Ecuador can experience history and cuisine in Quito, nature and Indigenous culture in the Amazon, and outdoor adventures, such as horseback riding, in the Andes. Families that prefer a relaxed pace can make Quito their base and experience the city and surroundings, including bird-watching in Mindo Cloud Forest.

Take the kids to Ecuador's Galápagos Islands and spot exotic wildlife

1 Week in Ecuador - 5 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas

With one week in Ecuador, your family can cover up to three destinations. Nature lovers will want to include Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon, while beach-focused adventurers should visit the Pacific coast. Overnights in Baños and Tena and the Galápagos Islands ensure you and the kids will get up close to wildlife. For families wanting a more gently-paced itinerary, Quito is an excellent base for day trips to see the butterflies at Mindo Cloud Forest and for visiting Cotopaxi National Park.

Take a family hike at Ecuador's Mindo Cloud Forest

2 Weeks in Ecuador - 5 Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas

You can explore at least three regions with your family on a two-week vacation to Ecuador. Families visiting for the first time can enjoy adventure, culture, and wildlife in Quito, the Andes, and the Amazon. Those seeking a beach escape can spend time on the Pacific coast and try snorkeling at Isla de la Plata. Active families with a range of interests should head for Quito, Baños, Cuenca, and Guayaquil, where there's hiking in El Cajas National Park, biking the Avenue of Waterfalls, pottery workshops, and guided city tours.

Tips for Traveling with Your Family in Ecuador

Ecuador is a fascinating, diverse country for families to explore. Whether you and your children would like to hike in the Andes, discover indigenous and colonial cultures, go bird-watching in the cloud forest, discover the wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, or swim and snorkel on Pacific beaches, you can have an unforgettable family holiday. Careful planning is essential though and this guide will tell you all you need to know.

Ecuador family-friendly itineraries

Exploring scenic terrain with the family in the Galapagos Islands

Ecuador Family Trip: Quito, the Amazon & Galapagos Islands - 11 Days

From the colorful wildlife of the Amazon rainforest to the underwater playground of the Galapagos, this family-friendly journey around Ecuador offers adventure and education for all ages. Start in Quito, where you'll take a hands-on cooking class and set foot on both halves of the equator at Mitad del Mundo. Then delve into the Amazon rainforest, spotting exotic insects on a nighttime jungle tour and canoeing to a parrot habitat — bring your binoculars for the best views! Finish the itinerary in the Galapagos Islands with several days of wildlife viewing, snorkeling, and so much more. Keep your eyes open for giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies!

Family hiking on North Seymour Island in the Galápagos

Family Trip to Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands - 14 Days

Spend two weeks with the family, beginning in colonial Quito. Ascend to the top of a volcano by cable car and bond over a cooking class. Then, a nature hike through misty cloud forests sets the stage for your great Galápagos adventure. Here, you'll cruise the archipelago by speedboat, snorkel with sea lions, and visit uninhabited islands. Other memorable experiences the whole family will love include visiting giant tortoises, hiking up a volcano, and lazing on white-sand beaches.

Head into the Ecuadorian Amazon near Tena for wildlife-spotting and rainforest adventures

Family Fun in Ecuador: Quito, Baños & Tena - 7 Days

You can pack a lot of adventure into a week in Ecuador, and this family-friendly itinerary does just that as it takes you from high-altitude Quito to the Amazon rainforest. Active kids and parents will love hiking the Andean highlands in Cotopaxi National Park, chasing waterfalls around Baños, riding a boat to your remote ecolodge in the Amazon, meeting the local wildlife at a jungle sanctuary, and much more.

Sample street food on this family-friendly introduction to Quito

Easy Ecuador for Families: Quito & Surroundings - 7 Days

If rushing around with small kids in tow doesn't sound like your idea of fun, you're in luck—this weeklong family vacation bases you in Quito so you can see the best of Ecuador's capital and its surroundings at a gentler pace. Little ones can sample tasty snacks on a street food tour, ride a cable car up volcanic slopes, and get their hands dirty with a family cooking class. When you feel like escaping the city, fun-filled day trips to the Mindo Cloud Forest, Cotopaxi, and the Papallacta hot springs await.

Explore the incredible ecosystems of the Galápagos Islands with your family

Family Adventure in Ecuador: Quito, Baños & the Galápagos Islands - 10 Days

Pack your family's bags for an unforgettable introduction to Ecuador. This 10-day kid-friendly tour combines Quito's cultural and culinary highlights, the waterfalls of Baños, and, of course, the nature-lovers trip of a lifetime—the Galápagos Islands. Get to know this fascinating country as you tour magnificent buildings, cook with the locals, and explore its natural beauty via sailing, snorkeling, and hiking—the perfect adventure to nurture a sense of wonder in your family.

Meet local iguanas in Ecuador with the family!

Ecuador's Pacific Coast for Families: Culture, Nature & Beaches - 14 Days

This family-friendly Ecuadorian adventure starts in historic Guayaquil, where you'll take a guided tour of the city's most notable landmarks before heading to the coasts of Manta. Visit howler monkeys at Pacoche Wildlife Refuge and kayak the Pacific coast, then continue to Puerto López for snorkeling with colorful fish (and maybe some curious sea turtles!) at the islands of Isla de la Plata and Isla Salango. Return to Guayaquil in time to canoe through the greenery of Churute Mangrove Reserve.

Active Family Fun in Ecuador: Quito, Baños, Cuenca & Guayaquil - 14 Days

This two-week family adventure starts in Quito, Ecuador's capital city. Explore local cuisine in a family cooking class, climb volcanic slopes via cable car, then depart for Baños, where you'll hike and bike to the Pailón del Diablo waterfall and relax in the town's healing hot springs. Continue to Cuenca for traditional pottery-making classes and hikes along the alpine lakes of El Cajas National Park, ending your tour in the vibrant city of Guayaquil with its stunning architecture, culture, and family parks.

Take memorable day trips outside of Quito—like a ziplining adventure in the Mindo cloud forest

Easy Ecuador for Families: Quito & Surroundings - 10 Days

This relaxed 10-day family itinerary bases you in Ecuador's vibrant capital of Quito, where you can settle in and explore the surrounding countryside with easy day trips and fun-filled adventures. Roll up your sleeves for a kid-friendly cooking class, live the life of an Ecuadorian cowboy with a horseback ride through Cotopaxi National Park, and fly through the cloud forests of Mindo via zipline. End your tour by biking through Quito's historic neighborhoods and reaching new heights on the TelefériQo cable car.

Take a stroll along Guayaquil's kid-friendly Malecón 2000 promenade

Ecuador's Pacific Coast for Families - 7 Days

Explore the wonders of Ecuador's undiscovered Pacific coast on this relaxed weeklong itinerary for families. Hopping between the coastal cities of Guayaquil, Puerto López, and Salinas, you'll embark on an itinerary of scenic hikes, wildlife spotting, and plenty of quiet family beach time. Highlights include sailing to the real "Treasure Island" of Isla de la Plata, paddling through the mangroves of the Manglares Churute Reserve, and meeting the basking land iguanas along Guayaquil's waterfront promenade.

Enjoy meeting the "locals" with your family as you arrive to the Galápagos Islands

Ecuador Family Highlights: Quito to the Galápagos Islands - 7 Days

Check off two of Ecuador's most iconic locales on this memorable seven-day family adventure. Learn about Quito's colonial past on a kid-friendly private walking experience around the city center, and straddle two hemispheres at the interactive site of Mitad del Mundo. Then it's off to the Galápagos for four glorious days of nature, wildlife, and beaches—as you make family memories with kayaking, snorkeling, and boating trips around Isla San Cristóbal and Isla Santa Cruz.

Travel to a rainforest lodge for family hikes, canoeing, and wildlife spotting in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Ecuadorian Amazon & Quito Family Adventure - 7 Days

Young explorers and aspiring adventurers will love this family-friendly itinerary that takes you from the high-altitude capital of Quito to the biodiverse rainforests of Yasuní National Park. Head deep into the Ecuadorian Amazon for three nights in a jungle lodge, where kids can spot remarkable wildlife like monkeys, otters, and parrots. Broaden their horizons with visits to the local Indigenous community, then fly back to Quito for kid-friendly museums and a scenic cable car ride over the capital.

Soar over mountainsides in Ecuador's "Adventure Capital" of Baños

Mainland Ecuador for Families: Andes to the Amazon - 10 Days

Active families can experience the best of Ecuador's great outdoors on this 10-day itinerary that takes you from the Andes to the Amazon. Start in Quito with a walking tour and family cooking class, then set off into Cotopaxi National Park, where the kids will channel their inner adventurer with horseback riding and high ropes courses at a local hacienda. See dramatic waterfalls and the world's most famous treehouse in Baños, venture deep into the Amazon for two nights at an incredible ecolodge, and wrap things up with a dip in the natural hot springs of Papallacta.

Experience wildlife close up with the kids on the Galápagos Islands

Ecuador Family Wildlife Adventure: Amazon Rainforest & Galápagos Islands - 10 Days

Explore two of the world's most diverse wildlife destinations in one trip! This 10-day itinerary will take your family through the wonders of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest and the Galapágos Islands, with a couple of nights in high-altitude Quito to boot. You and the kids will get up close to macaws, giant tortoises, and sea lions in their natural habitats, experience both traditional life in the Amazon and Quito's city style, and learn about one of the frontiers of science and conservation research.

Enjoy boat trips and snorkeling excursions along Ecuador's beautiful coast

Ecuador's Pacific Coast for Families: Culture, Nature & Beaches - 10 Days

This family tour of Ecuador showcases the country's wild Pacific coast with an itinerary full of nature, beaches, and kid-friendly adventure. Start in the colorful port of Guayaquil to see historic landmarks and basking land iguanas, and head north to Manta for snorkeling, whale watching, and a trip to the Pacoche Wildlife Reserve. Take to the high seas in Puerto López with sailing and fishing day trips, then learn about Indigenous Ecuadorian culture with a visit to the local Agua Blanca community.

Spot whales and search for buried treasure off Ecuador's Pacific coast

Ultimate Ecuador Family Trip: From the Andes to the Pacific Coast - 14 Days

If your family is having trouble deciding between a mountain or a beach-focused vacation, this two-week tour of Ecuador ticks both boxes. Starting in the high-altitude capital Quito, you'll embark on a kid-friendly adventure through the Andean highlands, skirting the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Baños before ending up on the Pacific coast for some beach time and wildlife-watching fun.

Mainland Ecuador for Families: Andes to the Amazon - 14 Days

Compact but diverse, Ecuador is a perfect destination for an epic two-week family vacation. This fun-filled itinerary begins and ends in Quito, with adventures in the Andean highlands and the Amazon rainforest in between. Along the way, you'll keep the kids busy as you horseback ride at a hacienda in Cotopaxi National Park, brave suspension bridges over the waterfalls of Baños, spot monkeys and capybaras at your jungle ecolodge, and barter with the locals at the colorful markets of Otavalo.

Go for a swing at the "end of the world" in Baños

Active Family Adventure in Ecuador: Andes, Amazon & Cloud Forest - 14 Days

The small South American country of Ecuador is rich in wildlife, biodiversity, and natural beauty. Active kids, whatever their ages, will love this two-week tour of the country, which takes you from the high-altitude capital of Quito to the Andean plains, the jungles of the Amazon, and the cloud forests of Mindo. Horseback ride across the highlands, take night and daytime tours of the rainforest, admire dramatic waterfalls, zipline through a cloud forest, and much more.

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