We are local guides based in Quito’s Old Town, and the most common question at our front desk is “I have X days, what should I do?” The itineraries below are the routes we actually recommend to travelers, with real bus times, the days our tours depart, and where you sleep each night. We also tell you where to cut if you are short on time.

Which Ecuador itinerary fits your trip?

Ecuador is small, but the Andes make travel slower than the map suggests. A good rule: one region per 3–4 days, and never more than one long bus ride in a row. Here is how the three routes compare as of 2026.

Budgets exclude international flights and assume dorms or basic private rooms, local food and our group tours. For a line-by-line breakdown, see our Ecuador trip cost guide for 2026.

What is the best 7 days in Ecuador itinerary?

This route covers the highlands with no night buses. It is built so our tour departure days line up if you land on a Sunday, but you can shuffle days 3 to 5.

Day 1: Arrive in Quito and take it slow

Sleep: Quito (Old Town or La Floresta). Quito sits at about 2,850 m, and many people feel headaches or shortness of breath the first night. Eat light, drink water, skip alcohol and walk only around your neighborhood. Our guide to altitude sickness in Quito explains how to prevent soroche. The drive from Mariscal Sucre Airport to the center usually takes 45–90 minutes depending on traffic.

Day 2: Old Town walking tour

Sleep: Quito. Join our Free Walking Tour at 10:30 for three hours of plazas, colonial churches, a local market and a chocolate tasting. In the afternoon, ride the TelefériQo if the sky is clear, or visit El Panecillo. For more ideas, see our list of things to do in Quito.

Day 3: Otavalo market or Mindo cloud forest

Sleep: Quito. Pick one day trip. Otavalo, about 2 hours north, has the biggest Indigenous market in the country and is liveliest on Saturday. Mindo, about 2 to 2.5 hours northwest by bus from La Ofelia terminal, drops to around 1,250 m for birds, waterfalls and a chocolate tour. Our Otavalo tour runs Tuesday and Saturday, and our Mindo tour runs Friday, both from $57.50.

Days 4–5: Cotopaxi and Quilotoa

Sleep: a lodge on the Avenue of the Volcanoes (night 4), Quito (night 5). This is the heart of any Ecuador itinerary. On day 4 you hike toward the José Rivas refuge at about 4,864 m on Cotopaxi and mountain bike down to Limpiopungo Lagoon. On day 5 you walk the rim of Quilotoa, a crater lake at roughly 3,900 m, and can hike down to the water. Our Cotopaxi and Quilotoa guide covers both in depth.

Doing it on your own: take a bus from Quitumbe terminal to Latacunga (about 2 hours, under $3), then the bus to Quilotoa (just under 2 hours). Cotopaxi is harder without a car, since buses only drop you on the highway and you still need a ride into the park.

Day 6: Quito to Baños

Sleep: Baños. Buses leave Quitumbe every 15–30 minutes in the morning and take about 3.5 to 4 hours (around $4–5). Baños sits lower, near 1,800 m, so you will sleep better. Spend the afternoon at the Casa del Árbol swing or in the thermal baths. Our Baños guide lists what is worth your money.

Day 7: Waterfall route and back to Quito

Sleep: Quito or airport area. Rent a bike in the morning and ride the Ruta de las Cascadas to the Pailón del Diablo waterfall, then catch a truck or bus back to town. Take an early-afternoon bus to Quito. If your flight is that night, go straight from Quitumbe to the airport and give yourself at least 5 hours of margin.

How should you spend 10 days in Ecuador?

Take the 7-day route and add one of two extensions. You cannot comfortably do both in 10 days.

Option A: 10 day Ecuador itinerary with the Amazon

Days 1–6 follow the plan above. Then:

• Day 7: Baños back to Quito (3.5–4 hours). Rest, eat, and board the overnight bus to Lago Agrio around 22:00–23:00. The ride takes 7–8 hours. Sleep: on the bus.
• Day 8: Breakfast in Lago Agrio, then about 2 hours by road to the Cuyabeno Bridge and a motor canoe to the lodge. Afternoon wildlife spotting and a swim in Laguna Grande at sunset. Sleep: jungle lodge.
• Day 9: Jungle walk, a visit to a Siona community, night walk for frogs and insects. Sleep: jungle lodge.
• Day 10: Early bird watching, canoe back to the bridge, road to Lago Agrio and the night bus to Quito, arriving early on day 11.

That last night means you should book your flight home for the afternoon of day 11. If you have one more day, the 4-day, 3-night option gives you a full day in the reserve without rushing. Read our Cuyabeno tour from Quito guide for what the lodge days look like.

Option B: 10 days heading south to the Devil’s Nose

This version suits travelers flying out of Cuenca or Guayaquil. Days 1–6 are the same. Then:

• Day 7: Morning in Baños, then bus to Riobamba (about 1.5 hours) and on to Alausí (about 1.5–2 hours). Sleep: Alausí. Community Hostel Alausí, our sister hostel, is a short walk from the station.
• Day 8: Ride the Devil’s Nose train from Alausí down the switchbacks to Sibambe and back, about 2.5 hours. Take the afternoon bus to Cuenca (about 3 hours). Sleep: Cuenca.
• Days 9–10: Cuenca’s old town and a day in Cajas National Park or at the Ingapirca ruins, then fly out or take a flight back to Quito.

As of mid-2026, the train runs Thursday to Sunday and public holidays at 08:00, 11:00 and 14:00, and costs $30 for foreign adults. The schedule has changed several times after landslides, so check our Devil’s Nose train guide and buy tickets on Ticket Éxito before you commit to the dates.

What does 2 weeks in Ecuador with the Galápagos look like?

Fourteen days lets you do the Andes properly and still spend five days on the islands. We suggest the mainland first, so you are acclimatized and rested before the boat days.

• Days 1–7: The 7-day Andes route above. Sleep in Quito on night 7.
• Day 8: Fly Quito to Baltra (Santa Cruz). Most flights stop in Guayaquil and the trip takes about 3.5 hours. Pay the $20 transit card at the Quito airport before check-in and the $200 national park fee in cash on arrival. Afternoon at the Charles Darwin Station. Sleep: Puerto Ayora.
• Day 9: Santa Cruz highlands to see giant tortoises in the wild and the twin craters. Speedboat to Isabela (about 2 hours). Sleep: Puerto Villamil.
• Day 10: Snorkel at Los Túneles or Tintoreras, flamingo lagoons, Wall of Tears. Sleep: Isabela.
• Day 11: Speedboat back to Santa Cruz, or on to San Cristóbal if you book the 3-island version (the exact order depends on the package). Sleep: Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal.
• Day 12: Fly back to Quito or Guayaquil. Sleep: Quito.
• Days 13–14: Buffer days. Take the Mindo or Otavalo trip you skipped, or join the Friday Foodie & Beer Tour. Fly home on day 14.

Island-hopping costs far less than a cruise, and our Galápagos on a budget guide breaks down 2026 prices for flights, fees and food.

Want the Amazon too? Swap Baños for a 3-day Cuyabeno trip in the first week, or stretch the trip to 17 days. Trying to fit the Andes, the jungle and the islands into 14 days usually means three night buses and a lot of tired people.

How do you adapt the itinerary for rainy season and altitude?

Ecuador has no single rainy season. In the Andes, the wetter months run roughly from October to May, with mornings usually clearer than afternoons. June to September is drier and windier, which is the best window for Cotopaxi views.

• Schedule volcanoes for mornings. Cotopaxi often hides in cloud after 11:00. If day 4 is fully overcast, swap it with Baños and try again.
• Build in one flexible day. Landslides can close the Baños waterfall road or the Devil’s Nose line after heavy rain.
• Amazon water levels change the experience. Cuyabeno is open all year, but in drier spells Laguna Grande can drop low enough to change canoe routes. Ask us about current conditions before you book.
• Galápagos seasons are the opposite of what people expect. December to May is warmer with calmer seas; June to November is cooler with richer marine life and choppier boat rides.
• Climb gradually. Sleep a night or two in Quito before going above 3,500 m. If you arrive from sea level with a history of altitude trouble, move Baños to days 3–4 and do Cotopaxi later.

Pack for four climates in one bag. Our Ecuador packing list covers rain gear, layers for 4,000 m and what the jungle lodges provide.

How do you get around Ecuador on a backpacking route?

Buses go everywhere, run often and cost around $1–1.50 per hour of travel. The key is knowing which terminal to use.

Fares are cash only on most buses. Keep your daypack on your lap, not in the overhead rack, and use registered taxis or ride apps to reach the terminals. Our practical guide on whether Ecuador is safe in 2026 covers bus safety and which areas to avoid after dark.

When should you book each part of your trip?

• 2–3 months ahead: Galápagos flights and island-hopping packages, especially for June to August and the Christmas holidays. Flights book up before hotels do.
• 2–4 weeks ahead: Cuyabeno lodges and the Cotopaxi & Quilotoa 2-day trip in high season. A week is often enough in shoulder months.
• 1–2 weeks ahead: Devil’s Nose train tickets for weekends and holidays. Weekday seats usually last longer.
• A day ahead or on the spot: Buses, the Free Walking Tour and most day trips from Quito.

Before you go, confirm your passport validity and any entry rules on our Ecuador visa and entry requirements page, and check the Galápagos National Park and Galápagos Government Council sites for current island fees.

Plan it with us

Every traveler’s dates, budget and fitness are different, and we are happy to adjust any of these routes. Stop by our office at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo in Quito, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, or email info@communitytravel.ec. Tell us how many days you have and we will match you with the right tours and departure dates. You can also browse all our tours.

Frequently asked questions

Het bericht Ecuador Itinerary: 7, 10 and 14 Days Mapped Out by Local Guides verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.

Updated September 2026 by our local guides in Quito: this 2017 article was first written for people thinking of moving to Baños. We added current transport, entry fees and the volcano’s status for travelers, and flagged the older prices below.

Baños at a glance (2026)

As seen on: Huffington Post

By Suzan Haskins, InternationalLiving.com

This article comes to us courtesy of InternationalLiving.com, the world’s leading authority on how to live, work, invest, travel, and retire better overseas.

She’s a wanton woman with a feather beneath her skirt, cause for her constant state of libidinous arousal. Men and women alike are smitten with her overpowering beauty and limitless energy. But she has a temper, this one. When her flirtations are not returned, her anger boils and she quite literally blows her top like nothing you’ve ever seen.

So goes the Quechua legend of “Mama” Tungurahua, the hot and bothered volcano that regally rises from lushly-forested terrain about a three-hour’ drive south from Ecuador’s capital city of Quito.

Perched just five miles from Mama’s summit on her northern side is the town of Baños (population about 20,000). As the lore goes, Baños is Mama’s love child, and she protects it. She’s certainly passed on an inheritance, for—thanks to Tungurahua’s hot temper—Baños is blessed with an abundance of thermal waters. Those waters, and the stunning natural setting, have made Baños a popular spa and outdoor-sports town, as well as home to a small community of expats.

The town’s full name is Baños de Agua Santa: the holy water Baths. (And note, Baños does not mean “bathrooms.” It means “baths,” like the kind you soak luxuriantly in.) The name gives tribute not to Mama, of course, but rather to the town’s other famous patron, the Virgin Mary.

Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa—our Lady of the holy water—is said to have appeared at nearby waterfalls from time to time, and it’s believed she protects those who invoke her name during times of crisis. “Our lady watches over us,” a local man said in a television interview, speaking of the Virgin after Mama’s most recent pyroclastic fit.

The neo-Gothic Basilica Reina Del Rosario De Agua Santa—built to honor the Virgin—is a local pilgrimage site, and is decorated with graphic artwork of the many miracles she’s credited with. Appropriately enough, the Basilica, which sits in the heart of Baños, is constructed of volcanic rock from Tungurahua.

For many visitors, though, Baños’s thermal baths are miracle enough. You’ll find several places to soak away to your heart’s content here, in pools of varying degrees of delicious heat. The most popular public baths are right in town at the base of the 260-foot waterfall called Cascada de la Virgen, where Nuestra Señora allegedly once appeared. A shrine there is dedicated to her and her healing waters.

For certain, water is plentiful in this part of Ecuador. More than 60 waterfalls cascade into the surrounding countryside from the slopes of the volcano. The entire province, called Tungurahua in honor of you-know-who, is fully and self-sufficiently powered, thanks to the Tungurahua hydroelectric facility located just outside Baños.

The surrounding landscape is crisscrossed with steep bluffs, deep river gorges, and expansive plateaus. With all this natural beauty, it’s no wonder that Baños, cupped in a small valley at about 5,900 feet above sea level, is a thriving tourist town, equally popular with both Ecuadorian and international visitors. And with more than 100 hotels and hostels and a nearly continuous round of parades, festivals, and special events throughout the year, the mood in Baños is always festive and
upbeat.

You’ll find just about any outdoor activity that exists: hiking, canyoning and rappelling, bungee jumping, zip-lining…how about a breathtaking ride in a tarabita (cable car) that swings from a mile-long cable across 500-foot-deep gorges? You can go mountain biking, horseback riding, rent an ATV or dirt bike, or just kick back in one of the many spas offering massages, facials, and more.

Water sports are popular, too, of course. Kayaking, white-water rafting, and more can all be enjoyed within just a few miles of Baños. The town, considered one of the safest in Ecuador, is also known as the “Gateway to the Amazon.” Just 30 miles downhill from Baños is the town of Puyo, the country’s largest jungle town. Puyo sits on the banks of the Puyo River, which eventually dumps into the vast Amazon River.

Still, for all its near-perfect, year-round weather (temperatures average 55 F at night up to about 80 F during the day) and wealth of activities and attractions, Baños is not high on the radar for expats looking for retirement destinations.

There is, though, a small and fairly active group of Canadian, European, and U.S. residents in Baños. Mountain-biking enthusiasts Jim and Marshia Redd had traveled to the area many times from their home in Chicago before they decided to purchase La Posada del Arte in 2004.

The hotel has been a successful venture for them, they say. A couple of years ago they bought an adjacent property and expanded to double the hotel capacity. “This has been a fantastic investment,” Jim says. “It pays for itself every two years.”

Additionally, Marshia is president of Fundación Arte del Mundo, a non-profit foundation that operates an after-school library and theater for local children. They’ve opened the Stray Dog Brewpub with their son, Jason.

Likewise, Canadians Rob Tiessen and Robyn Moulyn had traveled all over Ecuador before finding themselves in Baños six years ago with their then-teenaged children. An artist who specializes in wildlife, Robyn fell in love with the natural surroundings and awe-inspiring vistas. (See her website here.) She recently finished the illustrations for a book and is making her own art paper from abundant local banana stalks.

Rob still works in the oil industry in Canada. Even with traveling back and forth for assignments, they say that by living in Ecuador, they spend less money and enjoy life more.

“What I find fascinating about Baños,” Robyn says, “is that, for being such a small town, it’s very much aware of its international appeal and caters to that with its friendliness and care of the tourists. And did I mention the variety of foods available? From vegetarian to French cooking. We have it all.”

All the attributes, in fact, that make Ecuador an attractive retirement destination can be found in Baños. The cost of living is low…a couple can live comfortably just about anywhere in Ecuador on $1,500 to $2,000 a month. The average furnished rental costs $300 to $500 a month.

A local mercado (farmers’ market) just two blocks from the basilica is open every day. There you can find all the fresh local produce you might want, and at a fraction of the price you’ll pay in the States, where it’s all imported, of course.

Health care in Baños is adequate, as you might expect in a town that caters to adventure tourism. And a new hospital is being built. For now, though, for anything of a serious nature, you’ll need to travel an hour away to the larger city of Ambato, or to Quito.

Certainly, don’t go to Baños expecting to find a mature real estate market. While there are certainly properties for sale, there is only one official real estate company. You’ll need good Spanish chops to communicate with the proprietor and his staff. The website listed on the business card they gave me doesn’t work, making it hard to get a handle on area prices.

But with a bit of digging, we found one 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, one-bath house in a typical local neighborhood selling for just $47,000. It’s perfectly habitable but will certainly require some upgrading to make it something I’d personally appreciate.

Another more likely candidate is near the Río Pastaza. A red-brick house of 2,600 square feet with a red-tile roof, it has four bedrooms and five baths and is selling for $90,000. Two nearby lots that border the river, each 1,700 square feet in size, are listed for $8,000 each.

And on a quarter-acre lot with a view of Mama Tungurahua herself, a 3,550-square-foot house, with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and even a small pool, is selling for $120,000. It’s lovely inside, with tile floors and cantilevered wooden ceilings, and will require little, if any, improvements.

A Quick Guide for Taking the Cure in Baños

How to Get There:

Catch a bus to Baños from Quito’s Quitumbe Station for $3.60, or via a door-to-door shared van for $20 per person plus $5 for a large bag. To reserve, call 022-082-165 / 099-048-9374 / 098-752-9599. A private taxi from Quito will cost $70 to $80.

Where to Stay:

You won’t have trouble finding accommodation in all price ranges in Baños. We’d recommend La Floresta at $58 for a double or La Posada del Arte at $65 to $70 for a double. Both include breakfast. For upscale accommodation in hotels with private thermal pools and up-close views of Tungurahua, check out Luna Runtun or Hotel Sangay.

Where to Eat: There are many excellent restaurants in Baños. Popular Café Hood is owned by U.S. expat and longtime Baños resident Ray Hood. (Not to be confused with Casa Hood, also good.) We also had a most enjoyable meal at the antique-filled Café Mariane.

Don’t Miss:

A visit to the Basilica is a must. And for $6 per person, take the full-day, double-decker bus excursion that will take you to the most famous sites. These include waterfalls and canyons where you can ride the cable cars or go zip-lining. (Be sure to reserve a seat on the top deck and don’t forget your rain gear. And definitely try the empanadas!)

Related Articles:
The Top 5 Cultural Experiences In Ecuador
Ecuador’s Natural Weight Loss Plan…
How Much Does It Cost To Live In Ecuador?

How do you visit Baños from Quito in 2026?

Take a taxi or the Trole south to Terminal Quitumbe and buy a ticket to Baños at any of the company windows. Buses run roughly every hour, the ride takes 3–3.5 hours, and fares are about $4–5 as of 2026. Give Baños at least two nights: one day for the Ruta de las Cascadas and Pailón del Diablo, one for the Casa del Árbol and an evening soak at the Termas de la Virgen.

Baños sits on the Avenue of the Volcanoes, so it pairs naturally with Cotopaxi and Quilotoa on the way south. We do not run a Baños tour ourselves, but our two-day trip covers the two highlights most travelers try to fit in before or after.

Related guides

• The best waterfalls in Ecuador, including Pailón del Diablo
• Hiking in Ecuador
• Cotopaxi and Quilotoa: the complete guide
• Tena whitewater rafting guide
• Ecuador itinerary for 7, 10 or 14 days

Plan it with us

Questions before you go? Stop by our office at Pedro Fermín Cevallos N6-78 y Olmedo in Quito, message us on WhatsApp at +593 97 953 3832, or write to info@communitytravel.ec. Our local guides answer every message and will tell you honestly whether a tour or the bus makes more sense for your trip.

Frequently asked questions

Het bericht Baños, Ecuador: Hot Springs, Waterfalls and Getting There (2026 Guide) verscheen eerst op Community Adventures Ecuador.