14 Day Ecuador and Galapagos Tour: Volcanoes, Cuenca and the Islands

This 14 day Ecuador and Galapagos tour runs from Quito through Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Chimborazo, Ingapirca and Cuenca, then a week on Santa Cruz and Isabela. Prices start at $3,390 per person.

A 14 Day Ecuador and Galapagos Tour from the Andes to the Islands

This 14 day Ecuador and Galapagos tour travels the whole length of the Ecuadorian Andes, from Quito past Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and Chimborazo to the Inca ruins of Ingapirca and colonial Cuenca, then flies from Guayaquil for a week of island hopping on Santa Cruz and Isabela. It is a trip from USD 3,390 per person for two travelers, flights not included.

Two weeks lets you see Ecuador at a calm pace. The highlands part includes a free day in the village of Isinlivi, which helps with the altitude and gives you a real taste of rural Andean life, and a night in a restored mansion in Cuenca. Instead of driving back north, you cross Cajas National Park to Guayaquil and fly straight to the islands.

Your 14 Day Route at a Glance

Who This Trip Is For

• Travelers with two weeks who want the Andes in depth, including Chimborazo and Cuenca, plus the Galápagos.
• Culture lovers: Kichwa communities, Ingapirca and a UNESCO city.
• Couples and small groups who like a slower pace and a rest day in the middle.

The highlands part is based on our 7 day Ecuador trip and the islands part is our 7 day Galapagos island hopping tour. If you prefer the Amazon to Cuenca, see the 12 day Ecuador and Galapagos tour. For more route ideas read our Ecuador itinerary guide.

Price for the 14 Day Tour

From USD 3,390 per person for two travelers in a double room, with 13 hotel nights, transport and a bilingual guide from Quito to Cuenca, the transfer to Guayaquil, speedboats between the islands, the yacht day and every guided excursion.

Not included: international flights, the round-trip flight to the Galápagos (usually USD 350 to 600 per person, depending on season), the Galápagos National Park entrance fee (USD 200 per foreign adult, paid on arrival) and the Transit Control Card (USD 20, bought at the airport in Quito or Guayaquil). Two travelers should budget about USD 4,000 to 4,200 per person in total for the land tour, the island flight and the fees.

Best Time for This Trip

June to September brings the driest weather in the Andes and the best views of Chimborazo; December to May brings warmer water and calmer seas in the Galápagos. Cuenca has a mild climate all year. Book three to six months ahead for the yacht day and for July, August and Christmas.

14 Day Ecuador and Galapagos Tour FAQ

How much does the 14 day Ecuador and Galapagos tour cost?

From USD 3,390 per person for two travelers sharing a double room. It includes 13 hotel nights, transport and a guide from Quito to Cuenca, the transfer to Guayaquil, and hotels, speedboats, the yacht day and guided excursions in the Galápagos. Flights and the Galápagos National Park entrance fee (USD 200 per foreign adult, paid on arrival) and the Transit Control Card (USD 20, bought at the airport in Quito or Guayaquil) are separate.

Why do we fly to the Galápagos from Guayaquil?

Because the trip ends the mainland part in Cuenca, in the south. Driving to Guayaquil through Cajas National Park takes about four hours and is a beautiful road, and flights from Guayaquil to Baltra are short. It saves a full day of going back to Quito.

What is included and what is not?

Included: 13 hotel nights, breakfast on most days, lunches on the Cotopaxi and Quilotoa days, box lunches on Los Túneles and Sierra Negra, lunch on the yacht day, transport and bilingual guide on the mainland, entrances to protected areas, speedboats and the Isabela entry fee. Not included: international flights, the flight to the Galápagos, the park fee, the Transit Control Card, dinners, tips and insurance.

Is the altitude a problem?

The trip is built to acclimatize gradually: Quito (2,850 m), then Cotopaxi, a rest day in Isinlivi and only then Chimborazo, where the refuge is at 4,800 m. Cuenca and Guayaquil are lower. Walk slowly, drink water and tell your guide how you feel; the high points are always optional.

Can we change the route?

Yes. It is a trip, so we can add the Amazon, spend an extra night in Cuenca or replace a Galápagos day. Tell us what matters most to you.

What is your cancellation policy?

Cancellations must be requested in writing. For packages of 9 to 30 days you get a 70% refund more than 7 days before departure, 50% between 3 and 7 days, and no refund within 3 days. The full policy is in our terms and conditions.

Request your quote for these dates and we will reply with availability, hotel options and a total price.

Highlights

• Cotopaxi, Quilotoa and a free day in the Andean village of Isinlivi
• Stand at 4,800 m on Chimborazo among wild vicuñas
• Explore Ingapirca, the largest Inca site in Ecuador
• Walk the UNESCO city of Cuenca and cross Cajas National Park
• Snorkel at Los Túneles and hike Sierra Negra on Isabela
• A full yacht day to an uninhabited island

Itinerary

1. Day 1Arrival in Quito

   

   We meet you at Mariscal Sucre airport and drive you to your hotel in the colonial Old Town, about 45 minutes away. Quito sits at 2,850 m, so the rest of the day is best kept easy: a walk to Plaza Grande and the Compañía church, a coffee on La Ronda street and an early night. How the day runs: arrival at any time; your guide briefs you on the route and checks your documents for the Galápagos flight. Guide's tip: drink plenty of water and go slowly on the stairs; the altitude is felt most on the first evening.

   Overnight: Patio Andaluz or similar, Quito Old Town

2. Day 2Cotopaxi National Park

   

   We drive south along the Avenue of the Volcanoes to Cotopaxi National Park. From the upper car park you walk about 45 minutes to the José Rivas refuge, close to 4,800 m, with the glacier above you, then circle the Limpiopungo lagoon, where wild horses, Andean foxes and, with luck, a condor appear. How the day runs: about two hours from Quito to the park gate; lunch after the refuge. Bring: warm layers, gloves, a hat and sunscreen. You sleep in Hacienda La Ciénega, a 17th-century estate at the foot of the volcano. Full details of this leg are on our 7 day Ecuador trip.

   Overnight: Hacienda La Ciénega or similarMeals: breakfast, lunch

3. Day 3Quilotoa Crater Lake to Isinlivi

   

   Morning in the Kichwa community of Zumbahua and at Quilotoa, the turquoise crater lake at 3,900 m. You can walk down to the shore and ride a mule back up. In the afternoon we drive into the quiet valleys of the Quilotoa Loop to Isinlivi, a farming village where your lodge looks over patchwork fields. Bring: a windproof jacket and shoes with grip.

   Overnight: Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge or similar, IsinliviMeals: breakfast, lunch

4. Day 4Free Day in Isinlivi

   

   A day at your own pace in the highlands. Walk a section of the Quilotoa Loop with a local guide, ride a horse to the next village, join a cooking workshop or simply rest and read with the Andes in front of you. Guide's tip: this rest day in the middle of the trip helps your body adapt to the altitude before Chimborazo.

   Overnight: Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge or similar, IsinliviMeals: breakfast

5. Day 5Chimborazo Reserve to Ingapirca

   

   We cross the Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve, home to vicuñas, and drive up to the first refuge at 4,800 m on the slopes of Ecuador's highest mountain. If you feel well, walk 200 m more to the second refuge at 5,000 m. In the afternoon we continue south to Ingapirca and sleep in a country inn next to the ruins. Bring: warm layers and gloves; the wind on Chimborazo is cold.

   Overnight: Posada Ingapirca or similarMeals: breakfast

6. Day 6Ingapirca Ruins to Cuenca

   

   Ingapirca is the most important Inca and Cañari site in Ecuador, with a sun temple built of fitted stone. After the visit it is about two hours to Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage city of blue domes, rivers and colonial streets, where you check into a restored mansion. Guide's tip: Cuenca is at 2,500 m and has a mild climate, perfect for an evening walk along the Tomebamba River.

   Overnight: Mansión Alcázar or similar, CuencaMeals: breakfast

7. Day 7Cuenca City Tour and Drive to Guayaquil through Cajas

   

   A half-day walk through Cuenca: the cathedral, the flower market, a Panama hat workshop and the riverside. In the afternoon a transfer takes you through Cajas National Park, a high moorland of hundreds of lakes, and down to the coast at Guayaquil, about four hours in total. Tonight you sleep near the airport for tomorrow's flight to the islands. Good to know: Galápagos flights leave from Guayaquil, so this saves you a trip back to Quito.

   Overnight: Hotel in GuayaquilMeals: breakfast

8. Day 8Flight to the Galápagos, Santa Cruz Highlands

   

   A short morning flight of about an hour and forty minutes takes you from Guayaquil to Baltra. You pay the park entrance on arrival, cross the Itabaca Channel and drive into the Santa Cruz highlands to see giant tortoises in the wild and walk through a lava tunnel, then check in at Puerto Ayora. Bring: your passport, the Transit Control Card and cash for the park fee.

   Overnight: Deja Vu Hotel or similar, Puerto Ayora

9. Day 9Charles Darwin Station and Tortuga Bay

   

   We start at the Charles Darwin Research Station, where the tortoise breeding program brought several island populations back from near extinction. Then a 45-minute paved trail through cactus forest leads to Tortuga Bay, a long white beach where marine iguanas nest, and the calm lagoon of Playa Mansa for a swim. Guide's tip: go early; the beach is quieter and the sun softer before 11 am.

   Overnight: Deja Vu Hotel or similar, Puerto AyoraMeals: breakfast

10. Day 10Speedboat to Isabela: Wetlands, Wall of Tears and Las Tintoreras

    

    An early speedboat takes about two hours to Isabela, the largest island. We walk through the lagoons behind Puerto Villamil, where flamingos feed, visit the tortoise breeding center and see the Wall of Tears, built by prisoners in the 1940s. In the afternoon a short boat trip reaches Las Tintoreras, a lava islet where white-tip reef sharks rest in a narrow channel and penguins stand on the rocks. Bring: seasickness tablets for the crossing.

    Overnight: San Vicente Hotel or similar, Puerto VillamilMeals: breakfast

11. Day 11Los Túneles Snorkel at Cabo Rosa

    

    A full-day boat trip along the south coast to Los Túneles, arches and channels of collapsed lava. We watch blue-footed boobies from the boat, then snorkel with sea turtles, reef sharks, rays and seahorses in clear, shallow water. Box lunch on board; back in Puerto Villamil in the late afternoon. Guide's tip: from July to November the water is cool, so ask us for a wetsuit.

    Overnight: San Vicente Hotel or similar, Puerto VillamilMeals: breakfast, box lunch

12. Day 12Sierra Negra Volcano and Back to Santa Cruz

    

    We hike to the rim of Sierra Negra, one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, and continue to the red and ochre cones of Volcán Chico. The walk is about 18 km and six hours on gentle terrain, and anyone who prefers can stay in town and swim at Concha Perla instead. In the afternoon the speedboat takes you back to Santa Cruz. Bring: closed shoes, a hat and two liters of water.

    Overnight: Deja Vu Hotel or similar, Puerto AyoraMeals: breakfast, box lunch

13. Day 13Yacht Day to an Uninhabited Island

    

    A full day by yacht to one of the uninhabited islands: Bartolomé with its Pinnacle Rock and penguins, Santa Fe with its giant cactus forest and endemic land iguanas, North Seymour with nesting blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds, or South Plaza with its sea lion colony. Lunch is served on board. Good to know: the National Park limits daily visitors to each island, so we confirm the island when you book; the earlier you book, the better the choice.

    Overnight: Deja Vu Hotel or similar, Puerto AyoraMeals: breakfast, lunch

14. Day 14Departure from Baltra

    

    Time for a last walk along the Puerto Ayora waterfront before we take you across Santa Cruz and the Itabaca Channel to Baltra airport for your flight to Guayaquil or Quito and your connection home. Guide's tip: keep your international departure for the evening or the next day, since Galápagos flights can be delayed.

    Meals: breakfast

Prices per person