Romantic Escape to The Amazons
12 Day Ecuador Itinerary
What a memorable trip to Ecuador! We really enjoyed the hikes in the jungle, and learning about the indigenous cultures and the Amazon Basin.
What was your favorite place on this trip?
Quito is a busy, bustling city, primarily clean and filled with people on the streets. I can't image navigating the streets in vehicles. Instead, we took the city tour by bus for the entire day and always felt safe. We were blown away by the awesome view from El Panecillo Hill. Our stay at Swissotel was the perfect hub to get to many city sites.
What activities made this vacation so memorable?
Mindo is about a 2-hour drive from Quito. Our guide, Eric, picked us up at our hotel and was on time and well informed with the history of the area. We took the cable car tour which took us across the top of the canopy followed by a hike down to the waterfall. A bit strenuous, but the chocolate factory tour at the end of the trip was great! We saw many toucans and other birds!
The biggest takeaway from this adventure…
We stayed at the Anaconda Lodge when we were in Tena. My husband and I really enjoyed the hikes in the jungle and learning about Napo Runa culture and medicinal plants. Our guides Francisco and Cesar were amazing, and they really inspired us to do what we can to help preserve indigenous cultures and protect the Amazon basin.
Places
| 3 | nights | Quito |
| 3 | nights | Tena |
| 1 | night | Quito |
| 4 | nights | San Cristobal |
Activities
| 3rd | day | Mindo Full-Day Tour |
| 9th | day | Kicker Rock - Leon Dormido Island Tour |
| 10th | day | Espanola Island Tour |
| 11th | day | Lobo Island and Ochoa Beach |
Hotels
| 4 | nights | Swissotel Quito |
| 3 | nights | Anaconda Lodge |
| 4 | nights | Casa Opuntia Galapagos |
Meals
| Free Breakfast for 8 days |
Transport
| shuttle | Quito to Tena |
| shuttle | Tena to Quito |
| private driver | To Quito International Airport in Quito |
| flight | Quito to San Cristobal |
| flight | San Cristobal to Quito |
Trip Overview
DAY 1
Quito
Swissotel Quito
- night 1 of 3
1 room.
Swissotel Quito offers 275 upscale rooms and suites, each with a view of either the cityscape or one of the mountains that borders Quito. Use this vantage point for inspiration as you plan your exploration ...
DAY 2
Quito
Swissotel Quito
- night 2 of 3
DAY 3
Quito
Swissotel Quito
- night 3 of 3
Mindo Full-Day Tour
During this full-day tour, you'll explore the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve and the Mindo-Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve. In Mindo, you'll visit waterfalls and a butterfly farm, and take a cable car over the ...
DAY 4
Quito / Tena
Swissotel Quito
Anaconda Lodge
- night 1 of 3
Quito to Tena
1 room.
Anaconda Island is a magical place of 27 hectares located between the Napo and Arajuno rivers in the heart of the Amazon rainforest of the Napo province in Ecuador. It is a meeting of two ancestral cultures ...
DAY 5
Tena
Anaconda Lodge
- night 2 of 3
DAY 6
Tena
Anaconda Lodge
- night 3 of 3
DAY 7
Tena / Quito
Anaconda Lodge
Swissotel Quito
- night 1 of 1
Tena to Quito
1 room.
Swissotel Quito offers 275 upscale rooms and suites, each with a view of either the cityscape or one of the mountains that borders Quito. Use this vantage point for inspiration as you plan your exploration ...
DAY 8
Quito / San Cristobal
Swissotel Quito
Casa Opuntia Galapagos
- night 1 of 4
Quito to Quito
Quito to San Cristóbal
1 room.
Casa Opuntia offers 13 air-conditioned rooms for guests who are looking to get the complete Galápagos experience. You’ll be a short walk from the local beach, Playa de Oro, and the small town of Puerto ...
DAY 9
San Cristobal
Casa Opuntia Galapagos
- night 2 of 4
Kicker Rock - Leon Dormido Island Tour
During the boat trip you can enjoy the beautiful landscape and you may see dolphins. Upon arrival at León Dormido we will navigate around the island to see the sea birds and sea lions, resting on the rocks. ...
DAY 10
San Cristobal
Casa Opuntia Galapagos
- night 3 of 4
Espanola Island Tour
Located two hours from San Cristóbal, Española is the southernmost island and one of the oldest in the Galápagos archipelago. The island's flat profile is extremely dry with only a few inches of rain per ...
DAY 11
San Cristobal
Casa Opuntia Galapagos
- night 4 of 4
Lobo Island and Ochoa Beach
Isla Lobos is a small islet located approximate 40 minutes from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Is it home to various Galapagos birds, such as Blue-Footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, and Frigate Birds, as well as ...
DAY 12
San Cristobal
Casa Opuntia Galapagos
San Cristóbal to Quito
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