r/ecuador • u/cat_lives_upstairs • 1d ago
Itinerary feedback - 3 wks with kids/teens
I would love feedback on my itinerary for March/April! Family of five - kids will be 10, 13, 15. The only thing booked so far is the Galapagos liveaboard cruise and our flights, but I'm about ready to book the rest. Let me know if you have any suggestions. We haven't decided how we're getting around either (rental vs driver vs buses - possibly a mix). Very excited about this trip. Thanks!
Day 1
Toronto-Quito
Arrive early evening
Sleep Quito
Day 2
Quito - Quilotoa
Sleep Black Sheep Inn (probably)
Day 3
Quilotoa - acclimatize
AM: Zumbahua for the market
Sleep Black Sheep Inn (probably)
Day 4
Quilotoa main day - hike if acclimatized, car tour if not
Quilotoa Lake
Sleep Black Sheep Inn (probably)
Day 5
Travel between Quilotoa and Cotopaxi
Sleep Hacienda el Porvenir, Cotopaxi Lodge or Tambopaxi Lodge
Day 6
Cotopaxi - Quito
Day trip to Cotopaxi, ending in Quito
Sleep Quito
Day 7
Quito - Coca - Limoncocha
Tentative booking for an overnight at Limoncocha to see the caimans and fireflies
Day 8
Limoncocha - Coca
Wild Mandari Amazon Jungle Express Day 1
Day 9
Amazon Jungle Express Day 2
Day 10
Amazon Jungle Express Day 3
Day 11
Amazon Jungle Express Day 4 - return to Coca
Sleep Coca
Day 12
Coca- Quito
Keep unplanned
Sleep Quito
Day 13
Quito - could do a day trip to Papallacta Hot Springs but I think the day is better spent in the city - keep unplanned
Sleep Quito
Day 14
Quito-Baltra-Puerto Ayora
Sleep Puerto Ayora
Day 15
Puerto Ayora
Keep unplanned
Sleep Puerto Ayora
Beach Day/relax
Keep unplanned
Day 16
Puerto Ayora
Keep unplanned
Sleep Puerto Ayora
Day 17-21
Galapagos Liveaboard 5 Days / 4 Nights (leaves from Santa Cruz)
Bachas, Bartolome, Sullivan Bay, South Plazas Island, Santa Fe Island, Witch Hill, Pitt Point, San Cristobal Highlands
Day 21
Finish in San Cristobal – fly to Quito
Sleep Quito
Day 22
Quito-Toronto
5
u/gabyqj97 1d ago
Hi! I'm from Colombia living in Ecuador for about 20 years. Your trip looks great; maybe you should spend a couple of days first in Quito to acclimate and then go to Quilotoa. Going to Baños is a great idea and you can also go to Mindo, it has a great weather, amazing hikes and some extreme sports that are, honestly, not that extreme but are incredible fun for kids! I would really really really recommend you go to Papallacta, you can spend the night and it is amazing, and very relaxing. Sorry for any grammar error. English is not my first lenguage
2
u/cat_lives_upstairs 1d ago
Thank you, these are great suggestions! Thy only reason we didn't add Mindo is that it's a bit similar to some things we did in Costa Rica a couple of years ago, but I'm still interested in Baños. That's very helpful to know that you highly regimens Papallacta - it does look beautiful and relaxing, which we may well need!
2
u/FHOCJD 1d ago
Looks great. 3 weeks is a nice amount of time. The kids will be amazed. I haven't been to the Black Sheep Inn but I was given their business card...back in 1995. Your jungle trip should be great. Great idea to leave unplanned time too.
Ecuador is relatively easy to travel around in. You'll be more comfortable arranging private transportation and it gives you the option to just stop anywhere which is great for a family with young kids. Try to at least give the kids the adventure of a regular public bus trip so they can see it's how the locals do it.
2
u/gadgetvirtuoso 1d ago
Plan for activities that don’t need the internet. You’ve got a bunch of places on here where the internet is going to be spotty to non-existent. Cellular service changes fast from 5G in Quito to 4G to 3G and EDGE outside the cities. Small towns will have 3G/4G usually but expect that streaming music, YT or online games may not be possible. Most places do have WiFi, even in the Amazon.
You’ve got a lot of travel time in there and kids that age will get board.
Have you all ever been at high altitude before? Plan for at least one person in your group to have trouble with it and may not be up for anything. Soroche is no joke and can happen to anyone.
1
u/cat_lives_upstairs 1d ago
My husband and I have spent time in Tibet and didn't get sick, but my kids have never been at altitude so that is definitely a concern. I'm wondering if we should do the Andes later in our trip. We're a board game family so we'll have some travel games with us, and our kids read a lot, but we will definitely have some shows downloaded for the long stretches.
1
u/usuario_512 9h ago
This is a nice itinerary to get to know the Andes, Amazon and Galápagos. You will probably be ok going to high altitude on the first day if you take it easy with no big hikes. It will be the same if you go from sea level in the Amazon or coast so you might as well just acclimatize. Hiking down to the water at Quilotoa and back up is probably serious enough (going around takes much longer). You can always pay for a mule if you can't make it back up. Zhumbahua market is on Saturdays, by the way - if you arrive very early you can see the animal market which is cool. Quito has a lot to do but you might prefer focusing on natural areas instead of the city - Papallacta is very nice, there is a great river hike just above the springs, and then you can watch the sunset in the water, and the restaurants are open late if you want to eat afterwards. The teleférico in Quito is also worth it on a clear day when the views are amazing. Have fun!
5
u/AgostoAzul 1d ago
I'd recommend a bit less traveling back to Quito and more time acclimatizing before hiking. It obviously depends on your fitness, but I've seen some people take days before acclimatizing. Moreover, the hike up Quilotoa tends to be a bit tough.
IMO, after the rest in Quito, I'd go to Baños. It has many kid-friendly attractions such as Animal Park (zoo, petting zoo, cowboy shows, dinosaur animatronics) that will give you a good idea of how much walking you'll be able to do in Quilotoa on the way back.
I also have no idea about how weather in Quilotoa will be in march/April but do note that Cotopaxi and Quilotoa are only amazing trips during sunny days. If there is a lot of rain that day, you'll not be able to see the Quilotoa lake and hiking will be too dangerous, so you probably want a lot of flexibility in the itinerary.