Guayaquil Tours in March 2026

We had no idea what Ecuador had in store for us, it honestly wasn’t even at the top of our travel list but glad we booked it. From the moment we landed in Quito, we were hooked. The city is lively and colorful, and even though the altitude made us slow down a bit at first, the views from the top of El Panecillo made up for it. The Otavalo Market was pure chaos in the best way. I kept telling myself not to buy anything… ended up with a bag full of woven scarves. Zero regrets. Papallacta was a whole other vibe. The hot springs were exactly what we didn’t know we needed. If the trip had stopped there, I think we’d still be raving about it. Banos was this hidden gem with waterfalls and fresh air. The small group made everything more relaxed. No rushing, but no wasting time either. We felt like we got to really be in the places we visited. Everything was organized, we barely had to think. Just showed up, enjoyed, and soaked it all in. Would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Visiting the Galapagos Islands had been at the top of my wish list for as long as I can remember and this trip was everything I'd dreamt of. Every day brought special, close-up encounters with magnificent animals - male frigatebirds displaying their bright red chests, sea lions stretched out on the beach nursing their young pups or cheekily hitching a ride on the back of our boat and pairs of blue-footed boobies engaged in a courtship dance. The Archipel 1 is modern, spotlessly clean, spacious and comfortable with a friendly, hard-working and efficient crew. The food is excellent in quality, quantity and variety. The boat has the capacity for 16 guests, which enables everyone to get to know one another.

This was a full-on trip, early morning starts with full days of activity - but SO worth it! Each of the 4 islands visited were very different in both their landscape and wildlife. Tourism in all but the last island (Santa Cruz) was very low key and I felt privileged to be there and see all that I did.

From snorkelling with sharks, sea turtles and sea horses to watching giant tortoises, swimming iguanas, dancing blue-footed boobies, leaping manta rays, penguins and mating eagle rays, to trekking around a huge caldera and steaming volcanic vents… this island-hopping adventure to explore the Galápagos by land and by sea was a spectacular and unforgettable experience. The range of activities and places visited in this trip allowed us to fully experience and be captivated by the unique biodiversity and landscapes of the region. The wildlife of land, sea and sky is so abundant and diverse and allows for many magical interactions. It is fascinating to learn about the culture and history of the islands to more modern conservation efforts, such as the numerous breeding programmes of the different giant tortoise species. We got the chance to meet local people, taste local food and get off-the-beaten-track to be further immersed in the traditions of the different islands. It was truly an experience of a lifetime.

Ecuador is a fascinating, varied and often stunningly beautiful. Apart from high up on some volcanoes, it is very green, with deep valleys dissecting the layers of rock formed of volcanic ash. The people are very friendly and the " indigenous " (as they are known) still live in traditional houses in some mountain areas and have colourful fresh food markets. The programme was well planned, taking in cloud forest, rain forest, the high Andes and the coastal plain. There were activities to appeal to various tastes including bird watching, exploring geologically active areas and wandering in the old colonial centres of towns like Quito and Cuenca. I enjoyed watching the scenery on the long coach journeys (occasionally obscured by rain, it being the wetter season). The hotels, especially the haciendas and the Santa Lucia in Cuenca, were comfortable and large portions of food usually tasty. With so many places included in the itinerary, the pace of the tour was fast with little "spare" time, but that enabled us to see and experience so much.

This is a nice tour with some highs and low points. Highs: Sachatamia Lodge for birds and I mean lots of different types and numbers. Chachimbiro Hots Springs, excellent We got onaly a 10 minutes and a 30 minute boat ride in the Amazon River Basin. Cajabama Indian Market, great local color of locals selling and buying fruit, vegetables, plants. Hiking in Cajas National Park for animals viewing and great scenery Churute Eloological Reserve for mangrove swamp boat ride to see many birds and bird species. Lows: San Clemente Indigenous Community, slow moving and boring. Papallacta Hot Springs, over crowded Not enough boat on the river time in the Amazon Basin. Should be at least 2 hours per 2 days. Banos, over rated town