Ecuador Encompassed — Self-Launched

Land at Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) and take the Aeroservicios shuttle bus to the old airport terminal (~$8), then a short taxi (~$5) to your hostel in La Mariscal or the Centro Histórico. Spend the afternoon gently acclimatising at 2,850m: wander the colonial plaza at Plaza Grande, visit the Basílica del Voto Nacional, and grab dinner at a Mercado Central stall. Book onward bus tickets tonight.

🚌Aeroservicios airport shuttle ~$8 + taxi ~$5

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, La Mariscal or Centro Histórico (~£12–18)

• →Plaza Grande & colonial old town walk (free)
• →Basílica del Voto Nacional (~$2)
• →Mercado Central food stalls

Morning bus from Quito's Terminal Quitumbe to Baños (~3.5–4 hrs, $6–8). Baños sits at the gateway to the Amazon at 1,800m — noticeably warmer. Settle into a hostel, then ease in with a soak at the Termas de la Virgen hot springs (~$4) with a waterfall view. Evening: cheap set-menu almuerzo and a wander through the lively town centre.

🚌Local bus Quito–Baños ~£6

🛏Hostel, Baños centre (~£10–14)

• →Termas de la Virgen hot springs (~$4)
• →Town orientation walk

Full free day for Baños' adventure menu. Rent a mountain bike (~$10) and ride the Ruta de las Cascadas to the Pailón del Diablo waterfall (entry ~$2), or book canyoning/climbing direct with a local agency (~$30) or via GetYourGuide. Optional extras: the Casa del Árbol swing at the 'end of the world' (~$2), ziplining (~$25), or whitewater rafting (~$30). Book your Amazon transfer for tomorrow morning.

🚌Bike hire ~$10 / local taxi trucks $2–5

🛏Hostel, Baños centre (~£10–14)

• →Ruta de las Cascadas bike ride & Pailón del Diablo (~$12)
• →Canyoning or ziplining (~$25–30)
• →Casa del Árbol swing (~$2)

Bus from Baños to Tena (~3 hrs via Puyo, ~$6). Tena is the gateway to Napo province. Book a two-night stay at a community-run jungle lodge in a Quichua village — options like Sinchi Wayra or lodges around Misahuallí run community tourism stays with meals and guided walks included (~$35–45/night incl. meals). Afternoon: short nature walk and a swim in the river.

🚌Local bus Baños–Tena ~£5

🛏Community cabaña, multi-share with mosquito nets (~£15–20 incl. meals)

• →Village orientation walk
• →River swim

Full day with a local Quichua guide: jungle medicinal-plant walk, birdwatching at dawn, a canoe trip or river tubing, and a lesson in making chicha or weaving. Meals are cooked by the community. This is the equivalent of G Adventures' 'Local Living Moment' — booked directly with the lodge, so all the money stays local.

🚌On foot / short motorised canoe

🛏Community cabaña, multi-share (~£15–20 incl. meals)

• →Guided jungle walk
• →Motorised canoe trip
• →Cacao/chicha & craft workshop

Bike to the nearby community of Shandia (hire + local guide ~$15–20) for a look at community tourism projects and a swim in the river. Afterwards take a local bus north-east on the Baeza road to Papallacta (~2 hrs, ~$5). Check into a basic guesthouse near the thermal baths and soak in the natural mineral pools with volcano views (Termas Papallacta day pass ~$7–15; cheaper municipal pools available).

🚌Bike hire ~$18; local bus Tena–Papallacta ~£4

🛏Simple guesthouse, Papallacta (~£15–20)

• →Shandia community bike visit (~$18)
• →Papallacta thermal pools (~$10)

Relaxing morning soak before a midday bus back to Quito (~2 hrs, ~$3). Free afternoon in the capital: the Museo Casa del Alabado for pre-Columbian goldwork, La Ronda for evening music, or ride the Teleférico (~$9) if you're after a mountain view. Book your Otavalo transport and Cotopaxi tour tonight.

🚌Local bus Papallacta–Quito ~£3

🛏Hostel, Quito (~£12–18)

• →Museo Casa del Alabado (~$6)
• →La Ronda stroll

Bus from Quito's Terminal Carcelén to Otavalo (~2.5 hrs, ~$3). Hit the Plaza de los Ponchos — South America's largest handicraft market, with villagers from surrounding communities selling textiles, ponchos and produce. If it's Saturday, the livestock market is on too. Optional afternoon taxi to Lake Cuicocha crater lake (~$15 round trip) or the Peguche waterfall (~$5 taxi).

🚌Local bus Quito–Otavalo ~£3

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Otavalo (~£10–15)

• →Plaza de los Ponchos market (free)
• →Peguche waterfall (~$5)
• →Cuicocha crater lake viewpoint (~$15 taxi share)

Bus Otavalo → Quito (change at Terminal Carcelén) then Quito → Machachi or El Chaupi (~3 hrs total, ~$6). A day-hike entry to Cotopaxi NP costs ~$10–15 with a shared 4x4 transfer from the park gate. Alternatively join a shared Cotopaxi day tour via GetYourGuide (~£35–45 incl. transport and guide) and stay in Machachi or a nearby mountain lodge. High altitude (3,800m+) — layer up and take it slowly.

🚌Local buses ~£5 + shared 4x4 ~$10

🛏Rustic mountain lodge or hostel, Machachi/El Chaupi (~£15–22)

• →Cotopaxi National Park hike (~$15)
• →Limpiopungo Lagoon walk

Morning in the park: hike to the refuge at 4,800m (no crampons needed for the refuge, just fitness and altitude care) or mountain bike the flanks. Then local buses south via Latacunga and Riobamba to Alausí (~4–5 hrs, ~$8–10). Alausí is a small highland town perched above the Nariz del Diablo gorge. Buy your train ticket for tomorrow — trains are limited and sell out, so reserve via the Tren Ecuador website in advance if possible.

🚌Local buses ~£8

🛏Guesthouse, Alausí (~£10–15)

• →Cotopaxi refuge hike
• →Alausí viewpoint walk

Ride the Nariz del Diablo train excursion — the famous switchback descent through the rock face (Tren Ecuador, ~$35–45, ~2.5 hrs round trip). Be at the station early. Afterwards, bus from Alausí to Cuenca (~3 hrs, ~$6). Cuenca is a UNESCO-listed colonial city with four rivers, artisan workshops and a great food scene — dinner at a Mercado 10 de Agosto stall is the local way.

🚌Tren Ecuador ~£30 + bus Alausí–Cuenca ~£5

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Cuenca Centro (~£12–18)

• →Devil's Nose train excursion
• →Evening old-town orientation walk

Free day. Option A: self-organise Cajas National Park — bus from Cuenca's Terminal Terrestre to Tres Cruces (~$2, 1 hr) and hike the laguna trails (free entry, no guide needed). Option B: paid tour to Cajas via GetYourGuide (~$40). In town: free walking tour, the Museo Pumapungo with Inca ruins and a shrunken-head room, the flower market, and the Museo de las Conceptas. Or a day trip to Ingapirca Inca ruins (~$30 by bus + entry).

🚌Local bus to Cajas ~£2

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Cuenca (~£12–18)

• →Cajas National Park self-guided hike
• →Museo Pumapungo (free)
• →Free walking tour (tips)

Long travel day south: bus Cuenca → Machala (or Guayaquil) and onward to Puerto López, ~6–7 hrs total (~$12–15). Alternatively fly Guayaquil then bus up the coast — but the overland route is cheaper and scenic. Puerto López is a laid-back fishing town and the base for Isla de la Plata ('poor man's Galápagos'). Book a boat trip for tomorrow at the harbour tonight.

🚌Long-distance bus ~£11

🛏Beach hostel, Puerto López (~£10–15)

• →Beach sunset walk

Boat trip to Isla de la Plata (~$45–60 incl. snorkelling gear and lunch) — blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds and sea turtles, plus a snorkel stop on the way back. Booked direct at the harbour or via GetYourGuide. Back by mid-afternoon; rinse off and eat ceviche on the seafront for under $5.

🚌Boat trip included in activity

🛏Beach hostel, Puerto López (~£10–15)

• →Isla de la Plata boat trip & snorkelling (~£40)

Hike in Machalilla National Park (~$15 guide fee), visit the Agua Blanca community museum and sulphur lagoon (~$15), then taxi to Los Frailes beach (free entry, one of Ecuador's best). Shared pickup truck or motorcycle taxi from Puerto López ~$5. Late afternoon, head north to Montañita (~1.5 hrs, ~$3) for the surf-town vibe. Optional: traditional cacao hacienda visit along the Ruta del Cacao (~$10–15).

🚌Shared pickup/taxi ~£4 + bus to Montañita ~£2.50

🛏Hostel, Montañita (~£10–16)

• →Machalilla NP hike & Agua Blanca community (~$15)
• →Los Frailes beach (free)
• →Cacao hacienda visit (~$12)

Full chill day in the surf town: board hire + lesson (~$25), beach lazing, and cheap seafood. Note G Adventures doesn't actually include a night here despite the highlights blurb, so this is a bonus. Late afternoon bus back to Quito (overnight bus ~9–10 hrs, ~$15) or fly from Guayaquil if you'd rather save time.

🚌Overnight bus Montañita–Quito ~£12

🛏Overnight bus / or hostel in Quito (~£10–15)

• →Surf lesson & board hire (~$25)
• →Beach time

Morning in Quito: bus to the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo / Intiñán Solar Museum on the actual equator line (~$5 transport + ~$5 entry), or tackle the Teleférico for a final Andean view if you skipped it. Airport shuttle back out for your flight. Leave with a full Ecuador lap: Amazon, Andes, highland markets, railway, and Pacific coast.

🚌Local bus to Mitad del Mundo ~£4 + airport shuttle ~£6

🛏None (departure day)

• →Mitad del Mundo / Intiñán Museum (~$5)
• →Final souvenir shop