Ecuador Highlands & Galapagos: Self-Launched Edition

Land at Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) and take an airport bus or shared taxi (~£4-6) into the centre. Check into a hostel in La Mariscal or the Old Town. Spend the afternoon wandering the UNESCO historic centre: Plaza Grande, La Compañía de Jesús (gold-leaf interior, ~£4 entry), San Francisco Square and the Basilica del Voto Nacional (tower climb ~£2). For a deeper intro, the 'Legends and Culture' walking tour is ~£40 via GetYourGuide or book a free walking tour and tip. Acclimatise gently — Quito sits at 2,850m.

🚌Airport bus/shared taxi to centre (~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm or private in La Mariscal (£12-16)

• →Historic centre self-walk
• →Basilica del Voto Nacional tower
• →Optional Legends & Culture walking tour

Morning bus from Quito's Terminal Quitumbe to Tena (~5-6 hours, ~£7-9, several daily departures with transportes like Baños/Amazonas). Tena is the rafting capital and the easiest Amazon fringe access point. Settle into a jungle lodge or guesthouse on the Napo/Arajuno rivers. In the evening join a night walk in secondary rainforest with a local guide (bookable at your lodge, ~£12-15) — insects, frogs and night birds.

🚌Public bus Quito–Tena, ~5-6 hrs, ~£8

🛏Riverside jungle lodge or guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Amazon rainforest night walk with local guide

Full-day guided rainforest hike along the Arajuno with a local Kichwa guide (~£20-25 including lunch), spotting medicinal plants, birds and monkeys. Combine with a visit to a local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre (entry ~£5-8) that cares for trafficked animals. Alternatively book a half-day rafting trip on the Jatunyacu (~£30-35) if you want adrenaline instead. Eat dinner in town — set almuerzos cost ~£3.

🚌Local taxi / lodge transfers (~£4)

🛏Riverside jungle lodge or guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Guided rainforest hike
• →Animal rescue centre visit
• →Optional river rafting

Bus Tena to Baños via Puyo (~4 hours, ~£5-6). Baños sits under the smoking Tungurahua volcano and is packed with budget adventure. Afternoon walk to El Pailón del Diablo waterfall (~£2 entry, take a local bus to Río Verde ~£1). Evening stroll through town and soak in one of the thermal baths, or join a free town walking orientation. Book tomorrow's activities at your hostel.

🚌Bus Tena–Baños, ~4 hrs, ~£6; local bus to waterfall ~£1

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Baños (£10-15)

• →El Pailón del Diablo waterfall
• →Baños town walk
• →Optional hot springs (~£4)

Build your own adventure day. Hike to the Casa del Árbol 'Swing at the End of the World' above town (~£2), rent a bike and ride the Ruta de las Cascadas downhill past a string of waterfalls (~£5 bike hire), then finish in the Baños hot springs (~£4). Bellavista viewpoint is free. Cheap and excellent value — this whole day costs less than a tour add-on.

🚌Bike hire and local buses (~£6)

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Baños (£10-15)

• →Casa del Árbol swing
• →Ruta de las Cascadas by bike
• →Hot springs
• →Bellavista viewpoint

Take a shared day tour from Baños or Quito to Cotopaxi National Park (GetYourGuide/Klook or your hostel, ~£45-60 including transport, guide and lunch). Walk the Limpiopungo Lagoon circuit, hike up to the José Rivas refuge (4,800m — go slow), and stop at a historic hacienda and flower plantation on the way. Buses back to Quito in the evening (~£4). Bring layers, gloves and sunglasses.

🚌Shared tour van; evening public bus to Quito ~£4

🛏Hostel in Quito La Mariscal (£12-16)

• →Limpiopungo Lagoon walk
• →Cotopaxi refuge hike
• →Historic hacienda visit
• →Flower plantation stop

Bus from Quito's Terminal Carcelén north to Otavalo/Cotacachi (~2.5 hours, ~£3-4). Base yourself in Cotacachi, a leather-town with a slow pace. Arrange a Pachamanca (earth-oven feast) and community experience through your guesthouse or local operators (~£18-25) — a traditional Andean meal cooked underground with the La Calera community and a walk through the village.

🚌Public bus Quito–Cotacachi, ~2.5 hrs, ~£4

🛏Family guesthouse in Cotacachi (£12-16)

• →Pachamanca community experience
• →Village walk

Morning local bus to Cuicocha Lagoon (~£2) for the crater-rim viewpoint hike (a few hours, easy-moderate). Then on to Otavalo for South America's biggest indigenous market — textiles, ponchos and crafts, best before noon but lively all day. Bus back to Quito in the late afternoon (~£3).

🚌Local buses Cuicocha–Otavalo–Quito (~£6)

🛏Hostel in Quito (£12-16)

• →Cuicocha Lagoon viewpoint hike
• →Otavalo Market

Free morning walking tour of the historic centre with a local guide (tip-based, ~£5-8) covering the Basilica, La Compañía and San Francisco. If you want a big day out, book a Quilotoa crater-lake day trip (~£50-60 shared; the Intrepid optional was USD150 private) — turquoise lake inside a volcanic caldera with an optional steep descent. Otherwise Papallacta hot springs (~£30-40 shared) is a lovely easier day.

🚌Local transport (~£4)

🛏Hostel in Quito (£12-16)

• →Free walking tour of historic centre
• →Optional Quilotoa crater lake day trip

Morning flight Quito–San Cristóbal (SCY) via Guayaquil (~£200-260 one way if booked in advance; LATAM/Avianca/TAME). On arrival pay the Galapagos National Park entry fee ($200, ~£160) and the TCT transit card ($20, ~£16) at the airport — mandatory for everyone. Check into a Puerto Baquerizo Moreno guesthouse. Afternoon snorkel at La Loberia beach (~£8 with rented gear + shared taxi) where sea lions swim right up to you. Note: your guesthouse can arrange all island tours cheaper than any online platform.

🚌Domestic flight (~£230); airport taxi ~£2

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (£20-28)

• →La Loberia snorkelling with sea lions
• →Pay park entry & TCT card

Full-day boat excursion to León Dormido (Kicker Rock) for snorkelling with sharks, turtles and rays, or the calmer Isla Lobos sea-lion colony — book directly through your guesthouse or the Puerto Baquerizo Moreno dive shops (~£70-95 including lunch and gear; wetsuit hire ~£15 extra, worth it — the water is cold). Afternoon: Interpretation Center (free) and the walk up to Cerro Tijeretas viewpoint for frigatebirds and frigatebird hill sunsets.

🚌Boat tour included; local walk

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (£20-28)

• →Kicker Rock / Isla Lobos snorkel boat trip
• →Interpretation Center
• →Cerro Tijeretas viewpoint

Take the inter-island speedboat San Cristóbal–Floreana (~2 hrs) with a stop to snorkel in Floreana's clear bays and lunch at a family-run restaurant tied to the Floreana Community Tourism Association (~£12). Continue by boat to Isabela (~2 hrs more). Total transport ~£85-95 for the two legs. Isabela is the wildest, least developed island — settle into Puerto Villamil.

🚌Inter-island speedboats (~£90)

🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Villamil (£20-28)

• →Floreana snorkelling stop
• →Community lunch

Morning boat trip to Las Tintoreras (Shark Alley) to see white-tipped reef sharks and penguins (~£30-40 with local operator). Afternoon: walk to the Flamingo Lagoon (free) and the Arnaldo Tupiza Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (~£5), then rent a kayak in Puerto Villamil Bay (~£12). Everything can be booked at the pier or through your guesthouse the day before.

🚌Local boat and walking

🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Villamil (£20-28)

• →Tintoreras / Shark Alley boat trip
• →Flamingo lagoon
• →Giant tortoise breeding centre
• →Kayaking

Hike the Sierra Negra volcano rim (5-6 hours, ~£35-45 with a licensed local guide — required inside the national park). The crater is one of the largest active calderas in the world; the extension to Volcán Chico's lava fields is worth it. Bring 2-3L of water, sun protection and proper shoes. Rest of the afternoon at the beach.

🚌Pickup to trailhead included in tour

🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Villamil (£20-28)

• →Sierra Negra volcano hike
• →Volcán Chico lava fields

Morning speedboat Isabela–Santa Cruz (~2 hrs, ~£30-35). Afternoon in the Santa Cruz highlands: see giant tortoises in the wild, visit an organic farm and join a short encebollado cooking class (~£30-40 combined via a local guide or Puerto Ayora operator). This is the classic Galapagos soup — tune, onion, coriander and lime. Evening in Puerto Ayora.

🚌Speedboat (~£33)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (£20-30)

• →Highlands tortoise visit
• →Organic farm tour
• →Encebollado cooking class

Walk the paved trail to Tortuga Bay (free, ~45 min) for white sand and marine iguanas — go early. Afternoon visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre (free entry, donations welcome) to learn about the tortoise breeding programme and Lonesome George. If you want more, snorkel at Las Grietas (~£5 water taxi). This is the cheapest day of the Galapagos section.

🚌Walking; optional water taxi ~£3

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (£20-30)

• →Tortuga Bay walk
• →Charles Darwin Research Centre
• →Optional Las Grietas snorkel

Transfer by bus/ferry to Baltra airport (~£5) and fly back to Quito (~£200-260 if booked in advance). Airport bus into town. Last evening for market souvenirs, a cheap set dinner and a well-earned rest — Quito's altitude will feel easy by now.

🚌Baltra transfer ~£5; domestic flight ~£230

🛏Hostel in Quito (£12-16)

• →Return flight
• →Evening in La Mariscal

Depending on your international flight time, do a last museum or café run before the airport bus. If you've got a late flight, the TelefériQo cable car up Pichincha (~£8) gives a big mountain view on a clear morning. Depart — or extend into Colombia or Peru if you're on a longer gap-year loop.

🚌Airport bus/shared taxi (~£5)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional TelefériQo cable car