Self-Launched Ecuador Treasures: Andes, Amazon & Volcanoes (8 Days)
8 days · Ecuador
GUIDEcuador Travel charges £1,370
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, backpacker-friendly version of GUIDEcuador's 8-day Andes–Amazon–Volcanoes loop. You'll still do Quito's colonial Old Town, bike down from Cotopaxi, hike the Quilotoa Loop through Isinlivi and Chugchilan, chase waterfalls in Baños, ride a motorised canoe up the Napo into the Amazon, and soak at Papallacta — but you'll book hostels and local lodges, use public buses and shared shuttles, and hire local guides only where they add real value (jungle, Cotopaxi, trailheads). Roughly a third of the tour price, with a lot more freedom.
Day-by-day
Arrive Quito — Old Town orientation
Quito
Fly into Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) and take an authorised airport taxi or the Aeropuerto–Río Coca bus into the city (~£6–8, 45–60 mins). Base yourself in the historic centre rather than the business district — hostels and guesthouses around Plaza Santo Domingo and La Ronda run £10–16 per dorm bed or £25–35 for a private twin. Spend the late afternoon wandering the UNESCO-listed Old Town: Plaza Grande, the gold-leaf interior of La Compañía church (£4), and the Panecillo viewpoint at sunset. Eat at a mercado (Mercado Central or San Francisco) for a £3–4 almuerzo. Book tomorrow's Cotopaxi tour tonight — any Old Town hostel or agency can arrange it.
🚌Airport taxi into Quito ~£7
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Quito Old Town (dorm £12 / private twin from £28 per person)
- →Walk the UNESCO Quito Old Town
- →La Compañía church and Plaza Grande
- →Sunset from El Panecillo
- →Almuerzo at Mercado Central
Cotopaxi National Park — biking descent and Limpiopungo Lake
Cotopaxi National Park / Machachi
Join a small-group day tour to Cotopaxi (bookable on GetYourGuide or through your hostel, ~£45–55 including park entry, mountain bike hire and transport). You'll drive up towards the José Rivas refuge area (weather permitting), stop at the Mariscal Sucre interpretation centre, then mountain-bike or hike down to Limpiopungo Lake below the volcano. It's high — 3,800–4,800 m — so pace yourself and drink coca tea. Skip the bike and hike instead if you prefer. In the evening, continue south to a mountain lodge near Machachi/Isinlivi, or overnight in Machachi village and catch the early bus down the Quilotoa Loop tomorrow.
🚌Shared tour minibus 2 hrs each way; optional shared taxi/colectivo to Machachi ~£3
🛏Llullu Llama-style mountain lodge near Isinlivi (~£30–40 per person incl. breakfast and dinner), or Machachi guesthouse from £15
- →Cotopaxi National Park day tour
- →Mountain bike descent to Limpiopungo Lake
- →Mariscal Sucre museum and interpretation centre
- →Andean sunset from a mountain lodge
Quilotoa Loop hike: Isinlivi to Chugchilan
Chugchilan
Today is the classic Quilotoa Loop leg and it's completely self-launched — just follow the marked trail from Isinlivi down through the Toachi canyon and up to Chugchilan (about 11 km, 4–5 hours, moderate). Trails are signposted but a paper map or offline map on your phone is essential; local kids will happily point the way. Stop for a home-cooked lunch in a village en route (£3). Send your bag by hostel-transfer service or leave it with your lodge and have it forwarded (£5) so you hike light. Chugchilan has simple hospedajes from £12–18 per person; Mama Hilda-style lodges run £15–25 with dinner. Dinner is included at most village lodges.
🚌On foot; luggage forwarding ~£5
🛏Village hospedaje or Mama Hilda-style lodge in Chugchilan (£15–25 per person incl. dinner)
- →Isinlivi–Chugchilan trail through the Toachi canyon
- →Village lunch with a local family
- →Community farm and pasture walking
Quilotoa crater lake — then on to Baños
Quilotoa / Baños
Catch the early pickup from Chugchilan towards Quilotoa (shared truck or bus, ~£4, 1.5 hrs). Walk the rim trail for the classic crater views (free) — the descent to the lake shore takes 30–40 min down and 45–60 back up, or hire a mule for the climb. Browse the community craft stalls. Then bus to Latacunga (~£2.5) and take a direct bus to Baños de Agua Santa (~£5, 3 hrs, frequent until early evening). In Baños, check into a hostel (£10–18 dorm, £25–32 private), then walk to Agoyán waterfall and take the tarabita cable car over the Pastaza canyon at Manto de la Novia (~£2 each). Save Pailón del Diablo for tomorrow morning.
🚌Chugchilan–Quilotoa shared transport ~£4; Quilotoa–Latacunga bus ~£2.5; Latacunga–Baños bus ~£5
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Baños (£12–18 per person)
- →Quilotoa crater rim walk and lake descent
- →Community craft market
- →Agoyán waterfall stop
- →Tarabita cable car over Pastaza canyon
Pailón del Diablo and Baños to the Amazon (Tena)
Baños / Tena
Morning on the Ruta de las Cascadas: local bus out towards Río Verde (£1), then a 20-minute walk down to Pailón del Diablo and its series of balconies (£2 entry) — bring a raincoat. Optional zipline at Agoyán (~£8) if you have time. Late morning, bus from Baños to Tena via Puyo (£5–6, 3.5 hrs). In Puyo, stop at a balsa-wood craft workshop if you haven't already. From Tena, take a local taxi or the lodge's own boat transfer to a riverside jungle lodge near Ahuano on the Napo (~£15–25 transfer). Afternoon canoe paddle to an island in the river, a short walk to a lagoon, and time in the pool.
🚌Local bus Baños–Puyo–Tena ~£6; lodge boat/taxi transfer ~£20
🛏Riverside jungle lodge near Ahuano/Tena (Casa del Suizo-equivalent, ~£35–45 per person incl. meals)
- →Pailón del Diablo waterfall balconies
- →Ruta de las Cascadas by local bus
- →Optional Agoyán zipline
- →Canoe trip and lagoon walk at an Amazon lodge
Amazon jungle day — Napo River and wildlife rescue centre
Ahuano / Napo River
Book a full-day jungle package with your lodge (these are standard add-ons, ~£40–55 per person including a local Kichwa guide, motorised canoe, and lunch). Head up the Napo River in a motor canoe, hike primary forest to a black-water lagoon with your guide identifying plants, insects and birds, then raft or float downstream. After lunch, canoe the Arajuno River and visit the Amazoonico wildlife rescue centre (entry ~£6, paid directly) — capybara, tapirs, monkeys and rescued birds. Evening is free for a massage (~£10) or hammock time.
🚌Lodge canoes and motorised boats (included in jungle package)
🛏Riverside jungle lodge near Ahuano/Tena (~£35–45 per person incl. meals)
- →Motorised canoe up the Napo River
- →Guided primary-forest hike and raft float
- →Arajuno River canoe trip
- →Amazoonico animal rescue centre
Archidona market, hummingbirds and Papallacta hot springs
Archidona / Papallacta
Early bus or shared van from Tena to Archidona (£1) for the morning food market — try chonta duro (jungle palm grubs) if you're brave, plus local fruit and cacao. Continue up the Quijos valley by bus towards Baeza/Papallacta (£4–5). Get off at Guango Lodge to visit the hummingbird feeders (~£4–5 entry) — dozens of species at arm's length. Then bus the last stretch to Papallacta village. Spend the afternoon at the Termas de Papallacta hot springs complex (£8–10 for the public pools; book ahead at weekends). Overnight in a Papallacta guesthouse or the village's basic hotels (£20–30 per person).
🚌Tena–Archidona–Baeza–Papallacta local buses ~£6 total
🛏Guesthouse in Papallacta village (£22–30 per person), or lodge spa annexe from £45
- →Archidona food market
- →Guango Lodge hummingbird sanctuary
- →Termas de Papallacta hot springs
Papallacta to Quito airport
Papallacta / Quito
Morning walk on the páramo trails around Papallacta (free, but it's 3,300 m — take it slow and layer up) or one last soak in a cheaper local pool. Catch the bus back to Quito (£3–4, 1.5–2 hrs, frequent) — either to Quitumbe terminal then a taxi to the airport (~£10) or a direct airport drop via a shared shuttle from Papallacta (~£8). Allow 3 hours' buffer before an international flight. If your flight is late, stash bags at a Quito Old Town hostel and grab a final almuerzo.
🚌Papallacta–Quito bus ~£3.5 + airport taxi/shuttle ~£9
🛏None (departure day)
- →Páramo hike around Papallacta
- →Optional final hot spring soak
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping in Quito
Self-launched vs. GUIDEcuador Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | GUIDEcuador Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £1,370 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £670 per person (49%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more GUIDEcuador Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£700
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Ecuador Treasures: Andes, Amazon & Volcanoes (8 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £700 per person for 8 days in Ecuador. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with GUIDEcuador Travel?+
Yes — GUIDEcuador Travel charges around £1,370 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £700 — a saving of roughly £670 (49%) per person.
How long is the Ecuador trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Ecuador.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, wildlife trip through Ecuador, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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