2 Week Ecuador and Galápagos Islands Itinerary for Families

Are you planning a trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands with kids? If so, you’re in the right place!

Ecuador has had my heart since I first visited in 2008. I studied Spanish there in college, and had the opportunity to visit twice and see so much of the country. It was then that I learned that although Ecuador is a relatively small country, it has 4 distinct geographical regions: The Andes, The Amazon, The Coast, and the Galápagos Islands.

The fact that you’re able to see such diverse scenery and environments within one country is incredible! You can spend a few days in the Amazon Rainforest, go hiking and horseback riding in the mountains, relax at the beach, and see unique wildlife in the Galápagos Islands.

I recently took my kids to Ecuador for a 13-day trip (let’s call is 2 weeks for brevity’s sake), and we had one of the most memorable family trips we’ve ever taken. Somehow 2 weeks didn’t seem nearly long enough to see everything we wanted to see, but we made the most of our time!

I’m going to share what we did in Ecuador with kids, including where we stayed, what we did, places to eat, and tours we booked.

I’ll also share at the end what I would change about our itinerary if I were to do it all over again, and some things you can add if you have more time, or want to cut out any of our itinerary and add something else. This was my 4th time in Ecuador, so I’ve been able to experience a lot of different cities and regions that we didn’t get to this time around, and I’ll leave my recommendations below.

So without further ado, here is my 2-Week Itinerary for Visiting Ecuador with Kids.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Getting There

Flights to South America in general can be expensive, especially from the Midwest. Actually, flights in general are pretty expensive these days, so I try to book flights on points whenever possible.

This trip was no different. After some in-depth research and mock bookings, I discovered that the best way to get our family to Ecuador using the lowest amount of points would be flying Avianca from Chicago to Quito.

We transferred points from Capital One to Avianca, and booked roundtrip flights from Chicago to Quito for 6 people for 160,080 miles. We paid an additional $886.92 in taxes and fees.

The flight schedule was not ideal. It was overnight, departing at 11:20 p.m. and arriving in Bogotá Colombia at 5:30 a.m. for a quick 1 hr 30 min layover before our final leg from Bogotá to Quito.

And on the way home our flight DEPARTED at 4:45 a.m., with an 8 hour layover in Bogotá before flying home to Chicago.

There may be better flight schedules, but this one was certainly the most affordable for our family, so we made it work.

A note about flying Avianca: think of Avianca the same way you think of budget airlines in the United States. Not much is included with your fare! They offer a Light, Classic, and Flex fare. The Light fare gets you a personal item and a carry on, but does not allow you to choose your seat. The Classic fare gets you a personal item, carry on, and a checked bag, plus you get to pick your seat. We chose the Classic fare to ensure we would sit by our kids.

Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Overnight flight from Chicago to Quito departs.

Day 2: Arrive in Quito, Ecuador and visit Mitad del Mundo - The Equator!

Day 3: Explore Quito in the morning, and hire a private driver to take you to Cotopaxi National Park in the afternoon. Stay at Tambopaxi Lodge inside Cotopaxi National Park.

Day 4: Go horseback riding at Tambopaxi Lodge, drive back to Quito, and explore Quito’s Historic Center.

Day 5: Depart for the Galápagos Islands! Fly into Baltra Island and immediately transfer to Santa Cruz. Visit El Chato Ranch to see Galápagos Tortoises and visit the pier.

Day 6: Spend the day on Santa Cruz Island. Visit Tortuga Bay, souvenir shopping, and relaxing by the pier.

Day 7: Take a ferry from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal. Visit Playa Mann and check out the sea lions.

Day 8: Do the 180 Tour to snorkel at Kicker Rock and visit a secret beach. See Blue Footed Boobies!

Day 9: Grab breakfast in San Cristobal and catch a flight back to Quito.

Day 10: Have your private driver take you from Quito to Misahualli - the Gateway to the Amazon. Check into El Jardín Lodge and Spa.

Day 11: Take a tour of the jungle, swim, and relax.

Day 12: Take a monkey tour, have your driver take you back to Quito, check into your airport hotel.

Day 13: Catch a flight back home. Stop in the El Dorado Lounge in Bogotá for long layovers.

Day 1: Overnight flight from Chicago to Quito

Our flight left out of Chicago O’Hare, and thankfully my parents were generous enough to drop us off at the airport so we wouldn’t have to pay for long-term parking.

As I mentioned, Avianca is a no-frills airline, so we made sure to pack water, snacks, and download entertainment for the flight.

Something we weren’t prepared for is that they didn’t even offer blankets or pillows, so if you have an overnight flight like we did, it might be wise to pack a small blanket or even a large scarf.

Day 2: Arrive in Quito, Ecuador and Visit The Equator

We had a quick layover in Bogotá, and thankfully everything was on time so we made our connecting flight.

We arrived in Quito, Ecuador at 8:40, and customs and immigration didn’t take too long at all!

One of my friends from college who was in the Spanish program with me is currently living in Quito, and they were generous enough to host us whenever we had a night in Quito. They also picked us up from the airport, but you could also get a taxi, Uber, or use a service like Welcome Pickups. I’ve used Welcome Pickups many times in the past when arriving in a new city, and it’s always been a great experience.

Since I don’t have a personal recommendation for hotels in Quito, I did ask my friend what a good area of the city to stay in would be, and she recommended La Carolina neighborhood. After some research, Hotel Finlandia seems awesome for families. But again - feel free to do your own research, since we didn’t personally experience this hotel.

Once we arrived at my friend’s house, we had some breakfast and coffee before heading out to Intiñan Equator Museum. As the country’s name suggests, the equator runs through Ecuador, and this museum features interactive experiences and science experiments to help you learn about how the equator affects the climate, seasons, and gravitational pull.

Part of the tour also talks about the native people of Ecuador, the animals native to the Amazon and Galápagos Islands, and there’s even a display with real shrunken heads. The tour is very educational and fun.

Keep in mind the experiments at the Equator are just for fun, and the guides will tell you that.

Entrance is $5 per person, and you get a guided tour in English or Spanish, depending on which language you speak!

After our time at the equator, we considered heading to the Mitad del Mundo monument right next door to the Intiñan Equator Museum, but we were exhausted from our travel day and ready to head back for dinner and an early bed time.

Keep in mind the altitude in Quito is 9,350 feet above sea level, so you may want to take it easy on your first day to adjust to the altitude.

Day 3: Quito and Cotopaxi

Our plan for the day was to spend the morning exploring Quito and the afternoon going to Cotopaxi National Park and staying overnight there.

Exploring Historic Quito

We started by taking the TelefériQo (a cable car) up the side of Pinchincha Volcano to Cruz Loma, viewpoint overlooking Quito. You’ll go from about 9,350 feet above sea level to around 13,000 feet above sea level.

There is a cafe at the top with incredible views of Quito and the surrounding volcanoes on a clear day. It’s a great spot to enjoy a latte or a hot chocolate, as well as some small snacks while taking in the view.

In the same building as the cafe, there’s a small gift shop, and if you walk all the way to the end of the gift shop there’s a turnstyle that costs $1 per person to get through. On the other side of the turnstile you’ll find a very small indoor playground for toddlers and preschoolers, and if you step outside there are a few fun photo ops!

Once you exit the cafe you can hike to the Columpio En Las Nubes (the Swing in the Clouds) for another fun photo. This one is free to do, but there may be a small line. It’s about a 10 minute walk uphill from the cafe. There are also sometimes alpacas you can pay to take a photo with, but they weren’t out on the day we visited.

You can also go horseback riding at the top, but we have never done that. Could be a fun activity if you have a lot of time!

Tips for taking the TelefériQo:

• Dress in layers. It gets cold at the top! Tennis shoes, a light jacket or thick sweater, and pants should be fine.

• Put on sunscreen. Though you may feel cold, you’re also closer to the sun.

• Take it slow. The altitude can really get to you!

• Keep your ticket stubs from the ride up, because you will need them to get back down.

Our next stop was the Basílica del Voto Nacional, a beautiful Gothic church in the historic center of Quito. This is the largest Neo-Gothic Basilica in the Americas, and both the interior and exterior are a sight to see! One of my favorite spots is the Rose Window, a gigantic circular stained glass window right above the main entrance to the church. If you turn around and look over the balcony into the nave, it’s pretty spectacular, too.

I’ve been to my fair share of historic churches with my kids, and usually they’re pretty bored a few minutes in, but I do think this one is worth a visit with kids.

Once you’ve taken in the interior of the church (shouldn’t take long with kids…they will lose interest quickly), take the stairs up one more flight to the balconies and towers. After you walk through the gift shop, the first balcony will be on your right. It’s a nice view of the city and the Panecillo.

Next you’ll walk across the catwalk to access the Condor Tower, then you’ll climb a few more steps to get outside. Once you’re on the platform, you already have great views, but you also have the option to climb a ladder-like staircase to get to the Condor Tower for 360º views of the city, the Andes mountains, and the clock towers on the other side of the Basilica.

All 4 of the kids made the climb to the top, and they all said it was worth it! I little scary, but worth it!

You can also climb a spiral staircase up to the top of the clock tower, but we skipped that this time just because we had a bit of a time crunch. It was time to head to Cotopaxi!

Cotopaxi National Park + Tambopaxi Lodge

So this portion of the day was definitely our biggest mistake of the trip. Spoiler alert: it all ended up working out fine, but this day was not without a few stressful moments!

So we had booked an overnight stay at Tambopaxi Lodge which is located inside Cotopaxi National Park. We booked the room online, and all we received was a booking confirmation all in Spanish. That wasn’t a big deal, because I do speak Spanish, but there was not any information about check-in times on the email, so I assumed normal check in time after 4 p.m.

The drive from Quito to Cotopaxi was just under 2 hours. Not necessarily because it’s very far way, but because once you’re inside the park the road is super bumpy and cars have to go very slow. We had hired a private driver for this. Here is his Facebook page and his WhatsApp contact information is there! I just reached out on WhatsApp and told him our dates and destinations, then asked for a price. Javier was amazing, professional, and so so helpful.

We arrived at the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park shortly after 4 p.m. only to discover that the national park CLOSES at 4 p.m. It didn’t even cross my mind to check that. I definitely take responsibility for not researching that more thoroughly, but at the same time, it would have been nice to have a heads up about this in an email from the hotel.

Luckily there was someone at the entrance to the National Park, and our driver and I went inside to speak with him. I showed him the confirmation email for our stay at Tambopaxi, but I needed a special pass to enter the park after close which I was supposed to have done ahead of time.

There were a few stressful minutes where we were trying to contact the lodge to create the pass for us, but we didn’t have great reception. We had to send passport info for them to create the pass, and since nothing would go through on my phone, our driver took care of everything for me. I felt very stupid for making this mistake, and a little helpless.

Thankfully we were able to get everything taken care of, but lesson learned! You are apparenty supposed to arrive at the lodge between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. for your stay, and if you know you’ll be arriving later, pre-arrange a late entry pass with the lodge.

Once we arrived everything went smoothly. We checked into our room (we had booked the Colibrí (Hummingbird) Room, which sleeps six people with 2 sets of bunkbeds and a full or queen size bed.

They light the small fireplace in your room at 5 p.m. because it doesn’t get a little cold at night! After settling into our room we walked over to the main building for dinner. There is a lovely little restaurant on property, and while only breakfast is included in your stay, the prices for the dinner and lunch menu were very reasonable. And this is the only place to eat for miles around!

Don't worry - there is a kids’ menu with several options for picky eaters. It was my daughter’s 13 birthday that day, so they brought out a piece of cake and sang to her! It made her day so much more special.

It gets dark at 6 p.m. so after dinner we just hung out in our room until it was time for bed.

Day 4: Tambopaxi Lodge & Horseback Riding

Tambopaxi Lodge does include breakfast in the price of the hotel, so we walked over shortly after waking up and getting ready. The breakfast was served to the table in several courses including fruit, fresh juices, eggs, and warm bread with butter and jam. There was also coffee, and I requested hot chocolate for a few of the kids.

Side note: I experienced some altitude sickness overnight, and one of my kids was not feeling great this morning, so be aware that it can take altitude sickness a few days to hit. We just treated the symptoms of nausea and headaches with Dramamine and Tylenol (using the kids versions for the kids).

We had booked a horseback riding excursion through the hotel, and you could choose 1-, 2-, or 3-hour horseback riding sessions starting at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., or 1 p.m. (I believe those were the time options they gave us).

We chose a 1-hour session starting at 9:00 a.m. and met by the horses in front of the hotel (the front desk can direct you where to go but it’s pretty obvious where to meet). They provide you with authentic cozy ponchos to keep you warm while you’re horseback riding since it can get chilly in Cotopaxi National Park.

The instructions were mostly in Spanish, but I think you could easily get the gist of it even if you didn’t speak Spanish. My youngest (age 6) asked if she could share a horse with me, and they allowed it, but we ended up regretting it. There was not a lot of room on the saddle, we kept bumping helmets, and even though it was a little chilly out we got very warm with the bright sun and the warm ponchos they provided. Next time I would have her go on her own horse with one of the guides leading her horse.

The views were incredible, and the 1-hour ride was very beginner-friendly and slow. I would highly recommend this activity for families!

Our driver picked us up shortly after 11 (check-out time), and we made the 2-hour drive back to Quito.

We stayed at my friend’s house again, and we took an Uber XL into the historic center to do some souvenir shopping and to explore the area.

Unfortunately it started raining pretty hard, so instead of walking around the historic center of Quito we ducked into a cafe along Plaza de San Francisco. It ended up being an awesome experience because the cafe had such a good view of the plaza and the Basilica of San Francisco.

The cafeteria was called Numan, and we had some delicious coffees, hot chocolates, and pastries.

After that we headed back to my friend’s house to repack for the Galápagos Islands, as we had an early flight the next morning. My friend was generous enough to let us leave a few things at her house so we could just bring our warm weather clothes and swimsuits to the Galápagos and leave our sweaters and pants behind.

Note: on the last night of our trip we stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Quito Airport hotel, which is located just steps away from Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport. They offer connecting rooms for big families like ours, and it’s nice to not have to worry about getting a taxi if you have an early morning flight. I wish we had stayed here the night before our Galápagos Flight, and I’ll share why under Day 5!

Day 5: Getting to the Galápagos Islands & El Chato Ranch

Getting to the Galápagos Islands - KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Our friends were once again SO generous to offer to take us to the airport, and since it was a domestic flight and we had (we thought) all of the paperwork filled out, we arrived around 1 hr 45 minutes before departure, thinking that would be plenty of time.

It was not. Here was the issue:

To get to the Galápagos Islands, you need to fill out a Transit Control Card (also known as a TCT) for each member of your party and pay the $20 per person fee. This can all be done online, so the day before we went to the Galápagos I filled out all of the forms for the family.

When it came time to pay the fee, NONE of my credit cards or debit cards would go through no matter what I tried. There was a button you could click to pay at the airport, and even though it was against my better judgment, I didn’t know what else to do, so I just selected that check box. I figured it wouldn’t take TOO long to simply pay the fee since I had already filled out the entire form.

Once we arrived at the airport, we went to the counter that says “Consejo de Gobierno del Regimen Especial de Galapagos.” There was one longer line with maybe 10 travel parties in front of us, and one really short line which I assumed was for people who had already filled out the form.

I was wrong. When she saw that I didn’t have the special QR code you get after your payment goes through, the lady sent me straight to the back of the longer line. I didn’t panic yet because the line wasn’t insanely long and we still had plenty of time. I didn’t count on how slowly that line would move, because even though my form was all filled out and I only needed to pay, I was put in the same line as the people who hadn’t even started filling out the form. Each person in line took several minutes, so it ended up being very slow-moving.

As I inched forward, I had a sinking feeling that we were going to miss the flight, especially when I saw that our flight was now boarding and I still wasn’t to the front of the line.

Somehow by the grace of God we finally made it through that line, then we hustled over to the biosecurity bag check which only takes a few minutes (very quick), then the regular security line, and we sprinted to our gate. With 10 minutes until takeoff, they mercifully still had not closed the doors, and they let us on the flight. My heart was POUNDING, but when I finally sank into my seat on the airplane, I allowed myself to smile, relax, and get excited for what was to come.

WE WERE GOING TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.

Mind you, this was all before 7 a.m.

What To Do Differently, So This Doesn’t Happen to You:

• If you have an early flight, stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Quito Airport hotel so all you have to do is roll out of bed and walk over to the terminal.

• Fill out the TCT form online in advance, and pay online if you can. We learned that the form is often glitchy, so start this process a few days before your flight to the Galápagos in case it’s not working very well. Then you can try again later that day or the next day.

• Get to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight. I would even do 3 hours early if you aren’t able to complete the entire form online, or even if the form is completed and you haven’t paid yet. It’s the same line.

• I should have had my husband and kids take all the bags through biosecurity while I was waiting in line.

• Better to get this all taken care of early and sit in the airport for a long time waiting for your flight than risk missing your flight! That way you can also get breakfast and coffee in the airport and snacks for your flight since Avianca does not provide any.

Arriving in Santa Cruz in the Galápagos

We booked 2 one-way flights to get to and from the Galápagos Islands so we could do an open-jaw route, meaning we flew into one island (Santa Cruz, and flew back to Quito out of another island (San Cristobal).

Those are the 2 airports in the Galápagos, so you could do a roundtrip flight, but then you may have to do some backtracking to get back to the island where you started. So unless you have a nice long trip where you’re ok to spend an entire day getting back to the first island, OR you are only staying on one island, I would consider the open-jaw route.

The flight to the Galápagos cost $1059 for all 6 of us, and the flight back cost $1034.04, so the roundtrip flights for our family of 6 cost $2093.04. We booked both on Avianca. If you have enough points you could easily do this on points, too! We used most of our points booking the flights to get to Ecuador, so I opted to pay in cash.

So our flights from Quito to Santa Cruz were actually nonstop, which was really nice! The flight was right around 2 hours.

When you arrive you have to go through customs and immigration, and you must pay your National Park Entrance Fee in cash. For international tourists this is $200 per adult (ages 13+) and $100 per child. So for our family with 2 adults, 1 13-year-old, and 3 children, we paid $900 in cash.

Once you get through all of this, you can make your way to your hotel. When you fly into Santa Cruz, you are technically flight to the island of Baltra, which is an uninhabited island, so you’re going to take a bus from the airport to a channel, and you have to take a ferry across the channel. The bus is $5/person, and the ferry is $1/person.

Once you arrive via ferry to Santa Cruz, you can take a bus or a taxi (which are all white pickup trucks) to your hotel, which will likely take around 45 minutes if you’re staying near Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz.

Our Hotel

We stayed at Torre Mar Galapagos Boutique Suites, which I booked on Booking.com. I booked the Deluxe Bungalow with Garden View which could fit our family of 6.

It was an amazing experience. the rooms were clean, modern, and beautiful. The only thing to be aware of is that the bungalow is actually 2 rooms connected by a garden. Now, our family was the only one with access to the garden, but there is no indoor connecting door to the 2 rooms.

We felt safe enough to have our 3 oldest kids stay in the kids room, and we had our youngest sleep in our room. We could have also split up the parents if we needed to.

It’s a great property in a perfect location, and John, the owner, was so friendly and a HUGE help to us. He got our ferry tickets to our next island booked for us. He texted us when he got it taken care of, and we just paid him in person.

Afternoon on Santa Cruz

After checking into our hotel (our room was ready by 11 a.m.! I wouldn’t expect that, but it was so nice), we walked down to Puerto Ayora and got coffee and brunch at 1835 Restaurant & Coffee. They do have iced lattes here, and shots of flavor you can add to your coffee, so I had an iced caramel latte and it was exactly what I needed after that hectic travel day! They also have a kids’ menu.

We texted our taxi driver from that morning on WhatsApp to see if he could take us to El Chato Ranch in the highlands to see the Galapagos tortoises. He was available, so he picked us up from Puerto Ayora, drove the 40 minutes or so to El Chato Ranch, and waited while we took the tour so he could also drive us back.

The tour was excellent with an English speaking guide. They also provide boots, so bring socks if you know your kids will be uncomfortable wearing bare feet inside their boots. We also had the whole family wear sun shirts and sun hats since it’s very hot in the highlands and not a lot of shade. Put on your sunscreen and bug spray, too!

The tour takes about an hour, and it was so exciting to see these majestic and gigantic creatures up close. At the end of the tour you walk through lava tubes underground, which was really exciting for the kids.

Our driver dropped us off at our hotel, and we relaxed there for a little bit, then got some ice cream for dinner from a place called SharkBay. I highly recommend this spot because the ice cream is cheap, you can pick 3 toppings included in the price, and they accept credit card!

We finished the evening by walking around the port area in town to watch the wildlife and we saw tons of birds, Sally lightfoot crabs, sea lions, marine iguanas, black tip reef sharks, golden rays, and more.

Day 6: Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz

On this day we didn’t have any solid plans. It was nice to have more of a laid back day after our crazy travel experience the previous day.

We grabbed breakfast by the port, which was more challenging than it should have been since most restaurants and cafes on Santa Cruz don’t open until 9 or later.

Our plan was to head to a beach called Torguga Bay, which is a bit of a walk from town. We walked almost 2 miles to Tortuga Bay, a white sand beach made up of 2 parts: Playa Brava and Playa Mansa.

Playa Brava is a beautiful beach but unswimmable with strong currents. If you walk another 3/4 mile along Playa Brava you’ll reach Playa Mansa, a lagoon where you can swim and spot wildlife.

You’ll start seeing signs for Tortuga Bay around Puerto Ayora, and you can just start walking in the direction they point to, or just put it in the maps app on your phone. After walking a while you’ll reach some stairs, then a Visitor Center of sorts at the top of the stairs.

Tortuga Bay is free to visit, but you do have to check in with your names before you start down the official path. This is also your last bathroom stop for a while. The path is paved, and lovely, winding through the trees. There is sometimes shade, but still wear protective sun gear. The walk is around 2 miles if you’re walking all the way to the lagoon.

We spent a few hours at Playa Mansa (the lagoon), and we saw marine iguanas, finches, and even an octopus! The kids loved being able to swim and just play on the beach. Bring your own water and snacks, plus some towels. We brought these towels on the trip with us! They come in a pack of 6 and pack down pretty small.

We heard there were water taxis to take you back to the main port, but apparently they weren’t running that day, so we eventually had to make the walk back in wet swimsuits.

We timed it perfectly, though! The moment we walked back into our hotel the skies opened and it began pouring. We relaxed in our room for a bit until the weather cleared up and we headed back onto Puerto Ayora for souvenirs, dinner (ice cream at Sharkbay), and watching more wildlife on the pier.

Day 7: Ferry from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal

You have to book your ferry tickets a day or 2 in advance, which John, our hotel’s owner, helped us do on the day we arrived. The ferries run at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. between islands. We chose the 7 a.m. ferry since we wanted to get our day on San Cristobal started early!

You can book your ferry by the pier in person, too (again, a day or 2 PRIOR to the day you want to leave). Expect to pay around $35/person. Arrive around 6 a.m. if your ferry leaves at 7 a.m. to check in and have your bags scanned hrough biosecurity. We arrived at the pier around 6:15 and the line was already so long!

TIP: while you’re waiting in line take your Dramamine, and eat some breakfast (that you hopefully bought the night before - there’s a grocery story called Proinsular right by the pier where you can get bread/croissants , boxes of cereal, and fruit to eat in line or on the boat).

Once you get through biosecurity you find your ferry company, and they take you on a water taxi to the ferry (again, $1/person so have cash handy). It’s about 2 hours on the ferry, and very bumpy, so don’t expect to look at screens! Have a podcast, audiobook, Yoto Minis for the kids, or just take a nap. Have some crackers to nibble on, too.

When we arrived in San Cristobal we checked into our Airbnb, got brunch at Umami, went to Playa Mann (nice beach but don’t go out of your way to visit), booked our tour for the next day, and finished the day with ice cream and watching the sea lions!

Side note: our Airbnb was lovely, but I would not recommend it simply for the location. We were a bit out of town, and it was hard to hail a taxi since we were on a busy highway.

Day 8: Kicker Rock Tour (180 Tour)

We booked the tour last minute in person the day before (you get a little bit of a discount booking last minute), and went in to get fitted for our wet suits and snorkel equipment the night before.

I honestly can’t remember the name of the tour company we booked with. If you walk around Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the main town in San Cristobal, you’ll find tons of tour agencies that can help you book. I’m not sure that it really matters which company you book with - they all seemed great! We just shopped around a bit for prices, and to find an alternative to the popular 360 Tour that takes you around the entire island and involves a lot of snorkeling and even some hiking to see Blue Footed Boobies. We wanted a slightly less intense version of that, we we finally found a 180 Tour, or a Kicker Rock tour.

We left our Airbnb at 7 a.m. to make sure we ate a good breakfast before the tour. The tour started just after 8, which left us just enough time to grab breakfast and coffee at Kachi Tanta, a delightful bakery on San Cristobal!. The good news is that San Cristobal seems to wake up a lot earlier than Santa Cruz, and a few bakeries and restaurants were open at 7 a.m.

The tour went until about 3, so it was a pretty full day of snorkeling! The crazy part is that some of our kids have never snorkeled before, so it was literally throwing them into the deep end by snorkeling in the open ocean in the Galápagos.

We started at Kicker Rock (also known as León Dormido), where we saw sea lions, sea turtles, golden rays, and lots of fish. Sometimes you can see hammerhead sharks here, and apparently a group of scuba divers near us saw a hammerhead shark, but it was much deeper in the water so we didn’t get to see it.

If you’re worried about your kids being inexperienced snorkelers, we were, too. My younger 2 got in the water and decided to get right back on the boat the first time. I stayed back with them, and thankfully one of the crew members took us out on the little zodiac boat and we circled Kicker Rock and saw some sea lions and Blue Footed Boobies.

After the midmorning snack break, everyone got back in the water to snorkel some more, and this time both of my younger kids wanted to do it. They did not have life jackets, but we were wearing wet suits which helps us float, plus we had a buoy to hang onto for the younger kids. The guide stayed with the kids most of the time, but when he went to go help some of the other people on our tour, he would alert me or my husband to stay with the kids on the buoy.

It was one of the most magical things I’ve ever done. I used to kind of dislike snorkeling because breathing through the tube freaked me out a little. I’m not sure what changed on this trip, but I really adjusted to it, and didn’t want to get out of the water at all.

Also, when one of my kids got tired of snorkeling, the zodiac boat came to pick him up which was really nice.

After snorkeling at Kicker Rock for probably 2 hours total, we got back on the boat and they fed us lunch of chicken and rice. There were other snacks, like cinnamon bread and cookies, but all of my kids ended up really liking the chicken and rice!

They took us to a secluded beach where we could hang out on the beach and look for wildlife or snorkel some more in the calm bay. Here we were kind of on our own but it was very shallow, so our family went off to snorkel some more in the shallows.

I also fulfilled a bucket list item and saw blue footed boobies up close! There was a rock formation a bit off shore, and we spotted the birds and swam up to the rock. They just stayed there calmly while we watched them in awe.

We all fell asleep on the boat on the way back to the port, and it was one of the best and most memorable travel days we’ve ever had.

We weren’t sure our kids could handle the 360 tour which would have been a little longer with more snorkeling, but after seeing how well our kids did on the 180 Tour, and how much we all enjoyed snorkeling, we wished we had done it. I guess we’ll just have to go back!

That evening we finished getting our souvenirs and grabbed some pizza from an Italian restaurant in town.

Day 9: Flight Back to Quito

Sadly, it was time to head back to Quito. We loved our time in the Galápagos Islands, and our main regret was not adding 2 more nights to visit Isabel Island.

We checked out of our Airbnb and had a leisurely breakfast at Umami. We had eaten here on our first day in San Cristobal, and knew it would be a nice place to eat and hang out until it was time to head to the airport. We loved the pancakes with fresh fruit and coconut whipped cream on top, and the hot caramel latte I had there was one of the best I’ve ever had. Umami is a bit more upscale, and a little more expensive than other restaurants we ate at, but we really liked it, especially for breakfast and coffee. It’s open air and you have a view of the bay and the sea lions.

The airport is close to town, but we still hailed a taxi so we didn’t have to drag our bags. We easily got through security, and there’s really only one room to wait for your flight since it’s a pretty small airport. Luckily I had just gotten the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which gives me Priority Pass access to lounges around the world. I tried it for the first time here, and the lounge was lovely, if not a little small (to be expected). The service was excellent, and they served fruit, chips, brownies, water, and soda, plus they had plenty of chargers.

I can only bring 2 guests in, so I brought my 2 oldest kids in with me. We didn’t stay long because we felt bad not having the entire family with us, but it was a pretty short wait for our flight.

There’s a small shop for snacks and drinks, which I recommend making use of since Avianca does not serve food or drinks on their flights.

We. had a direct flight with a stop in Guayaquil, but we did not have to get off the plane.

Our friends picked us up from the airport when we landed around 5 p.m. and we had a relaxing dinner.

Day 10: Drive to Misahualli and Check into El Jardin Lodge and Spa

Though we were sad the Galápagos leg of our trip was over, we were really looking forward to the last leg of our trip: The Amazon Rainforest.

We had booked El Jardin Lodge and Spa, a hotel located in Misahualli, which is known as the gateway to the Amazon. The hotel is “all inclusive” in the sense that all of our meals were included in the price, along with one tour. Beverages are not included, so I was a bit worried about what our drinks tab would be by the end of the stay, but it only ended up being around $30 total. We let the kids have soda at lunch and dinner, and actually, the bottled water I ordered was more expensive than the kids’ soda!

I believe all of the breakfast beverages like coffee and juice were included.

They do have a water refill station, so you could easily bring your own water bottle to fill up and avoid the extra (very small) cost of ordering a beverage with your meals.

Anyway, our same driver picked us up that morning around 10 a.m. for the 4 hour drive to the Amazon. We took our Dramamine in preparation, and once again, it was a very bumpy and winding ride. I listened to a podcast most of the way, and thankfully none of the kids got too queasy.

We checked into our hotel around 2:30 p.m. and were able to get a late lunch included. The food at El Jardin FAR exceeded my expectations. It was gourmet with beautiful presentation and high quality, but not so fancy that it felt unobtainable for families. They had a kid’s option at every meal which almost always included French fries, but the adult meals got an appetizer course, a main course, and then everyone got the same dessert.

The bungalow we booked slept 6, but once again, they only connected from the outside. The kids’ room was on the bottom floor, and the outside stairs take you to the upper level where the adult’s room was. It felt very safe and secluded, but I think if my kids were any younger (toddlers or preschoolers), I wouldn’t want them in a separate room.

The rooms were clean, modern, and beautiful, plus we had our own private swimming pool!

That day after lunch we swam, relaxed, and had a beautiful dinner before heading to bed.

Day 11: Relax and Tour in the Amazon Rainforest

This was our only full day at El Jardin Lodge and Spa, and we wanted to make the most of it!

We started the day with an excellent breakfast before getting ready for our tour. The night before we had been texting with someone at the hotel, and ended up booking the Paseo en Canoa, Mirador & Mariposario Tour (Canoe Ride, Viewpoint, and Butterfly Garden Tour).

One tour is included with your stay, and it’s an excursion to see monkeys nearby. Ours was scheduled for our last morning, so we wanted to fill our full day at the hotel with another tour.

The tour we booked was $32/person for adults, and $15/person for kids 12 and under. It was about 2 and a half hours long, which was the perfect amount of time for our family.

There’s a QR code you can use at the hotel to download a PDF of all the tour options, including full day tours to a place called Anaconda Island, or a full day Cultural Experience Tour. Some of the shorter tours are between 2 and 4 hours and include tubing on the Napo River, hiking to a waterfall, and visiting a Kichwa Community.

The Butterfly Garden Tour we booked included a short ride in a canoe on the Napo River, which was such a unique experience for the kids. Then we toured a garden in the Amazon Rainforest, including the Butterfly Garden and viewpoint. Finally, we got to try shooting a blowdart which was easily the highlight of the tour for the kids.

We returned just in time for lunch, then spent the afternoon swimming in the plunge pool and relaxing.

Day 12: Monkey Tour and Drive Back to Quito

Our last full day in Ecuador was certainly one of the most memorable! We had breakfast at El Jardin Lodge, and the one tour that was included in our stay was scheduled for that morning.

We met our guide right after breakfast, and he took us to Laguna Kawana Reserva - La Ruta de los Monos.

First we got to feed some carnivorous fish (piranhas), then we got into a canoe and navigated a river for awhile until we got to the Ruta de Los Monos (the Monkey Route). We walked quietly through the rainforest until we spotted some monkeys in the trees.

Our guide told us to grab some bananas from a bunch sitting on the ground, which we did, and the monkeys would cautiously come down from the trees and snatch the banana we were holding out. It was so thrilling for the kids, and we were just in awe of the rainforest and the adorable monkeys.

Throughout the short hike the guide shared facts about the plants and animals in the rainforest, as well as how the indigenous people in the area made use of them.

The tour was only about an hour and a half, which gave us plenty of time to enjoy our tour, then get back, grab our bags, and check out at 11. Our driver picked us up, and we started the 4 hour drive back to Quito.

We spent the evening repacking for the journey home. We ate dinner and hung out with our friends one last time , then we had them drop us off at the Courtyard by Marriott Quito Airport hotel since our flight the next morning departed at 4;40, meaning we would need to arrive at the airport around 2:30 a.m.

As I mentioned earlier, this hotel offers connecting rooms, so we booked 2 rooms for the night, which cost around $400 total. Not cheap, but worth it for the convenience of being steps away from our terminal on that early morning flight!

It was actually a very nice hotel with wonderful service, and a restaurant on property if you have more time there. There’s also a food court just outside the hotel if you want more options.

Day 13: Flight Home

Our journey home began around 3:00 a.m. when we left the hotel room. When that alarm went off at 2:30 a.m. we were SO glad we chose to stay at the Courtyard Marriott Quito Airport hotel!

We made it quickly through security at the airport. Thankfully no stressful moments this time!

We didn’t eat breakfast or get coffee before our flight since it was a very short flight to Bogotá, Colombia where we would have an 8-hour layover.

When we arrived in Bogotá we immediately checked into the El Dorado Lounge. I had access with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, plus 2 guests, and then our 3 kids who were age 12 and under got in for free, so our entire family of 6 got lounge access!

It was nice to have somewhere quiet to set our bags down, charge our devices, drink our coffee, and have some snacks.

We realized once we were there, though, that the small snack table didn’t have very many options, and the true buffet with hot food would cost $15/person. I couldn’t bring myself to pay $90 for a subpar buffet for our family, so after spending a few hours in the lounge, we decided to venture out and get food.

I should have just paid for the lounge buffet. There were no true fast food options in the airport near our gate, and every meal ended up being around $90 for our family anyway.

We had some pizza, then stocked up on snacks for the flight, because we were once again flying Avianca, which does not provide food or beverages.

The flight home was uneventful (thankfully), and my parents picked us up at the airport, then we drove the rest of the way home.

It was an unforgettable and epic trip!

What I Would Change About Our Itinerary

I think the main thing I would have changed about our trip would have been to add more time! If you take out the 2 travel days at the front and back end of the trip, it was really only an 11-day trip to see Quito + Cotopaxi, the Galápagos Islands, and the Amazon Rainforest. I think 3 or 4 extra nights would have been perfect!

Here are the specifics of what I would change:

• I would have done 2 full consecutive days in Quito. There is so much to see and do in Quito with kids, but our time there as broken up into half days or 2-hour increments between other destinations.

• 1 night at Tambopaxi was plenty, BUT, I would have arrived earlier in the day to avoid the stress of getting into the national park after close, AND to enjoy the quiet lodge more. We could have also done some hiking in Cotopaxi National Park.

• I would have added 2 extra nights in the Galápagos Islands so we could include Isabel Island to our itinerary.

• 2 nights at El Jardin Lodge and Spa in the Amazon was perfect. I was happy with that.

We spent almost 2 weeks in Ecuador and barely scratched the surface! Other places you could add to your itinerary, whether you have a longer amount of time, OR you’re skipping the Galápagos Islands this time would be:

• Otavalo - a city in the Andean Highlands about 2 hours from Quito with the largest market in South America! I was there in college, and it’s overwhelming but SO cool to visit.

• Lago Cuicocha - a crater lake near Otavalo. We got to hike here in college and it’s another breathtaking location.

• Cotacachi - a town famous for the leather products they produce

• Baños de Agua Santa - a town on the way to the Amazon Rainforest known for hot springs, waterfalls, and adventurous activities like mountain biking, hiking, canyoning, zip lining, and more. I’ve been here several times and it’s full of natural beauty and TONS to do.

• Mindo - a cloud forest about 2 hours from Quito! We visited this town without our kids when we went to Ecuador in 2023 and we got to feed hummingbirds, hike to a waterfall, take a chairlift up a mountain, and try some local chocolate.

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Emily Krause is a Florida-based travel blogger who writes about exploring the world with kids. On A Mom Explores you’ll find best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.

Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.