What to Pack for Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands with Kids

If you’re planning a trip to Ecuador, and feeling overwhelmed trying to figure out what to pack, you’re in the right place!

Ecuador has a surprising amount of geographical diversity for such a small country, which is why packing for a trip to Ecuador can be so tricky!

On our recent trip to Ecuador with our 4 kids, we visited 3 of the 4 regions: the Andes/Highlands, the Amazon, and the Galápagos Islands. We moved around frequently, so I knew we wanted to pack light to make it easier to get our luggage from place to place. That means we wanted to pack light, while still being prepared for the variation in climate and activities.

This was my 4th visit to Ecuador, but my first time visiting the Galápagos Islands, so I mostly knew what to expect when it came to dressing for the weather. In fact, I spent 4 months in Ecuador in college studying Spanish in Quito, but traveling all around the country on the weekends.

In this post I’m going to share exactly what we packed for both the adults and kids on this trip to be prepared for the weather, the variation of activities we did, and long travel days.

More Ecuador Blog Posts:

2 Week Ecuador and Galápagos Islands Itinerary for Families

How Much our 2-Week Trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands Cost for a Family of 6

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Regions of Ecuador

On the Eastern side of the country you have the Amazon Rainforest region, also called the Oriente. It’s hot, humid, and rainy - it is the rainforest after all!

In the middle of the country you have the Andes Mountains, also called the Highlands or the Sierra, which are high in altitude, but their position on the equator makes the daytime sun quite strong. In this region layers are your best friend, as mornings and evenings can be cold, while daytime is pretty mild with spring-like temperatures year round.

Next you have the Coastal Region (La Costa) which is hot and humid all year. There is a rainy and dry season, but temperatures stay consistently warm here.

Finally, you have the Galápagos Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The climate in the Galápagos Islands is subtropical and semi-arid with two main seasons: the Warm and Wet season from December to June, and the Cool and Dry season from July to November.

Our Itinerary in Ecuador with Kids

If you’re curious about what we did in each region of Ecuador, where we stayed, what we did, and how long we were in each place, go ahead and ready my post: 2 Week Ecuador and Galápagos Islands Itinerary for Families

Bag I Used for Packing

I used the Tobiq Adventure Trolley Roller Bag on this trip, and it was a game changer!

This is a super unique bag that can be a Personal + Carry-On Item: it converts from one bag to two separate pieces in seconds, connected by a zipper. The top part is a duffel bag with dividers, and the bottom part is a hard-sized suitcase.

You can use it as one carry-on bag, or unzip it to be a carry-on suitcase and a personal item.

I packed everything for myself in this bag, but when we went to the Galápagos Islands, we left some of our pants and sweatshirts at my friend’s house (she lives in Quito), and we were able to pack 3 of the kids and me all in this one bag.

This was super helpful because we were getting on and off ferries, tiny water taxis, regular pick up truck taxis, and airplane. It was so nice to fit 4 people in one carry-on size bag!

If you want to pack REALLY light, and you have younger kids with smaller clothes, you could easily buy 2 of these bags and fit everyone’s clothes in them, then carry regular backpacks for your cameras, toiletries, snacks, etc.

Essentials for Every Region

Here are the items we brought that worked for any and every region in Ecuador.

Passport

Credit Card + Cash // Many places around Ecuador accept credit card, but it’s a good idea to bring cash, too, especially for the Galápagos Islands (I’ll share more in the Galápagos section)

Power bank // you’ll need it for the long drives between regions! Or maybe you’re like me taking a million photos and videos which truly drains the phone batter. I like this one!

Universal adapter (if needed) // If you’re coming from the USA, you do NOT need an adapter. If you’re coming from another country, be sure to check!

Reusable water bottle // do not drink the tap water in Ecuador! However, it’s nice to have a reusable water bottle if you’re staying somewhere that provides clean water.

Daypack // A small backpack, a crossbody bag, or this tiny tech bag I used for the entire trip for when you’re out sightseeing for the day.

Sunscreen // Ecuador is (obviously) near the equator so the sun can be more intense. Even if it feels cooler in Quito or in the Andes, be sure to apply sunscreen!

Sunglasses

Clothing

I packed a capsule wardrobe for myself that I could mix and match with layers for different types of weather. I’m embedding the video below so you can see exactly what I packed:

And the end of this post I’ll share photos of each of my outfits with links to what I wore.

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A post shared by Emily | Family Travel Creator (@amomexplores)

As I mentioned, layers are your best friend, and temperature can vary even from morning to afternoon. I’ll specify more about what you need for each region in its respective section, but a capsule wardrobe with coordinating colors really helped me pack less.

And I should point out that you can dress more casually in Ecuador, unless you’re planning to go to an upscale restaurant at some point (which we did not).

Tank Tops

T-Shirts

Long Sleeve Shirts (love these ones)

Sweater or Sweatshirt

Shorts

Pants

Skirts/Dresses

Rain Jacket

Underwear/Bras

Socks

Accessories // jewelry, head scarves, headbands, etc.

Footwear

My general rule for packing shoes is to bring one pair of tennis shoes, and one pair of sandals (or crocs for the kids). I might throw in a pair of hiking sandals, too!

On this trip, we were fine with mostly sandals, but we were glad we had our tennis shoes for a few activities like plane rides and horseback riding.

I would say a pair of casual sandals, a pair of hiking shoes or hiking sandals, and a pair of tennis shoes should be fine. Make sure all of these are broken in and that you can comfortably walk in all of them.

What to Pack forThe Galápagos Islands

Cash // You need to pay a fee to enter the Galápagos Islands when you land at the airport, but you must pay the fee in cash. Adults are $200 and children (up to age 12) are $100. So for our family of 3 adults (one of our kids is 13), and 3 kids, that was $900 in cash. Many businesses accept cash in the Galápagos Islands, but some don’t. And you can even get a cheaper rate for tours by paying in cash. On top of the $900 entry fee, we brought around $1000 in cash to the Galápagos just to be safe. We did not use it all.

Reef-safe sunscreen // We brought Blue Lizard sunscreen, powder sunscreen for our scalp and hair, and I face sunscreen sticks. I brought Tula face sunscreen for myself.

Snorkel gear // you can bring your own snorkel gear if it’s important to you, but you can easily rent snorkel gear on the islands.

Swimsuits and Rash guards // I prefer long sleeve swimsuits or rash guards for the Galápagos for sun protection. I bought this long sleeve swimsuit for myself and loved it! I didn’t feel like it had enough support, so I also bought a bikini top to wear underneath.

Motion sickness medication // For the ferries between islands, any boat tours you take, and maybe even longer taxi rides.

Dry bag // to keep your valuables dry on the boats

Waterproof phone pouch

Sun Hat // I bought one for our whole family (my hat, kids hat) and they were SO nice to have when we were walking around areas with no shade, or for being at the beach a long time.

Sun Shirts // I also bought these specifically for our trip, and we all loved having them! Not having to worry about reapplying sunscreen so often was a relief, and none of us got sunburned in the Galápagos Islands! (My shirt, big kids shirt, little kids shirt)

Waterproof Action Camera // We brought our GoPro for underwater photos and videos

Waterproof shoes/sandals // We all wore hiking sandals around the Galápagos, or comfortable flip flops.

Long Sleeve Shirt or Sweatshirt // for the most part it was nice and warm, but you may want a little extra warmth for a cool night!

Rain Jacket // We did get some rain showers during our visit. Rainy season is December - May, but we visited in June and had a few stray showers.

What to Pack for Quito and The Andes

Quito is the second highest capital city in the world, so while it’s known as the city of eternal spring with mild year-round temperatures, it can get pretty cold in the mornings and evenings. If you’re going to higher elevation places in the Andes like Cotopaxi National Park, it gets even colder!

Warm layers // it can get quite chilly in the mountains! We took an overnight trip to Cotopaxi National Park, and it was cold, especially in the mornings and evenings. It was nice to have a sweater or sweatshirt. You may even want a packable puffy jacket, scarf, or fleece.

Gloves and Winter Hat // depending on the time of year, you may want extra warmth! We were fine without these in June.

Long Pants // I already have these in the clothing section, but wanted to highlight it here. It was nice to have pants for the chilly weather, but also for horseback riding.

Tennis Shoes or Hiking Shoes // clothes toed shoes are great for hiking or walking in Cotopaxi National Park, or if you take the Teleferico to the top of Pinchincha Volcano in Quito and want to hike a little bit. Also good to have for horseback riding.

Altitude medication // we did not bring specific altitude medication, and we just treated the symptoms as they arose (nausea and headaches). But talk to your doctor or pediatrician to see if they think it’s a good idea to take preventative altitude medication, or just other have some on hand.

What to Pack for the Amazon Rainforest

Lightweight long sleeves // I used my sun shirt from the Galápagos here, but you may also want to throw in a lightweight button up, too. It’s nice to have skin covered to protect from bug bites and sun.

Quick-dry clothing // skip the denim here! It’s the rainforest, and it’s hot and humid.

High-DEET bug spray

Headlamp or Flashlight // it gets dark at 6 p.m. year round in Ecuador, and when it’s dark in the rainforest, it’s DARK.

Waterproof hiking pants // these lightweight pants were perfect for wearing around the amazon rainforest without getting too hot. I wore them 3 days in a row, and wished I had brought a 2nd pair.

Electronics

Camera

Charging cables

Charging port // to plug in all of your devices at once!

Portable charger

Waterproof camera (optional)

Tablets for the Kids // we use Amazon Fire Tablets for the kids

Headphones/Airpods

Kindle Paperwhite

Laptop or iPad

Toiletries and Medications

Makeup

Hairbrush

Comb

Ponytail Holders

Skincare

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Deodorant

Pain Reliever

Dramamine

Bandages

Prescription Meds

What I Actually Used

So often I put so much time and effort into researching and packing for a trip, only to end up feeling like I didn’t use the things I thought I would need, or that I forgot something really important.

For once, I actually felt like I nailed the pack for this trip. We used everything we packed, but we also packed very efficiently. Each kid only brought one rolling backpack, and I just used my Tobiq suitcase as a carry one and a backpack as a personal item.

The things I was MOST happy I packed that got a lot of use and actually prevented us from being uncomfortable throughout the trip:

Sun Hats

Sun shirts

Dramamine

Rain Coats

A sweater or Sweatshirt for the Andes

Long sleeve swimsuits or rash guards

Long sleeve shirts and long pants for there rainforest