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A sea lion asleep on the sand by black lava rocks, with a rocky islet offshore, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Sample journey · 11–14 days

Ecuador as a family: volcanoes and the Galápagos

Quito, the Otavalo highlands, Cotopaxi and three Galápagos islands

Photo: Caroline Ebinger / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Galápagos are one of very few places on earth where animals pay people almost no attention. Sea lion pups play by the jetties, marine iguanas bask on the lava and giant tortoises plod slowly through the damp highlands. For children it's a natural-history lesson no book can match; for adults, a reminder of why we travel at all.

This sample route begins in the Andes: a few days in Quito and at haciendas among the volcanoes let everyone adjust gradually to the altitude and the time difference. In the Galápagos you hop between the inhabited islands and stay in their small towns, which is flexible and often easier for families with children of different ages. For those who love the sea, the same journey can be shaped around a small expedition ship instead.

The route

The journey

  1. Quito
  2. Otavalo & Cuicocha
  3. Cotopaxi
  4. Santa Cruz
  5. Isabela
  6. San Cristóbal
  7. Quito or Guayaquil
  1. People crossing a cobbled square beside a colonial church at dusk in Quito, Ecuador

    01Days 1–2 · Quito

    A capital on the equator

    Quito sits nearly three kilometres up, so the first day is a gentle one: a walk through the squares of the colonial old town, hot chocolate in a café and a short story or two about churches covered in gold leaf. The next day, children are usually captivated by the equator line: at a small museum beside it you can see how water swirls and try balancing an egg on a nail head.

  2. The Cuicocha crater lake with its two wooded islands, Imbabura province, Ecuador

    02Days 3–4 · Otavalo & Cuicocha

    Markets and a crater lake

    North of Quito lies Imbabura province, with its lakes and volcanoes. You stay at a historic hacienda where a fire is lit in the evening and mornings might mean a pony ride or helping with the milking. Otavalo's market is full of bright textiles and wool sweaters, and at the Cuicocha crater lake there's a short boat ride around its wooded islands, or a rim trail that children can manage in part.

  3. Snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano above a grassy high plain where animals graze, Ecuador

    03Days 5–6 · Cotopaxi

    Beneath the snow cone

    Past Quito and south to Cotopaxi National Park, where the volcano's perfect cone rises above high grassland. There's an easy walk around the Limpiopungo lagoon, a ride with the local chagras, the Andean cowboys, or simply watching the clouds change around the summit. The park is high, so walks are kept short and easy, and the peak is often hidden in cloud.

  4. Two marine iguanas on the white sand of Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos

    04Days 7–9 · Santa Cruz Island

    First days on the islands

    A flight to Baltra and a short ferry across to Santa Cruz. At the Puerto Ayora fish market, sea lions and pelicans wait by the fishermen's table for scraps, and a footpath leads to Tortuga Bay, where marine iguanas bask on white sand. In the highlands giant tortoises graze in the wild, and at the Charles Darwin Research Station children can learn how the young are protected and raised.

  5. Three blue-footed boobies on lava rocks by the sea, Isabela Island, Galápagos

    05Days 10–11 · Isabela Island

    Penguins, boobies and lava

    A speedboat to Isabela, the largest and quietest of the inhabited islands. In Puerto Villamil the sandy streets end at the beach, and a boat trip to the lava arches of Los Túneles often brings blue-footed boobies, sea turtles and even Galápagos penguins. Older children can hike to the rim of Sierra Negra volcano; for younger ones, the flamingo lagoons and snorkelling in the bay are plenty.

  6. A giant Galápagos tortoise walking across the ground on San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos

    06Days 12–14 · San Cristóbal Island

    The island of the sea lions

    The last island is San Cristóbal, where sea lions sleep on the waterfront benches and on the beaches right in town. At the tortoise centre in the highlands you can see giant tortoises in a natural setting, and on a boat trip to Kicker Rock older children and adults can snorkel among shoals of fish. From San Cristóbal you fly back to the mainland, to Guayaquil or Quito, and on home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Snorkelling in the Galápagos

    Sea lions, turtles and shoals of fish, often just a few metres away, in calm bays that suit beginners too.

  2. 02

    Giant tortoises in the wild

    In the highlands of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal: animals that can live for more than a century.

  3. 03

    Nights at haciendas

    An open fire, ponies and volcano views from the window: an Andes children enjoy too.

  4. 04

    A crater lake and a market

    The islands of Cuicocha and the textiles of Otavalo: a colourful day in Ecuador's north.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • By small ship

    Instead of island-hopping, 5–8 days on a small expedition ship that also reaches uninhabited islands; some ships welcome families with children above a set age.

  • Add the cloud forest

    Two nights around Mindo for hummingbirds, butterflies and a chocolate workshop, just a few hours from Quito.

  • A shorter version

    In 11 days, one hacienda – near Otavalo or Cotopaxi – and two islands are plenty.

  • For two

    For couples: more time at sea and snorkelling, a night at an eco-lodge in the Santa Cruz highlands and fewer transfers.

Practical considerations

  • Quito is around 2,850 m and Cotopaxi National Park higher still; allow time to adjust in the first days, and talk to a doctor or travel clinic about children and altitude.
  • Visiting the Galápagos requires a national park entry fee and a transit control card; amounts and rules change, so we check them before you travel.
  • Speedboats between the islands take around two hours and can be bumpy; for families prone to seasickness, a ship or fewer islands may suit better.
  • Galápagos seasons are mild: roughly December to May is warmer with calmer seas, June to November cooler with colder water but often more marine life.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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