Ecuador Tour Tips for Luxury Travelers

By Christopher Minster

If you can afford them, there are a variety of tour options available to Ecuador. The most famous part of Ecuador, is, of course, the Galápagos, and there are numerous tour operators who specialize in nothing but the islands. When booking a Galápagos tour, one thing to bear in mind is the luxury/comfort level of the vessel: there are many ships working the islands, and some of them are much more luxurious than others. Another thing to consider is guide quality: an exceptional guide can make all the difference in the world on a Galápagos trip: the more expensive ships generally pay their guides better, which in turn attracts the best guides.  

There are many other tours and trips available in Ecuador: don't simply spend a couple of days in Quito, fly to Galápagos and assume you've seen all there is of the country. There are many fascinating places and sites in Ecuador - do some research and figure out which ones are the best for you to see. Tour agencies commonly offer trips to favorite places like Baños, Otavalo, Cuenca and the jungle. Their prices are a little bit higher than they would be if you did them by yourself, but you pay for convenience. Backpackers will want to save $20 by taking a bus for a day trip to Otavalo, but if you have a little bit more money, having the travel agency van pick you up and drop you off at your hotel is probably worth it. Tourism services in Ecuador, at least the ones at the top of the travel food chain, are excellent, and the value for the money is usually very good.