Overview & Highlights
With the freedom of your own self drive hire car, explore the varied Andean landscapes of Ecuador along the Avenue of the Volcanoes and a variety of great cities in under two weeks.
Wedged between Peru and Colombia, mainland Ecuador is certainly more compact than its larger Andean neighbours, but no less diverse for that. For those with limited time who wish to experience a wide variety of gob-smacking landscapes and traditional cultures, it’s a near perfect destination. And what better way to explore than by self-drive hire car.
The recently expanded and paved road network, negotiating the sun-scarred plateaux and plunging down through the shadows of near vertical, cloudforest-shrouded valleys guides you along a cross-section of this beautiful country. Twists and turns, switchbacks, tunnels, four-lane auto-routes and shady cobbled country lanes all feature in this holiday which not only introduces you to Ecuador’s main artery, the Panamerican Highway following the iconic Avenue of the Volcanoes, but also back-roads though patch-worked rural landscapes peopled by tight-knit communities where custom and tradition still govern the leisurely-paced bucolic way of life.
With the freedom of your own hire car, discover all this as well as Ecuador’s three illustrious metropolises, each standing in stark contrast to its sisters: the capital, Quito, a mélange of evocative history and dynamic contemporary society; Cuenca, one of the continent’s best preserved and stately colonial Spanish cities and Guayaquil, a vivacious and sultry port on the tropical coast of the Pacific Ocean.
We book your car, your accommodation, and supply loads of useful information including alternative routes and optional experiences based on our own travels along these routes.
- Walking tour of colonial Quito
- Cotopaxi and Las Cajas National Parks
- 9 days Self-Drive around Ecuador
Outline itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Quito, transfer to hotel in historic centre.
Day 2
Guided walking tour of the colonial core.
Day 3
Transfer to the airport to collect your hire car; set off on your self-drive adventure.
Day 4
Cotopaxi National Park, drive to Quilotoa.
Day 5
Drive to thermal spa resort town, Baños.
Day 6
At leisure in Baños – optional adventures.
Day 7
Drive to Alausi.
Day 8
Continue to Cuenca via Ingapirca ruins.
Day 9
Relaxed walking tour.
Day 10
Drive to Guayaquil via las Cajas National Park.
Day 11
Explore Guayaquil, depart for international flight, the Galápagos islands or the Amazon jungle.
Things to do
We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.
Accommodation
Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.
Inspired by this trip
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
Papagaio
Your edit for Latin American inspiration
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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