Trekking in Ecuador

Trekking & Adventure

Climbing Mountains & Rafting Rapids

Adventure Holidays in Ecuador

It's no surprise to us that Ecuador is rapidly becoming known as one of the best countries in the world to enjoy adventure sports. The amazing variety of terrain and climate means that just about everything you can think of is possible somewhere in Ecuador - from high-altitude trekking in the Andes mountains, to scuba-diving in the Galapagos.

We can add these adventure sports options to any of our Ecuador holiday itineraries, so if you just want to do a spot of riding, or have a bit of a downhill dash on a mountain bike, or even if you fancy testing yourself against some of Ecuador's highest mountains, then you just have to ask!

And if there's a particular trek or adventure activity that you can't see here, then just let us know: we're sure we can fit it in for you.

Contact us about Adventures in Ecuador

Trekking in Ecuador

Ecuador offers some of the best and most beautiful high-altitude trekking in the world, and the great thing is that the treks in Ecuador are much more accessible than equivalent treks elsewhere in South America or Asia: many of the treks start within just a couple of hours drive of Quito and there are a huge variety of treks, suitable for every experience level. Many of Ecuador's mountains offer straight-forward, non-technical ascents, meaning that even inexperienced walkers can end their trek with the sense of achievement that comes from climbing a bona fide mountain. After some trekking to boost your acclimatization, and after warming up on a smaller peak such as Illiniza Norte it's even possible people with no prior experience to climb all 6000 metres of the mighty Cotopaxi Volcano...

Cotopaxi National Park Trekking Trekking in the Cotopaxi National Park 5-day trek from Quito

This is a great trek for people without too much experience of high-altitude trekking, this 5-day trek gives you great views of the "Avenue of the Volcanoes", some great wildlife spotting opportunities and the chance to summit a 5000m mountain...

Sangar Trek Sangay National Park Trek 5-day trek from Quito

Based in the Sangay National Park near Riobamba, this trek gives you the chance to go around, up and even inside the (extinct!) crater of the glacier-covered Altar volcano. It's one of Ecuador's most spectacular treks...

Cotopaxi Base Camp Trek Cotopaxi Base Camp Trek 2-day trek from Quito

If you want some easy trekking with fantastic scenery, or would like some acclimatization ahead of one of our more tricky trekking options, then this great 2-day trek is perfect. If you definitely want to take things easy, you can do it on horseback...

Carihuayrazo Trekking Trekking on Carihuayrazo 4-day trek from Quito

Even inexperienced trekkers will have a great chance to climb a 5000m mountain on this superb 4-day trek. We head south from Quito to the Abraspungo valley to climb Carihuayrazo - easily achievable for anyone in decent physical condition...

Whitewater Rafting in Ecuador

If what you really need to make your Ecuador holiday complete are some thrills and spills on Ecuador's fast-flowing mountain and jungle rivers, then have a look at some of our great whitewater rafting options.

Quijos River Rafting Quijos Rafting (1 Day)

Our most popular rafting option takes you on a full-day whitewater rafting trip on the Quijos river, near to Quito. It’s a Grade III/IV trip, which means there’s plenty of thrills (and no doubt spills!) but you don’t need to have had any prior experience.

Toachi River Rafting Toachi Rafting (1 Day)

This great rafting trip takes you down through the cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes towards our start point on the Rio Toachi. This river offers delightful contrasts between the slow sections as we drift through tropical rainforest, and the fast-flowing mountain sections which give us all the thrills and spills we like.

Mountain Biking in Ecuador

Mountain biking offers a great way to explore some of the harder-to-reach areas of Ecuador, especially in the Andes mountains, but most of the trips are easily done in a day from Quito. Why not treat yourself to an adrenalin buzz...

Guagua Pichinca Mountain Biking Guagua Pichincha (1 Day)

This great option takes you on a drive west out of Quito towards the still-active Guagua Pichincha volcano. We will trek up to the very lip of the volcano to peer down into the smouldering crater below, and to be rewarded with spectacular views back over Quito to the east and the mountains to the west, north and south. From here, we will mount our bikes and race downwards to the village of Lloa on an abandoned dirt road. At Lloa we head west into the cloud forest before stopping for lunch. After riding on a little further we will rejoin our vehicle and return to Quito in the late afternoon.

Cotopaxi Downhill Mountain Biking Cotopaxi Downhill (1 Day)

This downhill descent takes place in the stunning Cotopaxi National Park. Driving through the park, we will climb the slopes of Cotopaxi itself in our 4x4, until we reach our starting point at 4,500m. Our view from here is incredible, and on a clear day you can see a further 8 volcanoes! We will set off on our downhill adventure, as we head down dirt tracks for 8km, passing through a volcanic cinder landscape. You then have to do a small amount of pedalling through a mixture of downhill and fairly level terrain as we head to our lunch spot, at a natural viewpoint offering some more stunning views. From here we will put the bikes back on the jeep and drive the short distance to the beautiful Limpiopungo lake, where we have a further 16km along dirt tracks through the cool pine forest. After this it’s time to get back on board the jeep for the return journey to Quito.

Horse riding in Ecuador

Many of Ecuador's traditional haciendas are still working ranches, and they offer a great chance to ride on your holiday in Ecuador. We can organise longer riding trips as well, but here are some short and sweet options.

Pululahua Horse Riding Ecuador Pululahua National Reserve (1 Day)

This full-day riding trip takes place at the Green Horse Ranch, inside the Pululahua National Reserve, where we will meet our horses for today. From the ranch we will set out for a ride through this huge ancient volcanic crater, with its amazing scenery and rich wildlife. We will ride for about 4 hours before stopping at a panoramic viewpoint for lunch, from where we can appreciate a stunning view of several of Ecuador's highest mountains. From here we will head back by a different route to the ranch, and then back to Quito.

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