How To Plan The Perfect Ecuador Vacation

ECUADOR VACATION: CUSTOM MAKE YOUR OWN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

You’ve finally made up your mind, your next trip overseas will be a Galapagos & Ecuador vacation. Congratulations, that’s the easy part done. Now for the hard work – trip research and reservations. With so many amazing places to see & things to do in Ecuador, your list keeps getting longer. How on earth to fit it all into the 2 week Ecuador vacation you so desire? 

What if somebody else could do the heavy lifting for you? An Ecuador travel destination expert, to listen to your ideas and turn it into the dream Ecuador vacation that you dared to imagine. A unique itinerary, tailored perfectly to you and your partner.

Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place! Happy Gringo is a multiple Trip Advisor award-winning travel company, as well as being highly recommended in esteemed Ecuador & Galapagos travel guides such as Lonely Planet & Footprint. Designing life-changing vacations is our thing! 

Keep reading to learn how to design an amazing Ecuador vacation itinerary with us, and how Happy Gringo will help turn your travel dream into reality.

ECUADOR VACATION IDEAS

Where to go in Ecuador for vacation?

Let’s start with the basics. Ecuador has four distinct regions: 

1. Pacific Coast – for pristine beaches, whale watching, water sports, sun and relaxation.

2. Andean Highlands – for stunning landscapes, mountains & volcanoes, cloud forest, hot springs, markets and colonial cities.

3. Amazon Rainforest – for adventure, pristine flora and fauna and indian tribal culture.

4. Galapagos Islands – for unique wildlife, volcanic landscapes, natural history and world class snorkeling/diving.

Each region is vastly different to the next, with many tourist destinations to explore. Most visitors to Ecuador choose to combine 2 or 3 regions into a single trip with high biodiversity. It’s easy to pick and mix from Ecuador’s many bucket list destinations. 

As well as consulting a Happy Gringo travel expert you could also use an online travel itinerary planner like YourTravelItinerary.com. They use artificial intelligence (AI) and past traveler recomendations to pick possible destinations for your trip and suggest an itinerary. All done at the click of a button.

Don’t forget that Ecuador’s neighbors also have plenty to offer. Maybe add in a side-trip to Peru, Colombia or another part of South America.

The world truly is your oyster!

Ecuador Travel Themes

As well as unbeatable destinations, Ecuador is suited to many different travel themes.

Perhaps you just want to visit as many of Ecuador’s must-see highlights as possible. Or escape the beaten tourist path in search of hidden surprises. 

Max out your camera’s memory card whilst wildlife watching, immersed in untouched nature. Or stick to Ecuador’s top cities for culture and a vibrant social scene.

Culture wise you can meet local indigenous indians, some descended from the Incas, others from fierce jungle tribes. We have ruins from ancient civilsations to explore, as well as Spanish colonial architecture.

Adrenelin junkies won’t be disappointed with the array of adventure activities at your disposal! Try your hand at rafting, kayaking, volcano climbing, treking, diving, snorkeling, kite surfing, paddle boarding, mountain biking, horse riding, canyoning, ziplining, tubing, bridge jumping and much more besides. 

If you’re exhausted just by reading the list above then head for some quality relaxation at a spa or hot spring resort. 

There are lots more niche travel themes, too numerous to list here. Whatever you’re into, from bird watching to photography, archeology, medicinal plants, responsible travel or community tourism, we can organise it for you.

Ecuador Vacation Packages

Helpful folk that we are here at Happy Gringo we already have an assortment of wonderful Ecuador vacation packages pre-designed for our clients. So take a look, and use the filters to handily sort the tours that most interest you.

These Ecuador tours have all been tried and tested by our past clients, and are popular routes to travel.

WHAT IS A CUSTOM MADE VACATION?

This is where life gets more interesting. What if an off-the-shelf tour just doesn’t tick the right boxes for you? What if you could start from scratch to design an Ecuador vacation package yourself? Is that really possible?

In short, yes. A Happy Gringo Custom-Made Tour is your ticket to designing your own unique vacation. With the help of a travel expert, you choose the destinations, mode of travel, type of accommodation, and variety of activities. Exactly what YOU want, complete freedom, no limits.

Think of it as like tailoring a suit, measured and made to fit your body to perfection, in the color and style of your choosing. Something that fits your personality, mirrors your tastes, something that is you. Why buy a plain old regular suit off the rack?

Above all we listen to you. We want to hear all of your trip ideas. Let us turn it into a practical vacation itinerary, but not only that – we will also handle all of those tedious logistical details for you. That’s right, we’ll book all of the drivers, guides, hotels & entrance permissions that you need. So you can sit back, take it easy, and enjoy the ride.

Let’s take your dream & make it happen!

WHERE DO I START?

The first step to your custom-made Ecuador vacation could not be simpler. Just take 5 minutes to fill out our Design Your Own Itinerary Form, and hit send. Try to include all of your trip ideas – the places you want to see, your hobbies and interests, and don’t forget to let us know if the vacation is to celebrate a special occasion.

We’ll get straight to work, pulling your concepts together into a draft itinerary. From there, you are free to make as many changes as you like – it is after all your itinerary. We keep working with you until we have all of your i’s dotted and t’s crossed. We guarantee you’ll be ecstatically surprised with the end result.  

Don’t worry, the tour quote process is completely free of charge, with no obligation to book. We won’t charge you a dime, whether you book with us or not, so you literally have nothing to lose.

ECUADOR VACATION ITINERARY: 5 ADVANTAGES TO BOOKING A CUSTOM MADE TRIP

Keep reading for our top 5 reasons why we believe a custom-made Ecuador tour is the right choice for you.

1. COMPLETE FREEDOM

Close your eyes, try to imagine what your dream vacation would look like. The amazing stories & photos you’ll take back home. The priceless experiences that you’ll share. Why shouldn’t your vacataion look like this? After all, you deserve it.

Happy Gringo give you complete freedom to turn that imagination into reality. To venture wherever your dreams dare take you. Complete flexibility to make a unique itinerary just for you.

What about lodging? Countryside seclusion, or vibrant city life? Cosy, family-run guesthouses, or international name hotels? Specialist guides, or free time to explore for yourselves?

Looking for an unforgettable way to celebrate a special occasion on your trip? A honeymoon, anniversary or birthday? We’ve got you covered.

Travel experiences should be life-changing, so don’t settle for less.  

2. HASSLE-FREE TRAVEL

Over the past 15 years, Happy Gringo has successfully helped more than ten thousand happy travelers to complete their trip of a lifetime. 

When you are on your well-earned vacation you want to use your time productively, to explore, relax and spend quality time with loved ones while taking in the sights. The last thing that should be on your mind is worrying about the logistical details, or making reservations for the next day.

Good news for you then that Happy Gringo will take care of all those niggling details for you. Logistics is our bread and butter. We’ll take away all of your travel worries, so you can focus on the important business of having a great time.

All of our drivers, guides, hotels and tour experiences have been tried and tested over the years, so you have the peace of mind that everything is taken care of.

No hassles, No worries 🙂

3. A VACATION DESIGNED AROUND YOUR PASSIONS

What do you really love in life? What gets your juices flowing & your passions alive? When you go on vacation you need an experience to bring that special spark back into your eyes.

Ecuador and Galapagos is all about diversity and opportunity, so let’s get it working to your advantage.  

Any travel theme can be included or combined, from wildlife and nature, to adventure and adrenalin, history and culture, photography, relaxation, eco-travel, off the beaten track experiences, bucket list highlights, the list goes on and on.

Latin American people are naturally passionate about life, and the feeling is contagious. So let’s remember why it’s so amazing to travel, and to feel alive. 

Why settle for ordinary?

4. TRAVEL PLANS CREATED BY EXPERT TRAVELERS

At Happy Gringo we are all experienced travelers ourselves, from our company founders, to each and every team member. We live to travel, we love to travel, and we know that you feel the same way.

We know Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands like the back of our own hands, and use this experience to craft trips that give you an Ecuador vacation that goes above and beyond the ordinary. 

We take great pride in show-casing our incredible country to those who venture over here. It makes our day when our clients share our same passion, and can see first-hand just what it is that makes Ecuador so special.

So, let’s get creative together, get the map out, and plot a course to happiness. 

5. HANDS-ON SUPPORT & ADVICE

Traveling in South America can be daunting at times, even for experienced travelers, so we understand the need for hands-on support throughout your journey.

We provide complete travel assistance from day one, holding your hand along the way, just a phone call away from fixing any unexpected hiccups. Our guides and drivers are chosen for their helpful and friendly can-do attitudes, while our Operations department is pro-actively working behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly. 

We can always be reached 24-7 on our dedicated emergency cellphone line should the need arise.

The 6 consecutive annual awards that we have received from Trip Advisor are testiment to the dedication of our team in delivering the perfect experience to you.

A safe pair of hands for your dream vacation.

Start planning your Custom-Made Galapagos & Ecuador Vacation today. Fill out our quick and easy interactive form, shoot us an email, or call our toll-free numbers if you prefer to speak in person. Our tour quotes are completely FREE OF CHARGE, with absolutely no obligations to buy.

In conclusion, an Ecuador vacation is an experience that you will only do once in your lifetime, so you want to get it right! We have many years of experience in helping our clients to design their own custom-made Ecuador vacation packages. We know you’ll be delighted with the results!