Ecuador Amazon, Hot Springs & Volcanoes — Self-Launched
9 days · Ecuador
G Adventures charges £2,100
No-markup version: ~£875 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day loop from Quito covering the same ground as G Adventures' SEAV trip: highland Otavalo and its handicraft market, the Papallacta hot springs, volcano-flanked Baños, and two nights of guided jungle exploration in Yasuní National Park. You swap the operator's private van for public buses and shared shuttles, comfort hotels for well-rated hostels and family guesthouses, and the luxury jungle lodge for a mid-range ecolodge — keeping the same experiences for a fraction of the price. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Quito — settle into the Old Town
Quito
Land at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) and take an authorised airport taxi to your hostel in the historic centre (~£10-12, fixed rate). Quito sits at 2,850m, so take it slow: drink water, skip the big night out. Spend the late afternoon wandering the colonial streets around Plaza Grande and La Ronda, and eat an early dinner of locro de papa (potato soup). Pick up a local SIM/eSIM (Claro or Movistar, ~£8 for data) and confirm your bus tickets for tomorrow.
🚌Airport taxi ~£11
🛏Hostel in Quito Old Town, dorm or private twin (~£14)
- →Colonial Old Town walk (free)
- →Plaza Grande & La Ronda
- →Buy local SIM card
Highlands to Otavalo via San Clemente community
Otavalo
Take a bus from Quito's Carcelén terminal north to Otavalo (~2.5 hrs, ~£3). To keep the community-lunch element of the original tour, arrange in advance (via your Otavalo guesthouse) a half-day visit and home-cooked lunch with a family in San Clemente, a Kichwa weaving community near Peguche (~£20-25 with a local guide or directly with the community tourism office). Afterwards head to Otavalo's famous Plaza de Ponchos handicraft market — go late afternoon when prices soften. Overnight in a family-run guesthouse in Otavalo town or Peguche village.
🚌Public bus Quito-Otavalo ~£3; local colectivo to San Clemente ~£1.50
🛏Family guesthouse in Otavalo/Peguche (~£20)
- →San Clemente community visit & lunch
- →Otavalo handicraft market
- →Weaving demonstration in Peguche
Otavalo morning market, then Papallacta hot springs
Papallacta
Get up for the early Saturday morning animal market and the town market if you're there on the right day; otherwise enjoy the craft stalls at a calmer pace. Then work your way back south: bus to Quito Carcelén (~£3) and a connecting bus toward Baeza/Papallacta (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£4-5). Check into a simple hostería near the Termas Papallacta complex. Book the public hot springs baths directly (roughly £6-8 for a multi-hour pass; the resort's private pools and spa treatments cost more — optional). Soak in the volcanic-fed pools with cloud-forest views; bring warm layers, it's cold at 3,300m.
🚌Buses Otavalo-Quito-Papallacta ~£8
🛏Hostería in Papallacta village (~£22)
- →Papallacta hot springs public pools
- →Optional cloud-forest hike (free trail around the valley)
Avenue of the Volcanoes — Papallacta to Baños
Baños
One last morning dip before heading down the mountains. Bus back through Baeza and Quito's eastern terminal, or better, take a direct bus south toward Ambato and change for Baños (~5-6 hrs total, ~£8-10 either way). Watch for Cotopaxi and Tungurahua as you descend. Arrive in Baños, a laid-back adventure town at 1,800m with waterfall-strewn hillsides. Book into a hostel with a rooftop terrace and sort out activities for tomorrow at any local agency (canyoning ~£25-30, rafting ~£25-30).
🚌Public buses ~£10
🛏Hostel in Baños centre, dorm or private twin (~£15)
- →Scenic Andes bus journey
- →Evening walk to the Baños town waterfall viewpoint
Free day in Baños — waterfalls, bikes and hot springs
Baños
Rent a mountain bike (~£8/day) and ride the Ruta de las Cascadas toward Puyo, using the Agoyán and Manto de la Novia cable cars (small fees) and stopping for the Pailón del Diablo waterfall trail (a few pounds). Alternatively join a canyoning trip or an easy hike up to the Bellavista viewpoint for Tungurahua views. In the afternoon, take a local bus or taxi to the Santa Ana or El Refugio hot springs (~£4-6 entry) — the original tour's optional hot springs, done independently. Eat at the Mercado Central for a cheap almuerzo (~£3).
🚌Bike hire ~£8; local buses ~£3
🛏Hostel in Baños (~£15)
- →Ruta de las Cascadas by bike
- →Pailón del Diablo waterfall
- →Santa Ana hot springs
Into the Amazon — to Yasuní National Park
Yasuní National Park
Early bus from Baños to Tena or Puerto Francisco de Orellana (Coca) (~5-6 hrs, ~£10). In Coca, transfer to a mid-range ecolodge in the Yasuní/Napo river system — book direct or via a Quito-based outfitter; lodges such as those around the Napo and Garzacocha lakes run 2-night packages including motorised canoe transfers, meals, and a naturalist guide (roughly £230-260 all-in for two nights). Motorised canoe upriver (~2-3 hrs), then a short walk or paddle to your cabana. Afternoon jungle walk with a local guide; after dark, a night canoe to spot caimans and listen for owls.
🚌Buses ~£10; motorised canoe transfer included in lodge package
🛏Amazon ecolodge, comfortable cabana with shared or ensuite bath (~included in lodge package)
- →Motorised canoe into the rainforest
- →Guided jungle walk
- →Night canoe excursion for caiman and owls
Full Amazon day — canopy tower, butterflies and canoeing
Yasuní National Park
A full day of guided excursions: climb the canopy observation tower at dawn for parrots, toucans and monkeys at eye level; walk a primary-forest trail looking for leafcutter ant colonies and (with luck) sloths; visit a butterfly farm or a local Kichwa family's home. In the afternoon take a paddle canoe across the lake, swim off a balsa raft, or fish from the dock. Your guide's English may be basic, but their wildlife knowledge is unmatched — tip them and the canoe crew (~£10-15/day is customary).
🚌On foot and by canoe
🛏Amazon ecolodge cabana (included in package)
- →Canopy tower birding
- →Primary rainforest trail hike
- →Paddle canoe and lake swim
- →Butterfly farm visit
Boat out and fly back to Quito
Quito
Morning canoe back downriver to Coca, then a domestic flight to Quito — book a morning departure on LATAM or Avianca (~£55-80 one-way if booked a few weeks ahead). Note the 20kg checked-baggage limit on small Amazon flights, so pack light. Alternative if flights are pricey: overnight bus Coca-Quito (~10 hrs, ~£15) — a long haul but doable. Settle back into your Quito hostel and reward yourself with a proper ceviche dinner in the Mariscal or La Floresta neighbourhood.
🚌Canoe (included) + domestic flight ~£68
🛏Hostel in Quito (~£14)
- →Sunrise birding from the lodge dock
- →Free afternoon in Quito
Quito at your own pace — depart
Quito
Depending on your flight time, visit the Basílica del Voto Nacional tower or the Museo Casa del Alabado (a few pounds), or take the TelefériQo cable car up Volcán Pichincha (~£7) for a last gasp of Andean air. Grab a final breakfast of bolón de verde, then take an airport taxi (~£11) for your international departure.
🚌Airport taxi ~£11
🛏—
- →TelefériQo cable car (optional)
- →Basílica del Voto Nacional (optional)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£875 | £2,100 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,225 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£875
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Ecuador Amazon, Hot Springs & Volcanoes — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £875 per person for 9 days in Ecuador. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £875 — a saving of roughly £1,225 (58%) per person.
How long is the Ecuador trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Ecuador.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, hiking trip through Ecuador, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.