FAQ

Yes. Our shared day tours are confirmed from 1 passenger, so you are never waiting for a group to fill up. Acclimatization hikes and high-mountain climbs run from 2 participants, and we can arrange a private departure for a solo climber.

Write to us on WhatsApp at +593 98 094 2338 or email info@ecosportour.com with your dates and the tour you have in mind. You are booking with the company that actually operates the trip, so the person answering you is the person organising your day.

Payment options and deposit amounts depend on the service and the season. Message us on WhatsApp (+593 98 094 2338) or at info@ecosportour.com and we will confirm the exact terms for your booking in writing before you pay anything.

Conditions are not the same for a day tour, a Galapagos cruise and a lodge programme, because each service has its own terms. Ask us before you book and we will send you the policy that applies to your specific trip.

Prices are per person on a shared basis. Ecuadorian tourism taxes (VAT) are not included in the published day-tour rates, and every tour page lists exactly what is and is not included so there are no surprises on the day.

Yes. Every tour runs with a certified national guide working in English and Spanish. Our high-mountain guides are ASEGUIM certified, and part of our team also works in German.

Yes, and it is the single factor that decides most summit attempts. Quito is already at 2,850 m, our Quilotoa day reaches 3,900 m and Cotopaxi takes you to 5,100 m. Before any glacier climb we strongly recommend several days of acclimatization first: Fuya Fuya, Rucu Pichincha, Corazon and Iliniza Norte exist for exactly that.

Most day tours from Quito leave from Foch Square at 7:10 a.m. or from Zular Coffee Shop on San Blas Square at 7:20 a.m. The Half Day Walking Tour starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, on the corner where our office is. We confirm your exact meeting point when we confirm the booking.

Warm layers and a windproof jacket, gloves and neck and ear protection, sunglasses, a sun hat and sunscreen, comfortable shoes for mountain and sandy ground, your camera, and some cash for optional entrances. On the Cotopaxi day the average temperature is around 5C / 41F, so pack warmer than the Quito weather suggests.

Usually not. The Galapagos National Park entrance fee is USD 200 per foreign visitor (USD 30 for Ecuadorians) and the Transit Control Card is USD 20 per person, both subject to change and normally paid separately in cash. A few all-inclusive boats build them into the rate; each cruise page states which. Bring your passport, it is required for the Transit Control Card.

No. Flights to and from the islands are always quoted separately. Send us your dates and we will quote the flights alongside the cruise so you can see the full cost in one place.

A cruise sleeps on board and sails at night, so you wake up at a new island and reach the remote visitor sites that day boats cannot. Island hopping sleeps in hotels on Santa Cruz, Isabela or San Cristobal and moves by speedboat, which costs less and suits travellers who prefer to be on land at night. We operate both, so tell us your dates and budget and we will match you to the right one.

The tour starts at Puente Cuyabeno, the bridge over the Cuyabeno River, which you reach by overnight bus from Quito or by flying to Lago Agrio. We meet you there and continue by motorised canoe to the lodge, which we own and operate ourselves. That transport from Quito is not included in the tour price, but we will help you arrange it.

The programme is full board: all meals, purified water, coffee and tea, a room with mosquito nets and private bathroom, your bilingual naturalist guide and every excursion in the itinerary. We also lend you rubber boots, a rain poncho and a life jacket. Paid separately: the Siona community visit at USD 10 per person and the shaman visit, transport from Quito, tips and Wi-Fi.

No. We supply around 90% of the technical equipment, including the glacier gear: crampons, ice axe, rope, harness and helmet. Your ASEGUIM-certified guide runs a glacier school at the refuge before the ascent so you know how to use all of it. Tell us which peak you are climbing and we will send you the personal kit list for it.

No previous climbing experience is required. These are walk-up glacier routes, not technical rock climbs, which is why Cotopaxi is where most first-time high-altitude climbers begin. What they do demand is solid acclimatization and a certified guide. Climbs run with a minimum of 2 climbers per ASEGUIM guide, and a private departure is available for one.