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Private tours in EcuadorEcuador with your own driver

Private tours in Ecuador that start at your hotel in Quito or Cuenca, with a car and a driver for your group alone.

  • 10private tours
  • 2departure cities
  • €110starting price per group
  • 24hfree cancellation before pick-up
The Plaza Grande in Quito at night
Photo by Andres Medina on Unsplash

Within a few hours' drive of Ecuador's Andean cities you find volcanoes, páramo grassland, crater lakes, cloud forest and Inca stonework. Our private tours in Ecuador leave from Quito and Cuenca, two colonial cities whose historic centres are on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The car and the driver are yours for the day, so you set the pace and can change the order of the stops as you go.

From Quito you can walk the old town, from El Panecillo and the Plaza Grande to La Compañía and the Basílica, and add the Mitad del Mundo monument and the Pululahua crater on the equator. Full days go north to the Otavalo market and the Cuicocha crater lake, south to the Limpiopungo lagoon in Cotopaxi National Park, or down the western slope of the Andes to the hummingbirds and waterfalls of Mindo.

From Cuenca a half day covers the view from Turi, the Inca ruins of Pumapungo, a Panama hat workshop and the blue domes of the New Cathedral. Day trips go to the lakes of Cajas National Park, to Ingapirca, the largest Inca site in Ecuador, and to the craft villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg. To compare them, read our guides to day trips from Quito and day trips from Cuenca.

All 10 private tours in Ecuador

TripLengthLeavesPrice
Quito: Private Tour of the Old Town, El Panecillo and the Basílica4h07:00from €120
Quito: Private Day Tour of the Old Town and the Middle of the World9h07:00from €170
Otavalo Market and Cuicocha Lagoon Private Day Trip from Quito10h07:00from €170
Cotopaxi National Park Private Day Trip from Quito9h07:00from €170
Mindo Cloud Forest Private Day Trip from Quito10h07:00from €180
Cuenca: Private City Tour of the Historic Centre, Turi and Pumapungo4h07:00from €110
Cajas National Park Private Half-Day Tour from Cuenca5h07:00from €110
Cuenca and Cajas National Park: Private Full-Day Tour8h07:00from €180
Ingapirca Ruins Private Day Trip from Cuenca8h07:00from €140
Gualaceo and Chordeleg Craft Villages Private Day Trip from Cuenca7h07:00from €180

Prices are starting prices and depend on the size of your group.

Private tours from Quito

A half day in the old town, a full day with the old town and the equator, and day trips to Otavalo and Cuicocha, Cotopaxi National Park and the Mindo cloud forest. Pick-up in the historic centre, La Mariscal, La Floresta and the north of the city.

Not sure which to pick? Read our guide to day trips from Quito

Private tours from Cuenca

A half-day city tour, half and full days in Cajas National Park, and day trips to the Inca site of Ingapirca and the craft villages of Gualaceo and Chordeleg.

Not sure which to pick? Read our guide to day trips from Cuenca

When to go to Ecuador

In Quito the dry season runs from June to September, and March and April are usually the wettest months. In the wet season mornings are often clear and showers come in the afternoon, which is why the tours leave early. Cuenca's dry months are usually July to September. In the Mindo cloud forest it rains all year, most from December to May, and June to November is drier.

At Cotopaxi the hour matters more than the month. Advice on the clearest months differs, and cloud often covers the volcano from about ten in the morning, so the day is in the park soon after the gates open.

Some dates change the day. On Good Friday the Jesús del Gran Poder procession fills Quito's old town between San Francisco and the Basílica, and around 6 December the Fiestas de Quito bring parades. In Otavalo, Inti Raymi on 21 June starts several days of festivals, and the Saturday market is the largest of the week.

Good to know before you go

Give the altitude a few days

Quito is at about 2,850 metres, and medical guidance puts the risk of altitude sickness above about 2,450 metres. Fitness does not protect you. Keep exercise mild and avoid alcohol for your first 48 hours, and leave the higher days, such as Cotopaxi (the refuge is at 4,800 metres) or Cajas (3,200 to 4,500 metres), for later in your stay.

Bring US dollars in small notes

Ecuador's currency is the US dollar. Market prices are not fixed and small craft workshops do not always take cards, so carry small notes for the stalls, entrances and lunch.

Book Ingapirca and carry your passport

Ingapirca is open Wednesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and its tickets are booked online with the INPC for a set time. At Cotopaxi visitors are registered at the gate and need identification. Carry your passport, or at least a copy.

Cotopaxi is an active volcano

The volcano is watched all the time by Ecuador's Instituto Geofísico, and the park can close at short notice: in October 2022 access was restricted after emissions of gas, steam and ash. If it closes before your date, we tell you and suggest another route.

How our private tours work

  • Your own car and driver for the day, for your group alone.
  • The price is for the whole vehicle and depends on the size of your group.
  • Book and pay online on the tour page; the confirmation arrives by email straight away.
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up, with a full refund.

Planning guides for Ecuador

Questions about private tours in Ecuador

How much does a private tour in Ecuador cost?

It depends on the tour and the size of your group, from €110. You pay for the vehicle, not per seat: up to four people travel in a sedan, up to eight in a van, and larger groups in two vehicles. Choose your group size on each tour page.

Where do the tours start?

At your hotel or apartment in Quito and Cuenca. Half-day tours start at 07:00 or 13:00; full days start at 07:00.

Which day is best for the Otavalo market?

Saturday is the big market day and Wednesday the second largest. The stalls on the Plaza de los Ponchos are open every day, so a weekday is calmer if you would rather browse without a crowd.

Can we go to Cotopaxi on our first day?

We advise against it. Spend a few days in Quito first and take the old town or Mindo, which is much lower, before going up to the páramo.

Can we change the stops?

Yes. The car is yours, so the order and the time at each stop can change on the day. Tell your driver in the morning.

Can we cancel?

Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up for a full refund.

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