Ecuador and the Galapagos family holidays

Take the Family is a travel agency specialising in active, adventure and luxury holidays. Your personal travel advisor will create the perfect Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands holiday for your family, with expert advice and dedicated support throughout.

Choose a family holiday in the Galapagos and Equador

Take the Family is a UK-based travel agency specialising in family holidays to dream destinations such as Ecuador and Galapagos.

Why visit Ecuador and the Galapagos as a family?

One of the smallest countries in South America is a destination for truly adventurous family holidays that embrace everything from the heady biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands with their white-sand beaches and unique animal life – the spark for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution – to the colonial cities of Quito and Cuenca.

Book a holiday in Ecuador and the Galapagos with Take the Family and discover this 'land of four worlds' with its distinct regions offering natural wonders that will widen the eyes of any young ecologist, whether it be the snow-capped mountains of the Andes, the Amazon Basin or the spectacular cloud forests of the Pacific coastline.

Book your family holiday to Ecuador and the Galapagos

As a specialist UK-based family travel agency, we can tailor-make the perfect holiday in Ecuador and Galapagos for your family, whether it’s cruise- or land-based, or a mixture of the two. A popular option is a whistle-stop tour of mainland Ecuador before focussing on the Amazon and/or the Andes in more depth, but some visitors with less time skip Ecuador altogether,

Contact one of our travel advisors now and let's discuss what will be the trip of a lifetime.

Below is everything you need to know to inspire you to book an Ecuador and Galapagos family holiday.

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Things to do in Ecuador and the Galapagos for kids

Galapagos Islands with Kids

Wildlift spotting

Get up-close to unique animal life including giant tortoises, Galapagos land iguana, blue-footed boobies and Darwin finches. Cool sea currents have also introduced cold-water species to the tropical seas – you might also enjoy sightings of penguins, orca and fur seals.

Yachting and cruising

Opt between a family-friendly yacht or cruise with activities including kayaking, snorkelling, star-gazing and glass-bottomed boat-trips, or an island-based Galapagos family holiday including hotel accommodation and boat rides out to see wildlife

• See our features on the best adventure cruises for families and the best small-group family adventures for Galapagos itineraries for inspiration. Do contact us to book early are there are restrictions on visitor numbers to the Galapagos National Park.

Ecuador with Kids

Quito

Hit the capital Quito for Spanish colonial splendour and a restored historic centre (UNESCO listed) with one of South America’s oldest cathedrals and plenty of museums, restaurants and shops.

Head 26km north of Quito to the equator monument, La Mitad del Mundo or ‘Middle of the World’, to stand with one foot in each hemisphere.  

Otavalo

Discover the traditional market town of Otavalo just under 100km northeast of Quito, home to Ecuador’s most famous market in the aptly named Plaza de los Ponchos.

Avenue of Volcanoes

Enter the long valley of the Avenue of Volcanoes, beginning 40km south of Quito and containing more than 70 volcanoes, to see the snow-capped Andes in all their glory.

The Cotopaxi National Park around the Cotopaxi volcano boasts spectacular glaciers and snowfields, while the surrounding countryside is dotted with haciendas combining accommodation with family-friendly outdoor activities such as horse-riding, mountain-biking, bird-watching and hiking.

Devil’s Nose

Travel south via the Devil’s Nose switchback, to the beautiful colonial city of Cuenca (300km from Quito) and the Inca ruins of Ingapirca.  

Andes

Venture east of the Andes, where the Amazon rainforest flourishes right up to the border with Peru. Spend a few days delving into the jungle, spotting tapirs, lizards, monkeys and all manner of bird species in their natural habitat. The Amazon is best visited as part of an Ecuador family adventure holiday (see Best Organised Trips tab); if you're travelling independently, the more remote lodges should only be visited with older kids.

Go west of the Andes, where the cloud-forest reserves that descend to the Pacific are the place for twitchers (both young and old) to spot an amazing diversity of bird species.

©Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador

Kayaking, Galapagos

What to eat in Ecuador and the Galapagos

Food in Ecuador is based largely on exotic fruits, seafood and a vast variety of Andean potatoes. Soups are popular – locro de papas, a delicious soup made with milk, avocado, cheese and potatoes, is especially well loved. Other local specialities include menestra (stewed beans or lentils) with steak and the hot sauce aji.

Sweet and savory snacks

Bakeries in cities are good pit-stops for sweet pastries and tasty savoury snacks, including empanadas (hot, crispy meat- or cheese-filled pastries) and llapingachos (potato and cheese pancakes).

Child-friendly options

Organised adventure holidays and Galapagos cruises (see tab) all feature child-friendly dishes and often Western family favourites, while large cities such as Quito have the usual mix of global eateries.

©Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador

Quito Cultural Heritage festival

When is the best time to visit Ecuador and the Galapagos?

The best time to go to Ecuador depends which region you're going to. The coastal cities have a hot and humid climate all year, while the high-altitude cities of Quito and Cuenca enjoy permanent spring-like conditions. If you do go up high, factor in time to acclimatise. Temperatures in the Andes vary considerably, so layers are recommended.

The best time to go to the Galapagos Islands is generally the warmest time – the first part of the year, from December to May. That said, you may find them a little too hot and rainy for a family holiday at Christmas. And if you suffer seasickness, definitely avoid July–October, when the seas are rougher.

©Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador

View of Cotopaxi from Quito

How to get to Ecuador and the Galapagos from the UK

Flights from the UK to Ecuador (Quito) take 16.5 hours, with at least one stop. Ecuadorian airlines take you on to the Galapagos Islands in about 2.5 hours, with one stop to pick up more passengers en route.