Travel advisory · EcuadorSome governments advise against travel to parts of Ecuador.The warnings cover only these areas: 20 km strip along the Colombian border, Durán, Esmeraldas City and all areas north of it, Colombian border zone, El Fortín, El Oro province, Esmeraldas province, Flor de Bastión, Guayaquil city, Guayaquil south of Portete de Tarquí Avenue, Guayas province, Huaquillas and Arenillas, Los Ríos province, Manabí province, Monte Sinaí, Nueva Prosperina, Paraíso de la Flor, Pascuales, Quevedo, Santa Elena province, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Sucumbíos province.Advice depends on your passport. Read your own government's advice before you book.Official advice

Areas with warnings

20 km strip along the Colombian border · avoid all travel · Canada, New Zealand, UK
Durán · avoid all travel · Canada, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, US
Esmeraldas City and all areas north of it · avoid all travel · Germany, Italy, US
Colombian border zone · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, Italy
El Fortín · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, New Zealand
El Oro province · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, Spain, France, UK
Esmeraldas province · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, Spain, France, New Zealand, UK
Flor de Bastión · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, New Zealand
Guayaquil city · avoid non-essential travel · France, New Zealand
Guayaquil south of Portete de Tarquí Avenue · avoid non-essential travel · Germany, US
Guayas province · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, Spain, France, UK
Huaquillas and Arenillas · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, US
Los Ríos province · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, Spain, France, UK
Manabí province · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, UK
Monte Sinaí · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, New Zealand
Nueva Prosperina · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, US
Paraíso de la Flor · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, New Zealand
Pascuales · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, US
Quevedo · avoid non-essential travel · Canada, US
Santa Elena province · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, UK
Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, France, UK
Sucumbíos province · avoid non-essential travel · Spain, New Zealand

Also named by one government: Chinchipe canton, within 2 km of the Peruvian border (Canada), Ciudad de Dios (New Zealand), El Pangui canton, within 2 km of the Peruvian border (Canada), Entrada de la 8 (New Zealand), Nangaritza canton, within 2 km of the Peruvian border (Canada), Pueblo Viejo (US), Quinsaloma (US), Socio Vivienda (New Zealand), Yantzaza canton, within 2 km of the Peruvian border (Canada), Babahoyo (Canada), Bastión Popular (northern Guayaquil) (Canada), Esteros (southern Guayaquil) (Canada), La Florida (northern Guayaquil) (Canada), Las Orquídeas (northern Guayaquil) (Canada), Machala (Canada), Milagro (Canada), Monte Bello (northern Guayaquil) (Canada), Mucho Lote (northern Guayaquil) (Canada), Nueva Loja (France), Orellana province (Spain), Portete (southern Guayaquil) (Canada), Southern and western Guayaquil (Spain), Sur (southern Guayaquil) (Canada)

Government	Advice	Updated	Read the advice
United Kingdom (FCDO)	No advice against the whole country (regional advisories)	–	Read the advice
United States (State Dept)	Exercise increased caution (regional advisories)	Aug 18, 2026	Read the advice
Canada (Global Affairs)	Exercise a high degree of caution (regional advisories)	–	Read the advice
Germany (Auswärtiges Amt)	No advice against the whole country (regional advisories)	Oct 13, 2026	Read the advice
New Zealand (SafeTravel)	Exercise increased caution (regional advisories)	–	Read the advice
France (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)	Zone de vigilance renforcée (reste du pays) (regional advisories)	–	Read the advice

Checked daily from the governments' published advice; last checked Nov 2, 2026. RoamLedger summarises official advice; it is not advice from any government.

an island with a sandy beach and blue water

South America

Ecuador

Ecuador puts Galápagos wildlife, high-altitude cities and Amazon rainforest within one country's borders.

Start with the essentials Plan a trip to Ecuador

Ecuador is a presidential republic in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia to the north, Peru to the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The equator runs through it. Its four regions are the coast, the Andean highlands, the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands, about 1,000 km west in the Pacific. Quito, the capital, sits in the highlands at about 2,850 metres, the second-highest capital city in the world. Guayaquil, the largest city, is on the coast.

The Galápagos draw travelers for endemic wildlife, including giant tortoises, which helped inspire Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Quito and Cuenca are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Cotopaxi, one of the world's highest active volcanoes, lies just south of Quito. Altitude sets the climate. The Pacific coast has a rainy season from about December to May, the highlands are temperate and relatively dry, and the Amazon is humid year-round. Because the regions differ so much, a short trip works best when it covers one or two of them.

Five things to know before Ecuador

Check the current UK advice before you book
Security conditions in Ecuador change quickly, and the UK government advises against travel to some regions. Read the current advice for the places on your route before you book and again before you fly. UK travel advice
Prepare the Galápagos paperwork before you fly
Get the transit control card through the official system before your flight, and show a lodging booking and a return flight. Stays are capped at 60 days; check the park's official site for the entry fee. Galápagos entry fee and rules
Take Quito's altitude slowly
Quito sits at about 2,850 m, and the airport is almost an hour's drive from the old town. Plan an easy first day before hikes or the Galápagos. Quito
Bring US dollars in small notes
Ecuador uses the US dollar. Many shops, taxis and buses refuse $50 and $100 bills, so carry $1, $5, $10 and $20 notes. Money on the road
Carry a criminal record check if you arrive overland
Visitors crossing by land or river from Peru or Colombia must show a criminal record certificate covering five years, apostilled and translated into Spanish.

Ecuador travel guides

Practical guides from writers who live there.

Galápagos Islands

Cruise or island-hopping, and how to choose.

Read the guide Galápagos entry rules

The park fee, the transit control card and what is banned.

Read the guide Quito

The old town, the altitude and getting in from the airport.

Read the guide Cuenca

The colonial center and Cajas National Park.

Read the guide Visas and entry

Visa-free stays and rules for land borders.

Read the guide Travel insurance

Diving, altitude and cover the islands ask for.

Read the guide

Top places to visit in Ecuador

See all attractions in Ecuador

Sight · Galápagos IslandsVolcán Wolf

aerial view of city buildings during daytime

Sight · GuayaquilSanta Ana Hill

white and brown concrete building under white clouds and blue sky during daytime

Church · CuencaIglesia de San Alfonso

Forest · Galápagos IslandsEl Chato Ranch - Giant Tortoise Reserve

Destinations in Ecuador

brown and white concrete dome building under gray clouds during daytime

What a day costs in Ecuador

Per person, in USD

Work out your trip

Budget$23a day≈ $23 · per person

Hostel beds, cheap eats, buses and free sights.

Bed a night: $12
Food: $10
Transport: $1
Sights: Free

Mid-range$77a day≈ $77 · per person

A 3-star room, casual restaurants, public transport and one paid sight a day.

Bed a night: $30
Food: $30
Transport: $7
Sights: $10

Comfort$240a day≈ $240 · per person

A 4-star room, good restaurants, taxis and a guided tour.

Bed a night: $65
Food: $70
Transport: $25
Sights: $80

Checked Oct 3, 2026 by Lucas MoreiraA source for every line on the trip cost page. Flights not included. Rates By Exchange Rate APIWork out your trip

When to go

Rainy days
Days with storms

Best

JanuaryRain25 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Rainy afternoons
FebruaryRain26 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Rainy afternoons
MarchRain29 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Rainy
AprilRain28 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Rainiest
MayRain25 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Rain easing
JuneRain20 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh17°Low9°Dry season
JulyCloudy12 rainy daysHigh18°Low9°Dry, sunny
AugustRain15 rainy days2 days with stormsHigh19°Low9°Dry, windy
SeptemberRain17 rainy days2 days with stormsHigh19°Low9°Dry season
OctoberRain26 rainy days2 days with stormsHigh18°Low10°Showers return
NovemberRain28 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh17°Low10°Rainy afternoons
DecemberRain26 rainy daysHigh17°Low10°Rainy afternoons

Average daily high and low in Quito, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to EcuadorPut the places you like in Ecuador on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Right now in Ecuador

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

Feels like: 17°
Humidity: 56%
Wind: 9 km/h
Chance of rain: 94%

Quito

03:05 PM

Monday, November 2

GMT-5

Today18°10°94%Monday: Rain. High 18°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 94%.
Tue19°11°91%Tuesday: Rain. High 19°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 91%.
Wed18°11°99%Wednesday: Rain. High 18°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 99%.
Thu17°10°100%Thursday: Rain. High 17°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 100%.
Fri17°11°100%Friday: Rain. High 17°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 100%.
Sat17°11°94%Saturday: Rain. High 17°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 94%.
Sun20°10°55%Sunday: Drizzle. High 20°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 55%.

Updated 12:35 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 EUR = 1.116 USD

Amount

Converted to

USD · US Dollar

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

What's on in Ecuador

Big events, festivals and concert tours

Events calendar

NovemberCopa Libertadores finalNov 28, 2026

FebruaryRio CarnivalFeb 5 – 13, 2027

Four people in traditional embroidered clothing and hats against a bright sky

JuneInti RaymiJun 24, 2027

On tour in Ecuador: Karol G Tropitour Quito, Jan 15 – 17, 2027

Before you go to Ecuador

Galápagos entry rulesPark fee and transit cardRead the guide Travel insuranceDiving and altitude coverRead the guide eSIM for EcuadorCoverage on the islandsRead the guide Dollars in small notesWhy $100 bills failRead the guide

Rules for Ecuador, checked

Galápagos visitors need a transit control card, a return flight to the mainland and an accommodation booking; tourist stays are limited to 60 days.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Read more Overland arrivals from Peru or Colombia must show an apostilled criminal record certificate covering the past five years.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Read more

Ecuador FAQ

Do I need a visa for Ecuador?

UK and Canadian citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 12 months; check other passports on Ecuador's official site. Keep at least six months of passport validity beyond your planned departure.

How do I get to the Galápagos?

By flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristóbal. Get the transit control card before you fly, and check the park's official site for the entry fee and how to pay.

Is it safe to travel to Ecuador right now?

The UK government advises against travel to some parts of the country, and conditions change. Check the current official advice for the regions on your route before you book and again before you fly.

How many days do I need in Ecuador?

Five to eight days for the Galápagos, plus two in Quito. Add three days for Cuenca or the Amazon for a two-week trip.

When is the best time to visit the Galápagos?

Any month works. December to May is warmer with calmer seas; June to November is cooler and drier, with rougher water and more marine life.