Tailor-Made Family Trips to Ecuador
Compact, small-country charm. An easy and unusual adventure.
Ecuador is the perfect destination for a family trip. Its compact size, wealth of natural habitats, rich wildlife, history and small country charm make it an easy adventure for any family.
Let Jacada take you and your family there with all our care, superior service and established expertise; for an unforgettable trip to this enchanting and often overlooked country.
Stay at superb jungle lodges in the midst of the Amazon rainforest to explore the source of the mighty river to discovering its smallest creatures and vibrant birdlife. Spend your days exploring the quaint market towns and peaceful countryside of the Otavalo area, picking up handicrafts and staying at an authentic, working hacienda to see daily life here in depth. Soak up the colonial heritage of Quito and the magical biodiversity of its lesser known cloud forests. Match one or all of this with days cruising its Galapagos Island (or staying on one of the islands’ hotels).
Browse the locations below for your perfect combination, or see our example trips, then talk to our team of Ecuador travel designer to start putting together your bespoke family trip to Ecuador.
Whatever you want from your Latin America tour, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
Our Top Ecuador Example Trips
We decided to go to Ecuador last minute. Jacob put together an amazing trip in no time, fulfilling all expectations. Perfect choice of lodges and cruise, the guides were outstanding. Transfers between Quito, Mashpi, the Galapagos and the Amazon were very well organized. I would definitely use their services again! Thanks Jacob and the #jacadatribe!
We just returned from our first trip with Jacada, a custom Ecuadorian Highland itinerary focusing on exceptional cloudforest and mountain scenery, biodiversity, unique local ( and historic) boutique accommodations, and lovely cultural experiences. My husband and I are well travelled for over 40 yrs, and I would say that we have had may lovely luxury and scenic itineries, But Jacada was able to provide unexpected and intimate experiences, almost every day that was a step above our previous initeraries. For example, highlights include The biodiversity of a cloud forest up close and personal including a night walk sighting of a rare glass frog, and a sky cycle journey through the cloud forest at tree top level at Mashpi Lodge; we hiked to a fantastic view of an incredible Andean valley that had pre Incan ruins and condors; a private dinner in an Incan Empire temple room that was preserved part of a 1600s Spanish Hacienda San Augustin de Calla ( that we had 3 lit fireplaces in our suite): and last, a chocolate experience from bean to bar where we learned all about the process of growing and making chocolate, including making our own bars.Emily was my representative from Jacada and created an custom intinerary that met or exceeded our expectations, and worked flawlessly with Romanet, the local organizer. The logistics were flawless and our main guide and driver ( Antonio and Carlos), we’re knowledgeable, engaging and flexible.Thank you!
Would recommend Jacada without reservations. Excellent service and choices.
Jacada goes above and beyond!My wife and I travel a great deal, and we have planned trips ourselves and worked with travel agents; however, we decided to give Jacada a try since our ideas for an Ecuador trip were getting complex.I reached out by email and Emily, a travel designer, called us shortly after. I had a lovely chat with Emily where she took notes on what would make the perfect Ecuadorian trip for us. We received a custom itinerary and Emily was able to tweak it from there to make it perfect. After booking we were connected with Romanet, our Personal Travel Concierge. Emily and Romanet handled everything.All of the finer details were executed flawlessly. For example, at each airport, a representative was there to greet us. Private transfers, tours, and check-ins were standard. At every hotel there were personal notes welcoming us. These touches made us feel special at every stop.My wife was concerned about her ant allergy since we were traveling into the rainforest. Upon arriving at the Napo Wildlife Center, my wife shared her concerns and that she carried an epipen. However, the manager explained that Jacada had already shared this information with them, so we need not worry. And they were right, everything was great.Yet another highlight was when my wife and I decided we would like to add on another private tour. While we were still on the yacht Isabela II in the Galapagos, we emailed Romanet our request. Prior to disembarking, she had it arranged, our itinerary updated, and payment taken care of.Emily, Romanet, and all of the people that helped us along the way were top-notch. In closing, I think the best compliment that we can give is to share our story and let everyone know we will use Jacada again in the near future. If you are looking for a personalized trip with great service, Jacada is the answer. Happy traveling!
This is the second trip Jacadsbplanned for us. The first was an extraordinary experience in South Africa. This trip was to Peru and Ecuador. Jacads did a wonderful job arranging our hotels and guide. Alll were superb. They also found a tented camp for me in the galapogos since I dodo not want to stay on a boat. It was. Beautiful and definitely the right choice. I would not hesitate to use Jacads for my next adventure
Jacada,in particular George,advised and arranged our trip to Galapagos,the Sacred Valley,Machu Picchu,and the Amazon forest.It was a bit of a hectic adventure rather than a holiday,but the arrangements were seamless,the guides perfect,the hotels exquisite.In fact everything that their website boasts!Without all their expertise it would have taken a lot more than the three weeks which we had available. We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Jacada and plan on using them again.
Very good trip to Peru and Ecuador. Fabulous local guides and beautiful locales chosen. One particular hotel in Quito was just ok but the others were wonderful. Small details were taken care of. I also got help for my stolen cash in terms of police filing etc. Well done Jobi and Jacada. I will recommend Jacada to friends and am looking forward to my next trip with Jacada in December.
We just returned from a three-week trip to Peru and Ecuador arranged by Jacada. While we normally schedule our own travels, we wanted to see Machu Picchu, the Amazon rainforest, and the Galapagos and knew we needed help. After reviewing several companies, we decided on Jacada because of its experience, positive reviews, and responsiveness. We found Jacada to be outstanding in all regards, from planning to execution. Our representatives were Emily and Suzann who were very knowledgeable about South America and who provided detailed information on transportation, guides, hotels, restaurants, and excursions. They also were exceptional in helping us determine a budget and offering options that would meet it. For example, we really wanted to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu and have a suite for our Galapagos cruise (both pricey) and were perfectly happy to stay at a Marriott or Hilton in other cities at a lower cost. Both Emily and Suzann kept in constant touch during the planning process, responding immediately with emails or phone calls. They even got us restaurant reservations in Lima at Central and Maido (5th and 8th in the world, respectively). The trip turned out to be perfect in every way. Our tours were fantastic, and our drivers and guides were outstanding, always prompt, very friendly, and helpful. This was particularly important during challenging times, such as the 6-hour delay from Machu Picchu due to a landslide on the train tracks; Adrianna and Antonio were there waiting for us and smiling and got us to Cusco at 2am! Emily and Suzann also kept up with us during the trip with small notes at the hotels and a lovely gift of alpaca scarves. Because of the attention to details and overall quality of the trip, we would not hesitate to book with Jacada again and highly recommend it.
I needed some late season planning for a Galapagos trip - a destination I was at a loss to know where to begin. George quickly brought me up to speed, educating me as to my options, and then just as quickly put together a wonderful trip. He and his team held our hands throughout, making sure all went as smoothly as possible. Would recommend Jacada for anyone looking for assistance with their vacation travel plans.
George organized a tour for us which was absolutely suited to our needs. Not only did he put this together, but he did so on very short notice after another tour company cancelled our tour on quite short notice. From the time we arrived at our home airport in Toronto at the start of our vacation, until the date that we arrived at our leaving airport in Quito, Ecuador, at the end of our vacation, George organized this tour every step of the way. Not only were the drivers and tour guides on time and extremely helpful, but George himself arranged to leave notes and treats for us along the way to greet us as we arrived at each of our destinations. These extra "goodies" were unexpected but surely provided my wife and I with much pleasure and delight. I would not hesitate to recommend Jacada to others and, in fact, I have already done so in the first week following my return from vacation. Thank you so much for an amazing experience!
Jacada Travel curated a flawless travel experience for our family to Ecuador and Peru. Our trip was packed with activities ranging from mountain biking, hiking, snorkeling, cooking classes and cultural and architectural tours. All of the guides provided by Jacada were super friendly and knowledgeable. The hotels and restaurants recommended by Jacada were fantastic as well. This was a trip with a lot of moving parts - travel by planes, train, car and boat - all without a hitch! I highly recommend Jacada Travel, and will use them again in the future.
We traveled for two weeks in South America. Starting in the lovely historical city of Quito, we knew we were in for a treat. Jacada handled every detail of our travel, pick-up, hotel, touring, restaurant experiences, etc. flawlessly. They transferred us to the next part of our trip, the Galápagos Island cruise without a hitch. We enjoyed five days on the Santa Cruz II, which offered superior service, excellent accommodations, as well as wonderfully prepared food, and well educated, knowledgeable guides. You could not ask for more. Once we retuned to land we were back in Jacada's capable hands as we flew to Peru. We continued to explore the land and history of the Inca people. Everywhere we visited, each hotel we stayed in, each guide who lead us was exceptional. I have traveled extensively in my life but have never felt so worry free on a trip before this time. I would not hesitate to recommend Jacada to any traveler looking for a first class experience, worry free, on their vacation. I would give them 6 stars.
Had a wonderful trip which was well organized by George. The accommodations were first class as were the tours and tour guides. We were so well taken care of by everyone associated with this company. Always felt safe and looked after. Would highly recommend it.
We would highly recommend Jacada Travel. They were thorough and thoughtful. We were taken care of from morning until night each and every day of our trip. Attention to detail was exceptional. All of our guides were knowledgeable and kind. We had a fabulous holiday thanks to Jacada Travel's trip designers. Many thanks and cheers to our trip designers, guides and drivers!!
Jacada took the time to ascertain our priorities when it came to designing a package for our trip to Ecuador and the Galapogos Islands. Everything went off without a hitch. The guides were excellent and their choice of accommodations was first-rate.
I came across Jacada travel researching a trip to Galapagos Islands and after speaking with a consultant over the phone, they prepared an itinerary suggestion for our trip. From this point on, it really was the attention to detail that set Jacada apart. Rather than a simple itinerary, we were sent a link to a personal website that had our itinerary set up, with photos of the places we'd stay, the things we'd see. It was easy to tweak the itinerary to adjust for our preferences, and the price was competitive with booking each component of the trip myself, without any of the hassle. When we arrived in Ecuador, we were greeted at the airport and transferred to our hotel. The next day, the same guide and driver picked us up at the hotel and took us on a half day city tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, spoke excellent English, and was greeted with hugs and kisses at every site we visited - it felt very much like we were on a VIP tour. At every hotel, there was a hand written note from Jacada, personally addressed and wishing us a pleasant stay. My only criticism is that you can't book bits and pieces through Jacada - it was an all or nothing service. We'd booked accommodation in Mendoza separately and I would have loved to have Jacada organise our local tours whilst we were in the area, but on inquiry, that wasn't an option, which was disappointing. I can understand why they wouldn't want to solely arrange tours as a service, but given we'd spent a considerable amount with Jacada on the Galapogas itinerary, I would have expected them to extend the same level of service to the rest of our itinerary, irrespective of whether the accommodation was booked through Jacada or not. Having said that, we are planning our next vacation and I will definitely see what Jacada can offer for our trip to Europe.
Wonderful trip to Galapagos and Quito. I would have liked to have spent more time in Otavalo but had no clue about its charms. The tour guide in Quito did not make much effort in friendliness. Was she not compensated enough? Perhaps Westerners are all similarly treated with some disdain which is entirely understandable. Jacada was always in contact with me during the planning and all expectations were met. I would definitely use Jacada again for my next extraordinary vacation.
I consider myself lucky to have found Jacada to plan our trip to the Galapagos Islands. We could not have been more pleased every step of the way. They exceeded our expectations and I can recommend them highly and will absolutely use them again!
I recommend Jacada highly to anyone - our trip was perfectly planned - all of our guides were great, our hotels were great, the itinerary was well thought out. We will use Jacada again when we next travel abroad. Jen, our agent there, thought of every detail and had the trip highly organized. Thanks to the thoughtful planning, we had an incredible family trip!
I could sense that the Travel Designer (Jennifer) is somehow tracking our every move and always communicating with the people on the ground that on the needs to have her clients be looked after well. Our journey was tight with many early flights to catch (new year's day at 4 am). Assistance to ensure breakfast is available at check out desk at early hours; guide in attendace to ensure assistance on check in in crowded and non english speaking airline ground staff is taken care off are some of the small things that makes the difference in our travel experience. Of course getting the best rooms at the best hotel/resort repeatedly is another crown to Jacada! I think it is not only about money that you paid but the extra effort that you could feel that makes the difference. In my view in areas where they have control, they have done exceptionally well. Highly recomended and thanks to Jennifer!
My family and I have travelled with Jacada Travel twice now to South America - Peru and Ecuador/Galapagos. Both trips have been at the top of our bucket list for years, and Ciara at Jacada made sure that the trip met every one of our high expectations! Ciara and the team at Jacada helped tailor the accommodations and tours to our style, taste and budget, including a luxury camping trip along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, and a wonderful cruise with my 10-year old daughter in Galapagos. Jacada ensures every detail is taken care of, arranges all your transfers and tours, truly allowing you to have a car free vacation. Everything is first class and better than you expected. Jacada and their local guides also helped arrange a flight back from Peru when my grandmother fell ill while we were away. We are working on a trip to South East Asia with Jacada next!
I dragged my husband on a vacation he didn't want to take even though he was the one to arrange it through Ciara in Jacarda Travel. He eventually had to admit that he loved the trip as much as I did. He has always been a keen photographer and the Galapagos' are a photographers dream. I was happy to be his equipment carrying assistant. We had the benefit of meticulous planning by Ciara. We relied heavily on her recommendations and they all turned out perfectly. She was cheerful, efficient and good humoured as well as extremely knowledgable about her specialist area. I think she thought we might end up lost as she kept in touch frequently until we were safely on board the Grand Odyssy and then again afterwards until safely on the plane home. I suppose any complaint would be that we could have stayed longer. The smaller boat, the Grand Odyssy suited us much better than a large ship. The accommodation was surprisingly spacious and comfortable. The captain and crew did their best to make us feel at home and we did. Our Naturalist guide, Jamie ruled our days like a military commander. He was determined we should made the most of our visit but in a gentle and patient way. He gave us enough information without making it seem like a school outing. Our fellow passengers turned out to be an enjoyable crowd and we all got on well together as we shared and laughed about 'wet' and 'dry' landings! Altogether a five star experience and we would not hesitate to travel with them again. I can highly recommend Jacarda Travel. We met other people on our trip who had arranged their vacation with Jacarda and they were as impressed as we were.
When our intention to visit the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu became more concrete, I started to search the internet for travel agencies and stumbled across Jacada. After I sent an e-mail on a Sunday afternoon, neither did I expect to receive a first call only hours later, nor a complete first draft itinerary few days later. What followed were very professional communications with the Jacada representative, great advise and suggestions upon hotels and sight seeing options to get everything we wanted on our schedule, but even more we could imagine. Being a critical customer, after that perfect start with planning, I was very curious how the promises would be turned into delivery, which in my opinion is the only thing that counts. Now after having returned from a 3.5 weeks trip I can confirm: All promises were kept and our high expectations on a luxury travel provider were fully met! Top hotels everywhere, a great cruise through the Galapagos Islands, experienced and knowledgeable guides in Ecuador and Peru, and the feeling of being taken care 100% every day of our tour made the difference for us. Having met other many other travellers with problems with the altitude in Peru, we really appreciated the sequence Jacada put together for us (Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titikaka), so we could enjoy every moment at these places. Personal letters and individualised additional suggestions for visits restaurants etc. at each of our stops just topped all the selections. Honestly, I was a little bit sceptical about travelling with a tour itinerary only and not the usual booklet with a number of tickets and vouchers (which in our case with all the different hotels, transfers and visits would have been rather thick), but everything was prepared optimal; we did not have to care about anything. Well, as a summery: When ever we will be travelling to places Jacada is represented, they will be our only service provider.
Everything turned out as planned and outlined by Jacada. Arrangements for airport pick ups/drop offs, hotel rooms, mini tours and guides were excellent.
everything about the planning and execution of our trip organized by Jacada travel was truly superb! Six of us went and all are of the same opinion that it was wonderful. we highly recommend them for travel plans.
Ciara, our travel consultant at Jacada, was outstanding. She helped create a fabulous itinerary, with great hotels, memorable experiences and excellent logistics and coordination. No detail was missed, and everyone in our family had a great time. It was very clear that much thought had been given to every aspect of the trip.
This is the second time of having Ciara from Jacada Travel to organize our vacation to Latin America (Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia). We had wonderful time for both trips. Right from the beginning, Ciara listened to our needs and made lots of excellent suggestions in refining our vacation plan. She always put herself into our shoes and made valuable recommendations. On the ground, Jacada in-country supports are always attentive and responsive. Ciara keeps tab of our progress along our journey and made necessary refinement to our travel plan to ensure what is best for us. After we've engaged her at the start of the vacation planning, we know all we need to do is to sit back, relax, knowing that the only thing we need to do is to enjoy a fabulous vacation ahead.
We used Jacada travel for the first time when we decided to use them to book our honeymoon. Overall, we had a very great experience! Jen (our travel designer) did a really great job of listening and choosing the perfect itinerary for our dream honeymoon to Guayaquil, Galapagos, Quito and Otavalo. Throughout the trip there were extra details that made us feel special. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I would've liked to have more details up front, such as the exact times we would be meeting up with our guides or the times of our flights to and from the Galapagos. It was my understanding that we would receive a complete packet with this information when we met our first travel guide. As the vacation progressed we would only receive details for the following day the night before. If you are Type A personality my suggestion would be to get more details up front...
Jacada are simply outstanding. From the first call right through to the end of your trip and beyond. The level of customer service is breath-taking. We dealt with Ciara and she could not have been more helpful. Her level of knowledge was excellent leading to a very relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable holiday. On first glance they may appear to be quite expensive, however it soon becomes apparent Jacada are outstanding value for money once you experience the end result. We could not hold them in higher regard nor recommend them enough. We will definitely book our next big trip through them again
Our trip to the Galapagos Islands was one of our top trips that we have taken. Everything was amazing! The boat and service was top notch. Once there everyday life is forgotten and you are in paradise with wildlife that you will not encounter so closely anywhere else. Working to schedule the trip with Jacada was so easy and they had the answers we needed. From beginning to the end of booking our trip, we felt it was going to be one of a lifetime and it certainly was. In the future, we would book another trip through Jacada.
From the very first communication Ciara and Susanne were a delight to work with. Our initial inquiry was for a 3 week trip to Peru and the Galapagos. The proposed program submitted to us was the right length, and it took two revisions to set the quality and standard of accommodation we wanted. The Galapagos offers a variety of ships. Wanting something larger we settled on the Silver Galapagos which offered a range of creature, that met our needs. From our arrival in Lima until our departure from Quito we were met by fantastic guides, and drivers. The knowledge of the guides and service provided everywhere was terrific. Every hotel booked was far better than expected, and the service everywhere was perfect. Little things like receiving a personal note at every hotel from Ciara with personal recommendations of things to see and do, and local restaurants to visit was an added bonus, and a great welcome everywhere we went. Personal service and detail is something Jacada have perfected. Our travel experience was nothing short of amazing. Everyone wants that dream vacation. Dream vacations have, however to be first created. Ciara, Susanne and the Jacada team did that for us. "Brilliant"
We found Jacada Travel to be extremely helpful and accommodating throughout the planning process and booking of our recent holiday to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands. Ciara, who were predominantly dealing with, was always very prompt replying to any queries and answered every question we had, however trivial! we received a lovely travel pack, were expertly handled throughout our various journeys and couldn't fault any part of the service we received. An excellent company to deal with.
Our trip was a major outing of our entire 17 member immediate family to the Gallipolis Islands, all arriving from different locations, and with slightly different prior event itineraries. Working with Jacada was a pleasant experience from start to finish. The trip was a smashing success with no missteps or difficulties encountered. What more is there to ask for?
Inspiring Destinations in Ecuador
Need to Know
When to go
Being so close to the equator means temperatures don't vary much throughout the year, making Ecuador a great year-round destination.
