Planning Guide
Ideas to prepare a itinerary
Our team has travelled all over the country in search of the best experiences travelers can enjoy. Our Ecuador itineraries are really just the starting point for you to add your own adventures! You’re in charge and can adjust your Wanderbus plans as you go.
Tips for your planning
1. Know your starting point.
If you’re coming overland from Peru, your starting point will be Cuenca. If entering overland from Colombia, you’ll start in Quito. If you want to start anywhere else, you can!
2. Plan how many days you want to travel in Ecuador for.
This will help you to know which of our Passes is the best for you.
3. Choose where you want to go and what you want to do.
Our passes have tons of activities included AND we have tons of fun extra tours, so if you’re looking to do something special or specific here in Ecuador, don’t worry, we have everything and so much more!
4. Choose your pass!
Once you’ve decided how many days you want to travel and where you want to go, choose one of our specially-designed passes to explore Ecuador!
5. Make or change your booking
Once you book your pass, you’ll be able to log in to your account and adapt it to the way you want to travel the country. You will be able to choose the day you want to depart from every stop according to our timetables, and select your pick up point(s) in each town along our routes. Make sure to confirm your bus or any changes you want to make at least 24 hours before departure so that we have time to organize access to national parks, meals with the local communities, logistics, etc. You won’t be able to change your departure date from any point less than 24 hours before departure.
6. Requirements to enter Ecuador.
Departure Days
These are the departure days for the Wander Pass, Condor Pass, Tangara Pass, Colibri Pass, Tucan Pass, Garza Pass and Wander Pass Express.
Quito - Baños - Quito Departure Days
These are the departure days for the Jacamar Pass, and Cotinga Pass.
Route Timetables
Now you’ve got an idea of where you’ll start, how long you’ll travel for and what you might do. 😎
Now take a look at our route timetables. Each Wanderbus pass is made up of 1 to 5 routes. Along each route, you can choose to hop off at the intermediate stops along the way (for example, Quilotoa, Puerto Misahuallí, Guayaquil, Alausí for the Devil’s Nose Train station, etc.).
Departures from Quito:
- Monday: Wander Pass
- Thursday, Saturday, and Friday: All passes
Pickup Points
Point 1: Café Zular 6:30 am. View map
- Point 2: Blue House Foch in Mariscal 6:15 am. View map
Hostel and Hotel Pick-Ups in Quito. See list of options.
Schedule
- 6:00 - 06:30 Depart from Quito from your selected pick-up point.
- 7:45 – 8:45 Stop for breakfast.
- 09:30 – 11:00 Guidance at Cotopaxi National Park, home to one of the world’s highest active volcanoes.
- 13:00 Stop for lunch.
- 14:00 – 16:00 Guidance at Quilotoa. Explore the 3km-wide turquoise volcanic crater lake.
- 17:00 – 17:20 Stop for famous Ecuadorian ice cream on the way to Baños.
- 19:30 Arrive in Baños, home to steaming volcanoes, explosive waterfalls, and hot thermal springs.
Available departures from Baños: 6:30 – Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Parque la Basilica (main entrance to the Basilica) 6:30 am. View map
Schedule.
- 6:30 – Depart from Baños.
- 8:30 – Traditional Ecuadorian breakfast in Puyo.
- 10:00 – Visit Piakawe Lagoon for some wildlife watching and a canoe ride.
- 11:30 – Visit Santa Rita community for a cocoa farm adventure and a traditional lunch.
- 16:45 – Visit Papallacta hot springs (includes entrance to the thermal spa).
- 19:30 – Arrival in Quito.
Available departures from Baños: 6:30 – Thursday and Monday
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Basilica Church entrance 6:30 am. View map,
Schedule
- 6:30 Pick up in Baños at the Basilica.
- 7:30 – 7:45 Pick up / Drop off in Riobamba.
- 8:30 – 10:30 Experience a traditional breakfast of the Puruhá culture, and visit the museum.
- 11:30 – 12:45 Visit Guamote (Thursday) or Riobamba to explore one of the most authentic markets in the country.
- 14:00 – 16:00 Guidance at Ozogoche, explore more than 45 lagoons for hiking, fishing, and spotting highland wildlife amid dramatic landscapes.
- 18:30 Drop off at the train station in Alausí.
Available departures from Alausí: 8:00 – Friday and Tuesday
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Train Station 7:30 am. View map.
Schedule
- 8:00 – 8:30 Visit the Devil’s Nose train station.
- 10:00 – 12:30 Learn about Kañari Kichwa culture in Caguanapaba
- 13:00 Stop for lunch
- 14:00 – 15:00 Venture to the Ecuadorian Inca ruins of Ingapirca for a tour of this site
- 16:00 - Visit Biblian's Sanctuary with its majestic location high on the mountain
- 18:00 – 19:00 Drop off at Parque Calderón in Cuenca
Available departures from Cuenca: 06:45 – Sunday and Thursday
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Parque Calderón (main entrance to the Cathedral) 06:45 am. View map
Schedule
- 06:45 – Depart from Cuenca
- 07:00 – 07:30 Stop for breakfast.
- 08:45 – Guidance at El Cajas National Park for a wet and wild adventure among 200 lakes.
- 09:45 – Depart from El Cajas.
- 12:00 – Experience how to create your own choclate at a local cacao hacienda and stop for lunch
- 14:00 – Depart hacienda.
- 15:15 – Arrive in Guayaquil to drop off/pick up those who wish to stay here.
- 18:15 – Stop in a local community to learn how to make the famous Panama Hats with paja toquilla
- 19:00 – Arrive in Montañita in time to catch the sunset and hit the party scene.
Available departures from Montañita: 7:30 – Tuesday.
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Tía Store 7:30 am. View map.
Schedule
- 7:30 Pick up in Montañita at Tía Store
- 7:45 Stop for breakfast in Ayampe.
- 9:00 Hike inside the dry forest of the ancestral Agua Blanca community, full of culture and archeologic vestiges. Swim on the sulfurous waters of the mysterious pool of the community.
- 10:45 Explore Machalilla National Park, hike on Machalilla's dry forest to the viewpoint where you will have an impressive view of the coast, and take a refreshing bath on the most beautiful beach of continental Ecuador.
- 14:00 Stop for lunch and try delicious seafood (Not included).
- 16:30 Stop by Montecristi, where we will learn the process of weaving toquilla straw hats (known as Panama hats).
18:30 Arrive in Manta one of the important ports of Ecuador.
Available departures from Manta: 8:00 – Wednesday
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Mall El Pacífico 8:30 am. View map.
Schedule
Departs: Wednesday
- 8:30 After breakfast, pickup in Manta at Mall del Pacífico.
- 9:15 Visit the community of Chorrillos to learn about the dying trade of cabuya-making with all the handicrafts that are produced there.
- 12:30 Explore one of Manabi's treasures, the wetland of La Segua, named a RAMSAR protected area, filled with endemic birds and local communities surrounding the area.
- 13:30 Our lunch (Not included) features emblematic dishes like fried Chame and a delectable chicken tonga prepared by the local communities of La Segua.
- 17:30 Arrive in the evening at Mushily, a native Tsáchila tribe community project in Santo Domingo. (Dinner and Accommodation included)
Available departures from Sto. Domingo: 8:00 – Thursday
Pickup Points
- Point 1: Community Mushily 8:00 am. View map.
Schedule
- 8:00 Traditional Tsáchila breakfast prepared by the local community (Included).
- 9:30 We head to Mindo, one of the most biodiverse areas in Ecuador. Once in Mindo, we stop at a natural reserve for a birdwatching experience and to feed the hummingbirds.
- 9:45 Enjoy and learn about the high-altitude coffee in Mindo, experience all the steps, from the beans to the mug, trying different kinds of preparations and tastes.
- 12:00 Stop for lunch in Mindo to try the local gastronomy (Not included).
- 14:00 Head to Quito, making our way up the western slope to the arid highlands surrounding Mitad del Mundo, the Equatorial Monument, where you will experience being in both hemispheres at the same time.
- 18:00 Drop off in Quito
Hop Off Points to Explore More On Your Own
The Wanderbus makes it easy to hop on and hop off wherever you are in Ecuador. If you stay in the “tourist-friendly” neighbourhoods of Quito, Baños, Cuenca and Montañita, then our points will always be within a 5-10 minute walk of your accommodation.
When you hop off at one of our stops, your guide will clarify what day and what time the next Wanderbus will be passing through. The only thing we can’t do is let you on or drop you off at stops that aren’t part of our itineraries and schedules. We are not a public transport company and value the experience of our Wanderbus passengers travelling together. Last but not least, we will always put your safety first.
Important:
Please remember, if you hop off at a stop along the way, your departure day will be the same as that route’s starting point, and according to the timetable shown above. For example, if you hop off at Quilotoa Crater, on the Quito-Baños route, you will need to hop on again on the same days as the Quito-Baños route. Please always check our Pick-Up & Drop-off times and locations.
You need two days to summit the volcano and need to be acclimatized. There are no hostels inside the National Park (although there is one mountain climbers lodge called Tambopaxi inside). Please get in touch with us to plan your adventure.
Your drop off/pick up point is at the South Entrance to the National Park (accessed from the Panamericana E35). View map.
Cotopaxi National Park has 2 main entrances: north (Machachi) and south (Panamericana Highway). If you stay close to the north entrance, you will need to take a taxi-pick up truck for about 30 mins (costs around $15) to our pick up point. If that’s the case, we can help you arrange a transfer from your accommodation to join us. If you decide to stay close to the south entrance, you will still need to take a taxi-pick up to our meeting point, but this will be fast and cheap.
*Pick ups/drop offs depending on Pass:
- Monday and Friday: Wander Pass, Condor Pass, Tangara Pass, and Colibri Pass
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: Wander Pass Express, Jacamar Pass, Wander Pass, Condor Pass, Tangara Pass, and Colibri Pass
You need four days to do the entire ‘loop’. But in two days you can explore the whole area on great treks, and kayaking in the crater lake. We can advise you.
Your drop off/pick up point is in front of the information point at the entrance to the lagoon. View map.
*Pick ups/drop offs depending on Pass:
- Monday and Friday: Wander Pass, Condor Pass, Tangara Pass, and Colibri Pass
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday: Wander Pass Express, Jacamar Pass, Wander Pass, Condor Pass, Tangara Pass, and Colibri Pass
Spend a few days here to go deeper into the jungle. Your drop off/pick up point is Restaurante Wijao. View map
Puerto Misahuallí combined with Punta Ahuano: to fully experience the jungle we recommend spending 2-4 days traveling this area. There’s so many things to do here — Amazon Lodges, raft the rivers, swim in a waterfall, go tubing, hike through the jungle, try new foods, visit indigenous communities, see wildlife, try medicinal plants, and so much more — you’ll never get bored! Your drop off/pick up point is Paikawe Lagoon. View map.
Tena combined with Puerto Misahuallí and Archidona: to fully experience the jungle we recommend spending 2-4 days traveling this area. There’s so many things to do here — raft the rivers, swim in a waterfall, go tubing, hike through the jungle, try new foods, visit indigenous communities, see wildlife, try medicinal plants, and so much more — you’ll never get bored! Your drop off/pick up point is Hostal Limoncocha. View map
The jumping-off point for Chimborazo Volcano and for discovering indigenous cultures and rural ways. Your drop off/pick up point is La Merced Market View map
Your drop off/pick up point is Train station. View map
We recommend taking two days to camp or stay with the community of Ozogoche and also explore the small town of Alausi. Your drop off/pick up point is in Alausi at the train station (View map)
A great city to enjoy art, architecture, music, crafts and more. Or take to the nearby hills for all sorts of adventures. Also the Ingapirca ruins to the north. Your drop off/pick up point is is at the New Cathedral in front of Parque Calderón. View map.
Often overlooked but young, fun, dynamic and with captivating pockets of green spaces. Easy to connect with national and international flights, including the Galapagos Islands. Your drop off/pick up point is at Holiday Inn Guayaquil Airport. View map
Famed for its party atmosphere, great stretch of beach with good surfing and laid-back vibe. Many people plan to stay for a few days and end up staying for weeks! Your drop off/pick up point is at Los Caminantes Restaurant. View map.
This small beach town is the perfect place to unwind and relax for a few days. Your drop off/pick up point is El Paso Restaurant. View map
An important port for fishing on the Pacific Coast, it’s got a decent beach and good restaurants to sample the local cuisine. Jumping off point for Isla de la Plata (the “poor man’s Galapagos”), whale-watching trips (June to September), and exploring the coast further north. Your drop off/pick up point is Hotel Piedra de Mar at Av General Córdova View map.
This beautiful tiny town in the heart of the Ecuadorian cloudforest is the best place to spend a few days to relax, birdwatch, hike to tons of waterfalls, and visit a butterfly house. Your drop off/pick up point is Mindo Forest Coffee & Tea 8:00 am. View map.
We’ve traveled the entire country looking for the best places for you to stay! Here you will find the list of our recommended hotels and hostels in Ecuador. BONUS: We also offer hotel and hostel pick up from all the listed places in Quito.
The Wanderbus offers hotel and hostel pick up only in Quito since the city is very large. If you’re staying in another accommodation (AirBnB, friend’s house, another hotel or hostel, etc.) you will have to meet at one of our set pick-up points in touristic areas, at either The Blue House Hostel near Plaza Foch or Plaza Belmonte.
