Ecuador offers unparalleled biodiversity from the Amazon rainforest to the Galápagos Islands, with colonial cities like Quito and Cuenca nestled in the Andes. This compact South American nation delivers volcanic landscapes, indigenous markets, and world-class wildlife encounters.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Ecuador through its food.
Quito Historic Center Food Walk
Explore Quito's colonial Old Town through its food culture, sampling traditional dishes at historic market stalls, bakeries, and family restaurants that have operated for generations. The tour covers hornado (roast pork), empanadas, ceviche, freshly squeezed fruit juices, and traditional colada morada.
Otavalo Market and Farm-to-Table Experience
Combine the Otavalo indigenous market with a visit to a local farm where you learn about traditional Andean crops including quinoa, native potatoes, and corn varieties. A cooking demonstration and communal lunch prepared from market ingredients with a Kichwa family follows.
Guayaquil Street Food and Ceviche Trail
Discover Ecuador's coastal cuisine through Guayaquil's street food culture, sampling ceviche de camarón (shrimp ceviche), encebollado (fish and onion soup), patacones, and fresh tropical fruit juices at local street stands and neighborhood comedores favored by Guayaquileños.
Ecuadorian Chocolate and Cacao Journey
An indulgent tour exploring Ecuador's world-class Arriba Nacional cacao, visiting artisan chocolate workshops in Quito's La Floresta neighborhood, learning bean-to-bar production, and tasting multiple varieties of single-origin dark chocolate from different growing regions.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Ecuador's food scene.
Street food tours
Self-guided or guided street food crawls through local markets and neighborhoods sampling ceviche, empanadas, encebollado, hornado, and tropical fruit — typically $3-8 per item
Market tours
Guided tours of Quito's Mercado Central, San Francisco Market, or Otavalo's food section with tastings and cooking demonstrations led by local food experts
Restaurant tours
Curated multi-course tasting menus at Ecuador's finest restaurants including ZAZU and Nuema, exploring indigenous ingredients prepared with contemporary techniques
Specialty tours
Chocolate tours in Mindo, cacao farm visits near Santo Domingo, and craft chicha-making workshops with indigenous communities in the Amazon
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Ecuador home with you.
Ecuadorian Home Cooking with Local Family (Quito)
Learn to prepare 3-4 traditional Ecuadorian dishes including locro de papa (potato soup), seco de pollo (chicken stew), and arroz con leche in the home kitchen of an experienced Quiteña cook. Includes shopping at the local market and shared meal.
Ecuadorian Gastronomy Masterclass (Instituto Culinario)
Professional cooking class at a Quito culinary school focuses on modern Ecuadorian cuisine techniques using native biodiversity. Students prepare a three-course meal using ingredients like Andean herbs, plantain, quinoa, and fresh-caught Pacific seafood under chef guidance.
Amazon Indigenous Cooking Class (Tena)
A Kichwa indigenous family near Tena leads an intimate cooking class in traditional jungle cuisine including maito (fish wrapped in bijao leaves), chontacuro (palm grubs), and chicha de yuca (yuca beer) prepared using ancient techniques.
DIY self-guided food tour
Ecuador's food scene is accessible without a guide. A self-guided food route starting at Mercado Central in Quito's Old Town covers the best of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine in a morning walk.
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Stop 1: Mercado Central (Av. Pichincha, Quito Old Town) — breakfast of encebollado soup and freshly squeezed naranjilla juice at market stalls ($2-3)
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Stop 2: Tianguez Café (Plaza San Francisco) — try traditional chicha morada and empanadas in a beautiful colonial courtyard setting ($3-5)
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Stop 3: Octava de Corpus (García Moreno, Old Town) — hornado (roast pork) platter with mote and llapingachos at this beloved local institution ($6-8)
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Stop 4: El Mercadito (La Floresta) — artisan bread, Ecuadorian cheese varieties, and local craft products from small producers
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Stop 5: Republica del Cacao (multiple Quito locations) — finish with single-origin Ecuadorian hot chocolate and artisan chocolate tasting ($5-10)
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Ecuador's almuerzo (set lunch) served 12:00-14:00 is the best value meal of the day — $3-5 gets you soup, main course, and juice at local restaurants
Ceviche in Ecuador is served at room temperature marinated in citrus, unlike Peru's style — made with shrimp (camarón) or conch (concha) for coastal varieties
Fresh fruit juices (jugos naturales) made to order are exceptional and very cheap — try naranjilla, tomate de árbol, guanábana, and maracuyá
Don't miss the Sunday market breakfast experience at Otavalo where vendors serve yahuarlocro (offal soup) and chicha de jora (fermented corn drink)
Fanesca is a once-yearly Easter soup made with 12 types of grain and dried cod — if visiting during Holy Week, this ceremonial dish is unmissable
For chocolate, visit Mindo cloud forest where small-batch chocolate makers offer farm tours and tastings of Ecuador's world-famous Arriba Nacional cacao
Ecuadorian street food like salchipapas (sausage and fries) and patacones (fried plantain) are filling snacks available for $1-3 at roadside stalls throughout the country