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.
Luxury hotels
Five-star and palace properties.
Casa Gangotena
An impeccably restored 1920s mansion on Quito's Plaza San Francisco blends historic grandeur with contemporary luxury. Opulent rooms feature antique furnishings, silk fabrics, and modern amenities, while the rooftop terrace surveys the UNESCO Heritage Center.
Mashpi Lodge
A striking glass-and-steel retreat embedded in a private 1,300-hectare cloud forest reserve northwest of Quito. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook pristine rainforest, with an aerial sky bike, canopy tram, naturalist guides, and gourmet cuisine from foraged local ingredients.
Hotel Plaza Grande
Quito's most prestigious address occupies a meticulously restored colonial mansion on the Plaza de la Independencia. Butler service, fine dining featuring highland ingredients, and rooms appointed with museum-quality antiques make this Ecuador's most historically significant luxury hotel.
Sacha Lodge
Award-winning Amazon eco-lodge accessed by motorized canoe along Napo River tributaries offers exceptional wildlife viewing with expert naturalist guides, a canopy walkway reaching 42m above the forest floor, and comfortable cabins in pristine rainforest setting.
Hacienda Zuleta
A historic 17th-century working farm owned by a former Ecuadorian president's family in the northern Andes. Features elegant colonial rooms, farm-to-table dining, a condor rehabilitation project, horseback riding through highland meadows, and spectacular Imbabura volcano views.
Fine dining
Michelin-starred and chef-driven restaurants.
ZAZU
Ecuador's most acclaimed restaurant, holding Relais & Châteaux distinction, transforms indigenous Ecuadorian ingredients through modern culinary techniques in an intimate Quito setting. Seven-course tasting menus celebrate biodiversity from Amazon spices to Galápagos seafood and highland tubers.
Nuema
Chef Alejandro Chamorro's flagship restaurant in Quito's La Floresta neighborhood offers a creative tasting menu celebrating Ecuador's extraordinary ingredient diversity. The intimate space features Andean-inspired design and a thoughtfully curated wine list emphasizing South American labels.
Alma Restaurant (Hotel Carlota, Quito)
Quito's design-forward luxury hotel houses this stunning rooftop restaurant with panoramic city and Andes views. The kitchen experiments with Pacific coast seafood and highland ingredients in visually stunning presentations that reflect Ecuador's geographical diversity.
1822 Restaurant (Casa Gangotena)
The flagship restaurant of Quito's most prestigious historic hotel serves elevated Ecuadorian and international cuisine in opulent colonial surroundings. Local cacao, organic highland produce, and Pacific seafood feature prominently in seasonally changing menus.
Exclusive experiences
Bespoke and once-in-a-lifetime activities.
Galápagos Luxury Cruise
Boutique expedition yachts accommodate 12-20 guests on intimate Galápagos cruises with expert naturalist guides, gourmet meals, premium snorkeling equipment, and visits to remote islands unavailable to larger vessels. The Ultimate all-inclusive Galápagos experience.
Private Cotopaxi Summit Expedition
A two-day guided mountaineering experience including professional ASEGUIM-certified guides, technical equipment, acclimatization hike, and accommodation at the high-altitude Jose Rivas Refuge before attempting the challenging 5,897m summit of the world's highest active volcano.
Amazon Shaman Ceremony and Jungle Lodge Stay
An immersive multi-day Amazon experience combining luxury lodge accommodation with authentic visits to Kichwa or Waorani indigenous communities, medicinal plant walks with local shamans, and wildlife spotting expeditions led by indigenous naturalist guides.
Private Hacienda Trail Riding
Multi-day horseback riding expeditions through northern Andes haciendas and Andean market villages on fine Paso Fino horses. Stay in historic haciendas including Hacienda Zuleta and La Ciénega, riding through páramo grasslands with condor and volcano views.
Private Aerial Tour of Ecuador
Charter flights from Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport over Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and the Avenue of the Volcanoes in small aircraft or helicopters, offering unprecedented views of the Andean volcanic chain and the transition from highlands to Amazon and Pacific coast.
Spas & wellness
World-class spa retreats and treatments.
Spa de la Compañia (Hotel Plaza Grande)
A sophisticated spa in Quito's most historic luxury hotel offering treatments incorporating indigenous Ecuadorian botanical ingredients including cacao wraps, rose water of Quito rituals, and massage techniques inspired by Andean healing traditions. Located in the colonial mansion's lower level.
Termas de Papallacta Spa Resort
High-altitude thermal spa at 3,300m near Quito feeds mineral-rich volcanic spring water into a series of pools at varying temperatures. The resort complex includes private pools, massage cabins, and steam rooms surrounded by Andean cloud forest and mountain scenery.
Mashpi Lodge Wellness Center
The spa at Ecuador's most exclusive eco-lodge offers forest-inspired treatments using locally sourced plant extracts, essential oils distilled from cloud forest botanicals, and massage techniques designed to complement the lodge's immersive nature experience.
Luxury transport
Travel in style.
- Car
- Private chauffeur service from $120-180 per day in Quito; airport-to-hotel VIP transfers from $45-80
- Air
- Charter flights and helicopter tours available from Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport; Galápagos helicopter transfers between islands from $300 per flight
- Airport
- VIP Meet-and-Greet service at Mariscal Sucre Airport available through premium hotels and tour operators; private lounges accessible with Priority Pass or premium airline tickets