8 days
Quito, Baños, Riobamba, Cuenca, Guayaquil
Strolls through untouched national parks and adventures in the country’s biggest cities. Time spent in ancient ruins and among modern locals. Get ready to experience the full breadth of Ecuador. You’ll travel in a train that cuts through the mountains and on vibrantly colored buses to discover four major cities, two provinces and one Incan ruin. You’ll also get to meet locals during an immersive salsa lesson and family dinner, where you can learn about the Ecuadorian lifestyle.
  • Day 1: Fly to Ecuador

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Enjoy dinner if arriving before 8pm

  • Day 2: Quito

    Take a walking tour of Quito

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Independence Plaza, the central square of Quito
    • Government Palace, Quito's presidential palace

    Visit the Church of La Compañía, the façade of which is carved from volcanic stone

    Take an excursion to the equatorial line and straddle two hemispheres at once  

    Visit the Intiñan Museum and learn about other places located along the equator 

    Enjoy dinner in Quito

  • Day 3: Quito • Baños region

    Travel to Baños, also known as the "gateway to the Amazon" 

    Visit the Devil's Cauldron waterfall, a 260-foot tall cascade

    Enjoy lunch in Baños

    Tour Baños with your Field Director

    Enjoy dinner in Baños

  • Day 4: Baños region • Riobamba region

    Travel to the Riobamba region, a stop on the Pan-American highway which runs from Canada to Argentina 

    Participate in cultural immersion activities and learn more about the community that lives here

    • Meet children at their school
    • Observe farming, handicrafts, cooking
    • See an Ecuadorian chiva bus, a brightly decorated bus

    Enjoy lunch in Riobamba

    Enjoy dinner in Riobamba

  • Day 5: Riobamba region • Alausí • Ingapirca • Cuenca

    Travel via Alausí and Ingapirca to Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site due to its architectural diversity and history 

    Visit Ecuador's first gastronomic museum to see, taste, and try your hand at cooking techniques

    Enjoy dinner

  • Day 6: Cuenca

    Take a guided tour of Cuenca

    With your expert local guide you will see:

    • Old Cathedral, which functions today as the Museum for Religious Arts
    • New Cathedral, notable for its multiple domes
    • Flower market, consider one of the most beautiful markets in the world

    Learn what a typical day in Ecuador looks like as you spend the day with a local community and enjoy lunch alongside them

    Participate in a Salsa dancing lesson

    Enjoy dinner in Cuenca

  • Day 7: Cuenca • Guayaquil

    Travel via Cajas National Park and a cocoa plantation to Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city

    Visit a cocoa plantation to learn how beans are harvested and processed, and enjoy lunch

    Enjoy dinner in Guayaquil

  • Day 8: Depart for home

  • Day 1: Fly to Ecuador

    Meet your Field Director at the airport

    Enjoy dinner if arriving before 8pm

  • Day 2: Quito

    Take a walking tour of Quito

    With your Field Director you will see:

    • Independence Plaza, the central square of Quito
    • Government Palace, Quito's presidential palace

    Visit the Church of La Compañía, the façade of which is carved from volcanic stone

    Take an excursion to the equatorial line and straddle two hemispheres at once  

    Visit the Intiñan Museum and learn about other places located along the equator 

    Enjoy dinner in Quito

  • Day 3: Quito • Baños region

    Travel to Baños, also known as the "gateway to the Amazon" 

    Visit the Devil's Cauldron waterfall, a 260-foot tall cascade

    Enjoy lunch in Baños

    Tour Baños with your Field Director

    Enjoy dinner in Baños

  • Day 4: Baños region • Riobamba region

    Travel to the Riobamba region, a stop on the Pan-American highway which runs from Canada to Argentina 

    Participate in cultural immersion activities and learn more about the community that lives here

    • Meet children at their school
    • Observe farming, handicrafts, cooking
    • See an Ecuadorian chiva bus, a brightly decorated bus

    Enjoy lunch in Riobamba

    Enjoy dinner in Riobamba

  • Day 5: Riobamba region • Alausí • Ingapirca • Cuenca

    Travel via Alausí and Ingapirca to Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site due to its architectural diversity and history 

    Visit Ecuador's first gastronomic museum to see, taste, and try your hand at cooking techniques

    Enjoy dinner

  • Day 6: Cuenca

    Take a guided tour of Cuenca

    With your expert local guide you will see:

    • Old Cathedral, which functions today as the Museum for Religious Arts
    • New Cathedral, notable for its multiple domes
    • Flower market, consider one of the most beautiful markets in the world

    Learn what a typical day in Ecuador looks like as you spend the day with a local community and enjoy lunch alongside them

    Participate in a Salsa dancing lesson

    Enjoy dinner in Cuenca

  • Day 7: Cuenca • Guayaquil

    Travel via Cajas National Park and a cocoa plantation to Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city

    Visit a cocoa plantation to learn how beans are harvested and processed, and enjoy lunch

    Enjoy dinner in Guayaquil

  • Day 8: Depart for home


Learning outcomes on this program

Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness


EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources

With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development
See the resources you get
EF Global Learning Model Post-Study Abroad Learning Resources
Academic resources


With this program, you get access to our Global Learning Resources, which include:

  • Discussion questions
  • Sample assignments
  • Journal prompts
  • Webinars
  • EF's Global Competency Assessment, a pre- and post-program assessment to measure competency development

See the resources you get


What's Included

  • Transportation

    Various modes of transport are tailored to your program. While some transfers are included, others may come at additional cost.

  • Accommodations

    Safe, comfortable lodging will be waiting for you at your destination.

  • Select meals

    Enjoy a combination of included meals and the freedom to explore local cuisine on your own.

  • End-to-end support

    Your dedicated EF team helps secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides enrollment tools, and helps establish your program’s ongoing presence on campus.

  • EF Global Learning Toolkit

    We offer various tools to help educators facilitate student growth abroad and on campus, including academically enriched travel programs, industry engagement opportunities, global learning resources, and a Global Competencies Assessment tool.

  • Field Director

    Your Field Director is on the ground with your group, providing deep local insights while handling program logistics.

  • Guided exploration

    Gain insider knowledge and cultural perspective from licensed local guides: natural historians who provide cultural insights to enhance learning moments throughout the program.

  • Field Visits

    Experience academics in action during engaging visits with relevant organizations, thought leaders, and partners.


Programs in real life

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Programs in real life

EF College Study Tours Instagram page     Instagram →

EF College Study Tours Facebook page     Facebook →

EF College Study Tours blog page     Blog →

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