Ecuador & Galapagos Family Multisport
Pack your sense of adventure and join Backroads in Ecuador, a country of high contrasts, diverse terrain, fascinating history and remarkable natural beauty. The impressive volcano-studded highlands and pristine Galápagos Islands present the ideal playground for your family's active explorations. In the Andean Highlands, enjoy local music, arts and crafts as you pedal through mountain villages. Then explore the marine sanctuary of the Galápagos as we sail from island to island, where giant tortoises, sea lions and iguanas make their home. Unique cultural experiences plus multisport activities equals a truly one-of-a-kind trip.
Days 1-2 San Pablo del Lago
Meet in Quito 
Visit the bustling market town of Otavalo and rub shoulders with the indigenous Otavaleños, renowned for their musical talents and woven crafts 
Practice your Spanish as you bargain with the locals Pedal to Peguche and enjoy the spirited serenading of local musicians playing handcrafted instruments Meet Señor Miguel Andrango, one of Ecuador's foremost master weavers, and tour his studio.
Days 3-4 Zuleta
The 17th-century Hacienda Zuleta, a 4,000-acre working farm, is your magnificent backyard for mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding amid volcano views and pre-Inca ruins Our host Fernando Polanco, grandson of a former Ecuadorian president, accompanies us on a tour to see cows milked and cheese made Visit the condor huasi (house), created to reintroduce Andean condors to the wild Savor gourmet family-style meals featuring organic produce from the hacienda.
Days 5-9 Galapagos
Fly to the Galápagos Islands, an isolated sanctuary home to a stunning array of unique plants and animals Accompanied by a park naturalist, view wildlife such as blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, iguanas and possibly even penguins in their natural habitats From our private motor yacht, sail from island to island with plenty of stops for snorkeling, swimming and hiking After the day's otherworldly experiences, relax under brilliant starry skies while you're soothed by the gentle rocking of tropical waves.
GLORIOUS SURROUNDINGS: Premiere Inns
La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa (2 nights): This Relais & Châteaux member, where peacocks stroll across the lawn, combines Ecuadorian authenticity with European style. Features include log-burning fireplaces in every guest room, a spa with an array of massage services, an indoor pool, hot tub and gourmet dining.
Hacienda Zuleta (2 nights): This beautiful 4,000-acre estate and working farm is open to only a select group of tourists. Features include a riding stable with horses for all riding abilities, a condor rehabilitation center and embroidery workshop.
Sea Man II (4 nights): Float in style aboard this modern 90-foot motor catamaran, featuring large comfortable cabins with outside views, a dining room, lounge, library, bar, observation deck, sundeck and a gracious crew including a bilingual naturalist guide.
A Puerto Ayora Hotel (1 night): Enjoy sleeping ashore in a quaint hotel on Santa Cruz Island that offers poolside animal viewing.
Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain
Day 1
- Level 1 1 Route Option Available
- Biking 4 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
- Level 1 3 Route Options Available
- Biking 6, 9, 17 miles
- 0 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 3
- Levels 1 to 3 4 Route Options Available
- Walking 3.1, 4.7, 4.9, 7.4 miles
- 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 4
- Level 1 2 Route Options available
- Biking 7, 9 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
- Walking tour 1 hour
- Optional walking 2.2 miles
Day 5
- Travel to Galápagos to begin cruise
- Bird-watching, swimming, snorkeling
Day 6
- Snorkeling, walking, wildlife viewing
Day 7
- Snorkeling, walking, wildlife viewing
Day 8
- Santa Cruz Island trek
Day 9
- Conculsion of trip
On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.
Trips For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Activity Level | Average Time | Average Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biking | Walking & Hiking | ||
| Level 1 | 2-3 hours | 10-20 mile | 2-5 miles |
| Level 2 | 2-4 hours | 21-30 miles | 5-7 miles |
| Level 3 | 3-5 hours | 31-40 miles | 7-9 miles |
| Level 4 | 4-6 hours | 41-55 miles | 9-11 miles |
| Level 5 | 5-7+ hours | 56-75+ miles | 11-13+ miles |
2008 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
- 12/24-31Price: $5298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $490
The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
Trip Length: This is an 8-day, 7-night trip. Hotel variation: On Days 1 & 2, we stay at Hacienda Zuleta. On Days 3 & 4, we stay at Hacienda Cusin. On Days 5, 6 & 7, we stay on the yacht. As a result, order of activities may differ. - 12/25-1/2Price: $5698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $490
The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
Hotel Variation: On Days 1 & 2, we stay at La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa. As a result, activities may differ.
2009 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
- 6/14-22Price: $5998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $530
- 7/16-24Price: $5998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $530
The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
Hotel Variation: On Days 1 & 2, we stay at Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa. On Day 8, we stay in a Puerta Ayora hotel on Santa Cruz Island. As a result, activities will differ somewhat. - 7/26-8/3Price: $5998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $530
- 12/27-1/4Price: $6398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $530
The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
Hotel Variation: On Days 1 & 2, we stay at La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa. As a result, the activities on these days may differ. - 12/30-1/7Price: $6398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $530
The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
Hotel & Activity Variations: On Days 1-4, we explore the Galapagos Islands & stay on the motor yacht. On Days 5 & 6, we stay at Hacienda Cusin. Days 7-9, we spend in Zuleta and stay at Hacienda Zuleta. As a result, the order of activities will differ.
2010 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
- 3/7-15Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 3/20-28Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 6/13-21Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 6/26-7/4Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 7/10-18Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 7/25-8/2Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/19-27Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
- 12/26-1/3Price: $6298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $1180 for sgl. occ.), Internal Air: $590
Reserve early for the best available price. Prices may change during the course of the year--if they do change, the best prices are available earlier. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9 years
Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9 years
No burleys or piccolos available on this trip.
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:
- 12+ cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities and route
- 9+ difficulty of activities and route
- 6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
- 3+ riding is on bike paths, making it great for young kids; Burley and Piccolos are available; there are few or no activity restrictions; and no long dinners (or we offer alternatives)
Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.
Guest Trip Reviews
I knew this would be a great trip but I didn't expect it to be so wonderful and fabulous! Ecuador was an unexpected gem. What a beautiful country with wonderful people! We just loved the hiking and mountain biking.- Bellaire, TX
I loved the part of the trip in the Highlands of Ecuadorboth haciendas were wonderful. Our leaders were enthusiastic, helpful, flexible and kind, and the food was excellent. The scenery and contact with the local people was superb, and I loved the hiking and biking!- Cherry Hill, NJ
Backroads planned an amazing and rich trip, and executed it with polish and good humor. We were extremely impressed and will travel with Backroads on all our future organized travel. Guides were wonderful with guests, kids, dietary and medical restrictions, and at keeping everything moving smoothly. By the end of the trip, we felt our family had grown to include the leaders and other guests.- Berkeley, CA