Casual & Premiere Hotels*
Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.
La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa
Cotacachi (1 night)
Peacocks stroll freely in the lavish gardens of this stately hotel, which combines Ecuadorian and European styles. (pool, spa)
Hacienda Zuleta
Zuleta (2 nights)
* Premiere Hotel
Luxuriate at this 4,000-acre working farm and living museum open only to select groups of travelers. Our host is Fernando Polanco, the great-grandson and grandson of former Ecuadorian presidents.
Royal Palm Hotel Galápagos
Santa Cruz Island (2 nights)
* Casual Plus
Designed to complement its lush highland surroundings, this serene hotel features a natural lava tube on its grounds. (pool)
Golden Bay Hotel & Spa
San Cristóbal Island (2 nights)
This eco-friendly hotel features a modern touch that blends with its natural setting. Access Playa de Oro beach or enjoy the view from the hot tub on the panoramic terrace. (pool, spa)
This Trip Is Rated Levels 1-2
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.
Daily Route Options (drag to see full )
| Daily Route Options |
| 1 |
Walking/Hiking |
2 |
100 |
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| Walking/Hiking |
3 |
300 |
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| Kids |
Flute Making Activity (30 Minutes) |
| 2 |
Walking/Hiking |
3* |
700 |
7 |
800 |
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| Other |
Weaver’s Studio Visit (30 Minutes) |
| Other |
Women's Community Center Visit (45 Minutes) |
| Kids |
Cow Milking (45 Minutes) |
| Other |
Hacienda Zuleta Garden Tour (45 Minutes) |
| 3 |
Walking/Hiking |
2* |
100 |
4* |
1100 |
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| Walking/Hiking |
4 |
100 |
5 |
1100 |
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| Other |
Afternoon Hiking, Horseback Riding or Embroidery Shop Visit (1-2 Hours) |
| 4 |
Other |
Giant Tortoise Walk (1.5 Hours) |
| 5 |
Biking |
9* |
400 |
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| Biking |
14 |
500 |
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| Other |
Tortuga Bay Kayaking & Snorkeling (1 Hour) |
| Other |
Coffee & Sugarcane Farm Visit (1 Hour) |
| 6 |
Walking/Hiking |
2* |
100 |
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| Kids |
Galápagos Craft Activity (1 Hour) |
| Other |
Lava Tunnel Walk (45 Minutes) |
| Other |
La Lobería Walk & Snorkeling (2.5 Hours) |
| 7 |
Walking/Hiking |
2 |
300 |
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| Other |
San Cristóbal Snorkeling (5 Hours) |
| 8 |
Other |
Trip End Flight to Quito (3.5 Hours) |
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Note:
There is less than 10% of riding on hard-packed dirt on this trip. Since the overwhelming majority of the trip is paved, we've elected to use standard road bike tires on our titanium road bikes. Most guests find this to be the right answer. If you prefer to skip the dirt, a shuttle is always a possibility.
Our Andes highlands routes follow cobblestone paths, dirt roads and forest trails across rocky and uneven terrain with some climbs and descents. You may encounter mud, rocks and roots in spots. Keep in mind that our mountain hikes are made more challenging in the Andes as we hike in altitudes between 8,000–11,000 feet. Our Galápagos walking routes are generally easygoing on beach or dirt paths—predominantly flat and rolling with few steep or technical sections. If it rains, trails can become muddy. Biking in the Galápagos is mainly along paved roads with some bike lanes and some short stretches of dirt road.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.
Meals
All breakfasts, 8 lunches, 7 dinners
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.
Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.
Touring Bike (Included)
Custom Kids Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Backroads is the only travel company to manufacture its own line of kid's bikes. While the wheels might be small, the performance is big—it's the perfect choice for kids. On all Backroads Family Trips, you'll find 20" and 24" bicycles for the younger set. They say good things come in small packages; when it comes to bikes for kids of all ages, Backroads is the expert.
Custom Kids Bikes (Included)
Also Included
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Get the Straight Talk about This Trip
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Travel Time, Internal Flights & Comfort
Please note that there is an ample amount of travel time on this trip, and we may have earlier mornings than you are used to on Backroads trips—including as early as 4 a.m.—due to our flights between the Ecuadorian mainland and the Galápagos Islands. We will be flying on commercial flights with Avianca aboard a twin-jet plane. Once in the Galápagos, the main form of travel is by boat, so be prepared for occasional wet, windy conditions and bring seasickness medication if you think you'll need it. Also, in summer months the waters can be a bit rougher.
Itinerary Changes
The Galápagos Islands are a welcoming and fascinating place, yet complex and at times logistically challenging due to national park regulations. Mid-trip itinerary changes are quite common. Rest assured, if we encounter changes to our planned activities, your Trip Leaders will find alternate activities that you're sure to enjoy.
Service Standards
Although the Galápagos Islands are part of Ecuador, they can feel worlds away from the mainland, including slow or no internet connectivity and ATMs possibly running out of cash. Service at hotels and restaurants can lack a sense of urgency when compared with other regions. Your best bet is to sit back, relax and soak in the island way of life.
Terrain & Trail Support
Some hikes on this trip are remote and do not intersect with roads. Vehicles will get us to and from the trailheads, but the nature of these trails is such that we won't see our vehicles along the route. Significant trail support in the form of water, snacks and encouragement is provided by your Backroads leaders and local guides.
Hiking on Your Own
We provide plenty of hiking options and ample trail support so that you can hike at your chosen pace throughout the trip. However, in the Galápagos, in accordance with the national park's environmental protection regulations, hikers must stay in designated areas and be accompanied by our local naturalist.
Why Travel with Backroads in Ecuador
The Right Local Pairings
Our Trip Leaders combine deep local expertise with a firm grasp of North American expectations around quality of service. By the same token, we pair experienced Backroads leaders with local guides who know how to cater to your needs while cracking open the culture or natural history in ways that are meaningful, memorable and often magical.
Get the Most Out of Each Day
Coordinating multiple activities throughout a single day can be tricky, but with Backroads you'll never know it. When you explore Ecuador with us, you switch activities seamlessly without missing a beat. We invented the multi-adventure concept, and we're constantly adding new dimensions and fine-tuning the experience to make it even more enjoyable.
A Great Trip for Teens
This Family Adventure, with its blend of challenging activities and cool places to explore, is ready to erase the doubtful looks of the toughest travel critics around: teenagers. We're not saying there won't be a single eye-rolling response (or the odd WhatsApp exchange with the gang back home), but this trip has plenty to keep teens in the moment and part of the family.
Leaders Focused on Families
When everyone's together, there's lots going on; and when kids' and adults' priorities diverge, it can seem like two different trips. That's why our Family Adventures in Ecuador have three Trip Leaders—including a dedicated Kids Activity Expert who regularly takes younger travelers off to do their own thing. Other companies try to get by with two leaders; we step up and do it right. For more on our family focus, check this out.
We Speak the Language
If we told you many companies' leaders can't actually speak the language where they lead trips, you'd say incroyable... ridicolo... không the tha thú. At Backroads, fluency in the local language is a given. Find out more on the best leader recruitment, training and development in the business. (And by the way, that was "unforgivable" in Vietnamese.)
We Invented the Multi-Adventure Trip
After more than 30 years of creating Backroads Multi-Adventures, our trip designers know how to blend the perfect balance of biking and hiking with other activities to showcase the best of a region. And then they arrange the seamless transitions that would be so hard to orchestrate on your own—adding dimensions to your trip that are exciting, inspiring and just plain fun.
Plenty of Kids on Your Trip
It may be hard to imagine being on a family trip with no other families on it—but it happens regularly with some companies. On a Backroads Family Adventure there are typically several families on each departure, creating more opportunities for your kids to make new friends as they try fun things together – which is a big part of the experience.
Your Hotels Are Locked In
It may seem obvious to say the great hotels we tell you about are the ones you'll actually stay in. But the fact is many companies haven't even booked the places they promise and are later forced to settle for inferior alternatives. We book our hotels and exact rooms long in advance—often over two years—so you stay where you expect to stay.
Time Together, Time Apart
Backroads is the leader in designing trips that ensure everyone, young and young-at-heart alike, has an amazing time. Your Backroads Family Adventure balances family activities with diversions designed exclusively for the kids—giving the adults a welcome break from making decisions, other than choosing whether to explore a few more miles or just enjoy each other's company. A family vacation where everyone gets to relax, recharge and have fun – what a concept!
Like You, We're Family Experts
At Backroads we've honed our expertise in active family travel over many years and a lot of trips. We host at least 20 times more family guests than any other active company, so we're constantly gaining new insights that make our trips even better. Detailed planning, behind-the scenes logistics, unrivaled support from three Trip Leaders—all backed by a team that proudly creates the kind of experiences we'd want to share with our own families.
Quality You Can Measure
Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.
Our Superb Bikes Included
A great bike is obviously critical for a great multi-adventure trip; you don't want to gamble on one that's been sourced locally to trim costs. This trip features our acclaimed Backroads Custom Titanium bikes, expertly tuned and fitted, and included in your trip price. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders.
