Trip readiness checklist for Ecuador
Ecuador is four countries stacked on top of each other, and the altitude decides your first two days before you do. Here's the trip-readiness checklist for Ecuador: what to pack, when to go, entry rules for your passport, and the official sources to confirm before you fly.
Build my checklistWhat to pack
Ecuador squeezes the Andes, Amazon, and Galápagos into one compact country. Pack layers for altitude, rain gear, and sun protection — you can cross climates in a day.
Layers for altitude
Quito sits at 2,850m and is cool; the coast and Amazon are hot. Pack for both.
A rain jacket
Cloud forest and Amazon mean frequent rain; the highlands can be wet too.
Strong sun protection
On the equator at altitude, UV is extreme — hat, sunglasses, high-SPF.
Sturdy shoes plus reef-safe gear (Galápagos)
Hiking shoes for the mainland; reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes for the islands.
When to go
The highlands are drier Jun–Sep and Dec–Jan; the coast is sunniest Dec–Apr. The Galápagos is year-round (Jun–Nov cooler, rougher seas; Dec–May warmer). Book the Galápagos well ahead.
Money & getting around
Ecuador uses the US dollar — no conversion for US travelers. Carry small bills ($1, $5, $10); big notes are hard to break. Cards work in cities; cash for markets and small towns. Tipping ~10% (often added on the bill).
Local quirks worth knowing
Ecuador is four countries stacked on top of each other, and the altitude decides your first two days before you do.
Quito sits at 2,850 metres
Take the first day slowly, drink more water than seems reasonable, and go easy on dinner and wine. Headaches usually pass by day two.
Dollars, small ones
Ecuador uses the US dollar but nobody can change a fifty. Ones, fives and coins are what taxis and markets work with.
Lunch is the fixed-price almuerzo
Soup, main, juice, for a few dollars, at any place with a handwritten sign. It is where the locals are, and it is the best value in the country.
The Galápagos has its own rules
A transit card and park fee on arrival, no touching the wildlife, and a mandatory two metres from anything with flippers. Guides enforce it.
Tip in cash
Ten percent is standard in sit-down restaurants; some add it. Guides and drivers on tours are tipped at the end, and they count on it.
A week in Ecuador, the list starts here
Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.
- Passport & travel documents1
- Phone charger & adapter1
- Wallet, cards & some local cash1
- Toiletries bag1
- Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
- Underwear7
- Socks7
- T-shirts / tops5
What am I forgetting?
A real answer from Trip Happens for a sample week in Ecuador, departing in five weeks with a checked bag and nothing packed yet. Yours is built from your own trip.
A week in Quito, five weeks out, nothing in the bag yet.
- 1.
Layers and rain gear
Quito sits high in the Andes, and October falls outside the drier June–September highland window. Pack layers, a rain shell, and strong sun protection — the notes warn you can cross climates in a day.
- 2.
A stack of small bills
Ecuador uses the US dollar, so there's no exchange step to remind you — but big notes are hard to break. Get $1s, $5s and $10s before you go for markets and small towns.
- 3.
Your entry requirements, from the source
You're travelling on a US passport with nothing checked yet and five weeks to fix anything slow. Open the entry card and read the official guidance, and check your passport's expiry date while you're at it.
Entry, advisories & health
These change. Confirm at the official source before you book.
Entry and visa requirements depend on your nationality. Confirm the current rules for Ecuador with the official source below before you book.
U.S. State Department travel advisory for Ecuador — check the current level and any alerts before you go.
CDC traveler health page for Ecuador — recommended vaccines, health notices, and a packing checklist.
Get the full Ecuador checklist
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