3 weeks, Quito to Guayaquil

My girlfriend and I will spend three weeks in Ecuador in October/November. We will fly into Quito and out of Guayaquil. Any itinerary suggestions? We would like to experience both the Amazon, the Andes and the Galapagos islands.

Should we book hotels in advance, or is it better to book locally as we travel?

In October/Nov. you don't need to book any hotels in advance, except for the Amazon basin. There you need to book a jungle lodge, and the best and most isolated area for that is from Coca, somewhere out into the Yasuni National park or the Huaorani reserve. That would take 4-6 days, including transport to/from Quito. If you want a cheaper Amazon basin experience, you can book a tour to the Cuyabeno region instead, but that's not really an isolated area, so not the very best.

For the Galapagos, you can book a cruise, or travel independently. It will take almost a week either way, and there are lots of searchable posts on this forum on that topic.

Be sure to save at least 2 full days to explore Quito, which is a great colonial city. From Quito, you can use your time to visit the Quilotoa lake and surrounding areas, and the Cotopaxi volcano. Both of these can be done as daytrips from Quito, or for that you can stay in Latacunga. You probably also want to include Banos in your itinerary too, The order of the places you go depends on the dates you book for the Galapagos and the Amazon basin.

In October/Nov. you don't need to book any hotels in advance

RE: Galapagos: I have to disagree with this. November starts the tourist season for North America and Europe, tour and hotel prices rise dramatically, and boats and hotels can be difficult to book if you wait too long.

My bf and I just had ten days in the Galapagos, we stayed on land (instead of doing an expensive cruise). We did 4 days in san cristobal, 4 days in isabela and 2 in santa cruz. From SC I recommend Kicker Rock (snorkel if its a calm day and scuba if it's a rough day because the fish go down further when it's rough). You can walk to a few beaches from town and a cool little snorkeling nook called La Tijeretas. Isabela we liked the most, cool beachy vibe, and great snorkeling day trips you can take (los tunneles) and surfing if you're into that. one half day trip you can take on your own is to las grietas, which was awesome. definitely go to the galapagos. Also note it takes 2 hours and $30 to speedboat between the islands.

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