Motorcycle trip

Ecuador

We run one tour in Ecuador, open to riders and pillions: A Journey Across Worlds, a 12-day loop from Quito with 9 riding days. In a single trip you ride from the Andean volcanoes down to the Amazon foothills, then on to the beaches of the Pacific. Galápagos and Cotopaxi extensions can be added as options. We do not rent out motorcycles on their own in Ecuador. For more of the Andes, see our tours in Colombia and Peru.

£3,590 (€3,990) per rider and £3,190 (€3,540) per pillion for A Journey Across Worlds, at the same price on every departure. The price covers the motorcycle, fuel, the team, accommodation and most meals; the full list is on the tour page. On top, budget for flights to Quito, the International Driving Permit, drinks, tips, any extensions and, on your first tour with us, a £31 (€35) registration fee.

Between May and November, around the dry season in the Andes, which is clearest from June to September; our published departures are in May and October. On the equator there is no real summer or winter: expect 15 to 24°C on average, cool in the evening and at altitude, hotter and more humid in the Amazon and on the coast, with showers possible in any season. Open dates are on the tour page.

Our Ecuador tour is rated Accessible, in our discovery range: a full motorcycle licence and regular riding are enough, with no off-road experience needed. You ride mostly on paved mountain roads, with a few short sections of easy track. Stages are often long, the bends many and altitude is tiring, so good fitness matters as much as technique.

UK and EU nationals need no visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days, with a passport valid at least six months after arrival. For riding, our help centre asks for an International Driving Permit alongside your full motorcycle licence, so apply early. Other nationalities should check before booking. Everything is in our help centre: Preparing your trip to Ecuador.

By air to Quito, whose Mariscal Sucre international airport lies in Tababela, on a plateau east of the city. From the UK, flights usually involve one connection. Our tour starts and ends in Quito: you book your own flights, and our team meets you at the airport on the first day and takes you back on the last. Mainland Ecuador is 5 hours behind the UK in winter and 6 in summer.

The level of risk is not the same across the country and can change quickly: our team keeps track of it, and the tour leader can adapt the route on the ground if needed. On the road, watch out for unpredictable traffic, fog on the passes and slippery surfaces. A mechanic and a support vehicle follow the group, and our emergency line is open day and night. Before booking, read the FCDO travel advice for Ecuador, or your own government’s advice if you live elsewhere in Europe.

You will feel it, but it is not extreme. Quito sits at about 2,850 metres, and on the Avenue of the Volcanoes the road climbs above 4,000 metres near Chimborazo, with nights above 3,000 metres in the first days. The arrival day in Quito helps you adjust, then the route drops to the Amazon and the coast. Drink plenty, go easy on alcohol at first and ask your doctor before you leave, including about Diamox.