The Amazon and the Galápagos in a single trip might sound ambitious. In Ecuador, it's surprisingly straightforward … and absolutely worth it.
Ecuador travel tip: start with the Amazon, finish with the Galapagos. The contrast is extraordinary.
Beke Grossmann has been recommending Ecuador to her Viva Expeditions clients for years. In September 2025, she finally visited, taking her mum along for a 14-day trip to see if the country really delivers everything she'd been promising. The itinerary started with a few days in the vibrant capital city of Quito, to soak up the grand colonial architecture and the exquisite cuisine. Then they ventured deep in the Amazon rainforest, staying at the remote La Selva Lodge. The grand finale? A stunning cruise around the Galapagos Islands aboard the M/C Endemic.
Beke went in knowing it would be good, and came back absolutely raving about it.
"The itinerary offers a great experience of the diverse landscape of Ecuador. You go from a world-class colonial city to exploring the Amazon jungle, to islands where wildlife simply walks up to you. I honestly didn't expect it to exceed my expectations as much as it did." — Beke
Here is Beke's account of the trip, with the honest highlights, a few practical tips, and everything you need to start planning your own.
Follow the links to discover our firsthand experiences.
Who is this trip for?
Travellers who love wildlife and being outdoors will be in their element here. The Amazon and the Galapagos offer very different experiences, but both put you right in the middle of nature in a way that's pretty hard to find anywhere else.
It's also a great trip for mothers and daughters, or anyone travelling with family. The lodges and vessels are comfortable, the service is top-notch, the guides are exceptional, and the overall pace mixes active days with proper downtime so neither Beke nor her mum felt overwhelmed or exhausted. While you don't need to be an experienced wildlife traveller or birdwatcher, it helps if you're just curious about the natural world and happy to be outside. If that sounds like you, you would love this kind of trip.
"Most people on our Galapagos boat were over 50 and having the time of their lives. But there was also a solo traveller who had a wonderful time, too. The communal dining setup means you're never short of great company and conversation." — Beke
If you're happy to go with the flow (rain in the Amazon, a surprise monkey sighting from the canoe, a sea lion swimming straight at you underwater), this trip will deliver in a big way.
Quito: the perfect place to start
Quito is a city that deserves more than just a stopover. Ecuador's capital sits at 2,850 metres (9350 feet) above sea level in the Andean highlands, and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in Latin America, with grand baroque churches, beautiful plazas, and fabulous markets.
Quito's UNESCO-listed historic centre is one of the best-preserved colonial old towns in Latin America.
Starting your trip with a tour of Quito also makes practical sense: this is the most convenient entry point into Ecuador, and the altitude is significant enough that a day or two to acclimatise before moving on is worthwhile. By the time you fly out, you'll feel well-rested and ready for the adventure to come.
Where to stay in Quito?
Two hotels stand out in the historic centre. The Patio Andaluz is just a few minutes' walk from the Plaza Grande, offers a good range of room types, and works well for families or small groups. The Illa Experience Hotel is smaller and more personal: only 10 rooms, a lovely breakfast terrace with views over the city, and a free daily experience for guests, whether a rum-tasting tour, a Panama hat-making class, or a painting workshop.
The Illa Experience Hotel in Quito, staying true to its name—here’s Beke mastering her Panama hat-making skills.
A city tour unlike any other
The Six Senses city tour we offer is well worth adding to your Quito stay, as Beke highlights. It covers the city's top attractions, yes, but it's really built around experiences rather than simple sightseeing. It's the kind of tour that gives you a real feel for the city rather than just a photo in front of it.
“What I loved most about the Six Senses tour was how it mixed the well-known with the unexpected. The Plaza Grande was wonderful, of course, but so was the local market where we tried fruits we'd never heard of, the private empanada cooking class, and the chocolate tasting to cap things off. It didn't feel like a tour at all, more like a brilliant day out. We both loved it!" — Beke
Beke and her mum enjoying some handmade empanadas on their Six Senses Tour in Quito.
The Ecuadorian Amazon: La Selva Lodge review
The Amazon is one of those unique destinations you have to experience to really understand. Photos and documentaries might give you a sense of the place, but nothing prepares you for being there. The thick jungle, the sounds, the sheer amount of life all around you. You're a visitor in a world that was never built for you, and you somehow feel it.
Beke and her mum stayed at La Selva Amazon Lodge, deep in Ecuador's Napo River basin, a wonderful base for exploring it. Ecuador's stretch of the Amazon is smaller than that of Brazil or Peru, but it punches well above its weight for wildlife. The forest here is primary and largely untouched, and the variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects is staggering.
Wildlife in the Amazon doesn't always appear on cue, naturally. It hides in the canopy, moves at dawn and dusk, and more often than not, it's something you hear before you ever see it. A good naturalist guide makes all the difference here, and La Selva's guides are excellent.
Ecuador Amazon travel tip: when the wilderness is this thick and lush, you must make use of every vantage point.
The lodge itself
La Selva's setting is one of its most enticing features. The lodge sits right on its own private lagoon, surrounded by primary rainforest. It's beautiful and calm, and you can take out kayaks on the lagoon whenever you like. There's also a pool fenced into the lake, free yoga classes four times a day, and a spa if you want a massage after a long morning in the jungle. The family suite even has a jacuzzi.
"La Selva is great for travellers who want to experience the Amazon but also like wellness and being comfortable. And the food is amazing -- genuinely some of the best of the whole trip." — Beke
La Selva Lodge: a private lagoon, primary rainforest, and some of the best food you'll eat in Ecuador.
About the food
The culinary experiences at La Selva are seriously good, better than you might expect from a remote jungle lodge. Breakfast is a generous buffet. When the lodge has availability, lunch and dinner are three courses, with a choice of four mains at dinner (vegetarian, fish, and two meat options) — the presentation is impressive and the quality high throughout. When the lodge is fully booked, lunch may also be served as a buffet, though the standard remains excellent.
"My favourite meal was the ceviche, and the chocolate cake with raspberry ice cream for dessert was just incredible. Never thought we’d be feasting like this in the middle of the jungle!" — Beke
Tea, coffee, and snacks were available all day, and water bottles could be refilled at any time. Small details, but they make a difference when you're coming back from a morning out in the jungle.
Exquisite culinary experiences in the middle of the Amazon rainforest? You bet!
Excursions and wildlife
Each day at La Selva follows a lovely routine: one activity early in the morning, and one in the late afternoon, times when the forest is most active. Activities include canoe rides on the lagoon and connecting waterways, guided walks on the trail network around the lodge, a community visit, time at an observation tower above the canopy, visits to a parrot clay lick, and a night canoe excursion, one of the highlights of the stay. Everything happens in small groups, which keeps it quiet and personal. The time in between excursions is yours to do as you please from the plethora that's on offer.
"My top Amazon highlight was the big group of Capuchin monkeys we saw from the canoe, very close to the lodge. There must have been a dozen of them moving through the trees right at the water's edge. Completely unforgettable." — Beke
Capuchin monkeys are endlessly entertaining to watch; they're quick, clever, and unbothered by a quiet canoe drifting past. Beyond monkeys, the area around La Selva is home to caimans, river dolphins, anacondas, toucans, macaws, herons, and far more
The Amazon rewards patience — and occasionally delivers Capuchin monkeys right at the water's edge.
One thing worth knowing: it rains in the Amazon. That is, of course, the whole point. La Selva provides full-length rain ponchos and rubber boots (gumboots) for every excursion, and a rain shower in the jungle is actually quite an experience in itself. Beke barely noticed the wet days.
After several days in the Amazon learning to look and listen for wildlife, Beke and her mum flew to the Galapagos. The contrast, as Beke puts it, was instant and jaw-dropping.
"Going to the Galapagos after the Amazon was extraordinary. We came from a place where we had to actively seek wildlife, to a place where you had to watch where you stepped because it was everywhere!" — Beke
The Galapagos Islands: life aboard the M/C Endemic
The Galapagos are one of those rare places that consistently live up to the hype. These islands, about 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) off Ecuador's coast in the Pacific, are where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution in 1835. Once you're there, you understand why. The wildlife here evolved without natural predators, which means the animals have absolutely no fear of people. You don't watch Galapagos wildlife from a distance. It comes to you.
The best way to explore the Galapagos is on a small ship cruise, which is precisely what Beke and her mum did.
The M/C Endemic: a luxury Galapagos cruise catamaran for just 16 guests, fully refurbished in September 2025.
About the Endemic
The M/C Endemic is a luxury catamaran carrying just 16 guests, with 11 crew members and a naturalist guide on board. That near one-to-one ratio goes a long way to explaining the quality of service Beke experienced on board. The vessel had just completed a full refurbishment in September 2025 -- the month Beke sailed -- so everything was in perfect condition.
"The cabins are really spacious, with big panoramic windows and a private balcony. The sun deck is a great place to rest between activities -- you'd be sitting there watching the ocean, and suddenly a pod of dolphins would appear alongside the boat." — Beke
Beke appreciated the attentive service and loved how hot towels were always waiting after every snorkelling session. The water around the Galapagos can be surprisingly crisp (the Humboldt Current sees to that), but the cold water is exactly why the marine life here is so rich.
The use of wetsuits, snorkel gear, stand-up paddleboards, and kayaks is all included in the price, and there's a jacuzzi on the sun deck for when you're back on board. For drinks, a daily glass of wine or beer is included, cappuccinos and espressos are on offer alongside regular tea and coffee, and snacks are available all day.
"You share meals with the other guests, rotating tables each time so you sit with different people. Before dinner, the naturalist guide would explain what we'd seen and walk through the plan for the next day. It was a really nice way to end the evening." — Beke
Sundowners, canapés, and a Galapagos island at sunset. Tough work but Beke and her mum managed like absolute troopers.
The activities
The days on the Endemic are full-on but in a very good way, with up to four different activities on a given day. Island walks, snorkelling, dinghy rides along the coastline, kayaking, and paddleboarding all feature. The naturalist guide leads everything, and the variety means no two days are ever the same.
A highlight included in the cruise itinerary is a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Centre on Santa Cruz. It runs a giant tortoise breeding programme that adds wonderful context to everything you see on the islands.
Galapagos giant tortoises can live well over 100 years — and look every bit of it.
Snorkelling with sea lions
Ask anyone who's been to the Galapagos what their highlight was, and snorkelling is the undisputed winner, every time. The underwater life here is extraordinary, and sharing the water with sea lions is out of this world.
"One of my biggest highlights was snorkelling with the sea lions. There were so many cubs with their big eyes -- they swam right up to us. Really cute! I'll never forget it." — Beke
Galapagos sea lions, especially the pups, are curious and playful. They'll swim circles around you, duck beneath you, and pop up right next to your mask. Sometimes, they’ll even try to nip at your flippers to have a play.
Galapagos sea lion pups are the most adorable things on four flippers. Prove us wrong!
Who is the Endemic right for?
Anyone who wants to experience the Galapagos at a premium level with excellent service and a small group of like-minded travellers will love exploring on the Endemic. There's also a practical layout detail worth knowing: a single cabin interconnects with a double cabin, which makes it a good option for parents with one older child or friends who want to be close but have their own space.
It's also worth noting that the Endemic has been designed with ease of movement in mind: cabins sit on the most accessible deck and there are minimal stairs throughout, which many guests with mobility issues appreciate.
There's personalised service ... and then there's the Endemic’s Chef who delivers dessert with your name on it.
Why combining the Amazon and Galapagos in Ecuador works so well
The contrast between the two is a big part of what makes this combination so satisfying. In the Amazon, you work for your wildlife encounters. You learn to listen, to look carefully at the canopy, to read the river. Animals are there (plenty of them, in fact) but they're not always obvious, and half the pleasure is the search.
The Galapagos is the complete opposite. Wildlife is everywhere, completely comfortable with your presence, and totally available to observe at close range. Having sharpened your observation skills in the Amazon, arriving in the Galapagos, where animals simply present themselves to you, feels like a wonderful reward.
"I would not have imagined two wildlife experiences could be so drastically different yet so equally fulfilling." — Beke
Two completely different worlds, one remarkably simple trip.
Ecuador makes this combination far easier than most people expect. It's a small country, about the size of the British Isles, which means the distances between very different ecosystems are short. The flight from Quito to the Amazon takes about 30 minutes. The Galapagos-bound flights leave early in the morning, so you’ll spend a night back in Quito between the two regions; a welcome chance to decompress before the grand finale. The flight itself is around two and a half hours. Far from exhausting, the logistics flow naturally and Viva handles all the connections.
Ecuador uses the US dollar, which keeps things simple. It is also one of the safer countries in South America for visitors. English is spoken at reputable lodges and cruise vessels, and the tourism infrastructure, at La Selva and Endemic level, is excellent. As Beke found, the logistics just work seamlessly.
One practical note for families: most Galapagos cruises have a minimum age requirement (on the Endemic it is seven year), and we would not generally recommend either the Galapagos or La Selva for very young children. Both are best appreciated by older children, teenagers, and adults who can keep up with the pace of excursions and get the most out of the wildlife experiences.
What Beke was glad she packed
Binoculars: Beke says it, and so does every traveller who visits Ecuador. They make a difference in both the Amazon and the Galapagos for spotting birds in the canopy, tracking movement in the trees, and picking out details on the islands. Don't leave home without them.
Good mosquito repellent: essential for the Amazon (a DEET-based formula works best), applied before every excursion, especially around dawn and dusk. For a full Amazon packing checklist, our Amazon packing guide has everything you need.
Comfortable walking shoes: for uneven volcanic terrain on the Galapagos.
A reusable water bottle: useful and easy to refill at both destinations, limiting your use of single-use plastic.
Good to know: Rain gear and rubber boots are provided at La Selva and most upscale lodges, so you don't need to pack those. For the Galapagos, wetsuits and snorkel gear are also provided on the Endemic and most other vessels.
Binoculars are the single most useful thing you can pack for Ecuador — for both the Amazon and the Galapagos.
Ready to start planning?
Ecuador is compact, easy to navigate, and one of the best wildlife destinations in the world. The Amazon and the Galapagos together make for a trip that's hard to beat, and combining them in a single itinerary is easy, economical and time-efficient.
At Viva Expeditions, we have been putting together Ecuador tour itineraries for years, and we can offer you a discount if you'd also like to stay at La Selva and cruise on the Endemic in the same trip, as Beke did. Whether you're drawn by the wildlife, the landscapes, the food, or the idea of fitting two completely different worlds into one trip, our Destination Specialists know the country well and are ready to help you put something brilliant together.
Get in touch to start the conversation.
Laura Pattara
Laura Pattara writes for Viva Expeditions with a special love for all things Latin America. She had guided overland tours across the continent, reached Machu Picchu five times on foot, and even dressed up as a giant toucan for Carnaval. With a degree in languages and two decades of global travel experience behind her, Laura has a long-standing love for the Andes, soaring condors, and a truly delicious empanada.
|
