Semester

Getting to Ecuador
Still haven't made your travel plans yet? Here are a couple things to consider before you make your decision.

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Which city (Guayaquil or Quito) should I fly into?

First question, do you want to fly to Cuenca or take a bus? Busing from Guayaquil to Cuenca takes about 4 hours, while the trip from Quito takes about 10. Both are beautiful drives, and the Guayaquil- Cuenca route will take you through Cajas National Park, offered as a weekend trip through our travel agent. If you arrive to Guayaquil in the afternoon, you can be in Cuenca by the evening, for about $8 US.

That said, most people choose to fly, especially from Quito. With the flights between Cuenca and Quito and Cuenca and Guayaquil costing about the same (between $60 and $70), your plans for after your program figure in heavily toward which city is best for you. What do you want to do? Relax on the beach? Explore the jungle? Climb a volcano? Go gift shopping? Continue on to Peru? Decide what it is you want to do and then look at where to fly into. One other thing to consider is that many international flights arrive at night, so a hotel stay is often needed. Flights to the Galapagos Islands leave from both cities, and although there is a difference in price (Guayaquil is less expensive) it is not very significant.

Some travel options for Quito and Guayaquil:

Quito

Jungle Trips
Indigenous Markets
Volcanoes
Cloud Forest

Guayaquil

Beach Trips
Vilcabamba
Tropical Dry Forest
Peru

If I want to travel, how much time should I give myself?

To see it all would require years. With that in mind, a 2 week trip should give you enough time hang out in one of Ecuador’s two main cities, plus to see a few sites of your choosing. A couple examples would be the jungle and a trip to the base of a volcano, or some time at the beach followed by bird watching in the tropical dry forest. Three weeks would give you a chance to see some more remote areas and travel at a slower pace.

When should I make arrangements to leave Cuenca?

If you buy a ticket between Quito/Guayaquil and Cuenca, common sense says you should buy a round trip ticket. However, there is almost no price difference between 2 one-way tickets and a round trip. If you’re unsure about your plans, it is safer to buy a ticket once in Cuenca, two weeks advance notice should be plenty. Also, many people choose the scenic route on the way back, traveling by bus and stopping along the way, especially since they are eager to use their newly-acquired Spanish. Once at CEDEI, you can decide how and when you need to return and we can help you make arrangements.

Ok, my international flights are booked, how do I go about booking flight and hotel details for my arrival to Ecuador?

Easy, go to the web page listed at the bottom of this page and use the menus to select what arrangements you would like. When you’re finished, your reservations will be made, sent to you for confirmation, and then you will be billed online using a secure server. All reservations must be paid for before traveling.

Click here to make domestic reservations