Ecuador Travel Information / FAQ

• Spanish and Quichua are the official languages
• The size of Ecuador is 283,5616 km² (109,483 sq. Miles) which is roughly the size of the U.S. state of Nevada.
• Population: 16 755 4527 (May, 2018)
• Main regions: Ecuador is divided into three continental regions—the Costa (coast), Sierra (mountains), and Oriente (east)—and one insular region, the Galápagos Islands (officially Archipiélago de Colón). The continental regions extend the length of the country from north to south and are separated by the Andes Mountains.
• Political System: Democracy
• Time Zone: GMT –5. Same as United States Eastern Standard Time, during regular time, and CST during daylight savings time.
• Electricity: 110v

By doing a private tour in Ecuador you will be able to experience the country on your own terms. Instead of having to compromise, not being able to stop where you want or only see the mainstream, a private tour will allow you to experience the country in a more in-depth and extensive way. By the end of your stay, you will be able to feel like you’ve truly gotten a good feel and understanding of the country, rather than having been shipped around according to someone else’s view of what makes a good holiday.

However, we also offer group tours options such as our “Retiring in Ecuador” tour, which is organized three times a year. With these small group tours you get the chance to meet like-minded travelers.

We specialize in designing customized trips regarding your wishes, interests and budget. With so many possible variations due to dates, types of accommodations and transportation used, putting pricing can sometimes be confusing.

Please, contact us at any time at (877)500-1929 ext. 706 to get immediately a starting price and in order to customize your private trip with us.  

Please be sure to check that you have a valid passport that will be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled date of travel back to your home country. U.S. and Canadian citizens do not need a visa when they stay in the country less than three months.  Citizens of the majority of the countries can enter Ecuador without a Visa but we highly recommend all passengers to check with the respective authorities in their country before departure.

The local flights are typically included in the Ecuador packages. We do not include the internationals because you can find better deals on your own (i.e. miles and more points).

Ecuador is an all year-round destination since it has spring time weather 365 days a year. The high seasons are only dictated by holiday periods, so it is always good to book your trip with enough time ahead.

Ecuador is a fantastic destination for year-round exploration. The weather variations usually are the result of regional differences and micro-climates rather than clearly defined seasons.

In the highlands, for example, although there is a drier season from June to September, the ‘four seasons in a day’ phenomenon can happen at any time, so you should not limit your travel planning to just one time of year. The country’s cultural attractions can be enjoyed at any time, as can hiking or gentle touring in the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Similarly, the wildlife of mainland Ecuador can be enjoyed year-round, with the Amazon and the cloud forests delighting visitors whatever the season is.

For Ecuador domestic flights , each passenger can bring one checked bag that can weigh 23 kilos (50,7 lb). You can also bring one carry on item with a maximum weight of 8 kilos (17,6 lb) as well as one small personal item (camera, laptop, purse. etc.).

Most of the transportation will be on a private basis except for the Amazon Rainforest and the Galapagos Island where you have group transportation. The private transportation could be a car from 1 to 3 passengers. But if you come with a group of 4 or more passengers, then you will have a larger vehicle that will accommodate all passengers comfortably. All of our transportations are comfortable and safe.

Here are some travel insurance companies where you can buy a insurance for your trip:

Travel Guard www.travelguard.com

Travel Insured www.travelinsured.com 

Allianz Travel www.allianztravelinsurance.com

World Nomads www.worldnoamds.com

Vaccines are not required to travel to Ecuador but can be taken if you want, before your trip.

Ecuador uses the U.S. Dollar as its local currency. We recommend that you do not bring to much cash to Ecuador. You will have ample opportunities to withdraw cash from ATM machines all over Ecuador.

Many folks ask us about tipping guides. Tipping is strictly optional since the guides are paid for their work. Most people do tip them if the guide does a good job and we will leave that totally up to your discretion. As a rule-of-thumb we use $10 to $20 per full day based on the service as a reference.

• For trips to Galapagos and/or Amazon rainforest, 30% is due upon reservation and full payment is mandatory 60 days prior to the date our services are scheduled to begin.
• For mainland-only tours without Amazon, 30% payment is required upon reservation and the rest is due no less than 30 days before travel date.

The total amount must be paid before the tour starts. If the total amount of the invoice isn`t fully paid, as stated in our general terms and conditions, Latin Frontiers reserves the right to deny services or to demand payment directly from passenger(s). Reservations are not guaranteed until payment has been made and confirmed by Latin Frontiers.

Full pre-payment is required in order for LATIN FRONTIERS to provide services. All payments will be in US Dollars and can be made in the 4 following ways:

• Wire Transfer
• Check – You can pay by check, as long as it is received at least 45 days before our service starts. The checks are issued payable to Latin Frontiers Inc and can be sent to our mailing address.
• Credit Card – We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express payments directly. If paying directly to Latin Frontiers, please provide your Latin Frontiers representative your credit card information over the phone. Latin Frontiers will not collect credit card information via email for security reasons.
• PayPal – There are currently over 65 million PayPal account holders worldwide. When a PayPal payment is made through a credit card, Latin Frontiers will send the customer an electronic invoice and link that will direct the customer to make a payment.

Note: A 3% processing fee applies to all credit card and PayPal payments.

Galapagos & Amazon rain forest

• 121 or more days – If cancellation is received in this period before the tour begins, no cancellation fee will be charged, and deposit will be refunded or reutilized the booking at another date or with other passengers.
• 120 – 61 days – If cancellation is received in this period before the tour begins, the 30% deposit per guest will be forfeited.
• 60 – 0 days – If cancellation is received between these periods before the tour begins, full payment is not refundable.

Land Tours in Ecuador (except Amazon rain forest & Galapagos)

• 61 or more days – If cancellation is received in this period before the tour begins, a $200 handling fee will be charged per passenger and the remaining balance will be refunded.
• 60 – 30 days – If cancellation is received in this period before the tour begins, the 30% deposit per guest will be forfeited.
• 30 days or less –  If cancellation is received in less than 30 days or less, 50% of the payment will be forfeited and the rest refunded.  However, for cancellations within 72 hours of trip or once trip has begun, there will be no refund, 100% will be forfeited.

If any portion of the trip that is cancelled by the passengers once the overall trip has started, those will not be refundable and the customer will forfeit 100% of that portion of the trip that was not operated.

Latin Frontiers is dedicated to maintaining your privacy. All personal information will be treated with extreme care and caution. Latin Frontiers does neither sell, nor trade, nor share any of your personal information. The only purpose for which we use your personal information is to complete your request and to assure you the best service possible regarding your travel plans. Furthermore, your documents such as passport will be needed and used only to complete your travel reservations and get domestic flights or train tickets. The sharing of your information is restricted to authorized Latin Frontiers personal and exclusive service providers.

The information that Latin Frontiers collects may also be used to generate internal statistics with intent to steadily improve our customer-oriented services.

This privacy policy was updated on August 16, 2018.

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