Ecuador: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Ecuador feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 104 written places.
Four worlds in one small country - Andes, Amazon, coast and Galapagos - on US dollars.
✓ Considered polite
- Acclimatise in Quito - it sits at 2850 metres
- Carry small dollar bills - change for twenties is a national struggle
- Book Galapagos properly - park fees and rules are strict and worth it
- Try almuerzos - set lunches for a couple of dollars
✗ Better avoided
- Touch wildlife in the Galapagos or stray from marked trails - rules are absolute
- Drink tap water
- Flash valuables on city buses
- Expect hot water everywhere in budget stays
Worth knowing
- The US dollar is the currency
- Tipping 10% in better restaurants; small change elsewhere
- Buses are cheap and go everywhere, slowly
- Altitude, then sea level, then altitude - plan the order kindly for your body
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.