Question 1

Is Ecuador Safe? My Essential 2026 Safety Advice

Accepted Answer

Generally, yes, you can travel mainland Ecuador safely if you use common sense and stay aware of your surroundings. Most visits through the popular tourist trail are completely trouble free but petty theft like phone snatching and pickpocketing can happen in busy city areas and crowded bus terminals. The best local advice is to keep your valuables out of sight, avoid flashing expensive phones on the street and use registered taxi apps at night rather than waving down cabs on the road.

Always ask a local if you are unsure about a specific neighborhood or travel route. Local advice is the best advice here and it completely changed our own travel plans. We originally planned to take the public bus down to Guayaquil to catch our flight to the Galapagos Islands but our tour guide in Quito warned us that it was way too dangerous for tourists at the moment. Because of that warning we decided to travel back up from Banos to Quito to fly out instead.

For extra peace of mind, you can find in-depth safety advice for every destination within my specific town guides.

Question 2

How to Get Around Mainland Ecuador?

Accepted Answer

Navigating your route during 2 weeks in mainland Ecuador is very straightforward because the country has an excellent and cheap public bus network. It is worth noting that this is quite different to other South American countries like Colombia or Peru where you often book big, fancy sleeper buses.

In Ecuador you are mainly getting local buses to get around between cities. They are definitely not as luxurious, they do not have toilets on board and the seats do not lie back, but they are super cheap compared to long bus journeys elsewhere. The buses connect all the major tourist hubs like Quito, Banos and Cuenca for just a few dollars per journey. You do not need to book these far in advance you can simply turn up at the terminal, find the company running your route and buy a ticket on the spot. For shorter journeys like going to cloud forest of Mindo a local public buses and shared colectivos are crazy cheap and easy to use.

Question 3

Border Crossing from Colombia

Accepted Answer

If you are doing the popular overland backpacking route coming down from Colombia you will cross the border at the Rumichaca bridge. While some people make the long trip straight from Bogota, the most popular option is to break up the journey by starting in Cali, the famous salsa dancing city.

When booking your transport, you have two choices. The first option is my personal preference and suggestion. You can use Busbud to buy a ticket taking you from Cali straight to Quito. Just keep in mind that even with a single ticket, you still must get off the bus at the border with your bags to get your passport exit and entry stamps on foot before getting on a connecting partner bus on the Ecuador side.

Alternatively, to save money, you can book the legs completely on your own. Simply take a cheap local bus from Cali to the Ipiales terminal, hop in a quick taxi to the bridge, walk across the border and take a 10 minute shared taxi to the Tulcan bus terminal. From Tulcan, local public buses leave for the capital all day long. Whether you choose a single ticket or do it yourself, your bus will drop you at Carcelen Terminal in north Quito. From there, you can easily grab a local bus or a cheap taxi straight to the historic centre.

Question 4

Is Ecuador Safe? My Essential 2026 Safety Advice

Accepted Answer

Generally, yes, you can travel mainland Ecuador safely if you use common sense and stay aware of your surroundings. Most visits through the popular tourist trail are completely trouble free but petty theft like phone snatching and pickpocketing can happen in busy city areas and crowded bus terminals. The best local advice is to keep your valuables out of sight, avoid flashing expensive phones on the street and use registered taxi apps at night rather than waving down cabs on the road.

Always ask a local if you are unsure about a specific neighborhood or travel route. Local advice is the best advice here and it completely changed our own travel plans. We originally planned to take the public bus down to Guayaquil to catch our flight to the Galapagos Islands but our tour guide in Quito warned us that it was way too dangerous for tourists at the moment. Because of that warning we decided to travel back up from Banos to Quito to fly out instead.

For extra peace of mind, you can find in-depth safety advice for every destination within my specific town guides.

Question 5

How to Get Around Mainland Ecuador?

Accepted Answer

Navigating your route during 2 weeks in mainland Ecuador is very straightforward because the country has an excellent and cheap public bus network. It is worth noting that this is quite different to other South American countries like Colombia or Peru where you often book big, fancy sleeper buses.

In Ecuador you are mainly getting local buses to get around between cities. They are definitely not as luxurious, they do not have toilets on board and the seats do not lie back, but they are super cheap compared to long bus journeys elsewhere. The buses connect all the major tourist hubs like Quito, Banos and Cuenca for just a few dollars per journey. You do not need to book these far in advance you can simply turn up at the terminal, find the company running your route and buy a ticket on the spot. For shorter journeys like going to cloud forest of Mindo a local public buses and shared colectivos are crazy cheap and easy to use.

Question 6

Border Crossing from Colombia

Accepted Answer

If you are doing the popular overland backpacking route coming down from Colombia you will cross the border at the Rumichaca bridge. While some people make the long trip straight from Bogota, the most popular option is to break up the journey by starting in Cali, the famous salsa dancing city.

When booking your transport, you have two choices. The first option is my personal preference and suggestion. You can use Busbud to buy a ticket taking you from Cali straight to Quito. Just keep in mind that even with a single ticket, you still must get off the bus at the border with your bags to get your passport exit and entry stamps on foot before getting on a connecting partner bus on the Ecuador side.

Alternatively, to save money, you can book the legs completely on your own. Simply take a cheap local bus from Cali to the Ipiales terminal, hop in a quick taxi to the bridge, walk across the border and take a 10 minute shared taxi to the Tulcan bus terminal. From Tulcan, local public buses leave for the capital all day long. Whether you choose a single ticket or do it yourself, your bus will drop you at Carcelen Terminal in north Quito. From there, you can easily grab a local bus or a cheap taxi straight to the historic centre.

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