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Reforestation & Conservation in Ecuador

9 days in Quito, the Riobamba region, Tena, and Baeza

Optional 2 day extension

River winding through a misty green gorge in Ecuador on a reforestation and conservation tour.
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OVERVIEW

Connect modern techniques and ancestral knowledge as you support hands-on reforestation efforts in the Amazon

Students work closely with local organizations on hands-on projects that restore land once cleared for farming in the Amazon Rainforest. Students tend plant nurseries and explore the diverse, native species essential to regenerating a healthy forest, learning directly from local residents. Beyond project work, students visit Yunguilla's thriving sustainable community, explore Baños and the Devil's Cauldron waterfall, raft through the Amazon, and unwind at the Papallacta hot springs. Groups will know their exact service partners closer to departure.

Reforestation & Conservation in Ecuador route map

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Ecuador

Board your international flight to Quito

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Day 2: Quito • Yunguilla

Take a day trip to Yunguilla

  • Travel to Yunguilla

  • Stop for a photo at Pululahua Volcano

  • Visit Yunguilla, a sustainable community devoted to raising organic agriculture and livestock. Together with your guide, explore reforestation areas now protected by the community

  • Travel to Quito

Immerse yourself in a blindfolded sensory dinner, savoring local cuisine with heightened awareness.

Day 3: Quito • Riobamba region

Travel to the Riobamba region

Participate in a hands-on artisanal activity at a local education center

Day 4: Riobamba region • Baños • Tena

Travel to Baños

Take a tour of Baños. With your Tour Director you will see:

  • Old Cathedral

  • New Cathedral

Visit the Devil's Cauldron waterfall

Travel to Tena

Day 5: Tena • Service project

Strong partnerships are the foundation of EF Community Engagement tours. We work closely with area nonprofits and community members to ensure that your contributions are sustainable, timely, and relevant.

Since projects are determined closer to your tour date, here's what a typical day might look like:

  • Work on a community conservation project using modern reforestation practices and ancestral knowledge to reforest land once cleared for farming

  • Assist in plant nurseries and learn about the diverse species utilized to regenerate a healthy forest

Day 6: Tena • Service project

Here's a glimpse at what your service project might look like:

  • Plant and pot trees at a tree nursery

  • Collect and transport compost

Day 7: Tena • Baeza

Enjoy a whitewater rafting excursion

Travel to Baeza, home to rolling hills and charming family farms

Day 8: Baeza • Papallacta • Quito • Depart for home

Participate in an activity focused on ecotourism and dairy farming

Travel to Papallacta

Visit the Papallacta hot springs

Go for a walk alongside the Papallacta river

Board your flight home from Quito

Day 9: Arrive home

What makes this tour special?

Work alongside community members on reforestation and sustainability projects, like assisting in plant nurseries

Work alongside community members on reforestation and sustainability projects, like assisting in plant nurseries

Visit Yunguilla to experience a thriving sustainable community in action, then share a delicious meal sourced from a local garden

Visit Yunguilla to experience a thriving sustainable community in action, then share a delicious meal sourced from a local garden

Embark on a whitewater rafting adventure through the Amazon Rainforest

Embark on a whitewater rafting adventure through the Amazon Rainforest

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

Your experience includes

Airfare & transportation
Hotels
Regional-style meals
Guided sightseeing
Entrances
8–10 Service Hours
Volunteer and Leadership Activities
Full-time Tour Director
Expert Local Guides
Personalized Learning Support

Travelers save when you lead this tour before October 1, 2027

See 2027 pricing

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Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
 
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.

Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.

Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.

You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

  • Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.

  • Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.

  • Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.

Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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