Ecuador

High School Program

Ecuador’s diverse landscapes, from the Amazon to the Andes, offer unparalleled ecological learning and adventure, including interactions with indigenous educators and iconic waterfall explorations.

Indigenous Cultures & Identities

Whether it’s engaging in the national or regional political process, or leading campaigns to protect the environment, Indigenous communities across Ecuador have become prominent changemakers across the country. Over the past few decades, more and more Ecuadorians have come forward to embrace their Indigenous identity, turning the page from the past and setting an example for the rest of the world. This program delves into Indigenous cultures and identities from the capital to the Andes and the Amazon, experiencing thought-provoking perspectives while embracing amazing communities.

About Ecuador

Home to the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes Mountains, the Cloud Forest, and so much more, Ecuador programming enables you to engage in rich learning in some of the most environmentally diverse regions of our planet. From learning about climate resiliency and forest conservation with indigenous educators in the Amazon, to hiking to one of South America’s most famous waterfalls, this program will be an unforgettable experience

Theme Alternatives

Fully customizable authentic experiences

At Insight, our program itineraries are as unique as your students. All our program itineraries are customized with teacher chaperones to ensure that it meets the needs of your students.

With the support of a variety of local vendors and NGO’s, we promise that your students will get an authentic, local experience.

What's Included

We make it simple. No hidden fees or itinerary exclusions.

All our trips include

Program highlights

Connect with local changemakers. Explore the world’s largest rainforest on foot, learning every step of the way from your Quechua guides.

Explore the Avenue of the Volcanoes. With the highest concentration of volcanoes on Earth, this region will leave you in awe of some of our planet’s incredible natural structures.

Learn how to be a pro-planet entrepreneur. Ecuadorians are not only deeply passionate about the environment but incredibly entrepreneurial and start-up savvy. Explore how business is changing in the 21st century.

Dive into rich history in one of South America’s oldest cities. Old Quito, designated the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, packs over 500 years of history into only a few city blocks.

How it works

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Want to take your students outside the classroom? Review our program locations and suggested themes.

Connect with one of our High School Educators who will help custom design your program.

With our assistance, submit required paperwork and details to your Administration and School Board.

Announce the trip to your students! (We’ll provide all the materials you need).

Invite us to your school to host a Student & Parent Info Night! We will be there to answer questions and support student sign-up!

Sample Itinerary

  • Travel from home to Quito, Ecuador.
  • Welcome to Ecuador! Explore Quito’s historic Old Town filled with colonial churches, museums, charming streets, markets, and some of the city’s most important buildings, like the Presidential Palace. 
  • Visit Mitad del Mundo where you’ll find an impressive monument to mark the site, as well as various Equator-themed museums. Enjoy dinner at a social enterprise empowering women who have become the primary income earners of their household.
  • Drive toward the community of Yunguilla, found just outside of Quito to the north. 
  • Stop to visit Mitad del Mundo where you’ll find an impressive monument to mark the site, as well as various Equator-themed museums. 
  • At Yunguilla, meet your homestay family for the next two nights. Learn about the unique model of the community and join an evening match of ecuavóley, a hybrid sport found only in Ecuador.
  • Participate in the community’s micro-income generating projects. 
  • Explore a jam and cheese factory, participate in forest planting led by community leaders, and chat about the impacts of habitat destruction. 
  • Enjoy the evening with your homestay family.
  • Say your goodbyes and depart Yunguilla for the Amazon. 
  • Stop at Papallacta Hot Springs and enjoy the pools before getting back on the road. Arrive at Sinchi Warmi community lodge. Participate in a welcome activity before dinner.
  • Participate in a guided nature walk through the rainforest. Your Quechua (Indigenous) guide leads you into the woods to explore the strength of the forest and learn about the relationship between Indigenous communities and the environment. 
  • Participate in a walk around the community to learn about local flora, fauna, and agriculture, then, head to the cacao trees to begin an immersive experience in chocolate. Here students get to participate in the full production cycle, from bean to bar.
  • Visit Cascada Las Latas, a beautiful waterfall reached by a short hike in the rainforest. The waterfall creates a refreshing swimming hole. Then learn to make plant-based handicrafts and participate in a farm-to-table cooking class.
  • Depart the rainforest and head south for the town of Puyo to visit an animal conservation and rehabilitation center. Learn about the center’s initiatives and develop a deeper understanding of threats to the region. 
  • Then, continue into the Andes mountains. Arrive in Rio Verde for a short hike to the base of Pailon Del Diablo, Ecuador’s largest and most famous waterfall. Continue to Baños.
  • Head up to the viewpoints of the stunning Volcán Tungurahua. Test your wits at the swing of the edge of the Earth. 
  • Take in the views of the surrounding mountains and the very small valley that gives way to Baños. 
  • Back in town, enjoy some downtime and hot springs in one of Ecuador’s best adventure towns.
  • Sleep in and enjoy brunch in Baños before heading north along the  Pan-American Highway. 
  • Stop in the community of Salasacas known for traditional handicrafts in the local market. Stretch your legs before continuing north to Quito.

 

  • Visit El TelefériQo, a gondola that brings us to the top of the Quito Valley. 
  • Enjoy a chance for souvenir shopping downtown and visit a local chocolatier before heading to Parque Metropolitano for a closing reflection. 
  • After a final group dinner, head to the airport to begin your journey home.
  • Complete the journey home.

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