Ecuador Program Details

Accommodation and Food

Quito Projects: You will stay with a family where you will receive a private room and 3 meals a day. The families are always very friendly and excited to teach you about the culture of Ecuador! You will receive more detail about your host family prior to departure.

Environmental & Galapagos Projects: You will stay in shared housing with other volunteers and project staff.  Meals will be provided.

Insurance, Health and Safety

United Planet provides emergency medical insurance for all of its Short Term volunteers. You receive policy information by email prior to departure, and also the emergency number to call if you are treated for any medical issues.  Insurance also covers baggage loss up to $500 and trip interruption due to extraordinary circumstances.* Upon sign up you will also receive a full guide to health and safety in your country. We recommend booking a doctor’s appointment a few months out to update your vaccinations, etc. or visiting a travel health clinic. Your doctor can recommend the appropriate vaccinations and travel medicine. Please see the Health and Safety page for more information.

Transportation and Flights

United Planet arranges all airport transfers and will ensure that you arrive safely to your host family. Public transportation to/from your project is cheap and easy with either of Quito’s two trolley lines or by bus. Daily commuting costs are covered by volunteers.

Start Dates

Programs start each Sunday.

It’s not all about hard work. Soak up some culture and history as well: While you’ll be volunteering on average between 30 and 40 hours a week, we also think it’s important that our volunteers relax. All Short-Term Ecuador Quests include cultural activities (such as Ecuadorean cooking or salsa lessons) and language lessons (8 hours per week of private instruction). Sneak in the sights: Exciting excursions to the see Quito attractions, highland markets, hot springs, and the cloud forest are also included! Please see below to find out which excursions are included in your program. One week stays do not include an excursion outside of Quito.

What’s Included:

  • Transfer from airport to home stay
  • Travel Insurance
  • Accommodations/Meals (Volunteers live with host families or at the project site)
  • Full Coordination while in Ecuador
  • City Tour & visit Mitad del Mundo - Equator Line
  • Cultural activities: Salsa lessons and Ecuadorian cooking lessons (Quito projects only)
  • Spanish lessons (Quito projects only)
  • Exciting excursions every other weekend. Possible excursions include: visit to indigenous market in Otavalo, natural hot springs in Banos and Papallacta, cloud forest in Mindo, Teleferico, and trekking.
 

What’s Not Included:

  • Flights
  • Vaccination fees
  • Local transportation
 
 



Program Fee

 

  1
Week
10
Days
2
Wks
3
Wks
4
Wks
5
Wks
6
Wks
7
Wks
8
Wks
9
Wks
10
Wks
11
Wks
12
Wks

Price

1515

1640

1765

2040

2315

2590

2865

3140

3415

3690

3965

4240

4515

For the Galapagos Project, add $995 to the program fees above. 
This includes:

  • 2 nights in Quito in hostel upon arrival with all meals for orientation and city tour
  • 1 night in Quito on way home with meals
  • Round-trip flight Quito-Galapagos
  • Galapagos National Park Entrance fee & airport tax
  • All airport transfers
  • Accommodations and food in the Galapagos

*$25 Evaluation Refund

Discounts and Special Family Rates

Special Family Rates:
1st parent: Full Quest fee
2nd parent: 10% off of 1 full Quest fee
Children under 12: 50% off the full Quest fee
Children 12 and up: 10% off the full Quest fee

 

Discounts:
Couples: receive 10% off of 1 full Quest fee
Referrals: Introduce someone who signs up for a Quest program and you will receive a 10% discount!

*Evaluation Refund ($25)

Your feedback is very important to us! Upon receiving your online evaluation within one month of the completion of your Quest, you will be refunded $25. Instead of receiving your $25 refund, you may choose to donate that $25 to the Country Fund of your Quest host country. United Planet Country Funds support program development and sustainable development projects in volunteer host communities. Please note that UP will only refund one survey per family.

Optional Spanish Language Immersion Course

Rusty on your Spanish? You can add a one or two week intensive Spanish Language course and practice your conversation skills. Instead of starting work at your assigned project, volunteers spend the first one or two weeks studying Spanish in a language school in Quito.

Includes: 20 hours of private lessons per week. There is an additional charge for the Spanish Language Immersion Course on top of the Program Fee of $140 per week.