Is Ecuador Safe to Visit in 2024?

We googled this exact phrase many times before booking our flights to Ecuador … “Is Ecuador Safe to Visit in 2024???“

The US Department of State says to “Exercise increased caution due to crime, civil unrest, and kidnapping”. In Guayaquil (second biggest city in Ecuador), the Narcos are basically at war with the government. There has been kidnapping of police officers, the taking of 200 prison staff as hostages, and TONS of arrests.

So … given the civil unrest in Ecuador that has been brewing for the last few years, and has erupted around Guayaquil in January of 2024, is it still safe to visit Ecuador??

We visited Ecuador (mainland, not the Galapagos) for 2 weeks in March of 2024. Allow for us to share with you our first-hand experiences. This post will be broken into various sections by location inside of Ecuador. Feel free to skip ahead. If you want the short answer, we give it you in the next section.

Is Ecuador Safe to Visit in 2024?

When we landed at UIO (Mariscal Sucre Internationa Airport near Quito) we were immediately surprised at how nice the airport was. It could easily belong in the realm of DFW or MIA in the US, very modern and clean. Having traveled to Colombia, Peru, and Chile, this was a huge surprise. Ecuador’s international airport is by far the nicest one we have been to in South America. 

READ 👉 Top 8 Things to Do in Banos 🏊

The Short Answer – Is Ecuador Safe to Visit?

Some places in Ecuador are very safe, and some are definitely not. But the short answer is that the coast is not safe and no tourists should go there, no matter what kind of traveler you are. Here we are talking mainly about Guayaquil, but also other tourist beaches like Manzanita. Basically, you should not go anywhere on the Pacific Coast.

This is the consensus opinion we have heard after talking to hundreds of Ecuadorians during our time here in March of 2024. 

🇪🇨 1 Day in Quito Itinerary

Is Quito Safe?

Quito is not safe, but I wouldn’t say this has anything to do with the January 2024 events. In conversations with locals, Quito hasn’t been safe in years. The government has been cutting social programs and aid for a while now, and thus crime and unrest have been increasing in the city.

There isn’t much danger of physical violence in the city (like there is in Guayaquil), but there is a HUGE danger of petty theft and robberies. Quito is notorious for theft on the streets/public transportation, and you are going to have to watch your back if you come here.

🏨 View All Your Hotel Options in Quito

I know what you’re thinking … ehhh, I’ve been to South America before. Can’t be that bad. Quito is BAD. Trust us. We’ve been to Medellin, Bogota, Lima, Santiago, Mexico City, … and Quito is BY FAR the worst. You are not going to feel safe walking around Quito at any time of the day, but especially at night.

Quito is a very weird city in that it is HUGE but very quiet at night. Almost no one goes out. Why? We’ll let you figure that one out for yourself…

🗻 Secret Garden Cotopaxi – Ecuador’s Most Famous Hostel

Where to Stay in Quito?

For a hostel and social environment, we recommend Secret Garden Quito. This is by far the most popular hostel in Quito for travelers, and the employees can help you organize tours to wherever you want to go. They also can organize airport taxis for $20 (a decent price!), and there is really good food on site. This is a great community to have in a not-so-safe city!

For an amazing hotel, we recommend Casa Alquimia. This is a beautiful and historic hotel right next to the Centro Historico. This is a family-owned business with very friendly workers and an amazing breakfast included.

🏨 View Your Quito Accommodation Options Here

Is the Amazon Safe?

After the Galapagos, most people come to Ecuador to do an Amazon tour in Cuyabeno or Puyo. This area is perfectly fine, no different than it was before. If you are taking the public bus out to Cuyabeno, then you are going to have to watch your stuff vigilantly. Besides this, the Amazon is fine.

🎋 Checkout the TOP Amazon Rainforest Tours Here!

Is Banos Safe?

We spent four days in Banos and found it to be very peaceful and safe. The locals told us we could walk around at night at any time and be fine. We did this … and completely agree. There is nothing to be worried about in Banos.

Tourism in Banos has suffered quite a bit from the violence occurring along the coast and it was quite noticeable. The town was pretty empty when we were there, and the majority of tourists were Ecuadorians who come in for the weekends. We were told the town used to be filled with foreign tourists during the week, but this has changed a lot.

We took the public bus from Quito to Banos and made sure to watch our stuff. But besides that … Banos is perfectly safe. 

🏨 View Your Accommodation Options in Banos Here.

Is Cotopaxi Safe?

Definitely. No problems here. Next question. Checkout our review of Secret Garden Cotopaxi. (We recommend you stay here!)

Are Mindo/Otavalo Safe?

These are the safest places that we visited in Ecuador. Mindo especially. Mindo is a tiny little town about 2 hours West of Ecuador, and there is certainly no crime here. You can walk around with your valuables on your hip without any worries. 

Paradoxically, you are going to want to physically HOLD ON to your stuff while you are on the public bus to Mindo. We met multiple people who had their stuff stolen on the ride from Quito to Mindo.

SEE 👉 Things to Do in Mindo 🦜

There are common scams where someone taps you on the back, then his friend grabs your backpack and runs off the bus. Things like this. BE READY. We did not experience anything like this and found our bus ride to be quite peaceful at 9 AM on a Monday morning. But we have heard sooo many stories from this bus ride so we would advise you to be extra careful here. 

The bus ride from Quito to Mindo seems to be the spot for Ecuadorians to prey on tourists. Don’t be their next victim.

🏨 When you come to Mindo, we recommend you stay at Margarit Boutique Hotel. This is a brand new hotel with an amazing breakfast. We stayed here for a few days and can highly recommend it! 🏨 Book Your Stay Here!

Is Ecuador Safe to Visit? General Ecuador Safety Tips

1 – When you are in Quito, be extra careful. Do not walk at night. Take a taxi everywhere. Don’t take the metro. Unless you are standing right in front of the cops in the ‘Centro Historico’, don’t take your phone out. People in this city will literally snatch things out of your hand in broad daylight.

2 – When taking public buses from Quito, guard your bags with your life. This is war. If you fall asleep for a few minutes, your stuff could be gone. If someone distracts you for a few seconds, your stuff could be gone. Lock your backpack to your body and don’t take if off until you get off that bus. There is nothing worse than having your passport/phone stolen in a foreign country.

3 – Don’t keep all your money in one spot when you’re walking around. Maybe put some in your shoe or in other pockets in case someone tries to rob you. Normally I don’t take these kind of safety precautions when traveling (even in South America), but in Ecuador you’re going to want to do this.

🇪🇨 Backpacking Ecuador – Travel Guide in 2024

Summary – Is Ecuador Safe to Visit in 2024?

The amount of tourists visiting Ecuador has definitely gone down. Before we came to Ecuador, many (in Colombia!) were telling us not to go, and that the country is unsafe. The reality is not so straight forward. The coastal areas are definitely unsafe and should not be visited. Don’t travel through Guayaquil. But the touristy areas of Quito/Banos/Mindo/Cotopaxi/Amazon have not changed much. These are all safe-ish places (besides Quito) and your decision to visit shouldn’t be affected by what happened in January 2024. 

🌳 Book the best Amazon tours HERE ⬅️

If Ecuador was safe enough for you to visit in Dec 2023 then it should be safe enough for you to visit in March of 2024, or whenever you are reading this. 

We had a lot of doubts before we came to Ecuador, and were constantly google-ing things to figure out what it was like on the ground before we came. The news paints one picture, but reality is not quite as clear.

If you’re looking for a safer country to travel in South America, we highly recommend Colombia. Colombia is cheaper, much safer than Ecuador, and has a ton of things to see and do.

🇨🇴 Checkout out our detailed 2 Week and 3 Week Colombia Itineraries!

Enjoy Ecuador!