ABOUT BAREFOOT EXPEDITIONS

Private Travel, Designed from Ecuador

We create private, custom journeys across Ecuador and the Galápagos with local knowledge, trusted guides, and thoughtful planning.

Based in Quito, Barefoot Expeditions designs private and custom travel experiences across Ecuador and the Galápagos. Every journey is shaped around your time, interests, comfort level, and sense of discovery.

From volcanic landscapes and cloud forests to the Amazon rainforest and the islands, we build well-paced itineraries that feel personal, flexible, and deeply connected to place.

Private & Custom

Designed around your pace, interests, travel style, and level of comfort.

Locally Grounded

Built from real Ecuador expertise, trusted guides, and long-standing local relationships.

Well-Paced Journeys

Flexible, thoughtful travel across nature, culture, wildlife, and meaningful landscapes.

Travel, Designed with Purpose

Today’s travelers are looking for more than a standard vacation. They want to understand a place — its landscapes, cultures, and natural rhythms — through direct experience, not just observation.

At Barefoot Expeditions, we design journeys that bring together exploration, learning, and adventure in a natural and balanced way. Each experience is created to be engaging and active, while also offering space to slow down, take it in, and connect more deeply with Ecuador and its people.

Our approach is based on what consistently works in travel:

Proven patterns from meaningful travel experiences
Practical insight from operating across Ecuador
A clear understanding of how people move, learn, and connect along the way

This allows us to design journeys that feel smooth and well-paced — combining movement, rest, and meaningful moments throughout the experience.

Fun is always part of the journey — but understanding is what gives it lasting value.

Experience Freedom

Travel at your own pace, connect more deeply with each place, and enjoy Ecuador through experiences designed with care and intention.

Cultural Context & Real Experience

We encourage a respectful connection with Ecuador’s culture and landscapes.

This may include time in local communities, traditional markets, and everyday environments shaped by history and geography. Rather than staged experiences, we focus on helping you understand the place as it is.

Why Travel with Barefoot Expeditions

Traveling through Ecuador should feel exciting and easy — not complicated. Our role is to make your journey clear, well-organized, and fully supported, so you can focus on the experience itself.

We combine local knowledge, thoughtful planning, and ongoing support to create trips that feel natural from start to finish.

What you can expect

Clear planning
We take the time to understand your interests, pace, and expectations — designing a journey that feels balanced and easy to follow.

Simple communication
We work in both English and Spanish, keeping everything clear before and during your trip.

Support along the way
Once you arrive, we stay available and connected — ready to help whenever needed.

Local knowledge that matters
We keep track of routes, timing, and conditions, so everything runs smoothly on the ground.

Help when you need it
If something unexpected comes up, we respond quickly and keep things on track.

The Barefoot Current

We follow the movement of Ecuador.

From mountain trails and volcanic valleys to Amazon rivers and the living ocean of Galapagos, our journeys are designed to move naturally with the land, the weather, the wildlife, and the people who know these places best.

Adventure does not have to feel rushed or forced. It can be fluid, safe, deeply local, and alive - guided by experience, respect, and the rhythm of Ecuador.

We can adapt to your budget and tailor the trip to your travel needs.

Barefoot Expeditions has been working since 2005, making trips in Ecuador, The Galapagos Islands, and Peru.

All our trips have been tested and experienced to be able to give you the best advice possible

Barefoot specializes in Adventure Travel & Galapagos trips.

Our guides are one of the most experienced & professional in each adventure. We know that there is a level of risk in our trips, and an experienced guide makes a big difference in safety.

We have a first-hand travel experience to share. We work with a group of guides who have been continuously working for local and specialized adventure travel

Barefoot Expeditions work with local guides, family-owned hotels, Drivers, local guides, most of your payments go to local people and to areas where tourism industry helps to preserve nature in an Eco-Logic way.

During your trip to Ecuador, we provide 24/7 support in English and Spanish, both before and during the tour. Our exceptional service ensures a worry-free experience.

Barefoot Expeditions Team

Our team brings together a wide range of talents, skills, and local knowledge, creating journeys that feel thoughtful, dynamic, and well supported. Each member and partner adds something unique, helping us design travel experiences with care, flexibility, and purpose.

Diego Altamirano, Expedition Designer at Barefoot Expeditions, with alpacas in the Ecuadorian Andes. — Founder & Expedition Designer

Diego Altamirano is the Founder & Expedition Designer behind Barefoot Expeditions, a Quito-based travel company specializing in private journeys across Ecuador and the Galápagos.

Diego is a National Adventure Guide with more than 18 years of experience in adventure travel. His path began with Ecuador’s landscapes, rivers, and mountains, and was shaped by several years of geology studies at the Escuela Politécnica Nacional and the Universidad Central del Ecuador.

Although he did not complete the university degree, those years deeply influenced the way he understands Ecuador: through volcanoes, mountain ranges, rivers, rocks, ecosystems, and the natural forces that created the country’s extraordinary diversity.

Diego also studied languages, including French at the Universidad Católica language school and English through the Centro de Educación Continua, which helped him connect Ecuador with travelers from around the world.

A mountain climber, whitewater paddler, and lifelong traveler, Diego has explored many countries, but his work has always returned to Ecuador — his homeland. Through Barefoot Expeditions, he designs and coordinates private journeys that connect travelers with Ecuador’s mountains, rivers, rainforests, wildlife, local culture, and living landscapes.

“I create safe, well-designed environments where people can reconnect with themselves, with nature, and with the deeper story of Ecuador.”

If my way of exploring Ecuador feels right to you, send me your dates, interests, and travel style. I’ll help you shape a route that fits naturally.

Plan Your Trip with Diego

Henry is a very active person that likes to travel and stay on the route, he Paraglides professionally, in Ecuador and Dubai. His hometown is Baños de Agua Santa, a little piece of Heaven as it’s named after.

Born in the heart of the Amazon Jungle, Gregorio is a true lover of nature and adventure. He is not only a skilled whitewater kayaker of Class V, but also runs his own cabins in the Jungle. As a native of Quichua culture, Gregorio is a natural leader for our whitewater and jungle trips, sharing his knowledge and expertise in Quichua, Spanish, and English.

Jacob is a Naturalistic expert jungle guide, he was born in Nuevo Rocafuerte in the border with Peru along the Napo River. He leads the tours to the Yasuni Park, one of the most biodiverse places on the world, and to the Waorani Territory to get to know ancient tribes into the Jungle.

Sebastian’s extensive experience in tourism makes him an invaluable asset. His profound knowledge of Ecuador and Galapagos Tours and Cruises, coupled with his passion for rafting, makes him an excellent trip advisor. It’s no surprise that he was recognized as the top salesman of the year.

Collaborators and Supportive Network

At Barefoot Expeditions, we take pride in our extensive network of service providers, which includes top-notch hotels, reliable transportation companies, private properties, trusted local operators, reputable airlines, exceptional Amazon lodges, experienced boat operators, dependable insurance companies, knowledgeable national guides, skilled adventure guides, experienced native guides, professional drivers, and reputable gear stores. Our meticulous attention to detail ensures that every aspect of your journey is flawlessly executed, leaving you with unforgettable memories that last a lifetime.

The Barefoot Way

Travel like water.
Guided by Ecuador.

We design journeys that move naturally with the land - flexible, thoughtful, and shaped by local knowledge. From the Andes to the Amazon and the Galápagos, every route flows with the rhythm of Ecuador.

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About Us