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Major city · Ecuador

BañosBaños de Agua Santa

Give Baños 2 nights: one full day for the Ruta de las Cascadas by bike, one for the hot springs and the Casa del Árbol swing.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Oct–Feb (drier); the town runs year-round
avoid Jun–Aug for rain; check volcano alerts any month
Airport
UIO
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Ecuador ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an Ecuadorian consulate.
  • Ecuador ↗The Galápagos has its own entry controls: a transit control card bought at the airport before departure, a national park entrance fee, and inspections for food and plants. Check official Galápagos rules before booking.
  • Ecuador ↗Several coastal provinces (including Guayas, where Guayaquil is) are under official warnings and periodic states of emergency; read your government's advice before routing through them.

Baños de Agua Santa sits at about 1,800 m in a canyon below the active Tungurahua volcano, 3.5 hours by bus from Quito. It is Ecuador's adventure base: waterfall cycling, rafting, ziplines, canyoning and hot springs, all within a small, walkable centre. Two nights covers the classics; three if you add a jungle or volcano day.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Baños, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or fresh cane juice$1–2.50
  • Street or quick mealSet lunch (almuerzo) in the market$1.50–4
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi within townunder $1
  • Metro or bus rideBus to Río Verdeabout $0.50
  • Museum or sight ticketPailón del Diablo entry$2
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personUS$10
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomUS$55
  • High-end bedDouble room, guesthouse or hotel, a night, per roomUS$120

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$30 · Mid US$60 · High US$120

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Ruta de las Cascadas cycling routePailón del Diablo waterfallCasa del Árbol swingTermas de la Virgen hot springsTungurahua volcanoMelcocha cane taffy
Airports
UIO Quito Mariscal Sucre (No airport at Baños; bus from Quito's Quitumbe terminal, about 3.5 h)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Baños: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

22°C

13°C

16 rd

Feb

22°C

13°C

16 rd

Mar

22°C

13°C

18 rd

Apr

22°C

13°C

19 rd

May

22°C

13°C

20 rd

Jun

21°C

12°C

22 rd

Jul

21°C

12°C

21 rd

Aug

21°C

12°C

20 rd

Sep

22°C

12°C

18 rd

Oct

23°C

13°C

16 rd

Nov

23°C

13°C

14 rd

Dec

23°C

13°C

15 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk: the centre is flat and nothing is more than about 15 minutes on foot. Taxis in town cost under $1. Buses run the waterfall road to Río Verde for about $0.50. Mountain bikes rent for about $5 a day; check brakes and gears before you ride.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Ruta de las Cascadas to Río Verde and Pailón del Diablo

go

Door to door: Half to full day

Bike downhill, or bus from the terminal; return by bus

Pailón del Diablo entry about $2; the first tunnel is the only one you must ride through.

Casa del Árbol

go

Door to door: 2–3 h

Bus from town, about 30 min, or a 3 h hike up

Entry about $1; swing queues grow in high season.

Tungurahua refugio

caution

Door to door: Full day

Taxi to the Sangay National Park ranger station, then hike

Register free at the ranger station; solo hikers must turn back at the refugio (3,800 m) unless accompanied by a guide.

Puyo and the Amazon edge

go

Door to door: Full day

Bike the 61 km downhill, or bus

Buses back to Baños run frequently and will often carry your bike.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Centro (around Parque Palomino Flores)

Walk to baths, market and agencies; quietest rooms are off the main streets.

Along Calle Ambato / north end

Near the bus terminal and the road out; handy for early departures, more traffic noise.

Ruta de las Cascadas side (Río Verde)

Only if you want waterfall views from the room; you need a bus or taxi for everything else.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$25–45 excl. bed
Mid
$45–90 excl. bed
High
$90+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, guesthouse or hotel1 × 2 nights × US$55US$110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$60US$240
Rafting half-day trip2 × US$35US$70
Termas de la Virgen entry2 × US$4 · checkUS$8
Mountain bike rental, one day2 × US$5US$10
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$47
Trip total≈ US$129 per person per day, bed includedUS$515

2026 estimate in US dollars; long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Set lunch (almuerzo) in the market$1.50–4
Coffee or fresh cane juice$1–2.50
Melcocha cane taffy$1–3
Taxi within townunder $1
Bus to Río Verdeabout $0.50
Pailón del Diablo entry$2
Rafting half-day$30–35

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Baños is a small, busy tourist town, but the real risks are adventure sports with uneven operator standards, the active Tungurahua volcano and strong equatorial sun. Book activities with established operators, check current volcano advice and ask locally about crime conditions.
  • Tungurahua is active: follow official evacuation notices and know your route out.
  • Rafting and canyoning operators vary in safety standards; ask about guides, gear and insurance before booking.
  • Some Quito–Baños bus companies have a record of dropping passengers short of the terminal; keep your ticket and buy from the main counter.
  • UV at this altitude is intense even under cloud: cover up and reapply sunscreen.
  • Motorcycle rentals may hold your passport as deposit; photograph the bike before riding.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance (ECU 911)
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BañosBaños de Agua Santa

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Baños; most are in Quito. The US, UK, Canada and Australia all have missions there (check addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Quito Quitumbe → Baños bus: about $4.45, 3.5 h (2026 estimate; check current fare and times)
  • Baños → Ambato bus: about $1.10–2.20, 1 h (check)
  • Taxi in town: under $1

Say or show

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-to KWES-ta)
  • ¿Dónde está el terminal terrestre? — Where is the bus terminal? (DON-de es-TA el ter-mi-NAL te-RRES-tre)
  • Quisiera un boleto a Baños — I would like a ticket to Baños (ki-SYE-ra un bo-LE-to a BA-nyos)
  • ¿Es seguro nadar aquí? — Is it safe to swim here? (es se-GU-ro na-DAR a-KI)
  • ¡Ayuda! — Help! (a-YU-da)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRA-syas)

Cash is king in Baños: many small businesses and market stalls take dollars only.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Baños. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Oct–Feb (drier); the town runs year-round · avoid Jun–Aug for rain; check volcano alerts any month · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for UIO: last bus from Quitumbe, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Parque Palomino Flores, the basilica, the baths, the market.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Pailón del Diablo, Termas de la Virgen, Casa del Árbol) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Volcano-alert fixture so the safety block can go green or red.

Meanwhile

Back to Ecuador

Sources