Whether you get your adrenaline fix holding a paddle, an ice axe, or the bars of a mountain bike, satisfy your addiction with some high-energy fun in some of Ecuador’s wildest spots. If you have a few more days at the end to cap things off by climbing a serious peak—say, Cotopaxi or Chimborazo—then you’ll have to work in ascents of a few peaks over 4,000 meters along the way to acclimatize.

DAYS 1–2
Fly to Quito and start with some slow sightseeing—hiking some of the steeper streets should get your heart pumping plenty. The Hostería San Jorge in the Pichincha foothills is a good place to acclimatize near the city. Spend one night in Quito and head to Baños the second night.

DAYS 3–5
Ecuador’s outdoor playground, Baños is the ideal spot to get the ball rolling on the eastern slope of the Andes. Choose from a multitude of hiking trails, a mountain-bike ride down the old road toward the Amazon, or swinging from a bridge over the Río Pastaza. At night, soak your aches away in the town’s famous hot springs. Head to Riobamba the third day.

DAYS 6–7
From Riobamba, hike to the Collanes plain at the foot of Antisana for one of Ecuador’s most impressive volcanic panoramas—the jagged peaks of El Altar looming over Laguna Amarilla as glacier ice tumbles down the slopes. Camp up here for one night.

DAY 8
Take the train from Riobamba or Alausí through Devil’s Nose, an extraordinary feat of railway engineering that’s all the more hair-raising when you’re riding on the roof of the train. From Durán, make your way back up into the Andes to Cuenca by bus.

DAYS 9–11
The area around Cuenca is rich in alfresco entertainment. The Inca Trail to Ingapirca takes two nights, and El Cajas National Park is worth at least one in a tent. In between, sample some of the rich colonial character this historic city has to offer. Steer south to Loja for the third night.

DAYS 12–14
A trek through Podocarpus National Park can take you from the high Andes to the rainforest. Tour operators in Loja can arrange a multiday stay in this little-known park, or else arrange your own transportation and stay in the refuge near Loja—or camp among the glacial lakes. Fly back to Quito the last night, or take an overnight bus.