Day 1: Fly to Ecuador – Meet your Tour Director at the airport in Quito, the Ecuadorian capital carved into a narrow plateau high above the Andean valleys, beneath the peaks of the Pichincha Volcano.
Day 2: Quito – Explore the colonial quarter on an expert-led tour. See wrought-iron balconies and majestic stone pillars gracing 300-year-old plazas, churches, and palaces. The area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. – Visit the Compañía de Jesús church. – Visit the Intiñan Museum to discover how the Incas determined the middle of the Earth. – Pose for a photo on the equator, the namesake of Ecuador. If you’ve ever wanted to stand in both hemispheres at the same time, this is your chance.
Day 3: Quito | San Cristóbal Island – Fly to San Cristóbal Island. – Enjoy a snorkeling activity and take a coastal walk on La Loberia beach.
Day 4: San Cristóbal Island | Santa Cruz Island – Visit the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center. – Hike Tijeretas Hill. – Travel by boat to Santa Cruz Island.
Day 5: Santa Cruz Island | Isabela Island – At the Charles Darwin Research Station, see the breeding center for the giant tortoises from which the islands took their name. Discover the unique wildlife of neighboring islands on boat excursions. Photo opportunities will be endless, but please remember that the islands’ ecosystems are fragile. Park regulations are designed to protect the area for future generations. – Visit the Twin Craters. – Visit a tortoise ranch in the Santa Cruz Highlands to see wild tortoises. – Travel by boat to Isabela Island.
Day 6: Isabela Island – Experience Isabela Island, the largest of the Galápagos Islands. In 1959, the archipelago was declared a national park in order to protect the flora and fauna that Charles Darwin observed while formulating his theory of evolution. Critical to his studies were the islands’ iguanas, penguins, flightless cormorants, and 13 species of finches, whose beak sizes and shapes provided invaluable insights into the process he called natural selection. – Visit Los Humedales, a wildlife reserve that formerly housed a prison colony. – Take an excursion to a pink flamingo habitat. – Visit a tortoise breeding center. – Enjoy a snorkeling activity where you’ll see animals like sea turtles, sea lions, and exotic fish. You’ll also participate in a boat excursion that brings you to the Tintoreras Islet, made entirely out of lava. While exploring Tintoreras you’ll view the large colonies of black marine iguanas.
Day 7: Isabela Island | Santa Cruz Island – Travel by boat to Santa Cruz Island. – Enjoy a hike in Tortuga Bay. – Visit the Playa de los Alemanes.
Day 8: Santa Cruz Island | Baltra Island | Quito – Enjoy free time on Santa Cruz Island. – Travel to Baltra Island. – Board your flight to Quito.
Day 9: Quito | Mindo Cloud Forest – Continue on for a hike in the Mindo Cloud Forest, a diverse natural landscape nestled on the slopes of the Pichincha Volcano on the southern edge of the Choco-Andean Corridor. Mindo is home to over 300 different species of tropical birds and nearly 400 types of orchids. – Visit a butterfly garden.
Day 10: Otavalo – Visit the market town of Otavalo. Surrounded by the Imbabura, Cotacachi, and Mojanda volcanoes, Otavalo is a small farming town known for its textiles. Otavaleña women traditionally wear lace blouses with dark skirts and a colored band around their waists. You’ll have the opportunity to shop for handmade goods and other souvenirs crafted by the area’s local residents at one of the largest craft markets in the country. And don’t think that handicrafts are the only thing you’ll find here—you can purchase anything from musical instruments to a meal. Plus, the market offers a unique glimpse into traditional Andean culture, as locals have frequented the markets for hundreds of years. Later, visit a local community. – Learn how local families create ponchos during a demonstration of the craft. – Travel to the airport in Quito to board your flight home. Day
Day 11: Transfer to the airport and fligh home
Contact us for your quotation $3900 P/PER in DBL or TPL rooms
