 | Welcome to Quito. A representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. You will have free time to explore the city, relax and settle in. Accommodation: In the 5-Star Go Quito Hotel / Premium Room |
Itinerary C+D
Day 1 – Welcome to Quito Welcome to Quito. A representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. You will have free time to explore the city, relax and settle in. Accommodation: In the 5-Star Go Quito Hotel / Premium Room Day 2 – Quito Old Town Tour & Middle of the World […]
Day 1 - Welcome to Quito
Day 2 - Quito Old Town Tour & Middle of the World
| Stroll through the busy streets and squares of the most significant historic center of the Americas: a multi- ethnic, artistic, and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Afterward, our guide will visit the Middle of the World Complex at latitude 0*0. Return to the hotel for the night. Accommodation: In the 5-Star Go Quito Hotel / Premium Room |
Day 3 - Welcome to Galapagos & North Seymour Island
| AM: Departure from either Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island is a 2 1⁄2 hour flight. Upon arrival in the Galapagos, passengers are greeted at the airport by our knowledgeable guides who will accompany them on a short ten- minute bus ride to the pier where they will board the Galapagos Legend. PM: This flat, uplifting, island is an important spot to see both magnificent and great frigatebird males courting the females and, we will also likely see courting blue-footed boobies too. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit. |
Day 4 - Bartolome Island & Santiago Island
| AM: Considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago the view from the top of Bartolome Island, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock and the austere Santiago Island, Our subsequent snorkel here might put us face to face with Galapagos penguins, white- tipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions. PM: Visitors are always totally enthralled by the amazing beds of pahoehoe lava from the recent flow on the island. It is a landscape and macro photographer ́s dream. The importance of pioneering plants such as the tiny Mollugo will be discussed as we hike over the lava. |
Day 5 - San Cristobal Island
| AM: This is the only place on the islands where we will enjoy the chance to see all three of the booby species in the same place. The red-foots will be perched on the Cordia lutea and small trees, the Nazca ́s on the ground near the cliff edge while the blue- foots will be a little further inland. Frigatebirds will be all around and the views are breathtaking. PM: From our dinghy ride, as we head to shore, we are first humbled by the immensity of the stunning cliffs of the Sorcerer’s Hill. You can enjoy simply sharing the beach with sea lions, snorkelling from shore, or taking a walk to a hidden lagoon where you might spot black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintails. |
Day 6 - San Cristobal Island
| AM: In the moist highlands of San Cristobal, we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center “La Galapaguera” to witness the most iconic creature of the archipelago in its various life stages. The aim of the reserve is to help restore populations of the threatened San Cristobal tortoise back into the wild. In town, there are shops to purchase local handicrafts and souvenirs. PM: The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview of the formation of the Galapagos. Following a hike to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) we will have a great look at both species of frigatebirds, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below. |
Day 7 - Española Island
| AM: One of the most stunning beaches in all of the Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters, home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions. Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island. We can also snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay. PM: Punta Suarez is a naturalist ́s paradise. The oldes extant island in the archipelago is our only opportunity to commune with the endemic wave albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, we can watch their complex courtship display. |
Day 8 - Floreana Island
| AM: The famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett. The system involved whalers and fur sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward-bound colleagues. Actually visitors often take letters and hand- deliver them to their home countries. PM: Our walk takes us to a large, shallow lagoon, often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingos. We arrive at a powdery white beach, a nesting area for green turtles. Devil’s Crown is one of the favorite snorkeling sites on the islands. |
Day 9 - Santa Cruz Island
| AM: Arriving at a small lava dock, our first encounter is with marine iguanas that blend-in perfectly with the dark rock. As we walk past a large prickly pear cacti, we arrive at one end of a long, sickle-shaped beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Our walk takes us on a circular path, past a shallow lake where flamingoes frequently come to feed. PM: Feel the indescribable feeling of being where no one else has. Relax on a powdery beach. Snorkel around turquoise water islets and hike beside salt pools and dried white corals. Be one of the first humans –to visit Punta Bowditch at Galapagos Legend. |
Day 10 - Highlands Tortoise
| AM: Dry landing. In the Galapagos mountains, admire diverse bird species like finches, flycatchers, crakes, warblers, and egrets (often perched on tortoises’ shells). The journey to the reserve showcases the island’s contrasting ecosystems, from coastal areas to dense humid forests. Look out for Galapagos Giant tortoises wandering through pastures. This spot is a haven for birdwatchers, as it hosts a wide range of land birds that reside or migrate here. After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito. |
Day 11 - Back to Quito
| Transfer to Quito airport, or guests can also extend their stay in Ecuador with other land tours we offer. Accommodation: In the 5-Star Go Quito Hotel / Premium Room |
