Tuesday departures
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Galapagos Islands / Guayaquil / Quito / Otavalo / Amazon Jungle
Day 1 WEDNESDAY
Welcome to Quito. Transfer to JW Marritott Hotel or similar.
DAY 2 THURSDAY This one day trip departs from Quito, to the Cotopaxi National Park on an excursion along the Avenue of the Volcanoes with spectacular views of the Andes Mountains. Enjoy the ecosystems of the park's windswept moors and lunch at a cozy restaurant up high. On the way back, ‘ride the roof’ of the Chiva Express.
DAY 3 FRIDAY Domestic flight to Amazon at Napo Wildlife Center.
DAY 4 – 5 Amazon at Napo Wildlife Center. This includes a visit to the Añangu Quicua Community Canoe excursions where you might see Giant Otters, potoos, kingfishers, Hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, monkeys among some other species.
DAY 6 MONDAY Amazon at Napo Wilidlife Center. Domestic flight to Quito. Private excursion in Quito. The architectural of old churches, monasteries and Convents in the ornate colonial baroque with highlighted your tour, the colonial legacy here is so well preserved that Quito has been designated a World Heritage Cultural Site.
DAY 7 TUESDAY Otavalo Market Excursion. Departure from Quito in a highway surrounded with beautiful landscape and snow caped mountains. Briefs stops in little towns like Guayllabamba and Calderon, a town where the famous “masapan” dolls are made. We will arrive at Imbabura, and admire its great lakes.
We will visit Otavalo and its famous Indigenous Market, this colorful market hosts a variety of different handcrafted items. Ponchos, wooden goods and Indian jewelry are sold here.
DAY 8 WEDNDESDAY
Departure by air to San Cristobal, Galapagos and transfer to the Galapagos Explorer.
PM: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Isla San Cristóbal, Visit to the Interpretation Center inaugurated in 1998. State-of-the-art facility offers complete education on both the islands and its human population. Visit to Islas Lobos, situated less than an hour’s ride from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Lobos Islet is a seasonal nesting location for the Blue-footed Booby. Snorkeling.
DAY 9 THURSDAY
AM: Punta Suárez, Española Island Its rocks count among the oldest in the Archipelago. Some geologists describe the 60 km2 island as the remains of an eroded archaic volcano. One of the most spectacular sites of the Galápagos Explore Punta Suarez, looking for Californian Sea Lions surfing the breaking waves and groups of Marine Iguanas basking in the sun. Further in land, both Masked and Blue-footed Boobies nest beside the trails. The only site in the Galapagos to spot the Galapagos Albatross (a seasonal sight)
Hike a trail towards the cliffs to the Blowhole, a fissure in the lava cliffs where seawater jets high in the air.
PM: Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the Archipelago. Colonized since the 1920´s, Puerto Ayora is the most important harbor of the islands. The headquarters of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Station are also located in this town and the latter is part of our visit.
Option 1: Visit Darwin Station to learn about the research activities conducted on the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a Galapagos Giant Tortoise breeding and rearing center. Here tortoises of different subspecies are prepared for reintroduction to their natural habitats. Afterwards, you can stroll through Puerto Ayora, the largest town on the islands.
Option 2: Board a bus for a 45-minute ride through changing vegetation zones to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Here, about 40 Giant Tortoises live in the wild. By approaching quietly, you can find and observe a tortoise turtle on your own. We also hike through tunnels made by cooling lava.
Guided package include:
Not Included
Day 10 FRIDAY
AM: Darwin Bay, Genovesa Island Genovesa is the only northern island of the Archipelago open to visitors This 14 sq km. island is the tip of a submerged shield volcano that rises 76 meters above the sea level. Its central crater is filled with salt water. Ocean erosion created the Darwin Bay on the southern slope.
Genovesa lacks on reptiles, except for the Marine Iguanas. It is a paradise for sea birds, including large colonies of the Red-footed Boobies and Great Frigatebirds. Swimming, snorkeling and dingy rides are available.
Prince Phillip’s Steps This is the breeding ground for the tree-loving Red-footed Booby and the ground-nesting Masked Booby. This is also home to four species of Darwin Finches: the Large Ground Finch, Sharp-beaked Ground Finch, Large Cactus Finch and Warbler Finch. Natural history enthusiasts will recall that Charles Darwin’s observation of varied adaptations of finches beaks helped inspire his theories on natural selection. Genovesa is also home to the indigenous Galapagos Mockingbird and the Galapagos Dove. If we have time, we’ll snorkel at El Barranco on the west side of Darwin Bay.
Day 11 SATURDAY: Cerro Brujo. Hiking and swimming, snorkeling is available. Sandy beach Sally-light foot Crabs, Brown Pelicans, Blue-footed Boobies.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Guayaquil. Welcome to Guayaquil city Lodging at Hotel Oro Verde or Similar
Day 12 SUNDAY Visit The Historical park of Guayaquil , this is a must see attraction in your visit to the city of Guayaquil. This thematic park has three zones: the wild life, the zone of traditions and the urban zone. There we will be able to observe flora and fauna of Guayaquil, the customs and life of the farmers Ecuadorian coast recreated in a typical hacienda house. Lunch and in the afternoon enjoy the city of Guayaquil, also known as “The Pacific Pearl”, will take you to the main points of interest of this city, a prime example of beautiful urban regeneration based on preserving traditional Ecuadorian heritage and culture among a modern landscape. The tour begins at Seminario park, known as the “iguanas park” because of the numerous land iguanas that populate it. This park also offers excellent vantage point of the Gothic style Cathedral. We then head to the Crystal Palace exhibition center where you can take advantage to shop at the nearby handy craft market. This is also the starting point of the impressive waterfront, Malecon 2000. This is the epicenter of Guayaquil’s regeneration. It holds historic monuments and museums as well being located across the street from the Governor’s palace and municipal hall. The tour ends at the city’s best preserved neighborhood of Las Peñas with its cobblestone streets. We recommend to go up the steps of the nearby Santa Ana Hill for a magnificent view of the city.
DAY 13 MONDAY Transfer out to the Airport for your return flight
| |
Departures |
$USD |
|
DIC-03,10 |
$4,407
|
|
OCT-02,09,16,30 AGO-05,12,19,26
SEPT-02,09,16,23,30 OCT-07,14,21,28 NOV-04,11,18,25 |
4,556 |
We DO NOT use an automated reservation machine. When you write to us, you will be in touch with a real travel specialist that will assist you in finding what you really need. We can also arrange airport transportation, tours, travel packages, insurance, flight bookings, and any other travel service that you may need.
