Countries visited:
Ecuador

Tour Highlights:
Quito
Charles Darwin Research Station
Santa Cruz island
Santa Fé island
South Plaza island
North Seymour island
Santa Cruz island
Bartolomé island
Santiago island

 

 

Day 1 Quito, Ecuador
Arrive at Quito Airport and have a transfer to your hotel. Accommodation and dinner.

Day 2 Quito
Start exploring the capital of Ecuador by having a full day city tour, featuring the historical Legislative, Independence Plaza and the 16th-century San Francisco Monastery. Next see the magnificent golden altars of La Compania Church and admire the impressive paintings at the Museum of Oswaldo Guayasamin. Have your photo taken in front of the Equatorial Monument, the “Center of the World.” Enjoy free time in the evening.

Day 3 Quito - Baltra, Galápagos Islands (flight) - Santa Cruz Island
In the morning have a flight to Baltra, your first touch with the Galápagos Islands. Upon arrival you will be met by a naturalist guide who will introduce you to this enchanting place and transfer you to the highlands of Santa Cruz. This is the second largest island in the archipelago and the home of the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here visit the giant tortoise reserve and see the famous Galápagos tortoises in their wild habitat. Santa Cruz has also many interesting volcanic features, so you will have the chance to see the Twin Pit Craters and a flamingo lagoon at Cerro Dragón. Continue for accommodation and have dinner at your hotel.

Day 4 Galápagos
Today have a day at leisure and choose between a list of activities that will show you the Galápagos islands’ natural diversity.

Day 5 Galápagos Islands cruise (embarkation)
Start the day with a visit of the Charles Darwin Research Station, established to help conserve the Galápagos’ natural habitat and protect the famous giant tortoises. While here, learn about the tortoise-rearing program and see many of the various islands’ tortoises. Later, get on board on Isabela II ship for five days of cruising among various Galápagos Islands. Each day, travel ashore to the remote islands with your expert Naturalist, who introduces you to the unique wildlife present nowhere else on Earth.

Day 6 Galápagos Islands Cruising: Santa Fé & South Plaza Island
After breakfast, join your Naturalist for an exploration of Santa Fé island famous with the large population of sea lions and iguanas. Walk through the dense vegetation of Santa Fe, which is made up of some of the largest species of cactus, including a forest of Prickly Pear. Spend the afternoon at South Plaza Island, s a tiny island formed of lava and carpeted with cacti and plants which give it a luxurious red surface. Here the wildlife includes a large number of tropic birds, as well as land and marine iguanas which feed on the cacti.

Day 7 Galápagos Islands Cruising: North Seymour & Santa Cruz Islands
Disembark at North Seymour Island, where your Naturalist will take you to see the magnificent colony of frigatebirds, while the males are displaying their bright red pouches during mating season. On that island you can also see shores swarm sea lions and marine iguanas. In the afternoon, visit Las Bachas on Santa Cruz Island, where abandoned WWII military barges can be found. Today it is an important nesting area for the East Pacific green sea turtle.

Day 8 Galápagos Islands Cruising: Bartolomé & Santiago Islands
Today visit one of the most photographed of all the islands! Bartolomé Island is an extinct volcano with many interesting geological features and a semi-lunar landscape. See the iconic Pinnacle Rock and don’t miss the chance to spot Galápagos penguins in tropical waters, sea turtles and White-tipped Reef Sharks. Next for visit is the Santiago island, home of Galapagos fur seal, which likes the rocky shoreline and shady spots of Santiago.

Day 9 Galápagos Islands cruise (disembarkation) - Baltra - Quito (flight)
After breakfast, head to the airport in Baltra for your flight to Quito, where you will have free time in the evening.

Day 10 Quito
Transfer to the airport for your flight back home.