Galapagos & Mainland Tour STD 11D

Welcome to Ecuador! Pick up at Quito Airport and transfer to your hotel followed by free time to settle-in and acclimatize to your new surroundings. Quito is at 2800m altitude so remember to take it easy the first few days and stay hydrated!

Duration: transfer of 45 min to 1 hour 15 min / Type: private transfer

A full day to acquaint yourself with the very best sites of the city of Quito. 

In the morning you will enjoy a guided tour of the colonial highlights in the historical city center, including a visit to the impressive Basilica, the famous Plaza de Independencia, the San Francisco Church and other historical sites. You’ll walk the cobble stone streets, admire the architecture and observe local life at the old plazas. 

After lunch we head north to the Equator line monument called Mitad del Mundo - stand literally in the middle of the world! We also visit the unique Inti Ñan museum where you can prove (or disprove) various scientific phenomena that only hold true at the equator. Don´t forget to take your passport along if you want a special equator stamp in it!

Tour duration: 7-8 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

Your day in Otavalo begins with some free time to shop at the famous Indian handicrafts market at the Plaza del Poncho. The hustle and bustle of this colorful market is a great experience, where you can admire the great handmade crafts, ponchos, alpaca blankets and a variety of textiles. This is a great place for souvenir shopping! You also have the opportunity to visit the traditional local food market, where you can learn about the fruits and typical products the merchants offer there. During this visit you may see some tropical fruits that you perhaps have never seen before!

Your shopping time is followed by a visit to the sacred Peguche waterfall and the local weaving and musical instrument workshops.

Tour duration: 7-8 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

After breakfast, we will visit the Condor Park where you have the opportunity to see a rare collection of raptors that were rescued in Ecuador from illegal owners. You can see Harpy Eagles, Snow Falcons, Owls... and of course the Andean Condor! The rescue centre works hard to protect this beautiful but endangered bird. At 11:30 you will see the "falconry" demonstration where a few eagles do what they do best... fly over the beautiful mountains of Otavalo! After the Condor Park visit we will transfer you to a beautiful historic hacienda in the Cotopaxi province.

A spectacular day visiting one of the highest active volcanoes in the world (5897m) and exploring the Andean grasslands (paramo). In the morning you will visit the picturesque Limpiopungo Lake and the small park museum. Afterwards you can head up to the volcano refuge at the snowline (approx. 1 hour hike up).

Tour duration: 7-8 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

A morning transfer to the airport in time to get your flight out,

At arrival, our guide will be waiting for you for a fantastic trip  to the Highlands of Santa Cruz – this is the best place to see the Giant Tortoise up close in the wild. They roam the lush highlands searching for food or cooling off in the muddy pools. You will wander the trails while your guide will explain some interesting facts about these gentle giants. There is also a lava tunnel that you can explore. 

After this activity, you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where you will receive more background information from your guide about the islands, with a focus on Darwin´s theories as well as the breeding work on various tortoise populations.

Tour duration: 4 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

Today you have the opportunity to discover one of the uninhabited islands on a boat excursion. The tour includes a guided hike on the island and some time for snorkeling, with lunch on board. The exact destination depends upon daily availability, but will be one of the following options:

Bartolome: the site of the iconic Galapagos landscape of Pinnacle Rock, where you can take your perfect photo. You do have to climb 364 steps to get here, but the reward is immense. Along the way you can see lava fumaroles, and enjoy the incredible lunar style landscape. With a bit of luck, you may also see the world´s only tropical penguin here! After the land visit, you´ll have time to explore the amazing underwater wildlife while snorkeling.

North Seymour: One of the best islands for Galapagos birdlife, where you can see Frigate Birds, swallow tailed gulls and the famous Blue Footed Boobies who nest here. With red colored soil and red carpet vine growing on the island the scenery is exotic. Another interesting species found on North Seymour is the Land Iguana, a unique species from the ones seen on other islands.

South Plazas: This small but scenic island has a fantastic concentration of wildlife, from Sea Lions to Land Iguana´s and many bird species, including Frigate Birds, Lava Gulls and Red-Billed Tropicbirds. The dramatic cliffs, blue seas and spectacular natural red-carpet of algae make the scenery of this island particularly pretty.

Santa Fe: A very diverse island with a beautiful white sand beach where Sea Lions bask in the sun. The island is covered with huge cactus trees, food for the Land Iguana population that is endemic to this Santa Fe. The walk up is quite rocky buy you´ll be rewarded with stunning views at the top. Santa Fe is also considered one of the best snorkeling sites in Galapagos where sharks are often seen!

Tour duration: 7-8 Hours / Type: This is a shared tour service

After breakfast we will take the Public speedboat to Isabela Island (7:00 aprox), which lasts approximately two and a half hours.

On arrival at Isabela we will take a brief rest at the hotel and then head to the Concha de Perla lagoon where you can swim with sea lions, colorful varieties of fish, and with luck sea turtles.

Tour duration: 2 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour

After lunch we visit Tintoreras Islet - the name of the islet derives from the sharks that live in the waters surrounding the islet that have whit-tipped fins, which are known as “Tintoreras”. The islet is one of the most fascinating places on Isabela Island and in fact all of the Galapagos. In this one area we can see sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, sea turtles, pelicans, and Galapagos Penguins. As the island is one of the main breeding sites for the marine iguanas it is an excellent place to see a large community of these creatures close-up. After the hike through the islet we will get back on the boat and cool off by snorkeling in the waters nearby where with luck we may see multicolor fish, starfish, sea-urchins, and with luck manta rays, sharks, and sea lions that may swim with us close up. After this fascinating experience we will return to the hotel.

Tour duration: 3 Hours / Type: This is a shared organized tour

Today you can choose between a snorkel trip to Tuneles & Cabo Rosa or a hiking trip to Sierra Negra & Volcan Chico. 

A boat ride of about an hour and a half takes you to Tuneles; this is a fascinating landscape of huge collapsed lava tunnels. You begin on land where blue footed boobies often nest. Afterwards you will enjoy superb snorkeling at Cabo Rosa - this is one of the very best snorkel sites in Galapagos! White tipped reef sharks, green marine turtles, sting rays, sea lions, eagle rays and even sea horses are regularly seen here!

…OR…

An incredible hiking trip that is all about landscapes and volcanoes! A guided 4 to 5 hours return trek takes you up to the summit of the active Sierra Negra volcano for wonderful views into one of the largest craters in the world. Descending further you can visit Volcan Chico, to witness the incredible landscape of smouldering cones and craters formed by various past eruptions; it literally feels like you're walking on the moon!

Tour duration: 5-6 Hours / Type: Both tours are a shared service

An early morning inter-island speedboat will take you back to Puerto Ayora where our driver will meet you and immediate transfer you to Baltra Airport in time for your flight back to the mainland of Ecuador. 

Our driver will carry a sign with your name on it and welcome you at the arrivals area. You will be transferred to your hotel in the city. T

Duration: transfer of 45 min to 1 hour 15 min / Type: private transfer

You will be picked up at your hotel for a transfer to the airport in time for your international flight out.