Galapagos & Amazon Tour Backpacker 12D New

Quito arrival- Our driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Free time to relax and acclimatize to your new surroundings.

Flight/transfer to Cuyabeno. Upon your arrival to Lago Agrio town, you will take private transportation to the entrance of Cuyabeno Reserve, where you will have lunch. Then you will get onboard the canoe, to start the two hour ride down the Cuyabeno River to Caiman Lodge. During the trio you will get a glimpse of the amazing flora and fauna that inhabits the reserve. Once you arrive, and after you settle in the lodge you will be transferred to the main lagoon to have a swim and watch a beautiful sunset. After dinner, you will head out for a night walk.

After breakfast, you begin with a three-hour trek to the rainforest, while the guide explains the unique flora and fauna that you will see during the experience. After the trek, you will enjoy lunch and resting time, and during the late afternoon, you will explore the interconnected river by a paddle canoe. You may spot diverse river wildlife and also contemplate the beautiful sunset. After dinner, you will do some caiman spotting

Early wakeup call and breakfast; then you will head downstream to Puerto Bolivar SIona Community, where you will be welcomed by a Siona woman, who will show you how to harvest some yuccas and show you the preparation of their traditional meal, Cassave (yucca flat bread). Then you will be introduced to the Shaman of the Siona Tribe, who will explain the Ayahuasca ritual, and he will also choose a participant for a cleansing ritual. After this activity return to the lodge for lunch, and in the late afternoon you will enjoy the explanation of the preparation of traditional chocolate/coffee or encocado. Then you head back to the lodge for dinner.

Early wakeup call and breakfast to enjoy an early morning birdwatch activity. At 9:30 after you check out, you will be transferred to the entrance of the reserve by canoe, and then a bus will take you to Lago Agrio so you can get back to Quito by bus or airplane.

Quito Tour - A full day to acquaint yourself with the best sites of the city of Quito. In the morning you will enjoy a tour of the colonial highlights including the cathedral and most impressive churches and pretty plazas. After lunch we head north to the equator - 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!

Galapagos: Santa Cruz - An early flight to the Galapagos Islands where your English-speaking guide will be waiting for you at the airport in Baltra. He/she will take you to the port of Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island). In the afternoon y our guide will take you the Giant Turtle Reserve – Rancho El Manzanillo located in the upper part of Santa Cruz. Here giant tortoises can be found wandering freely. Lunch at Rancho El Manzanillo. Afterwards we visit the Charles Darwin Station to learn about the ongoing conservation efforts on these Enchanted Islands. The Research Station rears endemic Galapagos plants, land iguanas, and Giant Galapagos Tortoises for educational, scientific and conservation purposes.

By Yacht to one of the following destinations:

*Bartolome Island

*Plazas Islands

*Floreana Island

*Santa Fe Island

After breakfast, you will take a boat ride to one of the islands listed above. All of them offer fascinating insights into the plant and animal life of the Galapagos Islands where your naturalist guide will explain all about the flora and fauna that you encounter.

Note: The destinations depends on availability.

In the morning you will take the speedboat to Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. In the afternoon you take a kayaking tour to explore Tintoreras Islet, observing wildlife such as blue footed boobies, Galapagos penguins (depending on the season), sea lions, green sea turtles, amongst others. After the kayaking trip there is time for snorkeling hopefully accompanied by turtles, sea lions, white-tip reef sharks, as well as a variety of rays (spotted eagle rays, diamond stingrays, golden rays). Free time in the evening to enjoy the spectacular sunset, & explore the small town.

Galapagost Isabela - Today you have 2 options available:

OPTION 1. CAPE ROSE TUNNELS - After breakfast we will prepare ourselves to depart for snorkelling at the Cape Rose Tunnels located 40 minutes by boat southwest of Puerto Villamil. The sighting of birds and marine animals from the lava platform is one of the most important attractions. While snorkeling at this site you may experience up-close encounters with many species of fish, rays, sea turtles, penguins and sea lions.

OPTION 2: HIKE VOLCAN SIERRA NEGRA & VOLCAN CHICO - Early in the morning (7:00 am aprox.), after breakfast, we will prepare ourselves for the Sierra Negra Volcano hike by putting on comfortable walking shoes and possibly a rain jacket, making sure to bring sunscreen, water, and hats, and finally by preparing our box lunch at the hotel to take with us. We will then travel approximately 45 minutes by truck or bus to begin the 12 km hike (appx. 3 hours). The hike is long in terms of distance, but not very difficult as the inclines and declines are quite gradual. Sierra Negra Volcano has the second largest crater in the world, measuring approximately 6 miles in diameter and 300 feet deep. We can then continue to see spectacular moon-like terrain of Volcan Chico before heading back.

During the rest of this day we suggest visits to the Tortoise Breeding Center and the wetlands on your own.

Return to Santa Cruz & flight back to Quito - At 5:00 a.m. we head to the dock to take the public speedboat back to Santa Cruz Island (timing subject to change). From Puerto Ayora we will transport you across the highlands and to Baltra Airport. Depending on the timing of your flights we may have time for a quick visit to the twin crater sunken “holes”. These craters were formed by the collapse of the earth beneath which lava had passed and created giant tunnels, which facilitated the collapse and creation of the craters.
On arrival to Quito our driver will transport you to your hotel.
 

Transfer out - Our driver will transfer you back to the airport in time for your international flight out.