ANDES AND GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – 10 Days

DAY 1 – ARRIVAL AT QUITO 

A tour guide will be waiting for you at your arrival from your Delta flight at 8.50pm in the Quito airport and take you to the hotel by the airport. 

DAY 2 – CITYTOUR IN QUITO. 

Your day begin with a visit to “El Panecillo,” a prominent hill in the heart of Quito that offers breathtaking panoramic views of the city and its surrounding landscapes. 

Next, you’ll explore Quito’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its colonial architecture, charming streets, and vibrant atmosphere. In Oldtown you will visit Independence square, La Compania church and San Francisco church. 

After Old town you will discover the fascinating science and cultural exhibits at the Intiñan Museum, which is located near the equator line. Participate in interactive demonstrations that showcase the equatorial phenomena, such as balancing an egg on a nail or observing the Coriolis effect.

Finally, you will be taken back to the hotel, around 4pm. 

DAY 3 – COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK – TRANSFER TO BANOS  

You will leave early in the morning to Cotopaxi National Park.  The park’s natural beauty is breathtaking, with its high-altitude landscapes offering a dramatic backdrop of rugged terrain and verdant páramo.

You start your hike to Limpiopungo Lagoon, which is located at about 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) above sea level. The trail is relatively moderate, winding through the high-altitude páramo. As you walk, you take in the sweeping views of the Cotopaxi volcano and the expansive lagoon. The trail is dotted with unique flora and fauna adapted to the harsh environment. 

After your hike, you will go for lunch and then begin the drive to Baños, a charming town known for its natural hot springs and stunning waterfalls. The drive takes you through varied landscapes, from high mountain terrain to lush, green valleys as you descend from the Andes.

DAY 4 – WATERFALL TOUR AND SWING OF THE END OF THE WORLD. 

You will leave after breakfast to visit the different waterfalls in Banos, especially Pilon del Diablo, the most famous one in town. You will have the option of crossing the cable car through the mountain, do ziplining and some other fun activities. 

After this activity you come back to Baños for lunch and then go up to the famous swing of the end of the world, which is at the top of a mountain and will be able to take great pictures from there. 

This day will finish around 3pm, and then you will have the time to enjoy the hot springs. 

DAY 5 – TRANSFER BACK TO QUITO. 

You will have a free morning, in which you can choose to do a extreme sport like river rafting, and after lunch you will be transferred back to Quito. You will stay close to the airport to be able to take your Galapagos flight the next day. 

DAY 6  –  FLY TO GALAPAGOS – TURTLE RANCH, LAVA TUNNELS: 

You will be picked up at the hotel and go to Quito airport. We will offer assistance at the process of paper work for the Galapagos. You will check in for your flight to the Galapagos. 

At arrival, you will meet their tour guide who will be holding a sign with your name. You will then visit the Santa Cruz highlands. The first stop will be the twin craters, which are impressive holes were formed by magma (lava) domes which hardened on the outside but continued to flow on the inside, leaving huge but empty chambers that collapsed with the passing of time, creating this breathtaking scenery that resembles two pit crates. After that you will visit the Tortoise Ranch, this is the place to go to for seeing giant tortoises roaming around free. You will have lunch at this place. After that, you will go to the walk through the lava tunnels, which are underground tunnels formed by ancient lava that once flowed across these islands. When the outside layers of lava cooled, they formed a crust while the interior lava still flowed hot and fast. Eventually, the lava inside flowed out of the crust and left a tunnel or a tube behind.

After this, the tour guide will take you the hotel for check in. 

DAY 7    – DAY TOUR TO SANTA FE ISLAND

You will leave the hotel at 07h30 to the pier of Puerto Ayora, where we will take our boat to Santa Fe.

Santa Fe Island is located South East of Santa Cruz Island. In this island you will find an endemic land iguana that lives only in this place, sea lions in a white sand beach resting waiting for pictures, they pose to your cameras. 

The snorkel will take place in a bay called Fisherman Bay in Santa Fe Island; here you may spot sea turtles, rays, sea lions, fishes, Galapagos sharks and many more in this rocky reef. 

Lunch is included in the tour. 

Once we are back in town, people will have dinner on their own.  

DAY 8 –  CHARLES DARWIN AND TORTUGA BAY: 

You will begin your day at 10h00 with a walk to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a renowned scientific institution dedicated to the conservation and study of the Galapagos’ unique flora and fauna. You will learn about ongoing research projects, conservation efforts, and the importance of protecting the delicate ecosystem of the islands.

Then you will have lunch and after lunch you will take a water taxi to Tortuga Bay. Arriving at Tortuga Bay, you’ll be greeted by a pristine beach that offers the perfect setting for relaxation and exploration. You can relax the rest of the afternoon there, and you will be able to rent kayaks ok spot. 

After that you will hike back to the hotel.

DAY 9: TOUR TO SEYMOUR ISLAND

You will be picked up at your hotel between 07h30 – 08h00 to go to Seymour Island. You will go to the Itabaca Cannal to board the boat. You will enjoy a navigable tour to North Seymour, a 1.9 km² island located northbound from Baltra. 

The main fauna species of this island are Land Iguanas, the Magnificent Frigate bird with their incredible scarlet regular pouch, blue-footed boobies and their particular courtship dance and sea lions surfing across the waves. Lunch on board.

 After lunch we will do snorkeling in Bachas or Mosquera where you will be able to discover tones of different fish species and also swim with sea lions. 

Guests will be back at the hotel around 4.30pm.

DAY 10  –  FLY BACK TO QUITO OR GUAYAQUIL. 

This day you will be transferred to the Galapagos airport and fly back to Quito  or Guayaquil, and then connect with a night flight back home or stay an extra day and leave early in the morning.

Payment Policy:

50% required to book the tour. The 50% balance have to be paid 3 months before the trip. 

Cancellation Policy: 

Included:

Accommodation every night in local standard hotel: Examples: Hotel Ninfa in Santa Cruz, Hotel Sangay or Floresta in Banos, Hotel Casa Las Plazas in Quito.

All tours mentioned in the itinerary. Private tours in land, shared tours in boats with in average 12 guests per boat maximum.

Airport transfers.

All breakfasts.

Lunches, except travel days: Arrival to Quito, departure from Galapagos.

Flight to the Galapagos

Excluded:

International flight from home to Quito.

Activities not mentioned in the itinerary.

Dinners.

Galapagos entry fee: $200 per person.

Galapagos Registration card: $20 per person.

Wetsuit rental.

Travel insurance.

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