DAY 1, Sunday - Depart the USA/Quito
Depart the USA for Ecuador. Your flight includes meals, drinks, and in-flight entertainment. Arrive in Quito and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: QuitoDAY 2, Monday - Quito City Tour
This morning's tour of Quito begins with a view of the Congress Building, whose outside stone mural records Ecuador's history. Continue to Quito's colonial section to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets and feel the charm of 16th-century Quito. See the Independence Plaza, the Cathedral, Presidential Palace, and the Archbishop's Palace before visiting La Compania Church and the Church of San Francisco. Afterward, see the Ecuadorian landscape from atop El Panecillo Hill. Balance of the day at leisure
Optional: Middle of the World (PM)
Overnight: Quito
Meals: BreakfastDAY 3, Tuesday - Tour Salasaca and Riobamba
This morning, depart for the town of Salasaca via the Pan-American Highway. Also known as the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," the highway spans the valley between the Cordillera ranges and features 11 snowy peaks. As you arrive in the colorful town of Salasaca, enjoy a panoramic tour of the town before a visit to a local handicraft workshop. After lunch in Ambato, visit La Quinta de Juan Leon Mera with its Botanical Gardens before continuing to Riobamba, capital of the Chimborazo province. Your tour of the area includes a visit to the quaint town of Guano, famous for its handmade rugs
Overnight: Riobamba
Meals: Breakfast, LunchDAY 4, Wednesday - Visit the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca
Today, depart for the ancient Inca ruins of Ingapirca, a northernmost fortress-temple whose massive fortifications are believed to have served as a religious and administrative complex. After lunch nearby, continue to the city of Cuenca, located in the Sierra highlands. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Cuenca
Meals: Breakfast, LunchDAY 5, Thursday - Cuenca City Tour, Chordeleg
Enjoy a morning tour of Cuenca. Walk along the main plaza, Calderon Park, whose pink marbled construction and colorful stained-glass windows are utterly breathtaking. See the flower market outside El Carmen Church and the Tomebamba River, as it winds in and out of the city's center with old houses jutting over its banks. Visit the Ortega shop where you can see "Panama Hats" being made. This afternoon, tour the Gualaceo Valley and the town of Chordeleg, known for its goldsmiths and weaving workshops. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Cuenca
Meals: BreakfastDAY 6, Friday - Guayaquil City Tour
This morning, drive through El Cajas National Park en route to Guayaquil. From the park highlands, enjoy spectacular views of the many lakes and rivers below, as well as a landscape dominated by paramo, a high-altitude, wet tropical grass. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, enjoy a tour of the city that includes a visit to the Centennial Park on Avenue 9 de Octubre. Continue to witness the city's regeneration, and visit the Seminario Park, also known as the "Park of the Iguanas." See the brightly-colored houses in Las Penas, the oldest neighborhood in Guayaquil, before checking in to your hotel. Evening at leisure
Overnight: Guayaquil
Meals: BreakfastDAY 7, Saturday - Full Day in Guayaquil
Spend today at leisure in Guayaquil. Take time to sightsee or shop independently. The nearby waterfront along the Guayas River has the popular Malecon 2000 pedestrian walkway. At 1.5 miles long, the boardwalk offers museums, restaurants and shopping malls
Optional: Parque Historico (AM)
Meals: Breakfast DAY 8, Sunday - Afternoon on Santa Cruz Island
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands. Arrive at Baltra Island, and then cross the Itabaca Channel to the island of Santa Cruz. Via coach, travel to the Santa Cruz highlands to visit the Rancho Primicias reserve, where you will see the Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat. A stop will be made to view Los Gemelos (Spanish for "The Twins"), great depressions of sunken lava formed thousands of years ago. Afterwards, enjoy a box lunch en route to the Finch Bay Eco Hotel, where you will spend your next three nights. Balance of the day at leisure. Your Galapagos island itinerary is subject to change. Different islands and sites may be substituted
Overnight: Galapagos
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
DAY 9, Monday - Sail to North Seymour Island
Today, enjoy a special boat route to North Seymour Island, a bird-lovers paradise. On this small uplifted island, you can see basking land and marine iguanas as well as a vast variety of endemic tropical birds, including blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, lava gulls, and the largest frigate bird colony in the Galapagos. The cliffs along the island's north side are home to a large colony of fur sea lions, many of which can be seen bodysurfing the curling waves. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Galapagos
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
DAY 10, Tuesday - Sail to Plaza Island
After breakfast, travel by yacht to Plaza Island. Full of fascinating wildlife along the shores and rocky cliffs, this small island is home to Opuntia cacti and other types of vegetation which change colors with the seasons. Enjoy time at leisure on the island
Overnight: Galapagos
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
DAY 11, Wednesday - Visit Charles Darwin Research Station
Early morning departure to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, a specialized breeding and rearing center for the endangered Galapagos Giant Tortoise. The Darwin Station is a working branch of the international, non-profit Charles Darwin Foundation which works to protect and maintain the Galapagos' precious ecosystems. Following your visit, transfer to the airport in Baltra for your return flight to Quito. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Quito
Meals: Breakfast |
DAY 12, Thursday - Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast |
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