12 Days Quito, Galapagos Islands, Quito

Day 1 - Arrive Quito
Arrive in Quito. You are welcomed at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 2 - Quito – City Tour, Archaeological Museum & Equatorial Monument

This morning’s tour offers the best of Quito, with its rich cultural legacy, ornate façades and dazzling gilt altars. Visit Independence Square, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral as well as other very representative samples of colonial art and architecture. Continue to visit and relive the history of Ecuador’s most ancient cultures in one of the finest archaeological and gold artifact collections in the Americas. There are over 1,800 pieces, beautifully arranged in chronological corridors with explanatory panels and dioramas. This afternoon, drive a few miles north of town and visit the famous Equatorial Monument, marked by geographers as latitude 000'00". You will have the opportunity to straddle the two hemispheres at the same time. (B)

Day 3 - Quito – Otavalo - Quito
The Chaski Antawa Train (messenger train) rides on the railroad built at the beginning of the 20th century connecting the northern highlands with the tropical coast. From Ibarra, the train climbs down to the warm, dry valley of Ambuqui, going through sugar cane plantations, magical landscapes, and tunnels, and crossing bridges that span large canyons and gullies. The 26-km ride to Salinas plunges from 2,200 down to 1,500 meters above sea level (7,216 to 4,920 feet) in only about 2 hours. LUNCH at Salinas´ social project restaurant with high quality standards. Other sites include the village of Mascarilla; an Afro-Ecuadorian community known for its unique clay masks. Visit Otavalo Indigenous Market. Back to Quito. (B)

Day 4 - Quito / Baltra – Galapagos Islands Cruise – North Seymour
You will be assisted and transfered to the airport for your flight to Baltra. Upon arrival, transfer to the pier to board the cruise. Dry landing. Guests wil encounter swallow tailed gulls and sea lions. This site is a major nesting colony of blue footed boobies, and has the largest colony of the magnificent frigate bird. Travelers will also spot both the marine iguanas and land iguanas. (BLD)

(Note: Itinerary is subject to change without prior notice)

Day 5 - Santa Cruz (Dragon Hill)
Dry landing. Passengers walk to a saltwater lagoon behind the beach, where on occasion many pink flamingos can be observed. This trail leads up to Dragon Hill, which offers a lovely view of the bay. This is a nesting site for reintroduced land iguanas, and there is also a Holy Stick Forest.

Floreana (Cormorant Point)
Wet landing on a greenish colored sand beach. Visitors will hike from the black mangrove beds to a large, brackish lagoon, which holds one of the biggest flamingo populations in the Galapagos. This island features endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, Galapagos daisies, white and black mangrove, and holy stick.

Novice snorkelers can practice on the main beach with the playful sea lions. Please keep in mind this is an open-water activity; there is nothing to step on. (BLD)

Day 6 - Espanola (Suarez Point)
Dry landing. Visitors will learn more about the lava terrain and cross the inactive lava fields. Besides the sea lion colonies, this is a very important site for bird watching. Various bird species such as the mockingbird of Española, Nazca booby and tropic bird can be spotted and observed from very close. You will also see a large colony of marine iguanas, lava lizards, and rally light foot crabs. After a short trek visitors encounter colonies of Nazca and blue-footed boobies.
The nesting grounds sometimes overlap the trail. Visitors will also find Galapagos doves, hawks and swallow-tailed gulls and then reach the world’s largest colony of waved albatross. A major highlight is their mating season, from May through December.

You’ll visit the famous blowhole, where water shoots into the air about 23 m (75 ft). San Cristóbal (Interpretation Center or La Galapaguera) Dry landing at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Passengers will visit San Cristóbal breeding center and learn about the National Park’s breeding program with the giant tortoises.

Passengers will observe some animals in their natural environment.

Passengers will also have the opportunity to the visit the town and go shopping for souvenirs and arts and crafts. (BLD)

Day 7 - Santa Cruz (Carrion Point) - Bartolome
Today, passengers can choose either a ride in an outboard motorboat to observe the Galapagos fur seal, seabirds and marine wildlife or go snorkeling to see a variety of tropical fish, manta rays or even harmless white-tipped reef sharks.

This afternoon, visit to Bartolomé, which is famous for its Pinnacle Rock, the most representative landmark of the Galapagos. Precariously walking at the base of Pinnacle Rock are the Galapagos Penguins, one of the smallest species of penguin and the only species of penguin found north of the Equator. Climb to the highest point of the island for panoramic views. (BLD)

Day 8 - Galapagos Islands Cruise – Punta Espinoza, Fernandina Island / Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
This morning, visit Fernandina, the youngest and westernmost island in the Galapagos. Travel around Punta Espinoza, a narrow stretch of land where some of the most unique Galapagos species can be seen. Marine iguanas congregate here in larger groups than on any other island. You will take the train inland and find two different types of lava flows. At the tip of one of the small peninsulas, flightless Cormorants are to be found. This afternoon, visit Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago. It is made up of six shield volcanoes that have merged into a single land mass. The highest point of the islands is Wolf Volcano. Your boat will sail through Bolivar Channel to reach this site. Whales and dolphins are usually seen in the waters surrounding the island. Also visit Tagus Cove, which was historically used as an anchoring site for pirates and whalers. The trail is an upward climb that goes through the typical dry vegetation zone and offers spectacular views of Darwin Lake, a saltwater crater lake. (BLD)

Day 9 - Galapagos Island Cruise – Puerto Egas, James Island & Rabida Island
In the morning, visit Puerto Egas (James Bay), located on the northwestern side of James Island. The landing is on a black beach, with eroded rock formations in the background. The trail crosses the dry interior, where the remains of a salt-mining enterprise can still be seen, and then continues along the coast. Inter-tidal pools are home to a variety of invertebrate organisms. In the afternoon, continue to Rabida Island. One of the special features of Rabida Island is its remarkable red color, which is a result of the high percentage of oxidized iron in the composition of the lava. Flamingos and white-cheeked pintail ducks can be seen in a saltwater lagoon near the beach. In the saltbushes that encircle the lagoon, brown pelicans build their nests. Walking up to the southeastern part of the island, there is an observatory from which the startling red color of the beach and the rocks can be appreciated. (BLD)

Day 10 - Galapagos Islands Cruise – Charles Darwin Research Station & Cerro Dragon, Santa Cruz Island
Today’s excursion takes you to Santa Cruz, the second-largest island in the Galapagos. The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic center of the archipelago. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park offices are based here. Scientists and park rangers equally contribute to the conservation of the islands and make a huge effort to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The research station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing center, where tortoises are prepared to re-enter their natural habitats. In the afternoon, visit Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill), a flamingo lagoon that gives a colorful touch to the scene. You will then follow a trail that leads to a small hill where land iguanas live and nest. (BLD)

Day 11 - Galapagos Islands Cruise – Baltra / Quito
Arrive in Baltra this morning. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening at a local restaurant. (BD)

Day 12 - Depart Quito
Depart Quito for North America this morning. (B)