9 Days Quito, Otavalo, Galapagos Islands Cruise

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 sites of colonial art and architecture. This afternoon, 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. 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 – Bartolomé
You will be assisted and transferred to the airport for your flight to Baltra. Upon arrival, transfer to the pier to board the cruise. This afternoon, visit to Bartolomé, which is famous for its Pinnacle Rock, the most representative landmark of the Galapagos. (BLD) (Note: Itinerary is subject to change without prior notice)

Day 5 - 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. 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 6 - 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. (BLD)

Day 7 - 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 8 - 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 9 - Depart Quito
Depart Quito for North America this morning. (B)