10-Day Galapagos and Amazon Adventure with Kichwa Community Visit

• Welcome to Quito! The largest and best-preserved colonial city in America, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and is located on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano.
  Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the day exploring Quito's old town and the surrounding area. We can help organize a day trip for you if requested in advance. In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you in the hotel lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00. At this time, we will discuss the details of the adventure and answer any questions you may have. Our first day is an acclimation and information day.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: In-flight

• We get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory on the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of Baltra. Once we arrive, we head to Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos. From here, we will take a quick boat to the largest island in the archipelago, where most of the volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island was formed by six shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf. Five are still active, making the island one of the most volcanically active places on Earth.
• The Galapagos Islands are located 600 miles (965.6 km) from the coast of Ecuador. It is important to understand that you will need to take air, road, and sea transportation to get there.

Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• Explore the amazing lava formations created by the volcanic island's last eruptions along the seashore. BBC and National Geographic have historically filmed this magical place for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches in crystal-clear water, full of sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks, and more. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through Los Tuneles. Here, we will have the best snorkelling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguins playing around.
• Before or after the trip, you can enjoy optional activities such as snorkelling at Concha de Perla, biking, or simply relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We also recommend taking some time to visit the giant tortoise breeding center, located within walking distance from the hotel.

Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• After driving up from Puerto Villamil to the trailhead, we will prepare our backpacks for the hike into a young forest ecosystem, a world of recent geological history. Our destination is the rim of Sierra Negra Crater, an active volcano that last erupted in June 2018.
  Upon arrival, we take in breathtaking views and explore the circumference of the massive, lava-filled crater, a caldera over six miles across at its widest point. We can continue our hike to Volcan Chico if we feel energetic enough. This secondary crater has a wild landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations, offering great examples of the dramatic geological events that have formed the Galapagos Islands over millennia.
  In the afternoon, we will visit Tintoreras Islet, located a short distance from Puerto Villamil and home to a great variety of wildlife. White-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, marine turtles, and sea lions inhabit its turquoise, crystalline waters. One of its beaches, surrounded by mangroves, is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully.

Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• In the morning, travel from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Once we arrive, we will check in at the hotel. We will then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands. In the afternoon, we will head to the El Chato reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz, home to the famous Galapagos tortoises.
• Hiking through El Chato's beautiful landscape with these lumbering giants is an unforgettable experience. We will also see other highland wildlife, such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigatebirds, which gather to wash the salt off their feathers at a freshwater lake.
• Afterwards, return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in the Galapagos' most populous town.

Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Islands and the last photos of sea lions, we will transfer to Baltra airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• Early in the morning, we will drive down along a curved panoramic road towards the Amazon Rainforest. As we descend from an altitude of 3000 m to 500 m (9843 ft to 1640 ft), you will observe how the landscape and vegetation change drastically between climates.
• Later, we will stop at the Guacamayos-Macaw Lookout, located between Antisana and Sumaco National Reserves in the low-elevation cloud forest, to observe the magical blanket of clouds that covers the Amazon rainforest. We then continue to the Arajuno River, where a motor canoe will take us 20 minutes upriver to the Eco Lodge.
• Then, enjoy a short break, and before dinner there is an optional nocturnal hike to view insects.

Accommodation: Amazon Lodge

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

• We will rise with the sunrise and take a canoe up the Arajuno River to visit the Saladero. Here, flocks of parrots, parakeets, and macaws come daily to consume minerals from the earth to improve their digestion of foods such as fruits and seeds.
• After breakfast, we will hike in the pristine Amazon forest to learn more about the flora, fauna, and the survival techniques people need when living here.
• In the afternoon, we will visit the nearby Kichwa community. They will share their traditions and stories with us.

Accommodation: Amazon Lodge

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

• We head back to the Andes Mountains, and before going to Quito, we will stop at Papallacta hot springs to soak in the volcanic pools. It is optional to take any spa treatment.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• Our trip will end with your international departure. Take your memories and photos with you, and leave a piece of your heart behind, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this spectacular paradise. We wish you a "Buen viaje!"

Meals included: Breakfast