Itinerary

1. Day 1: Quito Arrival Day

   • Welcome to Quito! The largest, best-preserved colonial city in America – 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 your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area. ADVENTURE JOURNEYS can help you to organize a day trip (please request in advance). In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you at the hotel’s lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00 hours. At this time, we will discuss the details and questions you may have regarding the adventure. Our first day is an acclimation and information day. 

   Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: In-flight 

2. Day 2: San Cristobal Island - Snorkeling

   • We get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory of the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of San Cristóbal. Once we arrive, we have a transfer to the hotel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and a short briefing about the next days before the adventure begins. We will head to “La Loberia” in the afternoon, a home beach for large Galapagos sea lions. We will hike for approximately 1 hour. The ground in this hike is flooded along the shoreline at high tide. It is a fairly leisurely walking activity that takes you through a lot of lava rocks and some mangroves. During this excursion, we will have the possibility to spot the red-billed tropicbird, blue-footed bobbies, and Nazca bobbies. We also get to see yellow warbler birds, frigate birds, and several species of Darwin’s finches along the beach. We can find marine iguanas between the rocks, which you can only see in Galapagos. After that, we will enjoy a shallow-water snorkelling activity to spot sea lions and sea turtles. Sea lions are very curious and approach to swim next to you underwater. They may also be lazing over rocks or just lazy dozing in the sand. We also have the time to go for a refreshing swim, explore the waters with our snorkel equipment and enjoy the beach. 

   Accommodation: Seaside Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast

3. Day 3: Kicker Rock - Snorkel

   • In the morning, we will take a boat to Kicker Rock, located off the coast of San Cristóbal, also known as the Sleeping Lion (Leon Dormido) because of some resemblance. This is the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea; two vertical rocks rising 500 ft (150 m) above the ocean form a small channel navigable by small boats. This Galapagos Island’s natural monument has become a spectacular site due to the many tropical birds, frigate birds and boobies that fill the sky in this area. Beneath the sea, the crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colorful fish, such as rainbow fish and sharks, like the hammerhead and white tip. After lunch, we will spend some time on the beach and return to the hotel.

   Accommodation: Seaside Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

4. Day 4: Isabela Island - Biking

   • In the morning, hop to Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago and 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. In the afternoon, we will explore the beautiful coastline on an exclusive trail on our bikes, taking us through an incredible ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife, including flamingos, marine iguanas, and giant tortoises. We start with a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks. This site dates back to the 1950s when Isabela was used as a penal colony, and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad because of the isolation they experienced. We will explore pristine white sand beaches, mangrove forests, and lagoons as we continue our ride along the coast. This area is filled with a plethora of birdlife, including American oystercatchers, herons, flamingos, finches, and many other shorebirds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas. 

   Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast

5. Day 5: Isabela Island - Snorkel at Lava Tunnels

   • 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 made of 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 some optional activities such as snorkelling at “Concha de Perla”, biking, or just relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We recommend you take some time to visit the giant tortoise breeding center located within local distance from the hotel. 

   Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

6. Day 6: Hike Sierra Negra - Kayak in Tintoreras - Snorkel at Concha Perla

   • After breakfast, at around 0800, you will depart to Sierra Negra Volcano. You will drive to the highlands of Isabela, where you would normally start hiking. The volcano, with its height of around 1,500 meters and an outer diameter of approximately nine kilometres, is the second biggest lava dome in the world. 
   • You will have lunch at a local restaurant in the highlands at around 1300, a beautiful organic farm whose owners prepare their food with vegetables and fruits grown locally at the farm. Prepared at a lava rock grill, enjoy a delicious meal and after lunch, take a walk among the fruit trails or just take a nap in one of their hammocks and breathe the clean air above a big Mango tree.
   • We then make our way back to the pier, arriving at 1430, where, after a short briefing, we will start kayaking at the bay, where we can enjoy the local wildlife. On the way, we can observe penguins, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, iguanas marinas, sea turtles, sea lions, eagle rays and sometimes Sharks “Tintoreras” juveniles. To finish this day, at 1630, we will have a short visit to Concha & Perla, a small beach in Puerto Villamil, where we will snorkel. A short, beautiful walk through the mangroves on a boardwalk will lead you to the spot with turquoise waters and wildlife galore! You can expect to see plenty of other tourists alongside colorful fish, sea lions, sea turtles, pelicans, mockingbirds and maybe even marine iguanas!

   Hiking time: 4 hours both ways

   Hiking distance: 6 miles (9.6 km) (10 miles -16 km- optional to Volcán Chico)

   Hiking elevation gain: 950 feet (289.5 meters) 

   Maximum elevation while hiking: 3687 feet (1124 meters) 

   Kayaking time: 2 hours

   Snorkeling   time:  1 hour

   What to wear today for hiking: shorts, t-shirt, tennis shoes, rain jacket, hat, buff, sun cream, mosquito repellent.

   What to wear today for kayaking and snorkelling: sandals, shorts, water long-sleeve t-shirt, bathing suit, hat, sun cream, mosquito repellent

   Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

7. Day 7: Santa Cruz Island - Charles Darwin Research Station - Hike with Giant Tortoises

   • In the morning, traverse 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. Later, we will continue by car to our first stop in the highlands of Santa Cruz. The highlands are home to the iconic giant Galapagos tortoises. Here, you will visit a private ranch where you will enjoy lunch before heading out for a walk in search of the giant tortoises. During this visit, you will also visit some lava tubes, which are formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies. Afterwards, we will continue on bikes to the other side of the island to Garrapateros beach. En route, we will stop at the Trapiche to learn about the process of making sugarcane liquor. Finally, we will return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in Galapagos’ most populous town. 

   Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast

8. Day 8: Santa Cruz Island Free Day - Optional Diving

   • Today, you can experience the Galapagos as you desire, whether scuba diving (request in advance) or just relaxing on the beach! As an option, you can go on a self-guided exploration walk through a dry forest to Tortuga Bay (3.5 mi/ 5.6 km), a beautiful white sand beach and a nesting site for thousands of marine turtles. This beautiful place invites swimming or snorkelling. Alternatively, you can join any optional activities (at an extra cost), such as a trip to Floreana Island, Bartolome Island or a scuba-diving day trip, to mention a few. 

   Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast

9. Day 9: Flight Back to Quito

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

   Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar 

   Meals included: Breakfast

10. Day 10: Departure

    • Our trip will end, and you will have your International departures. Take your memories and photos with you and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a “buen viaje”! 

    Meals included: Breakfast