7-Day Galapagos Wildlife Tour with Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal

• Welcome to Quito, the largest and 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 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. This first day is for acclimation and information.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: In-flight

• You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Baltra Island in the Galapagos. On arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to nearby Santa Cruz Island, crossing the narrow Itabaca Channel by ferry.
• From here, continue by car to your first stop in the highlands of Santa Cruz, home to the iconic giant Galapagos tortoises. You will visit a private ranch and enjoy lunch before heading out on a walk in search of the giant tortoises. During this visit, you will also explore lava tubes formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies.
• After the tour, continue to your hotel by private vehicle. Here, you will meet your local guide, who will explain the following day's itinerary. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure to relax and get acquainted with this beautiful island.

Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• After breakfast, enjoy a half-day tour of Academy Bay. Be sure to pack everything you need for the trip. Optional snorkel equipment will be provided free of charge to anyone who wishes to use it. During the tour, you will take a boat to Academy Bay, where you can swim and snorkel with all kinds of exotic fish and marine life, as well as the famous sea lions. They are very curious animals and like to swim next to you underwater. Here, you can also see the sought-after blue-footed boobies.
• Afterwards, climb to a nearby viewpoint, and if you are lucky, you may see white-tipped reef sharks swimming in the ocean below. Then walk along Playa de los Perros, where many sea iguanas bask in the sun. The enormous cacti, the deep red colour of the rocks, and the turquoise, sparkling ocean create wonderful photo opportunities.

Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• In the morning, 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 across the Galapagos Islands.
• In the afternoon, travel by speedboat to San Cristóbal Island. Once you arrive, check in at the hotel.

Accommodation: Blue Marlin Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• After breakfast, you will be met and transferred to a dock, where you will take a short boat ride to nearby Isla Lobos. During the boat trip, observe many marine animals before setting foot on the island. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided tour with the chance to observe frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, manta rays, sea lions, and sometimes sharks that inhabit the island and its surrounding waters. The white coral beaches of San Cristóbal are also wonderful for walking, relaxing, and swimming before you return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

Accommodation: Blue Marlin Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• Enjoy some more free time this morning before transferring to San Cristóbal Airport. From here, you will take a flight back to mainland Ecuador.
• Upon arrival in Quito, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for one more evening at leisure before saying goodbye.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• Your trip ends today as you prepare for your international departure. Take your memories and photos with you, and leave a piece of your heart behind, as you will surely want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a "buen viaje"!

Meals included: Breakfast