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: Arrival in Galapagos

   • You will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Baltra Airport in the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to Santa Cruz, a nearby island, crossing the narrow Itabaca channel by ferry. From here, 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. 
   • After this tour, you will continue to your hotel by private vehicle. Here, you will have a meet and greet with your local guide, who will explain the following day’s itinerary to you. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure to relax and introduce yourself to this beautiful Island. 

   Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

3. Day 3: Bay Tour Exploration - Charles Darwin Research Station

   • After breakfast, you will enjoy a half-day tour of Academy Bay. Be sure to pack everything you need for this trip. Optional snorkel equipment will be provided free 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 can see white-tipped reef sharks swimming in the ocean below.
   • In the afternoon, we will 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.

   Accommodation: La Isla Hotel or similar

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

4. Day 4: Speed Boat to Isabela Island - Breeding Center - Flamingo Lagoon - Tintoreras Islet

   • 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 of them are still active, the reason why the island is one of the most volcanically active places on earth.
   • Upon arrival, we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center location and the flamingo lagoon to admire this incredible species in their natural habitat.
   • 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

5. Day 5: Hike in Sierra Negra

   • 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 that is over six miles across at its wildest point. If we feel energetic enough, we can continue our hike to Volcan Chico, a secondary crater that has a wild landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations, great examples of the dramatic geological events that have formed the Galapagos Islands over millennia.
   • In the afternoon, you will have time to enjoy the crystalline water of Concha Perla and practice some snorkelling to observe marine wildlife.

   Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

6. Day 6: 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, biking, or just relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island.

   Accommodation: Albemarle Boutique Hotel or similar

   Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

7. Day 7: 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

8. Day 8: 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