Welcome to Quito, a city situated in a circle of mountainous peaks, is the world's second highest capital and has one of the most magnificent settings in the world.
Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978, Quito boasts one of the finest colonial centers in Latin America.
We will pick you up to take you to a short ride through the north of the city in order to arrive to the Equatorial Monument, built as a tribute to the French scientists who determined the shape of the earth in the 1700s.
You will visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, where the colorful way of life of the different ethnic groups of Ecuador is on display, and you will continue to a visit to the Intiñan interactive museum, which shows the different theories of the Incas in determining the middle of the world.
MIDDLE DAY: The tour will then continue through to visit the modern section of Quito and continue towards the city's historic district. You will visit San Agustín Convent and its historical Sala Capitular, followed by Independence Square, flanked by the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace and City Hall.
Here you will have your lunch that will be served at a fine restaurant in the city center.
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We will continue with the visit to the Stroll past El Sagrario Church and marvel at the exquisite stone facade of La Compañía Church. You will visit the San Francisco Church, built over the ruins of an Inca Palace in the 16th century. After this, you can choose between a visit to the home of former philanthropist Maria Augusta Urrutia or the City Museum.
The Urrutia House has its original furniture and paintings from the 19th century, privately restored by the owners. The City Museum is housed in the old San Juan de Dios Hospital, a restored building from the 16th century.
Here you will gain insight into what life was like in Quito, from prehistoric times to the 19th century. The day will conclude with a ride up the road to the Panecillo or the Itchimbia hills for a breathtaking view of Quito.
Depart to enjoy magnificent sceneries along the way and spectacular views of San Pablo Lake as we approach Otavalo. In Cayambe we will stop at the Equatorial Monument and try some typical biscuits and cheese.
Upon arrival in Otavalo, you will have time to browse through the open-air indigenous market, where colorful handicrafts are on display. Lunch will be at a hacienda in the area.
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In the afternoon, we will visit the town of Cotacachi, home to Ecuador's finest leather craftsmen and go on a short walk at Cuicocha Crater Lake. We will get back to Quito and take you to the hotel.
Transfer to airport in order to take the flight to Galapagos
Arrival to the Galapagos. Ferry crossing to Santa Cruz Island (10min.ride).
Check in at Aventura Lodge.
Lunch at the lodge.
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After Lunch, snorkel with Sea Lions, Sting Rays and Baby Reef Sharks in the shallow, emerald waters of Tortuga Bay, then witness the nesting site of the famous Marine Iguanas.
Depart Tortoise Quest Tour. This tour begins with a trip to the lavish, lush green "Los Gemelos" (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers - an awe-inspiring visual reminder of the power of nature. Afterwards, we visit a 600-acre private reserve where the giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep.
After visiting the tortoises, we'll take a 5-minute ride to the entrance of a 450 meter (1350 feet) illuminated lava tunnel. Stalagmites, stalactites, sulfur and mineral colored walls all await you on this uniquely Galapagos experience.
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Return to Aventura Lodge for Lunch.
Around 2:00 PM departure for Floreana. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.
Arriving on the dock, be greeted by amazing ruby red and turquoise colored Floreana marine iguanas.
Departure in open-air bus that will transport you to the highlands of Floreana. Walk up to see the Asilo de la Paz (Peace Asylum) where an artisan spring that attracted pirates, whalers and later settlers to Floreana is located. See the Cueva de los Piratas (Pirate's Cave) where pirates carved temporary shelter out of the soft stone.
Cerro Pajas (Bird Hill) truly lives up to its name with a multitude of Floreana Finches. Visit a tortoise reserve where you can watch many of the giant tortoises up close and personal.
Around 11:00 AM for Isabela. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.
Arriving at Isabela's port is a visual feast with stunning green and turquoise waters so clear, you can see sea turtles, sea lions and penguins as though looking through glass.
Check-in Isabela Lodge, lunch.
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Around 2:30 PM we will depart to Las Tintoreras and Bay Tour.
Walk through a jagged 'AA' lava field, passing abundant colonies of marine iguanas, to see a small canal full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. The black, treacherous lava field, the emerald green sea, the forest green mangrove and the cloud capped volcanoes of Isla Isabela is the sort of afternoon backdrop you will not soon forget.
Once you return to the dock you can snorkel this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangrove, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, penguins and relax.
Depart for Sierra Negra on 4x4 vehicles that will drive us up through the humid highlands to the slopes of Volcan Sierra Negra. Here, we start hiking the caldera of Sierra Negra, the second largest in the world at 4 miles across. The views are breathtaking!
We will relax a bit and have a snack on the edge of the caldera. More advanced hikers will have the option to descend into the crater itself!
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After returning from Sierra Negra, we will have a late lunch around 2:30 PM at Campo Duro.
Campo Duro is a comfortable, whimsical otherworldly paradise perfect place for lunch after Sierra Negra. You will be greatly surprised by the spectacular atmosphere at this place.
After lunch we will visit Cuevas de Sucre. This is one of the newer Park Sites. It is not lit inside like the lava tunnels on Santa Cruz, so a flashlight is a must. Inside, the tunnel's ceilings look like you're walking through a gold mine. Great place!
Next, visit El Mango Mirador, located near the road leading to the agricultural area of the island, well-known since the early settlers of the island planted a tree mango that, so far, is still there.
From the top of the highest peak on a clear day you'll have a wonderful view of the entire southern part of Isabela Island, its nearby islands or even other islands, such as Floreana and Santa Cruz.
Around 4:30 PM we head back to Isabela Lodge. Many prefer to laze on the beautiful beach or climb on the rocks to take photos of the marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies. If you wish, near the main dock of Isabela is a beautiful walk through the mangrove that leads to an area known as Concha de Perla. In the shallow waters there is a sea turtle "cleaning station." It's a great place to snorkel and see these creatures from a few feet away.
A short drive out of town along the most beautiful, white sand, palm lined beach in all of Galapagos, Long Beach.
This beach, straight from the cover of a travel magazine, stretches on for 3 kilometers before the National Park where we walk up the trail for astounding views from the top of Cerro Orchilla.
Visit the "Muro de Las Lagrimas" (Wall of Tears), a unique construction built by the backbreaking of prisoners of a penal colony centuries before. The path to the Wall of Tears is abundant with lava lizards, the males are larger and striped and the females red-throated.
Around 21:00 AM, depart for Santa Cruz. Sailing time is 1.5 - 2 hours.
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Arrive in Puerto Ayora 12:30-1:00 PM.
Check in Aventura Lodge and Lunch.
Around 3:00 PM depart for guided tour of the fascinating Charles Darwin Research Station.
After the Darwin Station, there will be some free time to shop for souvenirs or browse the shops along Charles Darwin Avenue.
Departure time depending on sea conditions, we will sail or flight to San Cristobal.
Lunch will be in Santa Cruz or San Cristobal, it depends on the departure time.
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Once in San Cristobal and after lunch, we take a ride through the countryside to reach El Junco Lake. The lake itself is the caldera (collapsed cone) of an extinct volcano and is about 300 metres wide and is the only large sweet water reservoir in the Galapagos archipelago.
This sweet water lagoon is surrounded by fern and sedges and various flowering plants.
Arriving on top of the lake, you are awarded by spectacular views to the lagoon and the surrounding hills and far away Pacific Ocean.
Then to La Loberia, home to a large sea lion colony and nursery.
There are frequently dozens of sea lions visible at any time. Low tide is one of the best times to visit however, since that is when the mothers bring the pups into the tide pools for swimming lessons. Here you'll enjoy the sea lions, marine iguanas, bird watching, and even Galapagos giant tortoises.
Around 8:30 AM departure to Kicker Rock or Sleeping Lion. Sailing time is 2 hours. This gigantic rock, and landmark of the Galapagos, raises 500 feet straight from the ocean.
It is great for scuba diving, so you will be invited to enjoy the beauty bellow the water. Under the sea the nearly crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colorful tropical fish and invertebrates.
However if you prefer to stay on the boat, don't snooze, the seabirds put on an astonishing acrobatic show above your head.
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Puerto Grande with its turquoise water and white sandy beach will be the frame for our onboard lunch, and then we disembark at this wondrous place to relax or swim.
Then to Isla Lobos, which is considered one of very best places for snorkeling and will be your chance to swim with sea lions.
Return to San Cristobal and free time to walk to the town and shop if desire
Your last visit while in Galapagos, a short walk of about two kilometers to visit Cerro de Las Tijeretas or Frigatebird Hill. Reached via a well marked trail, this spot is the nesting ground for several dozen tropical bird species eager to greet curious visitors.
Around 11:00 am. Departure to the airport to flight back to Quito.
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Arrival to Quito, transfer to the hotel Sheraton or similar.
Departing from Quito, 30 minute flight to Coca over the eastern Andes mountain range.
After landing, about mid morning, and airport procedures a 5 min transfer in local chiva (hired bus) or local taxi from airport to Port Francisco de Orellana will drive us to embark onto a comfortable covered motor boat. Here we start a canoe ride along the Napo River for about 2 hours approx, lunch box in route.
Along the way birds like herons, kingfishers and others can be spotted. After arriving at NWC's entry dock we disembark for restroom then take a majestic and peaceful one hour's dugout canoe ride surrounded by trees overhead, paddling along a narrow creek that connects to the lake where the lodge is located.
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Good possibilities of monkey's sights of various species as well as large birds like toucans, parrots or even macaws.
Late afternoon, arrival to the NWC lodge by the overwhelming view of the Añangu Lake, welcome drink and facilities.
Dinner at the lodge.
Optional cayman (alligator) observation around the lake and natural sounds at night.
Departure to reach the best and easy access parrot clay licks in Ecuador, about 1 hour away from the lodge, guests reach there just before parrot activity kicks off at the clay lick between 7:30 to 8:30. A total of 11 species of parrots, parakeets and macaws can be seen. This is a visit that depends on weather conditions but usually successful.
Later, hike along forest trail to visit to the Quichua community of Añangu and sharing time with a family on their activities.
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Return to the creek and hike through a Terra Firme Forest for about 30 minutes until we arrive to the second parrot clay lick where if the weather conditions help will be able to find different species of parrots, parakeets and even macaws.
Depart from the lodge to the finest experience at a canopy tower on the Napo. A 36m high canopy tower opened to guests in November 2004, a great way to experience the life above the forest floor. This is the second tower at the Napo Wildlife
Center (the first is attached to the dining hall and allows great views of the lake). The canopy tower is located about 20 minutes from the lodge deep within the terra firm forest.
As you ascend the 12-story tower, you pass through different levels of the forest and emerge on top of a huge Ceiba tree. Here you cross onto a wooden platform that is actually built into the tree and experience the view formerly reserved only for the birds. The metal tower itself was constructed to the highest standards, galvanized, and carefully inspected by engineers.
Safety is the priority. The platform at the top of the tree was constructed by tree platform specialists as well. From top to bottom, there is no finer canopy experience in Eastern Ecuador.
Flocks of colorful tanagers pass right through the canopy of the tree, Blue-andyellow Macaws fly past, in nearby trees Spider Monkeys search for fruit, two species of large toucans call in the early mornings and afternoons, and the life of the forest canopy opens before you.
Birds that are virtually impossible to see from the forest floor far below are suddenly right beside you, oblivious to your presence. The canopy tower opens a whole new world to guests of the Napo Wildlife Center!!
Lunch at the lodge.
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Afternoon visit to a Terra Firme trail, hike along primary forest to discover the forest interior, possibilities of finding lizards, colorful manakins or the unique and endemic Golden mantle tamarin monkeys.
After the hike, explore the lake and creeks by dugout canoe with great possibilities of running into a Giant otter family on the way.
Early departure and last excursion canoeing back to the Napo River, the creek may reveal new sights of Giant otters, Monk Saki monkeys or many other rare birds.
Entry docking area, use of restrooms and embarking on motorized canoe in order to return back to Coca, arrival approximately after 2 hours boat ride up river, in order to check for Coca - Quito flight, schedule to be announced according to departure details and arrangements.
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