Ecuador and Galapagos
Ecuador & Galapagos Highlights
This is the perfect two-week tour combining the highlights of mainland Ecuador with the most exciting parts of the Galapagos Islands. Starting and finishing in the colonial capital of Quito you will barter in traditional Andean markets and stand astride the Equatorial line before heading to the Amazon to explore the jungle flora and fauna. Returning to Quito, you will then fly out to join your Galapagos Island cruise. Here you can swim with seals, snorkel with penguins, hike lava rocks to dramatic look-out points, take a glass-bottomed boat through mangrove swamps and watch the Giant Tortoise lumber around the stunning highland scenery.
You will then have a couple of nights in a hotel on Santa Cruz Island to enjoy more of the spectacular Galapagos wildlife and scenery before flying back to the mainland. Head along the Avenue of Volcanoes to Cotopaxi National Park where your traditional hacienda is the perfect base from which to enjoy hiking and horse-riding beneath the mighty Cotopaxi. A spectacular way to complete your Ecuador and Galapagos family holiday.
Highlights
Explore colonial Quito
Stand in both hemispheres
Experience the Amazon rainforest
Cruise the Galapagos Islands
Swim and snorkel with sea lions
View Giant Tortoise on Santa Cruz
Hike and ride at Cotopaxi
15 days from £6,000 pp
Plus international flights from £1,100
A two-week holiday for a family of four, including a five-day cruise, with the rest of the time in mainland Ecuador, will cost approx £24,000 (excluding internal & international flights).
Ecuador & Galapagos Highlights day-to-day itinerary
Day 1, Quito
Upon your arrival in Quito you will be welcomed at the airport by a representative of Stubborn Mule Travel and escorted to your hotel in the gorgeous old colonial city centre.
Day 2, Quito
Head to the outskirts of the city to the Middle of the World and the Intiñan Museum. This museum is the true site of the equator line. Here your GPS will actually read zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude. Children will love standing in both North and South hemispheres and watching the famous ‘balance an egg on a nail’ trick. And which way does toilet water flush at the Equator….?
You will then explore both colonial and modern Quito on a guided city tour taking in historic plazas, churches and colonial buildings. A visit to La Compañia Church cannot be missed as it is one of the most impressive in Latin America, plus San Francisco Church, one of the great religious buildings of the New World. Children will love a visit to the local grocery market where they will be able to taste traditional food and delicious fresh fruit juices.
You then have free time to explore independently. Perhaps take a trip on the Teleferico (cable car) for the most incredible view of the city, both old and modern parts, plus the dominant peak of Pichincha Volcano and, if you are lucky, mighty Cotopaxi in the distance. Just remember to take it easy at the top as you are now over 4,000 metres…
Day 3, Papallacta hot springs – Amazon Jungle
Time to head to the jungle. But first you have to ascend a 4,000 metre mountain pass offering breathtaking (literally) views of the Antisana volcano and lush surrounding wetlands. .
En route you will stop at the tiny town of Papallacta, where you will visit the thermal hot springs for a healthy dip in the naturally heated waters (parents, you will feel years younger!). Enjoy a short break and bite to eat (not included) before descending to the Upper Amazon basin and your jungle lodge. Tonight you will fall asleep to the enticing sounds of the Amazon jungle.
Day 4, Amazon Jungle
After an early breakfast you will don boots and raincoats (well this is the rainforest after all) and begin your jungle adventure. Take a canoe downstream along the imposing Napo River to the Animal Rescue Centre “AmaZOOnico” which specialises in the rescue of wild animals for species conservation and reintegration into the wild. Here you will observe toucans, colourful parrots, various kinds of monkeys, jaguars, capybaras and much more.
Enjoy a picnic lunch on the river shore with the opportunity to swim before heading to a native Quichua village where you will learn about their culture and traditions such as panning for gold in the river, traditional pottery making, brewing ‘chicha’ from the yucca plant and the use of the ‘serbatana’ (blowpipe) for hunting.
Return to your lodge on foot through the jungle in time for a hearty dinner around the fire.
*Please note: The activities and order thereof may change and will be decided locally, depending on the weather and lodge you’re staying at.
Day 5, Amazon Jungle
Take a canoe upstream then embark on an exciting walk through the rainforest to a waterfall where you can take a refreshing dip – a fun and very unique shower! After returning to the lodge for lunch you will enjoy a fascinating guided walk where a native expert will reveal the secrets of the jungle. Learn how certain plant species have amazing medicinal properties, observe a spine-tingling variety of insects and spot high-flying monkeys swinging between the giant trees above. Flashes of colour dart around in the form of tropical birds, whistling startling tunes – a magical place indeed. Return to your lodge for the night.
Day 6, Quito
Bid goodbye to the jungle today and travel back to Quito. You will stay tonight at a hotel located near the airport, convenient for your morning flight tomorrow.
Day 7, Galapagos Cruise
Time to head to the land of blue-footed boobies, puffed up frigatebirds and smelly sea lions – off to the Galapagos! Please note that itineraries will vary according to the vessel and route booked and the below is just an example.
The legendary Galapagos Islands are one of Ecuador’s greatest treasures, accessible only via flights from two mainland cities (Quito or Guayaquil). This incredible and vast group of volcanic islands is filled with amazing wildlife on land, in the air and underwater. Carefully protected, the islands feel like a living time capsule, preserving nature much as it was thousands of years ago. Families can look forward to unforgettable encounters with giant tortoises, playful sea lions, blue-footed boobies, turtles, penguins, flamingos, and iguanas — just to name a few!
After a warm welcome by the crew you will be shown to your cabin, later enjoying an introductory talk and your first meal on board. You will then commence your first Galapagos activity – this might be snorkelling, swimming, hiking, cruising – always surrounded by a wealth of wildlife and stunning scenery. The start of your incredible Galapagos Islands adventure!
Read More Day 8, Espanola Island An exciting walk awaits, to enjoy the island’s unique sea bird colonies, including Galapagos albatross (April – December), Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tail gulls as well as a view of the Galapagos’ famous blow-hole. Later you will continue on to Suarez Point – a naturalists’ paradise. A slew of marine iguanas and sea lions will greet you at the landing site from where your walk continues with close encounters of endemic lizards, gulls and even a dramatic blow hole. Return to the vessel for a well-earned dinner and briefing about the next day’s islands. Day 9, Floreana Island This afternoon your boat will take you to Devil’s Crown – one of the favourite snorkelling sites in the islands. An eroded volcanic cone, this is home to an abundance of fish and marine animals. You will swim with big schools of yellow-tailed surgeonfish, salemas and creolefish and with luck, may spot turtles, spotted eagle rays, parrotfish and even hammerhead sharks! Day 10, Dragon Hill and Punta Bowditch, Santa Cruz Island Afterwards, relax on the powdery beach of Punta Bowditch or hike besides salt pools and dried white corals. Return for one last evening meal on board. Day 11, Highlands Tortoise Reserve, Santa Cruz Island Afterwards you will transfer to Puerto Ayora, the island’s main town in the south of the island. The remainder of the day is free to explore the delights and wildlife of this enigmatic little town, with its numerous restaurants and souvenir shops. Land iguanas and sea lions are everywhere and a ‘must visit’ is the fish market to watch the greedy pelicans swallow the leftovers! Day 12, Santa Cruz Island Alternatively you can remain in Puerto Ayora and wander through the town with its restaurants, cafes & souvenir shops. You can also visit the fish market or Charles Darwin Research Station. Day 13, Quito – Cotopaxi Tonight, you will stay in a traditional hacienda in the foothills of Cotopaxi National Park, with stunning views of the volcanoes and beyond. Day 14, Cotopaxi National Park After exploring Cotopaxi National Park return to your traditional hacienda. You can enjoy further hiking, mountain-biking, tackle the high ropes course or a cookery class or just relax in the spectacular mountain scenery. Day 15, Cotopaxi horse-ride – Quito You will then transfer to Quito for your flight home.
Start exploring the island at Gardner Bay, one of the most stunning beaches in all of Galapagos. The long, white sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters is home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions, indifferent to the humans that walk amongst them. The Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island, will be eager to inspect the visitors and satisfy their innate curiosity. You will have the opportunity to snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay.
A very short walk from the beach will lead you this morning to the famous Post Office Barret. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett, it remains the oldest functioning epost in the Pacific. The system was that whalers and fur sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward bound colleagues. In the spirit of maintaining tradition, visitors today will often take letters and hand-deliver them in their home countries.
Arriving at a small lava dock, your first encounters are with marine iguanas that blend in perfectly to the dark rock. As you walk past large, prickly pear cacti, you will arrive at one end of a long, sickle-shaped beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Your walk takes you on a circular path past a shallow lake where flamingos frequently come to feed.
After a last breakfast on board you will bid your crew farewell and journey to the Highlands Tortoise Reserve which offers a great opportunity to see the contrasting ecosystems that Santa Cruz offers. On your way you will pass from the striking volcanic coastline to the dense humid forests of the highlands. Here, giant tortoises wander around freely at their own, very slow, pace. It is a unique experience to see this ancient animal in its natural habitat and you can get up close – but don’t touch!
A full free day to explore by yourselves. If you would like a beach day, Tortuga Bay is a great option with its two spectacular white sandy beaches of Playa Brava and Playa Mansa. These offer kayaking and snorkelling as well as time to relax. Las Grietas is another great destination, with a beautiful coastal hike and the opportunity to swim in an open air gorge.
Bid a sad farewell to the islands this morning. After a last breakfast, you will transfer to the airport to take a flight back to Quito (again usually via Guayaquil). On arrival in Quito you will be met and transferred south, towards the famous Avenue of Volcanoes, with snow-capped peaks littering your route.
Your destination today is none other than the world’s highest active volcano: Cotopaxi, standing loftily at 5,897 metres with a picture perfect snow-capped cone.Here you will hike through the pine forest to the Limpiopungo Lagoon, located on the slopes of the volcano. The pace will be extremely gentle as you are at significant altitude here.
Follow in the footsteps of an Ecuadorian cowboy as you set out on an exhilarating two hour horse ride across the paramo up to a spectacular viewpoint overlooking Cotopaxi National Park at around 4,000m. The ride departs directly from your hacienda and follows a local chagra (cowboy) through traditional farmland climbing to the high altiplano and a breathtaking viewpoint before returning to the hacienda.
Ecuador & Galapagos in pictures
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