Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Quito
You'll land at Mariscal Sucre International Airport where a driver meets you for the transfer to your hotel in Puembo, a quiet rural area outside Quito. The property itself is a colonial-style building with gardens and a pool, which sets you up nicely for an early start the next morning. If you happen to arrive with time to spare, the hotel can arrange a taxi into downtown Quito so you can see the city center before settling in.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Rincon de Puembo), Hotel (Hotel Rincon de Puembo (or similar))
Optional Activities
- Visit downtown Quito (can be arranged through hotel if arriving early)
Landmarks Pichincha Volcano Mariscal Sucre International Airport - Day 2
Quito to Galapagos Islands
An early transfer gets you to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos, which stops briefly in Guayaquil to refuel. Once you land at Baltra Airport, your guide helps with luggage and you take a short bus ride followed by a taxi boat to Santa Cruz Island. This afternoon you'll visit the Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre to see giant tortoises and the famous Lonesome George, then head to the Archipel I vessel where you'll spend the week exploring different islands.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Berth / Cabin (Archipel I), Berth / Cabin (Archipel I (or similar))
Included Activities
- Visit Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre to observe breeding tortoises and see Lonesome George
- Taxi boat transfer to Santa Cruz Island
- Board Archipel I vessel
Landmarks Baltra Airport Santa Cruz Island Puerto Ayora Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre - Day 3
Floreana Island
Your day on Floreana Island starts at Cormorant Point where you can spot sea lion colonies and stingrays in the shallow water. From there you'll snorkel at Devil's Crown coral reef, where small sharks, rays, and tropical fish are common, and you might see Galapagos penguins too. Later in the afternoon you head to Post Office Bay where there's a historic mail barrel for leaving postcards, and then climb up to Baroness Lookout for views across the coast.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Berth / Cabin (Archipel I), Berth / Cabin (Archipel I (or similar))
Included Activities
- Visit Cormorant Point and observe sea lion colony
- Snorkel at Devil's Crown coral reef
- Visit Post Office Bay and historic mail barrel
- Climb Baroness Lookout for panoramic coastal views
Landmarks Cormorant Point Devil's Crown Post Office Bay Baroness Lookout Floreana Island - Day 4
Espanola Island
Espanola Island is the southernmost in the archipelago and you'll spend your time swimming and snorkeling at Gardner Bay where sea lions and large groups of tropical fish hang around. In the afternoon you hike up to the clifftop at Punta Suarez where you can take great photos and look for waved albatross (April through December), masked boobies, blue-footed boobies, and a dramatic blowhole where waves shoot 15 to 20 meters into the air.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Berth / Cabin (Archipel I), Berth / Cabin (Archipel I (or similar))
Included Activities
- Swim and snorkel at Gardner Bay
- Hike to Punta Suarez clifftop with naturalist guide
- View marine iguanas and sea lions
- Observe waved albatross nesting (April-December)
Landmarks Espanola Island Gardner Bay Punta Suarez Suarez Point Blowhole - Day 5
San Cristobal Island
You'll visit Pitt Point on San Cristobal Island, the easternmost point where Darwin first spotted land from the Beagle back in 1835. The green-sand beach here has a bachelor colony of barking sea lions. In the afternoon you snorkel off the coral-sand beach at Witch Hill, another of Darwin's original landing sites, where pelicans, boobies, gulls, and marine iguanas are often spotted.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Berth / Cabin (Archipel I), Berth / Cabin (Archipel I (or similar))
Included Activities
- Visit Pitt Point with bachelor sea lion colony
- Snorkel at Witch Hill off coral-sand beach
Landmarks Pitt Point Witch Hill San Cristobal Island - Day 6
Lobos Island to Quito
The tiny Lobos Island is your destination this morning, where you can watch sea and shore birds nesting and feeding, blue-footed boobies with their distinctive mating displays, and frigatebirds, plus a large sea lion colony. After finishing at Lobos, you transfer to San Cristobal airport with your guide and crew, then fly back to Quito for your final night at the hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hotel Rincon de Puembo), Hotel (Hotel Rincon de Puembo (or similar))
Included Activities
- Explore Lobos Island wildlife
- Observe blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds
- View sea lion colony
Landmarks Lobos Island San Cristobal Airport - Day 7
Departure from Quito
After breakfast at the hotel your trip wraps up and you're free to head out whenever works for you. There are no scheduled activities planned. Airport transfer times get confirmed once you're there on the ground. If your flight leaves later in the day, the hotel can store your luggage. You can also arrange additional nights in Quito at either the Puembo hotel or somewhere downtown if you want more time.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Book additional nights in Quito
- Book four-night Amazon extension package (trip code: AE)
