Ecuador Galapagos Islands Private Adventure

Itinerary

• Day01

  Arrive in Quito

  Welcome to the historic city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. An MT Sobek representative will meet you outside customs at the airport and escort you to your hotel. After settling in at the hotel, the rest of the day is free unwind, take advantage of the hotel's pool and spa services, or begin your exploration of this dynamic city. Dinner is on your own tonight.

  • Accommodation: Swissôtel Quito
  • Transportation: 45-minute private vehicle transfer
• Day02

  Explore Quito

  After breakfast, enjoy a half-day guided sightseeing tour of colonial Quito, the oldest part of the city. This colorful neighborhood, one of UNESCO's first declared World Heritage Sites, is rich with Spanish colonial architecture, gilded churches, lively restaurants, museums and small shops. Your guide will explain the history and traditions of Quito and offer special insight into everyday life. After lunch in an area restaurant, the rest of the day is free to relax, shop, or explore on your own.

  • Accommodation: Swissôtel Quito
  • Activity: 2.5-3 hour city walking tour
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Day03

  Journey to the Galápagos Islands

  After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Quito airport and fly to Baltra Island in the Galápagos. From here, connect with a local flight to Isabela Island, the largest of the islands, and transfer to your beachfront lodge in Puerto Villamil. Take the remainder of the day to swim and snorkel at the beach and explore the village with your guide. Be sure to keep an eye out overhead for blue-footed boobies and along the shoreline for Galápagos sea lions.

  • Accommodation: Casa de Marita
  • Activity: Swimming and snorkeling
  • Transportation: 2.5-hour flight transfers
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day04

  Hike the Sierra Negra Volcano

  Take an awe-inspiring hike up the Sierra Negra Volcano (4,890'), one of the most active volcanoes in the Galápagos. Hike two hours up a gradual incline to the massive crater's edge, walking among fumaroles and petrified lava formations. Along the way, enjoy spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding islands, and watch for endemic Galápagos hawks, martins, and vermilion flycatchers. From there, you can hike back down or extend your hike by continuing along the crater's rim.

  • Accommodation: Casa de Marita
  • Activity: 4-7 hours/10 miles hiking with 400' elevation gain and loss
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Day05

  Explore Isabela Island

  Enjoy a full day exploring the sites of Isabela Island. After breakfast, head to Tintoreras islet, accessible only by small boats. The walk on Tintoreras is easy and a great opportunity to observe marine iguanas, sea lions, penguins, boobies, and herons. After the walk, snorkel among tropical fish, sea turtles, reef sharks, and, if you're lucky, even Galápagos penguins. After lunch, you can visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, or simply relax at the hotel and swim from the beach.

  • Accommodation: Casa de Marita
  • Activity: 1.5 hours/0.7 miles walking plus snorkeling
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day06

  See the Highlands of Santa Cruz

  Awake early to swim or take a nature walk before your transfer to Puerto Villamil airport for the short flight to Baltra. From Baltra, transfer to Santa Cruz Island, stopping to visit the lush forests to search for Darwin's giant tortoises in their natural environment. Explore a lava tunnel, and enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the highlands. Later, continue the drive to the town of Puerto Ayora, the largest settlement in Galápagos, then check in to your hotel with time to relax or explore town.

  • Accommodation: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn
  • Transportation: 20-minute flight transfer
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day07

  Explore Santa Cruz Island

  Start your day with an easy, 30-minute walk through a dry forest dominated by giant prickly-pear cactus. Arrive at the beautiful, white-sand Tortuga Beach, where you can kayak or swim in the calm waters of the bay. In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Station or one of the nearby beaches. For an additional cost, you can ride horses on a private ranch in the highlands, take a dive trip to a nearby island, or take a boat trip to a nearby island to view wildlife.

  • Accommodation: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn
  • Activity: Forest walk & optional activities
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Day08

  Return to Quito

  Transfer to the Baltra airport for your return flight to Quito. An MT Sobek representative will greet you at Quito airport and provide assistance to your nearby hotel. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

  • Accommodation: Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel
  • Transportation: 45-minute private vehicle transfer & 2-hour flight transfer
  • Meals: Breakfast
• Day09

  Depart Quito

  Use the complimentary airport shuttle to transfer to the airport in time for your outbound flight, or opt to stay on in Quito to join us for one of our extensions in Ecuador or Peru!

  • Meals: Breakfast