Mainland Ecuador and Galapagos Cruise

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Ecuador. When you arrive at the Quito airport, an included transfer will take you to your hotel. Your adventure officially begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe step into the city and get a head start exploring Quito’s Historic Center and its cobblestone streets. You can take a stroll through the basilicas, grand plazas and museums or take a trip to the Otavalo market to start planning out your souvenirs made from locals across Ecuador. After your meeting, head out for dinner with the group where your leader will introduce you to Ecuadorian cuisine.

Start the morning off by exploring historic Quito, one of the best-preserved historical centres in the Americas. Filled with plazas, cathedrals and historical sites, your leader will fill you in on the rich history around every corner and bring you to meet local artisans. After, visit the Agave Museum for a tasting of Ecuadorian mezcal, agave cocktails and traditional Andean food while learning about alcohol production and the 600 years of Andean aboriginal knowledge on the health benefits of Agave sap. After, drive out of Quito to visit the equator! You'll stop by the Middle of the World Monument and Inti Nan Equator Museum for experiments that prove you’re in the centre of the Earth. Then, return to Quito for a free evening.

After breakfast this morning, take a scenic drive to Cotopaxi National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world at 5,897 m (19,347 ft). When you get there, head out on a hike around Limpiopungo Lagoon at the bottom of the volcano and learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. When you’re done spotting wildlife, visit a museum in the park and the Interpretation Centre to learn about Cotopaxi, check out the showrooms and look around the souvenir shop. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and exploring your next stay – a hacienda that’s a charming farmhouse with a garden to unwind in.

Leave the park behind today and head to Banos. Along the way, make a stop to a barley flour workshop. Toasted barley flour in the central Andes is a common product and the traditional machica in Latacunga is used to make caramel cookies, ice cream and beer. You'll visit a family workshop and learn about sowing, roasting barley and tasting products made with the machica. After your workshop, travel to Pinllo to have a special lunch – the iconic Gallina de Pinllo – a dish that’s been around since 1943 and famously served at Casa El Recreo. This place is a legend, started by Adán Villacreses and Ernestina Lagos in 1948, to enjoy juicy chicken, served with potatoes and peanut sauce, based on their recipe passed down through generations. After lunch, head to Banos for a walk around town and stop by an Artisan Candy factory where they make Melcocochas – guava sweets that are very famous in Banos.

Start your day with a walk around Banos as a local guide gives you the inside scoop on the city – surrounded by mountains, hot springs and waterways to waterfalls. Take a short hike to El Pailon del Diablo – one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the area with a mighty fall of 80 m (262 ft). Here, you can cross the suspension bridge for the full view or descend by stairs to the ‘Devil’s Balcony’ to be up close and personal to the falls. Stop by the Swing at the end of the World for a quick adrenaline pump and photo opportunity, then return to your hotel for a free evening. Maybe relax at El Refugio Spa Garden – an ecological spa – or checkout La Casa de Arbol viewpoint – a paradise for hummingbirds. For those interested in history and culture, maybe go visit the basilica Banos is famous for – the Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water.

Good morning – it's time to head to the Amazon! You’ll arrive just in time for lunch, then the afternoon is free to make the most of all the lodge has to offer. It’s a great place to relax with an onsite pool, massages and lots of optional activities available, like a butterfly house, nature walks and a sanctuary for Amazon critters and creatures. The lodge’s naturalist inhouse guides can teach you about the jungle and the incredible – and sometimes tragic – stories of the animals. You can also sit back, relax and watch locals moulding clay from the riverbed and turning it into ceramics. This evening, join back up with the group and head out on a night walk to spot the wildlife that only comes out in the dark.

Today is a full day of rainforest activities. After breakfast, start off with a hike with a local expert to discover medicinal plants that grow in the rainforest. Listen carefully as they point out how to spot them and what these magical plants are used for. Up next is a visit to a nearby coffee plantation to learn about its production – and get a tasting, of course. This afternoon, spend time with an indigenous community for a special opportunity to connect with the locals and learn about their way of life here in the Amazon. Wrap up your day with dinner back at the lodge and relax for the rest of your evening.

You’ll return to Quito today and along the way, you’ll stop at Papallacta for lunch and to unwind by the hot springs. Surrounded by nature, thermal pools and spas, this is an experience for all the senses and a relaxing way to break up the drive. End the day with a farewell dinner in Quito – your leader will bring your group to a local spot as you reflect on your trip together.

Today is free for you to explore Quito at your own leisure. Maybe head out to see any sites you missed in the beginning of your trip or use this time to relax. Tonight, a meeting will take place in your hotel to welcome any new travellers joining you for the next part of your adventure. After the meeting, head to a small, local restaurant for dinner with your group. Take in the aromas and fresh flavours of the traditional Ecuadorian cuisine – think locroc (traditional potato soup) or quinoa, pork and vegetable dishes cooked with herbs, lemongrass and rich sauces, all sourced from local farms.

You have a very early start this morning as you head into the Galapagos! Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (Quito Airport), with a boxed breakfast on the way, where you’ll meet your naturalist guide. Transfer a short distance away to Isla Baltra to board your home for the adventure – M/Y Queen Beatriz. Once on board, settle in and then have lunch with your group. After, you’ll sail to Punta Carrion – on the eastern side of the Itabaca Channel that separates the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz. This is a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkel and swim in the Galapagos. From the vantage point of your boat, wildlife is plentiful, so keep your eyes peeled for occasional sights of blue-footed boobies, Galapagos herons and great blue herons, while under the surface swim rays and white-tipped reef sharks. Tonight, you’ll have a welcome cocktail during the crew’s onboard presentation.

Wake up on the south coast of Isla Isabela – the largest island of the Galapagos archipelago. Isabela was formed by five giant volcanic craters, all still considered active. The island is located in one of the youngest geological areas in the world, having been formed less than 1 million years ago and the southern coast has the largest area of beaches in the Galapagos. You’ll visit Las Tintoreras, heading to a viewing walkway where you can see a colony of white-tipped reef sharks swimming and sleeping. Take a long walk through lava flows and see the resident blue-footed boobies, penguins, marine iguanas and crabs. In the afternoon, take another walk through a coastal lagoon, where you might see some flamingos. This mangrove-lined path leads to Isabela’s Giant Tortoise Breeding Center (Arnoldo Tupiza) where you'll observe giant tortoises in all stages of development. You’ll then have the choice to go swimming at the beach or head out for some shopping in Puerto Villamil.

Isla Floreana is a highlight of any Galapagos cruise, rich in natural wonders and wildlife. Today you’ll take a panga ride around the bay to see marine iguanas, sea lions and crabs before taking a leisurely walk to Post Office Bay, where 18th century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop. This custom continues today with visitors to the Galapagos – post one of your own or see if there are any you could deliver back home! You’ll also have the chance to go snorkelling with sea turtles. Today you might also be lucky enough to see pink flamingos and other water birds wading in the lagoons, including pintails and stilts. Just offshore, the Devil’s Crown is an old eroded volcanic cone and a popular roosting site for seabirds like boobies, pelicans and frigates. Go snorkelling in the cone, full of sea lions and colourful fish, for maybe the best underwater experience of the adventure! Later, you’ll head to Punta Cormorant, where the sand is made up of olivine crystals (a glassy volcanic mineral), giving the beach an olive-green colour.

Flights to the mainland depart mid-morning, so an early start is necessary today to make the most of your last day on the islands. You’ll wake up in Isla Santa Cruz and head to the small town of Puerto Ayora – the economic centre of the archipelago and home to the Charles Darwin Research Station. As well as undertaking vital conservation work, the station also makes for interesting exploration and offers an opportunity to see giant tortoises. You may also be able to observe the baby tortoises and land iguanas! After your visit, head to the airport for your flight back to Quito. Tonight, you may like to head out with your group for a farewell dinner and toast to an excellent adventure.

There are no activities planned for today, and your adventure finishes after breakfast this morning. Of course, that doesn’t mean your adventure has to end! If you need help booking extra accommodation, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.