Active Ecuador and Galapagos from ashore

Welcome to Quito! The largest, best-preserved colonial city of America - declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the cultural capital of South America and depending on arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area.

In the evening, you will meet your trip leader who will talk you through your adventure and answer any questions.

After breakfast, you leave Quito and be taken by private transfer southwards along the gorgeous Avenue of Volcanoes, along the colourful Andean fields and climbing upwards to reach 12,000 feet. (3,657 meters).

After arriving at the Cotopaxi National Park, your leader will take you hiking around Limpiopungo lagoon at the foothills of the Rumiñahui volcano. From here, you have panoramic views of Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world.

In the afternoon you continue driving onwards towards the Llanganates National Park, known as the sacred mountain until you reach the town of Baños, located at the entrance of the Amazon. Here you will stay at Casa de Luis for two nights where you can enjoy the nightlife drinking cocktails and dancing salsa.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning you will mountain bike from the Llanganates National Park down to the Pastaza River Canyon, enjoying the beauty of the special cloud rain forest climate. The road takes us through some Andean farms and a great canyon with many waterfalls. While descending into the jungle, you will have a breath-taking view of Baños, a town well known for its spectacular location right at the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano, which has been active since 1999. The volcano is the main attraction of this region.

In the afternoon you will have some time to explore the town and you can visit The Swing of the End of the World, where the winner of the 2014 National Geographic photo contest took his photo.

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning you will head to the waterfalls. The first stop will be at the Bride´s Veil waterfall, where we will take the Tarabita (cable car) to get across the Pastaza River. Then you will hike down to the Pailon del Diablo waterfall, the second highest in Ecuador, before heading deeper into the jungle inside the Llanganates National Park.

The name “Llanganates” comes from “beautiful mountain” in the local native language. Here, 600 years ago, the Incas hid their golden treasures. Many explorers have spent years looking for these treasures, some have even disappeared with no luck in this dense pristine jungle. During a hike through the tropical rainforest, you will climb through several waterfall canyons. Your local native guide will teach you about the incredible flora and fauna that thrive in this unequalled habitat.

You will spend the night at the Local Basic Jungle Lodge run by a kichwa indigenous family who will provide you with dinner.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Today you will paddle the wild waves of the Jatunyacu River, located just a 5-minute drive from the homestead and graded class III. The beautiful Jatunyacu River flows through the amazon and is well known for its clear waters and awesome rapids. Afterwards, you will stop for a picnic, prepared by your guides, before driving back up to the Andes to a spot called Papallacta, where you will stay the night at Termas Papallacta. This is a wonderful spot to relax and recharge in the volcanic hot springs high in the midst of the cool Andes.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

In the morning you will do a hiking exploration in the nearby Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve in the cloud forest. The cloud forest is filled with beautiful flora including colourful orchids and beautiful birds.

Later you will travel across the Andes stopping as you pass the equator where you can stand on both hemispheres at the same time. Your guide will suggest a place to eat lunch before going to the Otavalo Indigenous Market where you will spend some time shopping and learning about this ancient culture that is still alive here today.

In the late afternoon, you will be transferred to the Pinsaquí Haciendaand where you will enjoy a welcome cocktail and a delicious dinner.

Meals included: Dinner.

Today you have a very short drive to the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve known for the Cuicocha Crater Lake. You will take a trek around this still active volcano, seeing many stunning flowers enroute and ending with a boat ride to the centre of the crater to witness bubbles coming up from the caldera - something you will certainly remember!

For lunch, you will head to Pijal, a small village located in the heart of the Andes to visit a project called Sacha WarmiKuna (women from the mountain). This project provides women with alternative work besides housekeeping, as a new opportunity for income so they can support their families. Once at the project you will spend time with the women learning about their textile skills and their deep culinary knowledge passed from generation to generation. You will be part of the preparation of “Aji”, a local spicy salsa which is part of their identity and will have a tasty traditional lunch in which local women have used the fresh products harvested the same day from the surrounding organic fields. You will also have a chance to give back, by buying handmade scarfs here.

In the afternoon we will return to Quito, ready to depart to the Galapagos tomorrow.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Today you will head to the Galapagos Islands where Charles Darwin based his theory of the evolution of species. After a morning flight from Quito to the island of San Cristóba, you will be transferred to the hotel Seaside Inn where you will stay for two nights in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

In the afternoon you will head to "La Loberia" beach which is home to large Galapagos sea lions. These playful creatures are very curious and may swim alongside you whilst your snorkel. They may also be lazing over rocks or dozing in the sand. You will also get to see yellow warbler birds, frigate birds, and several species of Darwin’s finches along the beach. In between the rocks you can find marine iguanas, which you can only see in Galapagos.

Meals included: Breakfast

In the morning, you will take a boat to Kicker Rock, located off the coast of San Cristóbal, also known as the Sleeping Lion (Leon Dormido) because of some resemblance. Kicker Rock is the remains of a lava cone eroded by the sea and is made even more spectacular due to the many tropic birds, frigate birds and boobies that fill the sky in this area. Beneath the sea, the crystal waters offer a brilliant show of colourful fish, such as rainbow fish and harmless hammerhead and white tip sharks. After lunch, you will time to relax on the beach before heading back to your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

In the morning, hop to Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and where the most of the volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island was formed by six shield volcanoes and five of them are still active today which makes the island one of the most volcanically active places on earth.

In the afternoon, you will explore the beautiful coastline on a bike trail where you can spot a wide variety of wildlife including flamingos, marine iguanas and giant tortoises.

The trail starts with a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks which was built in the 1950s, when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad because of the isolation they experienced. As you continue your ride along the coast, you will explore pristine, white sand beaches, mangrove forests and lagoons. This area is filled with a plethora of bird life, including American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many other shore birds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas.

Before dinner, take a moment to enjoy a breathtaking sunset on the beach of Puerto Villamil. You will spend three nights at Cormorant Beach House.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Explore the amazing formations of lava created by the last eruptions of the volcanic island along the seashore; a magical place which has been filmed by both the BBC and National Geographic It is a labyrinth of lava arches comprised of crystal clear water full of sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks and more which make for magnificent snorkelling. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through "Los Tuneles". If you're lucky, you will also spot Galapagos penguins playing around.

You will also have time to take part in an optional activity of snorkelling at "Concha de Perla", biking or you can simply relax on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We recommend you take some time to visit the giant tortoise breeding centre located within walking distance of your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Today you will drive from Puerto Villamil to the trailhead for your hike through a young forest ecosystem to the rim of Sierra Negra Crater, an active volcano which last erupted in June 2018.

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by breathtaking views and can explore the circumference of the massive, lava-filled crater, a caldera that is over six miles across at its widest point. If you feel energetic enough, you can continue your hike to Volcan Chico, a secondary crater that has a wild landscape of puffing fumaroles and colourful lava formations; great examples of the dramatic geological events that have formed the Galapagos Islands over millennia.

In the afternoon you will visit Tintoreras Islet by kayak, located at a short distance from Puerto Villamil and home to a great variety of wildlife. Its turquoise, crystalline waters are inhabited by white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos Penguins, marine turtles and sea lions. One of its beaches, surrounded by mangroves, is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

Today you will travel from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island, checking into La Casa De Judy where you will spend two nights.

Here you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands.

In the afternoon, you will head to the 'El Chato' reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz, home to the famous Galapagos tortoises. Hiking through El Chato's beautiful landscape with these lumbering giants is an unforgettable experience. You will also see other highland wildlife such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches and frigatebirds, which gather to wash the salt off their feathers at a freshwater lake.

Later, there is an optional activity to visit the Pan Animalia Project, a veterinary program that aims to promote animal health and aims to reduce the percentage of stray dogs & cats in different towns throughout Santa Cruz Island. Afterwards, return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in Galapagos' most populous town.

Meals included: Breakfast

Today, you can experience the Galapagos at your pace, whether that be scuba diving (request in advance) or just time to relax on the beach!

As an option, you can go on a self-guided exploration walk through a dry forest to Tortuga Bay (3.5 mi/ 5.6 km), a beautiful white sand beach and a nesting site for thousands of marine turtles. This is a beautiful place for swimming or snorkelling.

Alternatively, you can join any of the optional activities (at an extra cost), such as a trip to Floreana Island, Bartolome Island or a scuba-diving day trip, just to mention a few.

Meals included: Breakfast.

After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, you will be transferred to Baltra's airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland.

In the afternoon you can explore Quito's many museums, cafes and restaurants.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Today you will board your flight home, taking with you memories and photos of this enchanted land.

Meals included: Breakfast.