Galapagos Islands Adventure
Book this package- from$2699Tour + Flights
- 7days
Overview
| Featuring | Explore the flora, fauna & spectacular scenery of two biodiverse Galapagos Islands: Santa Cruz & Isabela | |||
| Style | Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of 15-24 likeminded travelers escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. More of these packages
18 travelers max, dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout |
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| Departures | Scheduled Dates; select from 5 open departures, October – December 2018 | |||
| Price Includes |
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| Optional |
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| Highlights | Visit Los Gemelos lava chambers and a Giant Tortoise Reserve, See Concha de Perla, Explore Tortuga Bay | |||
| Departs | Miami (MIA); other gateways on request (flight schedule) | |||
| Themes | Active, Bucket List, Nature & Wildlife | |||
| What to Expect | This fast-paced, locally hosted tour involves a significant amount of walking or hiking, often on uneven terrain, and reaches high altitudes requiring a high level of physical fitness to fully enjoy the trip. | |||
| As Seen in |
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Prepare for your trip Already booked? Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more.
The Galapagos Islands are among Ecuador’s jewels. More than 600 miles offshore in the Pacific, these islands are home to fascinating species of birds and animals such as marine iguanas, giant tortoises, blue and red-footed boobies, pelicans and even a few penguins. Follow in the intrepid footsteps of Charles Darwin on an active adventure and discover the unique wildlife that inspired his theory of evolution. Stay on Santa Cruz and Isabela Islands traveling from island to island via speedboat rides for an incredible Galapagos experience, which includes flights, first-class hotels and most meals, as well as a fast-paced program of hiking, exploration, and observation of the islands' delicate ecosystems. So lace up your boots, strap on your daypacks, and don't wait a moment longer to book our new Galapagos Islands Adventure package. Space is truly very limited, and at these prices, you won't find a better value-for-money vacation anywhere.
Dates, Prices & Options
Itinerary
Day 1: Depart Miami/Arrive Quito, Ecuador
Accommodations: 1 night Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel or similar, Quito.
- Today, make your way to Miami International Airport and check-in for your flight
- Arrive in Quito this evening and transfer by hotel shuttle service to your hotel for check-in
Full Day Itinerary: Today, make your way to Miami International Airport and check-in for your flight. Later this evening, arrive in Quito (9,500 feet above sea level) and after customs formalities, you will be met and transferred by scheduled shuttle service to your hotel for check-in and overnight.
Day 2: Quito, Baltra Island & Santa Cruz Island
Accommodations: 1 night Hotel Solymar or similar, Puerto Ayora. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra Island
- Take a short ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island
- See Los Gemelos lava chambers
- Explore a 600-acre private giant tortoise reserve
- Continue to Puerto Ayora for check-in and welcome drink
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, gateway to the Galapagos Islands to begin your adventure. Next, take a short ferry ride across Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island, then drive through the various micro climates on your way to the village of Puerto Ayora on the south side of the island.
Today you'll see Los Gemelos (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers - an awe-inspiring visual reminder of the power of nature. The path to the lava chambers a wonderful introduction to the great biodiversity of the Santa Cruz Highlands, teeming with endemic flora and fauna, including a Scalesia Forest draped in liverwort and mosses, as well as numerous birds such as Darwin Finches.
Afterward, drive to a 600-acre private reserve where giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep. Feel free to mingle with these gentle giants. As prehistoric as these creatures look, wait until you hear what they sound like! Galapago is Spanish for tortoise, and the islands were named for these amazing creatures. There will be a selection of field boots for your use if conditions are muddy.
Next, you'll have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the remnants of an illuminated lava tunnel. Created by ancient lava flows, the tunnel is 1350 feet long with a ceiling nearly 20 feet high in most places, adorned with stalagmites & stalactites, mineral-colored walls, and a rippled lava floor.
Continue to Puerto Ayora to check into your hotel.
Day 3: Santa Cruz Island & Isabela Island
Accommodations: 1 night Iguana Crossing or similar, Puerto Villamil. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Board a speedboat and set off for Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island
- See Concha de Perla
- Afternoon at leisure for optional activities
Full Day Itinerary: Early this morning, board a shared charter speedboat embarking at approx. 7:00am and set off for Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. The trip takes approximately two hours, and you may see some marine life such as whales, dolphins and manta rays among others. Upon arrival at Puerto Villamil, check in at your hotel.
After breakfast at the lodge, set out to see Concha de Perla. Return to the lodge for lunch. The balance of the day is at leisure for optional activities.
Day 4: Isabela Island & Santa Cruz Island
Accommodations: 2 nights Hotel Solymar or similar, Puerto Ayora. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Explore a small group of islands called Las Tintoreras
- Take a walk through a lava field that is home to a colony of marine iguanas
- Board a speedboat and return to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island
Full Day Itinerary: After an early breakfast at the lodge, board a small craft and head out to Las Tintoreras, a small group of islands located just off the coast of Puerto Villami. Here, you’ll take an intriguing walk through a jagged lava field, passing abundant colonies of nesting marine iguanas and sea lions, to see a small canal of shallow waters, full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. After the walk, you have the opportunity to snorkel in this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangroves, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface.
This afternoon board a shared charter speedboat heading back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Upon arrival at the hotel, check in and enjoy some free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora.
Day 5: Tortuga Bay & Santa Cruz Island
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Set out on tour of beautiful Tortuga Bay
- See exotic native species on a walk through a cactus forest
- Continue to a sandy beach to observe marine creatures in the shallow water
- After a chance to swim, take a short hike to an iguana nesting site
- Walk through a prickly pear forest then continue back to the lodge
- Visit the Charles Darwin Research Center independently after lunch
Full Day Itinerary: Depart after breakfast for a tour of Tortuga Bay. A short hike down a path will take you through a cactus forest, home to numerous Darwin Finches, Mockingbirds, Yellow Warblers, Lava Lizards and many more of the Galapagos’ endemic and native species. From the white sandy beach, you will have a chance to observe different marine species, like sting rays and baby reef sharks in the shallow waters of the mangroves.
After an opportunity to swim, take a short hike to a marine iguana nesting site. The walk back is through a prickly pear forest carpeted in crimson sesuvium with black lava outcroppings. Continue on foot back to the hotel or if a water taxi is available, you can pay for a short boat ride back to the hotel (approx. $10 per person). Visit the Charles Darwin Research Center independently in the afternoon after lunch. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Santa Cruz Island & Quito
Accommodations: 1 night Wyndham Quito Airport Hotel or similar, Quito. Included meals: Breakfast.
- Transfer to the Baltra airport for your flight back to Quito
- Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for check-in
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, head north along the Santa Cruz highway through the various vegetation zones of the island. The highway ends at a small port where you will board the ferry to Baltra Island. Continue to the Seymour Airport by bus passing through the rocky terrain and the remains of a strategic U.S. Army Air Force base constructed during World War 2. If time permits, take advantage of the souvenir shops at Seymour Airport before boarding your flight to Quito. Upon arrival, transfer by scheduled shuttle service to your hotel for check-in.
Day 7: Depart Quito/Arrive Miami
- Transfer by hotel shuttle to the airport for your return flight
- Arrive in Miami later today
Amazon Optional Extension
Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare to visit the fascinating Ecuadorian Amazon. Passengers taking the post-tour extension will arrive in the U.S. 3 days later than the dates listed.
Day 7: Quito, Papallacta & Ecuadorian Amazon
Accommodations: 2 nights Casa del Suizo or similar, Punta Ahuano. Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.
- Drive to the Ecuadorian Amazon
- Stop en route at Papallacta hot springs
- Continue to Punta Ahuano for a canoe ride on the Napo River to the lodge
- Welcome cocktail and dinner
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast today, set out along a scenic stretch of road overlooking lush green valleys and sparkling waterfalls. En route, stop at Papallacta, a small resort town known for its thermal springs tucked high away in an Andean valley (11,000 feet above sea level). You’ll have the option to bathe in the hot springs ($19 per person, includes hot springs entrance, towel, and locker) or independently explore the surrounding area by foot.
Continue by van/coach and arrive this afternoon at Punta Ahuano, a tiny port town on the north bank of the Napo River, where piraguas (canoes) await you for a short ride downstream to your lodge. After check-in, sip a refreshing welcome cocktail and dinner.
Day 8: Amazon
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Enjoy a full day of activities at the Amazon lodge
Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day exploring the wonders of the Napo River Amazon region. After a short walk through the jungle, your guide will present you with the itinerary for the day. Some of the activities available include a visit to a Quechua family, a demonstration of indigenous animal trapping techniques, nature hikes and river rafting or tubing along the Napo River. The activities for the day will be determined at the discretion of the tour guide to best fit your group’s abilities and interests. Time permitting, other independent activities may be available at additional cost.
Day 9: Amazon & Quito
Accommodations: 1 night Wyndham Quito Airport. Included meals: 2017 departures: Breakfast; 2018 departures: Breakfast & lunch.
- Today, return to Quito
- Check-in at your airport hotel for overnight
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, set out on canoes again to return to Punta Ahuano. Continue by van/coach along the scenic Andes Mountain range back to Quito. Arrive at your airport hotel for check in. The balance of the day is at leisure to enjoy the amenities at the hotel and rest before your return flight home tomorrow.
Day 10: Depart Quito/Arrive Miami
- Take the hotel shuttle to the airport for your return flight
- Arrive in the USA later today
Reviews
In writing our evaluation, we did not have enough room to tell you about our guide, Patricio. He was, without a doubt, the most friendly, patient, and knowledgeable guide we have had out of many tours we have taken. We hope that you will pass this information on to the Friendly Planet office in Ecuador, as we feel that he should be given special recognition for the superb representation of your company. We had two medical emergencies with travelers in our group. He was able to get doctors for them and arrange for one of them to join our trip the next day. Another time, while telling us of the exportation from Ecuador of roses, he asked our driver, Jose, to stop for a moment. He came back a few minutes later with roses for all of the women on the bus! These were just two of the many kindnesses he extended to our group. He really understands the meaning of "guest service" and is to be commended for the way he conducts a tour. We came away feeling like honorary Ecuadorians!
Cathy and Rich Sholtanis, Tamworth, NH
Things to Know
- Any tips before I depart? Yes! We've compiled a handy checklist of everything you need to know before you go, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
- I'm traveling solo. Can you help me find a roommate? Yes, you can connect with other travelers to share a room and avoid single occupancy rates.
- Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
- Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
- Do I need a visa or any other documents? Please review the requirements about which documents you need before you travel.
- Should I purchase travel protection? Yes! Protect your travel investment with our travel protection plan, available to U.S. residents.
- What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
- What should I know about Ecuador? Check out our guide for travel tips, the best time to go, blog posts, videos, and more.
- What should I know about the Galapagos? Check out our guide for travel tips, the best time to go, blog posts, videos, and more.
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