1st day: Arrive in Quito

Upon arrival to Quito and after entrance formalities, we meet our guide and proceed to our hotel. Ecuador, South America’s second smallest country is a vibrant indigenous culture, with many natural and cultural wonders.

2nd day: Quito City Tour and Middle of the World

First we visit is the imposing neo-Gothic church Basilica del Voto Nacional the basilic of Quito, Then we walk around the independence square; the heart of Quito surrounded by the Government Palace The façade of Cathedral church, the Archbishop's Palace, and the city hall. Our next point is the Sagrario church. The interior of the church of la Compañia de Jesus which is full covered by gold leaf and then we continue to San Francisco square in where we can admire the beauty and legends of this religious order. Then we continue to El Panecillo, a hill located at 3000m (10000 feet), where the statue of the virgin of Quito is waiting for us. From this hill we will get one of the best views of the old and new city.

A few kilometers from the city of Quito is located the middle of the world, we visit the Inti Nan museum an interesting museum, that shows experiences that occur only in this part of the planet.

3rd day: Quito – Papallacta – Amazon

We leave Quito, and follow a scenic stretch of road which takes us out of the majestic “Andes Highlands” and down into the jungle. We pass through, Papallacta, The most elevated spot on the road (4000 mts. asl). We continue farther until we reach the Thermas of Papallacta. These Thermas are the most attractively developed set of hot springs in Ecuador. The hot volcanic water is channeled into three pools large enough for swimming, three smaller shallow pools and two tiny family-size pools. There is also access to the river. Then we drive to Baeza , Tena, and arrive at the Lodge in the afternoon. After the nice drive we can relax for a while in our beautiful spacious bungalow built in a rustic native design surrounded by gardens full of amazing jungle plants and flowers. A delicious dinner will be served. We’ll feel absolutely comfortable in this lovely peaceful setting filled with nightly sights and sounds of the Amazon jungle.

Once we have into the Lodge, we are free to create our own itinerary with our guide, choosing from a list of activities.

4th day: Amazon

Excursions into the Jungle

5th day: Amazon – Baños

We drive to the South towards the Thermal spring city of Banos. This Banos mean “Baths”, which is precisely what the town is famous for: Some of them are fed by thermal springs from the base of the active Volcano Tungurahua, which means: "little hell” in Quichua. We continue our trip to Agoyan and Devils cauldron, (amazing waterfalls). We will take the taravita (Air cable) to see the majestic Manto de la novia Waterfall.

6th day: Baños – Chimborazo – Riobamba

We continue to The Chimborazo volcano, the highest mountain in Ecuador. Chimborazo Volcano is extraordinary for many reasons. It is the highest point in Ecuador’s Andes mountains. Although it is not the tallest mountain in the world, it is considered to be the farthest point on the surface of the Earth from the center. Chimborazo is renouned for superior mountaineering opportunities, and it is visited by people from all over the world looking for extreme climbing opportunities. Then we continue to the small Andean city of Riobamba that has been nicknamed Friobamba by Ecuadorians who agree that this pretty highland city which is bordered by the snowy Volcán Chimborazo is indeed quite cold .

7th day: Riobamba – Ingapirca – Cuenca

This morning after breakfast, we continue to the biggest Incan archeological site in Ecuador, Ingaprica. This citadel was built in the 15th century on the Inca Trail that connects Quito to Cusco. The ruins include, courtyards, terraces, temples, houses, and a “castle” possibly a “Temple of the Sun.” We continue to Cuenca, the most beautiful colonial city in South America. Today Cuenca is “A World Cultural Heritage Site.”

8th day: Cuenca City tour – Guayaquil

This morning after our breakfast, we enjoy a city tour of Cuenca a quaint colonial city. Cuenca is well known for its handicrafts including pottery, embroidery, filigree jewels, and the world famous Panama Hat. We see the Main Square, New Cathedral, and the colorful Flower Market on Plaza del Carmen. On Plaza of San Sebastian, we see a very colorful artisans market. We also see the Court of Justice, the Municipal Palace, the Governor’s Palace, and the Church El Sagrario. Then we drive through spectacular El Cajas National Park, with rocky lunar landscapes and more than 200 lakes scattered among its jagged peaks. We continue to the economical capital of Ecuador, Guayaquil. Ecuador’s largest city and main sea port of the country. During a panoramic city tour, we see the old district “La Penas” the Botanical Garden, the cathedral and the only place in the world that has Land Iguanas living downtown. Overnight.

9th day: Guayaquil – flight – Galapagos: The Highlands

Pick up from our hotel and transfer to the airport in order to take our flight to Galapagos.

Upon arrival to Baltra Island, our guide will be waiting for us and will take us to our hotel in Puerto Ayora. After lunch we will take an excursion to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. The Scenery will continuously change as we ascend through all seven vegetation zones of the Galapagos. We will be able to view the giant tortoises at a farm in the highlands. Then we will visit the twins (los Gemelos), a pair of large pit craters or sinkholes where we find the bright red male vermilion flycatcher. Then we visit "the tunnels", the largest lava tunnels found in Galapagos.

10th day: Sail to Bartolome Island

We will be transferred to the Itabaca channel. Here we will take the yacht that will embark on the first leg of our journey. Bartolome Island has some of the most beautiful landscapes throughout the archipelago. The most famous rock formation here is the Pinnacle Rock, which resembles an obelisk raised to the edge of the ocean. Upon arrival, we are presented with a wood stairway climb of 600 meters in length, so we suggest wearing comfortable shoes. Once we reach the Summit (about 30 to 40 minutes), we are rewarded with a spectacular view of the landscape with two beautiful bays. The fascinating formations of lava and volcanic cones give this area an out-of-this-world aura, and will make us you feel as if we were walking on the moon.

Bartolome Island is the perfect place to observe the Galapagos penguins swimming in these tropical waters. On the south part of the island we can also find marine turtles, stingrays and Galapagos sharks, among other unique marine species. Relax in the afternoon with 45 minutes of snorkeling at Sullivan Bay.

11th day: Charles Darwin Station – ferry – Isabela Island. The flamingos lake

This morning, we visit The Charles Darwin Station. Scientist and park rangers make a huge effort to preserve this Unesco World Heritage Site. The unique flora and fauna of these islands helped Darwin to formulate his theory of Evolution. The research center is also a tortoise breading and rearing center, where tortoise are prepared to reenter their national habitat.

At 15h00 our speed boat leaves from the main dock from Puerto Ayora, and after a 2 hours sail we reach Islabela Island. Here, another guide welcomes us and takes us to our hotel. Then we will visit the west of Puerto Villamil where there are various salt and brackish lagoons which house an impressive variety of coastal and sea birds. Here, we can also find the largest concentration of flamingos.

12th day: The Tunnels. Cabo Rosa

Our guide will pick up us from our hotel and take us to Puerto Villamil dock where we will board a boat for 45 minutes to Cabo Rosa (Tunnels). Here we can see lava formations that have cooled in contact with the sea and have formed massive tunnels full of life. We will have a tour of the arches for approximately 30 minutes where we will be able to be close to the blue footed boobies, often with chicks or sitting on their eggs. Here we will have two places to snorkel. One is El Finado and the other the Tunnels, where we can closely observe sharks, penguins, seahorses, manta rays, giant sea turtles, schools of colorful fish, sea lions and much more.

13th day: Isabela Island – ferry – Puerto Ayora – Baltra Island – flight – Quito

Our guide will pick us up from our hotel at 05h40 and will take us to the pier of Isabela Island in order to take our boat to Puerto Ayora. Then we drive to Baltra Island in order to take our flight to Quito. It departs at 12h30 and arrives in Quito at 16h30.

14th day: Quito - Flight back home

We will be transferred to the airport in order to take our flight back home