Ecuador Andes and Galapagos tour

Welcome to Quito, Ecuador’s high Andean capital. Upon arrival at Mariscal Sucre International Airport, meet your driver and transfer to your carefully selected accommodation.

Take time to explore this UNESCO-listed city at your own pace. Wander through historic plazas set against a backdrop of mountain peaks, browse colorful market stalls, and discover local traditions through encounters with artisans, healers, and hat makers.

As the day unfolds, enjoy Quito’s dynamic food scene and lively atmosphere, offering a perfect introduction to Ecuador travel.

After breakfast, join your English-speaking guide for a journey through Quito’s colonial center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Plaza Grande, admire the ornate La Compañía and the impressive Basílica, then stroll along the historic streets of La Ronda, where local life and traditions come to life.

Continue with a hands-on cooking class in a charming colonial house, where you will learn to prepare traditional Ecuadorian dishes before enjoying your creations for lunch. In the afternoon, travel along the Andean Highway to Mitad del Mundo, where you can stand on the Equator line and explore interactive museum exhibits.

After breakfast, your private guide will meet you at the hotel to begin a scenic journey through the Andes. Along the way, stop at the stunning Quilotoa crater lake, where you can walk along the rim for sweeping mountain views or follow a trail down to the striking turquoise water below.

For the return, you may choose to rent a mule and take in the scenery at a more relaxed pace. Continue through dramatic highland landscapes toward Baños, a vibrant town surrounded by waterfalls and cloud forest, where you will spend the night.

After breakfast, visit the impressive Pailon del Diablo Waterfall, where a network of trails and viewpoints brings you close to the rushing cascades surrounded by lush vegetation. It is one of the most memorable stops on any Ecuador itinerary, offering both scenery and a sense of the region’s raw natural power.

Later, continue through changing Andean landscapes toward a historic hacienda near Cotopaxi, approximately three hours away. Arrive with time to unwind before the National Park closes, with the option to explore the highland plains on horseback.

In the evening, settle into one of the region’s oldest haciendas, where centuries of history and atmosphere create a unique and authentic setting for your stay.

After breakfast, continue your journey north to Cotopaxi National Park, one of the best places to visit in Ecuador. Walk along the shores of Lake Limpiopungo, surrounded by wide open highland landscapes and views of the perfectly shaped Cotopaxi Volcano rising above the plains.

As you explore, look out for Andean birdlife and, with some luck, wild horses roaming freely across this unique ecosystem. If time and altitude allow, you may hike up to the José Ribas refuge for sweeping views of the surrounding peaks.

In the afternoon, return to Quito and enjoy time to relax after a day in the Andes.

Fly from Quito to Baltra Island, the gateway to your Galapagos adventure. Upon arrival, complete the Galapagos National Park entry process and meet your naturalist guide for a seamless transfer to the Archipel I catamaran.

In the afternoon, visit the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, where you can observe giant tortoises from Española Island at different stages of their development.

Learn about conservation efforts as you walk through the facility, ending at the tortoise corral where these iconic animals can be seen up close, offering memorable encounters and excellent photo opportunities.

Walk across dramatic black lava fields at Punta Moreno, where the rugged terrain meets the sea and pockets of green vegetation emerge among tide pools. This striking landscape is home to marine iguanas, shorebirds, and sea lions resting along the coastline.

Continue to Urbina Bay, a remote stretch of coast known for its rich wildlife. Here, you may encounter giant land iguanas and Galapagos tortoises roaming freely in their natural habitat.

The clear waters also offer excellent snorkeling opportunities, with the chance to spot sea turtles and rays in a peaceful and unspoiled setting.

Begin the day at Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island, where you walk across young lava fields shaped by recent volcanic activity. This remote landscape is rich in wildlife, with large groups of marine iguanas, sea lions resting along the shore, and the rare flightless cormorant, a unique species adapted to life in the water.

Later, continue to Vicente Roca Point on Isabela Island. Cruise along dramatic cliffs before entering a large sea cave, where calm, sheltered waters create ideal conditions for snorkeling.

Beneath the surface, you may encounter penguins, sea turtles, seahorses, reef fish, and several species of sharks, with the chance of spotting the elusive mola mola.

Begin the day at Egas Port on Santiago Island, where a walk along a striking black sand beach reveals a landscape shaped by volcanic forces. Follow coastal trails past tide pools and rocky shores, observing marine iguanas and sea lions up close. Along the way, discover the remains of a historic salt mining site, adding a human dimension to this wild setting.

Later, continue to Rabida Island, known for its distinctive red sand and rust colored cliffs. A short walk leads to a calm coastal lagoon, where you may spot flamingos alongside finches, doves, yellow warblers, and mockingbirds, creating a vivid contrast of color and wildlife.

Your final morning in the Galapagos begins with a quiet dinghy ride into Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz Island. Surrounded by mangroves, this calm lagoon offers ideal conditions for observing wildlife, including sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, and rays gliding through clear waters.

Later in the morning, continue to Baltra Airport with the assistance of your naturalist guide and crew. They will help with luggage, transfers, and check-in, ensuring a smooth and well-organized departure as your Galapagos journey comes to an end.