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Southern Highlands and The Galapagos - Ecuador
18 days (19 inc. flights) - from £3345
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The Avenue of the Volcanoes
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Cotapaxi National Park
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The beautiful city of Cuenca
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Galapagos Islands where an incredible range of wildlife have no fear of man.
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See the islands’ famous giant tortoises.
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Dramatic volcanic island scenery.
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Island walks with naturalist guides.
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Swimming and snorkelling – sometimes with sealions, turtles and penguins!
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Visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre.
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Explore the old colonial architecture and bustling new town of Quito.
Description
You spend a couple of nights in Quito, Ecuador's capital city, before heading down through the Andes. Quito is a fascinating city with a beautiful heart of old colonial villas and churches and a more vibrant new town with bustling shops and restaurants. After your long international flight to Quito, you will need time to unwind and relax before heading south.
Travel south from Quito down through the southern Andean highlands. You'll drive down the famous Avenue of the Volcanoes with it's breathtaking scenery and stop at Cotopaxi National Park. It's a great place for some walking. You'll pass through small villages with traditional markets and you'll visit ancient Inca ruins before reaching the lovely town of Cuenca. This place is full of old colonial architecture and has a charm of its own. Then we'll take you out of the mountains driving down to the coast at Guayaquil from where you catch a flight to the Galapagos.
For any wildlife enthusiast or nature lover, a Galapagos Islands cruise is one of those ‘once in a lifetime' trips which, if you're going to Ecuador (or even Peru), you just HAVE to make time and budget for. It's not a cheap experience, but it is absolutely worth the money. A Galapagos Islands cruise has to be one of the very best wildlife experiences on the planet. Where else in the world does the wildlife, even the birds, have no fear of man?!
Each yacht has a highly qualified naturalist guide on board, and each day you will visit the islands. There are trails on all the islands, and you have to stick to these for the sake of the wildlife, but this is no detriment to your experience, and you still get very close to the animals and birds. Your guide will tell you all about the flora and fauna, and the history and geography of the islands.
In addition to island visits you can go swimming and snorkelling, which often attracts curious onlookers such as sealions, penguins and turtles who come and swim alongside to see what strange creature you are.
All itineraries include a visit to Santa Cruz which has the largest human population (in Puerto Ayora), and which is also the home of the Charles Darwin Research Centre. Here you can meet giant tortoises and learn about some of the conservation issues of the islands. You might also go up to the Highlands here, to see giant tortoises in the wild.
In between island visits you will be cruising from place to place. In the daytime, it is not uncommon to get dolphins swimming alongside the yacht, which is magical. Longer journeys will often be undertaken at night, so please note you will be very aware of the sound of the engine. We are using small yachts, with a maximum of 16 passengers, as you can enjoy a much friendlier and more intimate atmosphere onboard the yacht with less crowding and waiting around for visits on the mainland, as can occur with the larger yachts.
At the end of your cruise, you will fly back to Quito to board your international flight. However, Ecuador is blessed with a variety of attractions all within easy reach of Quito. You can drive north to the famous market town of Otavalo, head to the cloud forest for a couple of days, or take a short flight to the Amazon rainforest.
Itinerary Summary
- Day 1: Fly to Quito (if flight selected). Transfer to your hotel.
- Day 2: Half day city tour of Quito.
- Day 3: Drive to Cotopaxi. Guided visit to the national Park with lunch at Tambopaxi
- Day 4: Day at leisure in the Cotopaxi area.
- Day 5: Drive to Riobamba with a market visit en route.
- Day 6: Continue to Cuenca visiting Ingapirca.
- Day 7: Guided tour of Cuenca.
- Day 8: Free day in Cuenca
- Day 9: Drive to Guayaquil with a visit to Cajas National Park.
- Day 10: Transfer to the airport. Fly to Galapagos to start your cruise.
- Days 11 to 16: On your Galapagos cruise
- Day 17: Fly back to Quito. Transfer to your hotel.
- Day 18: Transfer. Fly to the UK (if flight selected)
Detailed Itinerary
- Day 1: Leave London early in the morning for your flight to arrive in Quito in the afternoon (if selected). You will be met by our representative at the airport on arrival in Quito and taken to your hotel with the rest of the day free to relax or explore the city on your own. Quito is at an altitude of just under 3,000m, so you do have to be prepared for the effects of altitude - take things slowly and don't tire yourself out. if you have the energy, your hotel is within easy walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Quito's new town.
- Day 2: A half day tour of Quito's attractive colonial old town will be arranged for the morning. Quito is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in South America, with a well preserved colonial heart. Our tour will take in the palaces, mansions and churches of the old town, including the impressive cathedral on the Plaza de la Independenceia and the Monasterio de San Francisco. We'll also take you to El Pancillo, a hill in the middle of the city from which you get great views over Quito to the surrounding volcanoes - on a clear day! In the afternoon, you are free to continue you exploration of Colonial Quito, or return to the new town of La Mariscal Sucre to relax in the cafes and bars or shop for souvenirs. B
- Day 3: You will be collected from your hotel in the morning by your guide for the scenic drive along Ecuador’s famous Avenue of the Volcanoes. As you leave Quito behind, you follow the road winding through the Andes with volcanoes towering on either side. At the town of Machachi you leave the highway and follow a bumpy road that climbs ever higher leading to Cotopaxi National Park. On a clear day, you will be able to admire the snow-capped peak of the world’s highest active volcano rising into view. You will be able to taste the crisp, thin air as you explore the high grasslands of the park with your guide. Learn about the wildlife that inhabits the plateau around the volcano, and if you are lucky spot the Andean Condor soaring overhead. If you are feeling fit, your driver will take you up to the refuge halfway up the volcano, where you have to hike the last stretch from the car park to an altitude of 4,600m. You’ll certainly feel the altitude this high up, and want to take it is easy. Lunch will be arranged at Tambopaxi, a lodge within the park where you can enjoy fabulous views with your meal. Stay in a traditional hacienda within Cotopaxi National Park. B,L,D
- Day 4: A free day to relax in your hacienda or enjoy the range of optional activities that are available in and around the park. The hacienda offers half day activities such as horseback riding, mountain biking and even canopy zip line rides! You can book these direct with the hacienda when you are there depending on what you feel like doing. B,D
- Day 5: You will be driven to Banos and the surrounding area and then on to Riobamba, which is about a 2 hour drive. B
- Day 6: Drive through beautiful highland scenery in the shadow of Chimborazo, whose peak is the further point from the centre of the Earth. The drive to Cuenca takes about 5 hours, passing through small towns and villages en-route. You will stop at Ingapirca, Ecuador’s most important Inca Site. Although not on the scale of Machu Picchu, the well-built temple is an impressive reminder of the scale of the Inca Empire. Arrive in the beautiful city of Cuenca in the afternoon. B
- Day 7: Cuenca is Ecuador’s third city and arguably it’s most beautiful. The city centre with its fine colonial architecture has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Cuenca’s citizens are proud of their city. Your half day guided tour will include a visit to the old and new cathedrals as well as some of Cuenca’s other fine colonial buildings. Or you could take our optional 'Cuenca's Charm in a Day' tour which is a full day tour. B
- Day 8: A free day to explore Cuenca. There are a variety of options that we can arrange in and around Cuenca. You might like to take our optional trip to El Cajas for the day. B
- Day 9: You will leave Cuenca in the morning for the drive to Guayaquil, a very scenic journey taking about 4 hours. You will have the opportunity to stop at Cajas National Park for a short hike in this highland park. On arrival in Guayaquil, we'll take you to your city centre hostal. B,L
- Days 10 to 17: We'll pick you up and take you to the airport to board the morning flight to the Galapagos, arriving around midday. On arrival, you will need to pay the Galapagos National Park Fee before meeting your guide who will be waitig for you at the airport. Once everyone from your yacht has arrived, you'll be taken the short journey to Baltra harbour to begin your 8 day Galapagos cruise. B
The exact itinerary for the next week will depend on the yacht, with different yachts operating different itineraries on different weeks. The yacht's itineraries are all set by the Galapagos national park authorities. We've got a couple of different yachts and each has a couple of different itineraries! So have a look at the depatrure dates to see which one applies. The most common itinerary for the Cachalote which departs on a Wednesday is our itinerary A which is as follows: - Day 10 (Wed): After arrival in Blatra and transfer to the yacht, continue to Puerto Ayora: Visit El Chato or Charles Darwin Centre B,L,D
- Day 11 (Thurs): Visit South plazas and Santa Fe B,L,D
- Day 12 (Fri): Visit San Cristoba: Cerro Brujo, Galapaguera and El Jungo B,L,D
- Day 13 (Sat): Espanola: Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez B,L,D
- Day 14 (Sun): Visit Floreana: Punta Cormorant, Devil's Crown and Post Office Bay B,L,D
- Day 15 (Mon): Visit Santa Cruz: Cerro Dragon and Santiago: Sullivan Bay B,L,D
- Day 16 (Tues): Visit Genovesa: Prince Phillip's Steps and Darwin Bay B,L,D
- Day 17 (Wed): Visit Santa Cruz: Black Turtle Cove. Your cruise will end at Baltra, from where you will be taken back to the airport for your flight back to Quito, arriving in the early evening. On arrival, you will be taken to your hotel for a final night. B
- Day 18: If you are on an afternoon flight, you will have the morning free to relax and explore the sights of Quito. Yo'll need to check into the airport 3 hours before your international flight departs, and we'll collect you from your hotel and transfer you to the airport in plenty of time (if flights selected). B
Our itinerary B is also on the Cachalote and starts on a Wednesday. The following replaces days 10 to 17 above:
- Day 10 (Wed): After arrival in Blatra and transfer to the yacht, continue to Puerto Ayora and up to the Santa Cruz Highlands or Charles Darwin Station B,L,D
- Day 11 (Thurs): Visit Chinese Hat and Rabida B,L,D
- Day 12 (Fri): Isabela: Puerto Villamil: visit Tintoreras - Volcan Sierra Negra B,L,D
- Day 13 (Sat): Isabela: Punta Moreno: visit Elizabeth Bay B,L,D
- Day 14 (Sun): Isabela: Urbiba Bay: visit Tagus Cove B,L,D
- Day 15 (Mon): Fernandina: Pinta Espinosa - Isabela: visit Vicente Roca B,L,D
- Day 16 (Tues): James: Puerto Egas - Bartolome B,L,D
- Day 17 (Wed): Visit North Seymour. Your cruise will end at Baltra, from where you will be taken back to the airport for your flight back to Quito, arriving in the early evening. On arrival, you will be taken to your hotel for a final night. B
Our itinerary C is on the Beluga and starts on a Friday. The following replaces days 10 to 17 above:
- Day 10 (Fri): After arrival in Blatra and transfer to the yacht, visit to Dragon Hill B,L,D
- Day 11 (Sat): Santa Fe - Plazas B,L,D
- Day 12 (Sun): San Cristobal: visit Punta Pitt & Isla Lobos B,L,D
- Day 13 (Mon): Espanola: Visit Gardner Bay & Punta Suarez B,L,D
- Day 14 (Tues): Santa Cruz: visit Charles Darwin Starion and the Highlands B,L,D
- Day 15 (Wed): James: Visit Espumilla Beach, Buccaneer cove & Sullivan Bay B,L,D
- Day 16 (Thur): Genovesa: Darwin Bay & El Barranco B,L,D
- Day 17 (Fri): Visit Santa Cruz: Black Turtle Cove. Your cruise will end at Baltra, from where you will be taken back to the airport for your flight back to Quito, arriving in the early evening. On arrival, you will be taken to your hotel for a final night. B
Is it for you?
This is for all wildlife and nature lovers, no matter what age or fitness.
Best times to go
The Galapagos Islands is a year round destination.
Getting there
We have based this trip on Iberia flights which leave London Heathrow early in the morning to arrive in Quito the same afternoon, changing planes in Madrid. We can also offer flights with KLM which is an overnight flight from the UK and you might therefore want an extra night in Quito. If you are arranging your own flights you need to arrive in Quito any time on Day 1 and depart from Quito any time on day 11.
Gallery
Responsible Travel
The Galapagos Islands are a very fragile and unique environment. It is a strange concept but were it not for the value of tourism in this area the islands would undoubtedly have been allowed to be plundered and destroyed decades ago. The environment is threatened by over fishing, human settlement, the introduction of rougue species of flora and fauna, and if left unchecked the removal of existing indigenous species - some sub-species were hunted to extinction.
By supporting responsible tourism in this sensitive area we are actively contributing to the massive conservation task. There is a National Parks tax of $100 per person which goes directly to the islands conservation initiatives. But most importantly, we work with a number of boats that are Ecuadorian owned and whose owners can demonstrate a positive ecological and social responsibility policy. This encompasses the broader issues of the human population on the islands as well as the more obvious wildlife conservation.
By supporting responsible tourism in this sensitive area we are actively contributing to the massive conservation task. There is a National Parks tax of $100 per person which goes directly to the islands conservation initiatives. But most importantly, we work with a number of boats that are Ecuadorian owned and whose owners can demonstrate a positive ecological and social responsibility policy. This encompasses the broader issues of the human population on the islands as well as the more obvious wildlife conservation.
Add-ons
Make it Yours.
We promise that all our Down to Earth holidays are exciting adventures as they stand. But you are an individual. ("I'm not." ed). So why not add extras to your holiday to make it different and more unique to you?
You can extend your holiday with the following short trips:
These optional extras are available to add to your trip:
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