Volcanoes and Galapagos

Blending culture and creatures, this tour of Ecuador and the Galapagos takes you from the UNESCO-listed cobbled streets of Quito to Charles Darwin’s ‘little world within itself’ to snorkel, scale a volcano and see world-famous wildlife.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Avenue of the Volcanoes | Hike under the snow-capped cone of Cotopaxi Volcano

Mindo Cloud Forest | Spot hummingbird and visit a community project

Galapagos | Get up close to Darwinian wildlife on these paradise islands

PRODUCT RATING:

AU$6330

NZ$6560

At A Glance

TRIP PACE: Moderate

ACCOMMODATION:

9 nights comfortable hotel

4 nights comfortable lodge

1 night comfortable hostel Optional single rooms available

TRANSPORT:

Bus | Boat | Flight

MEALS: Breakfast: 14 | Lunch: 3

WANT

DAY 1: Join trip in Tumbaco, near Quito’s airport.

DAY 2: Drive into the rural Andes. Visit a condor sanctuary and experience the colours and sounds of Otavalo's indigenous market.

DAY 3: Walk around Cuicocha Lake and share a traditional lunch in an indigenous community.

DAYS 4–5: Spot butterfly, orchid and hummingbird at the Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve.

DAY 6: Return to Quito and discover the colonial capital with its splendid churches and cobbled plazas.

DAYS 7–8: Walk in the Cotopaxi National Park before flying to the Galapagos. Search for giant tortoise in Santa Cruz.

DAY 9: Sail to volcanic Isabela Island. Walk through wetlands to a turtle breeding centre.

DAY 10: Hike the Sierra Negra Volcano to admire panoramas of the islands. Afternoon snorkelling excursion.

DAYS 11–12: Yachting trips to spot wildlife such as land iguana, sea lion, Galapagos penguin and blue-footed booby.

DAY 13: View the turtle nesting ground at Tortuga Bay and the Charles Darwin Research Station.

DAYS 14–15: Return to the mainland. Choose to take a guided city tour of Guayaquil where the trip ends.