Amazing Amazon - 13 days
Get to know Ecuador in style on this 13 day adventure, complete with comfortable hotels and private transportation. Explore some of the best Ecuador has to offer, from volcanoes and indigenous markets to the Amazon jungle and the famed Galapagos Islands
Day 1: Quito
Welcome to Ecuador! Arrive Quito, included transfer to your hotel. Overnight - Quito
Day 2: Amazon Rainforest
Quito - Amazon. Transfer to the airport with a local representative for the morning flight to the Amazon Rainforest, a 45 minute trip. It is ten minutes from the airport to the banks of the Napo River and 3-4 hours by motorized dugout canoe down river to the entrance of the jungle Lodge. It has a strong focus on sustainability and functions on solar energy and your meals will prepared from ingredients grown on the lodges own organic farm. They support a local school and help to protect the forest all without compromising your comfort while in the jungle. Overnight - Jungle lodge (B)
Amazing Amazon - 13 days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Days 3 - 5: Amazon Activities
Amazon - Quito. Spend two full days enjoying the sites and sounds of the Amazon Rainforest. Choose from a variety of activities: wake up early for some bird watching or stay up late and go out on a boat to view caimans by flashlight. Learn about the environment and wildlife from your naturalist guide, who accompanies you to ensure you get the most out of your excursions. The opportunities for birding, botany, hiking, herpetology, canoeing, photography, entomology, fishing, relaxing and swimming at Yachana Lodge are boundless. You decide which paths to explore and which adventure to experience, according to your own ability and interests. On day 5 we return to Quito. Overnight - Jungle Lodge (2), Quito (1) (B:2, L:2, D:2)
Day 6: Cayambe
Quito - Cayambe. Today we head north to the town of Cayambe which is famous both for its dairy industry and the snow-capped, extinct volcano of the same name that dominates the town. We stay in a 400-year-old hacienda nestled at the base of Cayambe Volcano. If you are feeling energetic, you can travel to the base of the volcano's glacier and hike back down. Rent horses and head off into the hills, or explore the beautiful property surrounding the hacienda, including an indoor swimming pool. Overnight - Quito (B)
Day 7: Otavalo Markets
Cayambe - Otavalo - Quito. Today we continue on to Otavalo to spend the day exploring the largest handicrafts market in South America before returning to Quito by the evening. Villagers from the surrounding countryside come here every week to sell handmade goods as well as livestock, fruits and vegetables. Otavalo is justly famous both for its friendly people and its Saturday market. The market dates back to pre-Inca times when jungle products were transported from the eastern lowlands and traded for highland goods. Today's market has two different functions: the local market for buying and selling animals, food and other essentials, and the crafts market for the tourists and other interested people. Overnight - Quito (B)
Day 8: Quito Tour
Today we enjoy a guided half day tour of Quito with its colonial architecture and its many shops and cafés. There is also plenty of free time to wander around and enjoy the city on your own. Overnight - Quito (B)
Day 9: Galapagos Islands
Quito - Galapagos Islands. Early flight to Baltra, in the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival we are met by our naturalist guide who will assist with the transfer to our motorized air-conditioned yacht. The Galapagos Islands are located about 1000 km (620 miles) off the Pacific coast of South America. The archipelago is comprised of 13 major islands and scores of islets that served as a living laboratory for Charles Darwin, the renowned evolution theorist. Today, we visit the Island of North Seymour, home to abundant animal life including sea lions, marine iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, magnificent frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. Overnight - Onboard motor yacht (B, L, D)
Days 10 - 11: Galapagos Islands
Over the next two days we visit several islands where we travel with our naturalist guide, explore on foot and learn about the natural history and unique wildlife. Most days there is the opportunity to snorkel among sea lions with time to relax out on deck. We visit Gardner Bay, an excellent swimming and snorkeling site and visit Punta Suarez, on Española Island. This is the southernmost island in the Galapagos archipelago, and home to several wildlife species, including masked and blue-footed boobies.
Punta Suarez on the western side of Española Island (also called Hood) is spectacular: gargantuan waves break on jagged cliffs and large bird colonies thickly populate the interior of the island; there is a distinct feel of desolate wilderness here. On day 11 we explore Punta Cormorant and Post Office Bay on Floreana Island. Overnight - onboard motor yacht (B:1, L:1, D:1)
Day 12: Charles Darwin Research Centre
Galapagos - Quito. This morning we visit the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. We enjoy a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station to see and learn about giant tortoises and Darwin's famed studies and explorations. Santa Cruz is the most populated island within the archipelago, and Puerto Ayora is its main town. We transfer to Baltra Island for our return flight to Quito and enjoy one last night on the town. Overnight - Quito (B)
Day 13: Quito
Transfer for the flight to Quito and our final night. Quito (B)
