Andes, Amazon and Galapagos

Quito is your entry point into Ecuador - a capital city ringed by Andean peaks and steeped in colonial history.

On arrival, your private driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and acclimatise to the altitude before the adventure begins.

We spend the morning exploring Quito's UNESCO-listed historic centre - one of the best-preserved in Latin America. Highlights include El Panecillo, with its sweeping views across the city, La Basilica, Plaza Grande, and the impressive San Francisco Church.

A traditional lunch follows before we head to the Intiñan Museum, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere at the equatorial line. The day ends at Pululahua, one of the few inhabited volcanic craters in the world - a quietly extraordinary place.

Quito - Amazon. We leave Quito behind this morning and head east by semi-private transfer to Tena - the gateway to Ecuador's Amazon region.

On arrival at our jungle lodge, there's time to relax and take in the surroundings: open-air spaces, tropical gardens, and the sounds of the rainforest. This evening, we sit down to dinner together over a welcome drink, followed by a briefing on what lies ahead in the days to come.

The morning takes us into primary and secondary rainforest, where our expert guides introduce the extraordinary biodiversity of the Amazon - plants, insects, birds, and the ecosystems that connect them.

In the afternoon, we visit a local Kichwa community for a genuine cultural exchange. We learn about daily jungle life, take part in preparing traditional chicha, and share a meal together. The community supports itself through handicrafts and cultural tourism, and this visit is a direct part of that.

We travel by canoe to Anaconda Island, deep in the Amazon, where hoatzin birds, monkeys, and other wildlife move freely along the riverbanks.

A visit to a local Indigenous community offers insight into sustainable living and the medicinal use of rainforest plants. After lunch, we continue to the Amazoonico rescue centre, home to a wide range of Amazonian wildlife - a highlight for anyone with a passion for conservation.

Amazon - Clay Lick - Quito. An early start today for one of the Amazon's most spectacular natural displays. We take a canoe to a riverside clay lick, where hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather each morning to feed on the mineral-rich banks - a remarkable piece of wildlife behaviour that never loses its impact. Afterwards, we make our way back to Quito, trading the rainforest for the highlands as the tour shifts into its next phase.

Quito - San Pablo Lake - Otavalo - Quito. We head north into the Andes to Otavalo, home to one of South America's most celebrated Indigenous markets. A stop at San Pablo Lake sets the scene before we reach the famous Poncho Square, which is at its most vibrant on Saturdays.

After a traditional lunch, we walk to Peguche Waterfall through a scenic stretch of Andean countryside. Depending on the day of your visit, we also stop at either the Condor Rescue Centre - where Andean condors are rehabilitated and released - or the leather-working town of Cotacachi, known for its artisan workshops.

Quito - Santa Cruz - Puerto Ayora. We fly from Quito to the Galápagos Islands - one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and the next chapter of this tour. Landing on Baltra, we meet our naturalist guide and cross to Santa Cruz Island.

En route to Puerto Ayora, we stop in the highlands to walk among giant tortoises roaming freely in open grassland. There are few wildlife encounters quite like it.

Puerto Ayora - Santa Fe - Pinzon - Puerto Ayora. Today offers two exceptional options depending on conditions and availability. We either visit Santa Fe Island for crystal-clear snorkelling and close encounters with endemic species, followed by a beach landing back on Santa Cruz

or we head to Pinzon, where the waters are rich with sea turtles, sea lions, reef sharks, and dolphins, with the chance to watch a traditional fishing demonstration. Whichever the day brings, wet landings are part of the experience, so come ready to get your feet wet.

Puerto Ayora - Puerto Villamil. The morning is free to explore independently. Tortuga Bay - one of Santa Cruz's most beautiful beaches - is well worth the walk if you haven't visited yet.

In the afternoon, we board a public speedboat for the crossing to Isabela Island, the largest in the archipelago. The journey offers fine views across the open water before we arrive and settle in for the next stage.

Isabela packs a great deal into a single day. We begin in the wetlands, visiting the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre and Flamingo Lagoon before walking the trail to the Wall of Tears - a sobering remnant of the island's penal colony past.

In the afternoon, we head out to Tintoreras Islet, where white-tip reef sharks rest in shallow lava channels and snorkelling reveals the full richness of Galápagos marine life.

Puerto Villamil - Los Tuneles - Puerto Villamil. Los Tuneles is one of the Galápagos' most extraordinary snorkelling sites, and today it's ours. We head out by boat from Puerto Villamil into a maze of lava formations just beneath the surface, swimming alongside sea turtles, reef sharks, and an abundance of marine life in small, guided groups.

If time allows, there's also the option to snorkel independently at Concha de Perla, just a short walk from the dock.

Puerto Villamil - Quito - Papallacta. We make an early departure from the Galápagos today, transferring from Isabela to Baltra for the flight back to Quito. From there, we continue into the Andes toward Papallacta - a small highland village set within cloud forest and mountain scenery. After the pace of the islands, it's a welcome change of atmosphere, and a natural hot springs awaits.

A quieter day, and a well-earned one. We spend the morning relaxing in the thermal pools at Papallacta, surrounded by cloud forest and high Andean peaks.

For those who'd rather keep moving, there's the option of a hike in nearby Antisana National Park, where the high-altitude landscape is home to condors, wild horses, and dramatic volcanic scenery. Either way, it's a fine way to wind down before heading home.

Papallacta - Quito. After breakfast, we make the journey from Papallacta back to Quito for your onward flight. The Andean views on the road back are a fitting final impression - a reminder of just how much ground this tour covers, from highland markets and Amazon jungle to the wildlife of the Galápagos and the quiet of the hot springs.