9-Day Colonial Quito & Galapagos Island Hopping

You will be taken to your hotel in Quito.

After breakfast, our guide pick you up to do a City tour in the historical centre of Quito (part of the UNESCO World Heritage list), the Pululahua Crater and to the Equator museum (Inti Nan). You will have a local lunch in the historical center of Quito.

In the morning our driver drops you off at Quito Airport from where you fly to the Island of Baltra. At the airport in Baltra, you will meet up with your English speaking guide who takes you in direction to the port of Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island). But on the way you will stop in the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit a farm where they have giant tortoises in their natural habitat. You will have a local lunch there (only if you arrive before 14:00 PM). Afterwards, you will be dropped off in your hotel in Puerto Ayora.

After breakfast you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. It is known for its amazing turtles, born from only 3 inches to 4 feet long. These species of turtles tend to interact with each other and also with humans, showing their head for a pet. The new hatchlings are kept until they are approximately four years old and strong enough to survive on their own. After lunch you will go to Isabela Island by public speedboat (2,5 hours). Upon arrival you have a quick visit to the Flamingo Lagoon.

Tintoreras Islet is called like this due to a large crack, in which white-tip sharks known as Tintoreras come daily to rest at the bottom. You will have a transport which will take you to the pier of Puerto Villamil, here you will board a boat for 10 minutes to cross to the islet which is located across the bay. It will be necessary for passengers to use walking shoes or sneakers (closed shoes) to cross the volcanic rocks. You can also observe penguins, sea lions, marine iguanas and you can go snorkeling with colourful tropical fish while enjoying the beaches of Isabela. After lunch you will have a little break and then you will have a tour to The Wetlands, here you will visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, where you will spot small and giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The next activity is a visit to The Wall of Tears. * Please have in mind that the total length of the walk in The Wetlands area is approximately 3 to 4 hours.

In the morning, you will go on a 30 to 40 minute boat ride from Puerto Villamil. The max group size is 10 participants per guide. You will explore the brilliant scenery in Los Tuneles where you will get the chance to spot large quantities of seabirds. This exciting activity takes approximately about 6 hours including the boat rides and a snack before a short hike. The departure time is between 7:00 AM and 11:30 AM and depends on availability and National Park regulations. So, depending on when you will go to Los Tuneles, you can choose to explore Concha Perla by yourself before or after this, since it is very close to the dock. If you would like to do the optional snorkeling there, you can get the snorkel equipment from your hotel and get to chance to spot even more animals.

Today you can relax at Isabela island before you take the public speedboat at 2 PM back to Santa Cruz where you will spend the night.

ght back to Quito where you will be picked up by an English speaking driver / guide.

After breakfast you will be taken to the airport.