DAY 1: Departure from USA
- Depart on your flight to Quito.
|
DAY 2: Arrive in Quito
- Arrival: Mariscal Sucre International Airport. Transfer to the hotel. (1 hour)
|
DAY 3: City Tour - "Mitad Del Mundo" (Equator Line)
- Breakfast at the hotel. Quito city tour is perfect for seeing fascinating panoramas, churches, domes and roofs that have an important historical value. You will admire and learn about colonial art, architecture, culture, legends, and traditions. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city and stands at an altitude of 9.350 feet. Despite the 1917 earthquake, the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic Center in Latin America. The architecture and rich interiors, are pure examples of Quito School of sculpture, which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art. After four incredible hours exploring the Old Town, youll understand why Quito was the worlds first city named to UNESCOs Cultural Heritage list.
- At the afternoon, you will visit: "Cuidad Mitad Del Mundo" and Intinan Museum
- 1.) "Ciudad Mitad del Mundo".
- "Ciudad Mitad del Mundo" is the touristic, cultural, scientific and commercial smallest city of Ecuador. Its architecture is based on colonial style. An obelisk and a museum relevant to its geographical location were built at the Middle of the World site. All of this is found among the drastic landscape surrounded by nature and modern buildings. The monument is crowned by a metallic sphere that represents the Earth. It is named Equatorial Monument and it geographical orientation coincides with the four cardinal points and is located precisely at Earths midpoint - 0 degrees latitude, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.
- 2.) Intinan Museum.
- Since the year 1960, the Intinan Museum in Quito has been a center for the promotion of the many aspects of Ecuadors culture. This museum offers interactive exhibits on how the Incas determined the middle of the earth, plus interesting science experiments such as balancing an egg on a nail.
- Return to the hotel.
- Meal: Breakfast
|
DAY 4: Mindo
- Breakfast: at the hotel. Mindo is a tiny town set amidst some of the most beautiful and peaceful countryside in the entire country. It is a centre for both nature and for adventure activities. You are going to visit a butterfly farm where you will also be able to see orchids and an array of colourful humming birds. Mindo has a great biodiversity. The forest landscape is home to over 500 species of birds and 400 species of orchids.
- You cross the forest area in a cable car, located approximately 30 meters above the ground, then we will walk through the woods.
- Another of the most popular activities in Mindo is the zip-lining canopy runs between towers high in the forest.
- Also you have a chocolate tour which includes a demonstration of the chocolate-making process.
- Meal: Breakfast
|
DAY 5: Quilotoa city tour
- Breakfast: at the hotel. After breakfast we will drive to the famous Quilotoa Crater Lake. On our way we will pass by the Tigua workshop and admire some impressive local artwork with impressions of life in the Andes.
- At our arrival to the Quilotoa Loop, we will appreciate an emerald green lake inside the crater of an extinct volcano with steep jagged cliffs. We are going to trek into the crater to the lake shore and the return to the top of the crater is a mule ride. Kayak on the lake (optional).
- Meal: Breakfast
|
DAY 6: Quito – Galapagos
- Breakfast: at hotel. Transfer to the airport - flight to the Galapagos Islands.
- When you land in Baltra a guide will be waiting for you. You will arrive at Santa Cruz Island crossing the Itabaca Channel, it is a waterway that connects two islands,(Baltra and Santa Cruz), in 10 minutes.
- Then we continue to Highlands of Santa Cruz. Here you may observe the famous Giant Tortoises in their natural environment, which also known as Galapagos, and from where the name of the Islands derive. Also catch sight of the famous Galapagos Finches, Bird Wizards, as well as endemic vegetation such as Escelacias forests and Matazarnos.
- Later you will have free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora, where you can several souvenir shops.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
|
DAY 7: Bartolome Island
- Breakfast: at hotel. Bartolome Island is a volcanic islet in the Galapagos Islands group. It is a volcanic islet just off the east coast of Santiago Island. It is one of the "younger" islands in the Galápagos archipelago. With a total land area of just 1.2 km², this island offers some of the most beautiful landscapes in the archipelago. The island consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green, and glistening black volcanic formations.
- Bartolome has a volcanic cone that is easy to climb and provides great views of the other islands. Bartolome is famous for its Pinnacle Rock, which is the distinctive characteristic of this island, and the most representative landmark of the Galapagos.
- It has two visitor sites. At the first one, you may swim and snorkel around Pinnacle Rock the underwater world there is really impressive. You can snorkel with the penguins, marine turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, and other tropical fish.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
|
DAY 8: Seymour Island Or Plazas Island
- Breakfast: at hotel
- North Seymour Island:
- North Seymour is a small island near to Baltra Island in the Galapagos Islands. It was formed by uplift of a submarine lava formation. The whole island is covered with low, bushy vegetation.
- This island is home to a large population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. It hosts one of the largest populations of frigate birds in Galapagos.
- North Seymour has a visitor trail approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) in length crossing the inland of the island and exploring the rocky coast.
- North Seymour is an extraordinary place for breeding birds, and is home to one of the largest populations of nesting blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. Pairs of blue-footed boobies can be seen conducting their mating ritual as they offer each other gifts, whistle and honk, stretch their necks towards the sky, spread their wings, and dance-showing off their bright blue feet.
- Plazas Island:
- South Plaza is a small island off the east coast of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands. It has an area of 0.13 km and a maximum altitude of 23 metres. South Plaza was formed by lava up streaming from the bottom of the ocean. Despite its small size it is home to a large number of species and it is famous for its extraordinary flora. That is why this island is very popular with visitors. On the steep banks it is possible to see a great number of birds such as nesting Red-billed Tropicbirds and Swallow-tailed Gulls, but most of all, enjoying the beautiful view from atop the steep banks or strolling along the base of the cliff is an extremely pleasurable experience. Very attractive are the beautiful prickly pear cactus trees (Opuntia echios) and of course the large colony of Galapagos Land Iguanas. Depending on the season, the Sesuvium ground vegetation changes its colour from intense green in the rainy season to orange and purple in the dry season.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
|
DAY 9: Departure from Galapagos to USA
- Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito or Guayaquil.
- Meal: Breakfast
|
