Day 1 Arrival in Quito - Day at Leisure Welcome to Quito, the capital of Ecuador! Arrive at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), where your driver will meet you to transfer you to your accommodation. The entire city of Quito is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, standing at an altitude of 9,350ft (2,850m). It welcomes visitors with its picturesque plazas situated between mountain peaks. The city has an abundance of market stands, shamanistic healers, fourth-generation hat makers, and a vibrant and sophisticated culinary and nightlife scene.
Overnight: Quito
Accommodation: Ikala Quito (or similar)
Meals: -/-/-
Day 2 Colonial City Tour – Cooking Class – The Middle of the World Today you will explore Quito and its surroundings. Quito's old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978. During a tour through its streets and narrow alleys, you will pass by some of the most beautiful and oldest churches in America, for example, the Iglesia de la Compañía and Iglesia San Francisco de Quito. Enjoy a cooking class and have a delicious lunch made by yourself in a beautiful spot in downtown Quito. In the afternoon you will visit the "Middle of the World", where you can enter the monument or take pictures with one foot in each hemisphere. Afterward, you have the possibility to visit the Inti Ñan Museum. The museum houses artifacts from indigenous cultures and you will be able to participate in various experiments related to the myths of being located right on the equator.
Overnight: Quito
Accommodation: Ikala Quito (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 3 Flight Quito to Coca – Transfer to Napo Cultural Center Arriving at Napo Cultural Center, you will have the outstanding chance to step onto the aboriginal territory of the kichwa Añangu community, with its members welcoming you with a traditional and refreshing ice-cold “wayusa."
The local hotel manager will give instructions and then take you to your comfortable room with views of the rainforest. Your first activity in the afternoon will be a hike along the “Playas” trail to experience amazon wildlife for the first time in the river islands and shores amidst one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. Kayaking is also available as an optional activity for around 45 min where you will enjoy an overwhelming and colorful sunset in the vastness of Napo River. Then head back to your cabin, rest a bit, and be prepared for a well-deserved dinner. After dinner, you will fall asleep to the relaxing sounds of the Amazon.
Overnight: Yasuni National Park
Accommodation: Napo Cultural Center
Meals: B/L/D
Day 4 Kuri Muyu (Kichwa traditions) - Canopy Tower - Traditional Dinner We start this morning with a visit to the intercultural interpretation center "Kuri Muyu" which means "Gold Seed" in the native language. It is managed by the women of the community also known as "Mamakuna". There you will learn about the Kichwa culture, crafts, customs, and traditional use of natural resources directly from the people of the native community.
We return to the community center to have lunch and relax for a short time before hiking for an hour to climb the Observation Tower, a climb of 40 m. tall canopy tower; with a high probability of spotting a variety of birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, toucans, parrots, and sloths.
In the afternoon, head back to Napo Cultural Center aboard your paddle canoe to see more of the spectacular wildlife available.
Upon arrival, you will have time to relax and prepare for a typical traditional dinner to taste local Amazonian flavors, such as "Maito" which is grilled fish wrapped in a"Bijao" leaf, and if you have an adventurous palate, try the grilled worms locally known as "Chontakuru". After dinner, prepare your flashlight for a night walk around the lodge to see different types of insects, reptiles, and even nocturnal mammals such as night monkeys.
Overnight: Yasuni National Park
Accommodation: Napo Cultural Center
Meals: B/L/D
Day 5 Wayusa Ritual - Coca - Quito This morning, you will participate in a traditional Kichwa ritual! You will wake up around 04:30 am and drink the traditional energy drink "Wayusa." You can forward to listening to songs in the local language, meditating, and interpreting dreams. It will be a unique "once in a lifetime" experience, where you will experience the harmony, peace, and joy that the indigenous people of South America know so well. Wayusa is a traditional, energizing herbal tea prepared from the leaves of a sacred tree in the equatorial rain forests of the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle by indigenous people. Each family has their tree and use it as a part of their everyday lives, and has been a part of the Amazonian culture for more than 2000 years. After breakfast, a motorized canoe will bring you back to El Coca, originally named Puerto Francisco de Orellana, from where you will take the plane back to Quito.
Overnight: Quito
Accommodation: Ikala Quito (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 6 Visit Otavalo Indigenous Market & Cuicocha Lake Today, take a ride about two hours north of Quito to visit Otavalo and nearby Cuicocha Lake. While in Otavalo, be sure to visit the Plaza de los Ponchos for a chance to shop around its world-famous market. While it's at its busiest on Saturdays, you can find vendors, primarily Otavalos, the indigenous people of the region, throughout the week. The Otavalo people are best known for their colorful, hand-woven textiles, and many market stalls offer tablecloths, blankets, scarves, and more. Nearby towns have their own specialties—Cotacachi focuses on leather goods, for example—but you'll get plenty of variety at Otavalo alone. After some shopping, head into nature and visit Cuichocha Lake, a crater lake formed by an eruption of the Cotacachi Volcano thousands of years ago. Walk along a path on the lake's steep shores or take a boat ride past the two islands formed by lava domes. This evening, head back to Quito for the night.
Overnight: Quito
Accommodation: Ikala Quito (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 7 Flight to Santa Cruz – Highlands – Charles Darwin Research Station Your drive will be waiting for you at your hotel in Quito to take you to the Airport, so you arrive 3 hours before your flight in order to have time to purchase the TCT, get your luggage ready, and get everything neat for your flight! After arriving at Baltra Airport, your guide will already be waiting for you and take you to Santa Cruz Island. Enjoy lunch at a local farm in the highlands, followed by the observation of giant turtles in the wild. Then continue to the port in Puerto Ayora to check into the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Station, where scientists from all over the world meet and work together on environmental projects such as water analysis, animal protection, effects of tourism on nature, etc. Here you can visit the turtle rearing station, where animals are raised before being released into nature. Land iguanas can be observed here too.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Acacia Hotel Galápagos (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 8 Free Day on Santa Cruz Island You will enjoy a free day in Santa Cruz. Visit beaches, walk around the town, meet the local community, take a walk or a bike tour, or just relax at your hotel.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Acacia Hotel Galápagos (or similar)
Meals: B/-/-
Day 9 Day Trip to an Uninhabited Island After a very early breakfast, today you will enjoy an amazing day trip to an uninhabited island. Depending on the weather, scheduling, and permissions granted by the National Park, you'll visit one of the following islands: Santa Fé, South Plazas, Bartolomé, or North Seymour where you will follow trails to discover their richness, while in the afternoon you will have the opportunity to explore the waters around. Santa Fé and South Plazas are home to endemic land iguanas, while Bartolomé is known for its beautiful lava flows. On North Seymour, look for frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. Each island is unique, offering spectacular scenery and opportunities to see rare wildlife. Lunch is included onboard, as well as walking and a snorkeling activity to maximize your experience. In the evening, return to Puerto Ayora to enjoy some free time.
Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Acacia Hotel Galápagos (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 10 Floreana Day Trip: Wildlife and History Get ready to enjoy Isla Floreana, one of the four islands inhabited (by humans) in the Galapagos archipelago. The population is only 150. Huddled along the dock, the minuscule Puerto Velasco Ibarra is still one of the smallest and most isolated towns in the world. The island’s history includes tales of murder, romance, pirates, and paradise. Overnight: Santa Cruz Island
Suggested Hotel: Acacia Hotel Galápagos (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 11 Transfer to Baltra airport – Flight to Quito You will enjoy your last morning in Puerto Ayora before catching a flight back to mainland Ecuador. Upon arrival at Quito airport, you will meet your private driver who will take you to your hotel. Do some last-minute souvenir shopping, take a last stroll or just relax and get ready for your next day’s departure.
Overnight: Quito
Accommodation: Ikala Quito (or similar)
Meals: B/L/-
Day 12 Private Transfer to UIO for your International Departure At the designated time, your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport for your return home with some everlasting memories. See you next time!
Meals: B/-/-
Ecuador.12 days $3,800.00
