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Ecuador & Galápagos Islands Cruise

with Peru extension

Duration: 10 or 16 days
Group size: 15-35
Reviews: 153

Venture into the heart of Ecuador’s societal and natural heritage.

Ecuador puts new meaning behind the saying, “good things come in small packages.” In terms of flora, fauna, and opportunities for viewing unique local wildlife, this South American country runs the gamut. Journey to Quito for a taste of Ecuadorean culture and Spanish colonial history. Then, island hop through the Galápagos, where you’ll move from mangrove swamps to lava flows to sunny shorelines, encountering scores of exotic creatures along the way. End in the indigenous city of Otavalo, famous for its colorful market.

Your tour package includes

4 nights in handpicked hotels
4 nights aboard the M/V Galápagos Legend cruise ship
8 breakfasts
5 lunches
5 dinners

Included highlights

Old Quarter Quito
La Compañía
Rábida Island
snorkeling with sea turtles
Tagus Cove

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Day-by-day itinerary

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Quito3 nights

Day 1: Flight & late-night arrival in Quito

After your flight, arrive late this evening in Quito and settle into your hotel.

Day 2: Sightseeing tour of Quito

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Quito.

Drive up Cerro Panecillo hill for views of the city and surrounding volcanoes
Sit down to enjoy an included welcome lunch
Marvel at the neo-Gothic Basilica of the National Vow
Enjoy a walking tour of the Old Town, passing by the Legislative Palace, Independence Square, and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito
Enter La Compañía, the city’s Baroque church, to view its gold leaf interior
Step inside the 16th-century Monastery of San Francisco

Day 3: Free day in Quito

Included meal: Breakfast

Enjoy a free day in Quito or add an excursion.

Antisana Ecological Reserve & Hacienda Lunch

Excursion (additional cost)

Galapagos Islands4 nights

Day 4: Galápagos Cruise

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, fly to the small island of Baltra to board your cruise.

Enjoy an included lunch aboard the ship
Make a wet landing on Mosquera Islet, which is located between North Seymour and Baltra Island and is one of the smallest islands in the Galápagos
Walk along the island’s sandy, barren lava rock covered terrain
Relax on the beach or snorkel in the water

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Day 5: Santiago Island & Rabida Island

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a wet landing, you’ll enjoy the southeastern portion of Santiago Island before continuing to Rabida Island.

Spend the morning exploring the extensive lava flows and swimming or snorkeling in volcanic rock pools
Look for yellow-crowned night herons, starfish, marine iguanas, and fur seals
Enjoy an included lunch aboard the ship
Transfer to Rabida Island, where the volcanic geology creates red sand beaches
Take a dinghy ride along the cliffs to snorkel and observe nesting seabirds

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Day 6: Isabela Island

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a wet landing, begin your exploration of Isabela Island, the largest in the Galápagos archipelago.

Snorkel with the sea turtles that swim just off the shore of Urbina Bay
See the giant tortoises that live on the slopes of the nearby Alcedo Volcano
Enjoy an included lunch aboard the ship
Tour Tagus Cove and see the blue-footed boobies that nest there
Go on a dinghy ride and enjoy the option of deep sea snorkeling

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Day 7: Espinosa Point & Vicente Roca Point

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today’s dry landing is at Espinosa Point, formed by lava flows over thousands of years.

View the area’s marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and the fearless Galápagos hawk
Enjoy an included lunch aboard the ship
Take a dinghy ride to Vicente Roca Point and the Bolivar Channel, where you can snorkel with sea lions, sea turtles, and penguins
View dolphins and whales that are attracted to the Bolivar Channel by the cold waters of the Cromwell Current (seasonal, June to September)

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Otavalo1 night

Day 8: Transfer to Otavalo via Quito

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Disembark the ship to further explore Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos before making your way to Otavalo, a market town in the Andes Mountains.

Journey to the Santa Cruz highlands, northwest of Puerto Ayora, to visit a giant tortoise nature reserve
Walk through the humid forest landscape to see these slow-moving reptiles in action
Return to Baltra and board your flight back to Quito on the mainland

Celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner this evening.

Overnight Flight1 night

Day 9: Otavalo market visit & departure

Included meal: Breakfast

Visit the Otavalo market to browse the stalls, shop for indigenous crafts, and attend a local weaving demonstration. Then, stop to view the Quisito Sundial, a monument located on the equator, where you’ll view a demonstration of equatorial effects.

Afterward, relax in a dayroom before boarding your flight home late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Please note: If you’re traveling on the tour extension to Peru, you’ll fly to Lima this evening and spend the night there.

Arrive Home

Day 10: Arrival in the U.S.

Arrive home.

Please note: Due to varying flight schedules, some travelers may depart on the morning of day 10, arriving home later that evening.

Extension to Peru

Experience Peru in all its diversity. Wander the colonial cities that display the legacy of Spanish conquistadors, explore the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco and visit the lost city of Machu Picchu.

Lima2 nights

Day 9: Otavalo market visit & flight to Lima

Included meal: Breakfast

After your visit to Otavalo market, enjoy free time to relax before you fly to Lima this evening.

Day 10: Sightseeing tour of Lima

Included meal: Breakfast

Set out on a guided tour, which highlights Lima's modern and colonial quarters.

Visit the Miraflores district and Parque del Amor
Stop in the San Isidro district to visit Huaca Huallamarca temple and its museum
View Plaza Mayor and the Municipal Palace in Lima’s historic center
Enter the Cathedral of Lima and descend into the catacombs below the Church of San Francisco

Cuzco2 nights

Day 11: Flight to Cuzco

Included meal: Breakfast

Fly to Cuzco and spend free time getting acclimatized to the city’s high elevation.

Day 12: Sightseeing tour of Cuzco

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Set out on a sightseeing tour of Cuzco, the UNESCO-recognized ancient capital of the Inca Empire.

Stroll through ruins at Kenko, the “red fortress” of Puca Pucara and Sacsayhuaman, which was once completely covered in gold
View the towering Cristo Blanco statue, a thank-you gift from the Palestinian refugees who took shelter in the city during World War II
Stop at the colonial-era Plaza de Armas to enter Cuzco Cathedral
Walk through the city center and step inside the Convent of Santo Domingo, built by the Spaniards where the Inca temple of Koricancha stood

This evening, sit down for a dinner featuring local Peruvian cuisine as you watch a traditional folklore show.

Machu Picchu1 night

Day 13: Aguas Calientes via the Sacred Valley

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you’ll transfer to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. First, make a stop in the Sacred Valley to see the sights.

Peruse the colorful stalls of the wide-open Pisac Market, where you’ll find local fare and traditional crafts on display
Enjoy an included lunch in Urubamba
Continue to the ancient Ollantaytambo ruins to explore still-standing Incan homes
Board a train to Aguas Calientes

Sit down for an included dinner this evening.

Cuzco1 night

Day 14: Sightseeing tour of Machu Picchu & train to Cuzco

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

On today’s guided tour, you’ll uncover the lost city of Machu Picchu, one of the most spectacular archaeological sites on the entire South American continent.

Tour the ruins of the ceremonial center, cultivation terraces and guard house
Visit Funeral Rock, the Main Temple, Temple of the Three Windows, Chamber of Ornaments, the Sacred Plaza, the Intihuatana Stone, the Temple of the Sun, the Rock Quarry, the Ritual Fountains and the Condor Temple
Enjoy an included lunch before taking a scenic train ride back to Cuzco for the night

Overnight Flight1 night

Day 15: Flight to Lima & departure

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Fly to Lima this morning. Then, enjoy a farewell lunch and relax in a dayroom before boarding your overnight flight home.

Arrive Home

Day 16: Arrival in the U.S.

Arrive home.

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Dates & prices

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33 Departures

Tour prices are per person, before flights from your departure city, and based on two travelers per hotel room. Tour prices include on-tour flights where applicable.