Ecuador - Andes, Amazon and Galapagos Islands

Day 1 - Quito

Join your tour group at the hotel.

Day 2 - Quito - Otavalo

The day begins with a guided tour of Quito, the world’s second-highest capital at 2,850 metres. Built on the foundations of an Inca city, the UNESCO-listed Old Town is one of Latin America’s best preserved. Walk through cobbled plazas framed by white churches and colonial buildings, with stops at the Presidential Palace and Plaza de San Francisco. A drive up El Panecillo follows, crowned by the 45-metre aluminium statue of the Virgin of Quito and wide views across the capital and its surrounding volcanoes. Enjoy a chocolate tasting in the creative La Floresta neighbourhood before heading north into the Andean highlands and on to Otavalo.

Day 3 - Otavalo

Visit Otavalo’s renowned indigenous market, spread across three central plazas and considered one of the largest of its kind in South America. Stalls sell handwoven textiles, alpaca garments, jewellery and traditional crafts. Continue to Cotacachi, a small town with a long tradition of leatherwork. Lunch comes via a Pachamanca cooking experience, using a centuries-old Andean method that cooks food over heated volcanic stones buried underground. In the afternoon, visit Lake Cuicocha, a volcanic crater lake three kilometres wide, with forested islands and steep caldera walls rising from its blue waters.

Day 4 - Otavalo - Quito

A visit to a family-run workshop offers a closer look at traditional Andean instruments, including panpipes and charangos. A stop at a rose plantation follows, where high-altitude growing conditions help Ecuador rank among the world’s leading exporters. The road climbs into the highlands to Parque del Cóndor, a conservation centre for rescued birds of prey and one of the best places to see the endangered Andean condor up close. The return to Quito includes a stop at the Quitsato Equatorial Monument, a 30-metre solar calendar marking the equator with remarkable accuracy.

Day 5 - Quito - Coca - Yasuni National Park

A short flight carries the journey from the Andes to the edge of the Amazon. From Coca, a motorboat continues along jungle rivers to a remote eco-lodge deep within Yasuní National Park. Covering nearly one million hectares, Yasuní is recognised as one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. Its rainforest supports thousands of plant species, hundreds of birds and mammals, and several indigenous communities, including groups living in voluntary isolation. An afternoon walk along the Playas trail introduces the sights and sounds of the rainforest. Kayaking on the river may be possible at sunset, depending on conditions.

Day 6 - Yasuni National Park

An early start reaches river clay licks where macaws, parrots and parakeets gather to feed on mineral-rich clay. Continue to the Kuri Muyu Intercultural Centre, run by women from the Añangu Kichwa community, for insight into daily life, traditions and the use of rainforest resources. The afternoon allows time to relax at the lodge before climbing a 36-metre observation tower, where the forest canopy stretches to the horizon.

Day 7 - Yasuni National Park

A visit to an Añangu-led sustainable community project highlights how conservation and tourism work hand in hand. A guided walk along the Mama Kuna trail follows, with chances to spot toucans, tree frogs and signs of tapir along the forest floor. In the afternoon, cruise the blackwater channels of Añangu Creek, home to caiman and giant river otters. After dinner, a guided night walk reveals a different side of the rainforest, as nocturnal wildlife emerges.

Day 8 - Yasuni National Park - Quito - Puembo

Return by boat to Coca and fly back to Quito. Continue east into the Andes, to Puembo.

Day 9 - Quito - Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands

Fly to the Galápagos via Baltra, then cross by boat to Santa Cruz. A guided tour begins at Los Gemelos, twin volcanic sinkholes ringed by endemic forest and birdlife, including several species of Darwin’s finch. Continue into the highlands to see giant tortoises roaming freely, before a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, a focal point for conservation and research across the islands.

Day 10 - Santa Cruz

After a busy time in Ecuador, today is free to explore the Galapagos or take a boat trip over to another island.

Day 11 - Santa Cruz - Isabela

Today we move islands to Isabela - the largest island in the Galapagos and aptly shaped like a seahorse. Formed by six volcanoes, Isabela is a hot spot for wildlife. There are more resident species of tortoise here than the other islands combined, and it is one of the best places to spot migratory whale – including sperm, humpback, minke and orca. There is an included boat trip this afternoon to the islet of Tintoreras, looking out for turtles, rays, blue-footed boobies, Sally Lightfoot crabs, pelicans and penguins. If you choose to upgrade your tour with a four-night cruise (with differing excursions), you’ll board MV Galapagos Legend today. Please take an overnight bag when transferring from Santa Cruz to Isabela Island for your two-night stay. The rest of your luggage will be safely stored for your return.

Day 12 - Isabela

This morning includes a hike of the Sierra Negra volcano, one of the most active in the Galápagos and home to a vast caldera measuring almost 10 kilometres across. The trail crosses lava fields and highland vegetation, with opportunities to spot Galápagos hawks and finches. On clear days, views extend across mangroves, offshore islets and Elizabeth Bay.

Day 13 - Isabela - Santa Cruz

Isabela’s size makes it home to a diverse range of habitats. The brackish lagoons just outside Puerto Villamil are one of the best places in the archipelago to view migratory birds, including whimbrels and pintails. Continue to the Wall of Tears, a stark reminder of Isabela’s penal colony past. Before returning to Santa Cruz, stop at the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Centre. Established in 1994, the centre plays a key role in protecting and reintroducing Isabela’s giant tortoise species.

Day 14 - Santiago - Bartolomé

Explore two unpopulated islands by boat – Santiago and Bartolomé. Sculpted by twin volcanoes, Santiago’s lava flows and eruptions have carved out natural pools where sealions and fur seals gather on the rocks. Walk across the lava fields of Sullivan Bay, shaped by relatively recent volcanic eruptions. Continue to Bartolomé Island, one of the youngest in the archipelago. Conditions permitting, snorkel in waters frequented by penguins, reef sharks, rays, sea turtles and sea lions.

Day 15 - Santa Cruz - Baltra - Quito

Fly from Baltra to Quito for an overnight stay.

Day 16 - Quito

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.