16 days
from AU$17,950 per person
Ecuador - Andes, Amazon and Galapagos Legend Cruise
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Experiencing a perfect combination of the Amazon's Yasuni National Park, one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet and the Galapagos Islands, home to some of the rarest wildlife in the world.
Nowhere are the wonders of the natural world more accessible than Ecuador. A small country with staggering diversity - we journey from the circling condors of the snow-capped Andes, into the rustling rainforests of the Amazon and wildlife-filled islands of the Galapagos. The archipelago that launched evolutionary theories and changed how we view the natural world, we spend a whole week in the Galapagos - snorkelling with playful sealion, walking amongst giant tortoise and side-stepping sunbathing iguanas, including a cruise around the islands aboard Galapagos Legend.
23 excursions & visits
43 meals
Adventurer pace
Showing itinerary for 2 passengers on 25 November 2024
Please note - Customers will need to be in the start location of the tour on 25/11/2024 to join their group
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Please note: Exact itineraries may vary slightly depending on departure date - your full itinerary will be shown on your confirmation invoice.
Your itinerary
Day 1 - Quito
Join your tour group at the hotel.
Hilton Colon Quito (4-star)
Day 2 - Quito - Otavalo
We start our day with a guided tour of the second highest capital city in the world - Quito. Built on an old Inca city, the UNESCO-listed old town is the jewel in Quito’s crown. Surrounded by distant snow-flecked peaks, it has some of the finest Spanish architecture in South America. We explore handsome cobbled plazas lined with white churches and coloured colonial houses, stopping to admire architectural treasures such as the Presidential Palace and Plaza de San Francisco. Ever watchful over the city, we drive to the top of El Panecillo and the 45m-high statue of the Madonna that rises above Quito. The panoramic views across the capital and the ridge of volcanoes that flank it, are breathtaking. After chocolate tasting in the artisan neighbourhood of La Floresta to sweeten the journey, we drive to the small Andean town of Otavalo.
Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: City tour of Quito (morning)
Chocolate tasting session (morning)
Day 3 - Otavalo
Spreading across three of the town’s plazas in a sea of coloured Andean textiles, alpaca-knitted ponchos, hand-woven carpets, dreamcatchers and jewellery - this morning we explore Otavalo’s bustling market. Afterwards we head up to the cute colonial town of Cotacachi - the centre of Ecuador’s leather industry. Today is a working lunch, where we join a Pachamanca cookery class - an ancestral technique that involves cooking over volcanic stones before burying the pots in the ground. The earth is then adorned with flowers as a thanks to indigenous gods. After lunch, it’s a short drive to Lake Cuicocha, a 3km-wide sapphire-blue crater lake studded with forest-covered islands and surrounded by fertile volcanic slopes and endemic flora and fauna.
Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit Otavalo market (morning)
Pachamanca cookery experience (afternoon)
Cuichoca Lake visit (afternoon)
Day 4 - Otavalo - Quito
Today we visit a family-run workshop that makes panpipes and charangos - a small, traditional stringed instrument similar to a lute. We’ll make a stop at a sweet-smelling rose plantation, before driving up into the highlands to Parque del Condor - a non-profit refuge for rescued owls, eagles and endangered Andean condors. On our way back to Quito, we stop to walk the line of the equator - taking photos of the 30m-high Quitsato Equatorial Monument.
Hilton Colon Quito (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit to musical instrument workshop, rose plantation and Parque del Condor (morning)
Day 5 - Quito - Coca - Yasuni National Park
From the Andes to the Amazon, we board a flight to Coca - the gateway to the Ecuadorian Amazon. We transfer onto a motorboat to continue our journey deeper into the humming heart of the jungle and our riverfront eco-lodge. Yasuni National Park is thought to be one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. Dense rainforest, wide meandering rivers and mist-cloaked mountains provide a lost world habitat for millions of species of plant, mammal, reptile and bird. The park is also home to many indigenous tribes, two of which live in voluntary isolation from the outside world. This afternoon, hike along the ‘Playas’ trail in search of Amazon wildlife, and perhaps try kayaking on the river as the sun sets.
Napo Cultural Center Lodge, Yasuni National Park (2-star)
Day 6 - Yasuni National Park
Up with the birds, we take a boat trip along the river to two clay licks - where hundreds of colourful parrots, macaws and parakeets gather to supplement their daily diet with rich sodium from the clay. We then carry on to Kuri Muyu Intercultural Centre - a centre managed by women from the Añangu Kichwa community who teach us about native culture, customs and how they use the natural resources of the rainforest. After lunch at the lodge and time to soak up the peace and tranquillity from your balcony, we climb up to a 36m-high observation tower for incredible views across the forest canopy.
Napo Cultural Center Lodge, Yasuni National Park (2-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: River Napo clay lick (morning)
Kuri Muyu Intercultural Interpretation Center visit (morning)
Day 7 - Yasuni National Park
This morning, we visit a sustainable community project run by the Añangu, before a guided walk along the Mama Kuna trail, keeping an eye out for toucan, tapir and treefrogs. After lunch we cruise along the Añangu creek, a blackwater ecosystem that’s home to caiman and giant river otter. Following a traditional Amazonian dinner, we join a night walk around the lodge hoping to catch the reflective eyes of nocturnal mammals and reptiles in our torchlight.
Napo Cultural Center Lodge, Yasuni National Park (2-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Añangu sustainable community project and Mama Kuna guided hike (morning)
Añangu creek boat trip (afternoon)
Traditional Amazonian dinner and night nature walk (evening)
Day 8 - Yasuni National Park - Quito - Papallacta
Much of the rainforest are early risers, so we paddle out from the lodge in canoes on our final wildlife-spotting trip. Travelling by boat back to Coca, a quick flight lands us back in Quito where we drive up to Papallacta. A tiny village in the Andean Highlands famous for its thermal springs, it’s the perfect place to submerge in the therapeutic waters after three days in the wilderness.
Termas de Papallacta Hotel, Papallacta (3-star)
Day 9 - Quito - Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands
We start our journey to the magical Galapagos Islands, by driving to Quito for a flight to Baltra and continue by boat to the island of Santa Cruz. On the way to our hotel, we tour the island - first visiting Los Gemelos (Twin Craters). The fertile slopes of these volcanic sinkholes are home to bizarre broccoli-shaped trees, exotic orchids, flycatchers, mockingbirds and rare Darwin finches - the feathered friends responsible for Darwin forming his theories on evolution. Winding our way up into the highlands, we look out for the island’s famous residents - the endangered giant tortoise. Weighing in at up to 300kg and living for up to 200 years, seeing these gentle giants in their natural habitat is a rare and humbling sight. Afterwards, we get to grips with the fragility of this astounding archipelago at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Ayre By Baltra, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (3-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Santa Cruz tour (afternoon)
Day 10 - Santiago - Bartolomé
Today we 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. Stepping ashore at Sullivan Bay, we walk along the 1.5km path of the lava flow - a lunar landscape of giant crazy paving where molten lava bubbled, solidified and cracked. Proving that the best things come in small packages, tiny Bartolomé just off Santiago is one of the youngest and smallest islands in the Galapagos. Despite its size, its waters host some of the richest marine life - including a small colony of Galapagos penguin, green sea turtle, sealion, whitetip reef shark and rays. Some of which we’ll see from the water with snorkels if the timings and conditions are right. With sweeps of golden sand and cerulean waters - it’s also one of the most photographed islands.
Ayre By Baltra, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (3-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Santiago and Bartolomé tour (morning)
Day 11 - Santa Cruz - Baltra - Mosquera Islet
We return to Baltra this morning and board our ship for a four-night cruise around the Galapagos Islands. Our first destination is the small islet of Mosquera, located just north of Baltra. This tiny low-lying islet is covered in soft white coral sand and inhabited by a group of sea lions that you’ll spot lazing around amongst the rocks. We may see a number of shore birds here including heron, lava gulls and boobies. We’ll take a walk around the island and there’ll be time for snorkelling - rays and sharks are often seen in these waters.
MV Galapagos Legend (3-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit Mosquera Islet (afternoon)
Day 12 - Santiago (Egas) - Rabida
This morning we’ll visit Santiago Island and take a walk along the black volcanic sands of the island’s dramatic shoreline. We may bump into Galapagos fur seals at the end of our walk, but there’s also plenty to see along the way. Look out for American oystercatchers, wading birds and herons as we amble along. We may also see sea lions, lava lizards and if we’re lucky the Galapagos hawk. There’ll also be time for snorkelling. This afternoon we visit the heart of the Galapagos archipelago and the dramatic island of Rabida. On a walk along it’s a distinctive red sand beach and then inland to a forest of palo santo and cacti, we’ll reach a viewpoint overlooking the bay. Some of the species that prefer this island include sea lions, mockingbirds, finches, the Galapagos dove and the eye-catching vermillion flycatcher. If you enjoy snorkelling, you can look forward to possible sightings of shoals of black-striped salema, sea lions and turtles.
MV Galapagos Legend (3-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit to Santiago Island (morning)
Visit to Rabida Island (afternoon)
Day 13 - Isabela (Urbina Bay - Tagus Cove)
On a visit to Urbina Bay, we’ll walk to a strange phenomenon created in 1954 when a dramatic geological uplift left a layer of coral completely exposed. Located at the western base of Alcedo volcano, on our walk we may encounter land iguanas as well as possible sightings of giant tortoise. In the days of pirates, Tagus Cove was a well-known hideout and deep-water anchorage. It was also one of the sites visited by HMS Beagle on Charles Darwin’s voyage in 1835. We’ll hike past Darwin Lake and across stunning volcanic landscapes towards the island’s dramatic northern volcanoes. If you choose to go snorkelling here, you may see turtles, a plethora of fish, the Galapagos penguin and flightless cormorants.
MV Galapagos Legend (3-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit Urbina Bay, Isabela (morning)
Visit Tagus Cove, Isabela (afternoon)
Day 14 - Fernandina (Punta Espinosa) - Isabela (Punta Vicente Roca)
The youngest island of the Galapagos (Fernandina) is one of the most pristine and also the marine iguana capital of the world! There are huge concentrations here, strangely occupying desolate volcanic landscapes in tandem with Galapagos penguins. After a walk, snorkelling here gives you a chance to view these odd creatures as well as turtles and flightless cormorants. The afternoon takes us back to Isabela and Punta Vicente Roca. We’ll take a dinghy ride along the huge cliffs of this eroded volcano, spotting brown noddies and Nazca boobies in close range. You can snorkel here too, sometimes with the penguins and green turtles.
MV Galapagos Legend (3-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit Punta Espinosa, Fernandina (morning)
Dinghy ride at Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela (afternoon)
Day 15 - Santa Cruz - Guayaquil - Quito
Disembarking, we’ll head into the mountains of Santa Cruz to the Highlands Tortoise Reserve for a last visit to see tortoises and a variety of birds. Reflecting on our incredible time in the Galapagos, we then leave the wonders of the natural world behind to start our journey home. We fly back from Baltra to Guayaquil and then on to Quito where we'll stay overnight.
Hilton Colon Quito (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit Highlands Tortoise Reserve, Santa Cruz (morning)
Day 16 - Quito
Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.
Quito
Day 1 - Quito
Day 1 - Quito
Join your tour group at the hotel.
Hilton Colon Quito (4-star)
Day 2 - Quito - Otavalo
Day 2 - Quito - Otavalo
We start our day with a guided tour of the second highest capital city in the world - Quito. Built on an old Inca city, the UNESCO-listed old town is the jewel in Quito’s crown. Surrounded by distant snow-flecked peaks, it has some of the finest Spanish architecture in South America. We explore handsome cobbled plazas lined with white churches and coloured colonial houses, stopping to admire architectural treasures such as the Presidential Palace and Plaza de San Francisco. Ever watchful over the city, we drive to the top of El Panecillo and the 45m-high statue of the Madonna that rises above Quito. The panoramic views across the capital and the ridge of volcanoes that flank it, are breathtaking. After chocolate tasting in the artisan neighbourhood of La Floresta to sweeten the journey, we drive to the small Andean town of Otavalo.
Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: City tour of Quito (morning)
Chocolate tasting session (morning)
Day 3 - Otavalo
Day 3 - Otavalo
Spreading across three of the town’s plazas in a sea of coloured Andean textiles, alpaca-knitted ponchos, hand-woven carpets, dreamcatchers and jewellery - this morning we explore Otavalo’s bustling market. Afterwards we head up to the cute colonial town of Cotacachi - the centre of Ecuador’s leather industry. Today is a working lunch, where we join a Pachamanca cookery class - an ancestral technique that involves cooking over volcanic stones before burying the pots in the ground. The earth is then adorned with flowers as a thanks to indigenous gods. After lunch, it’s a short drive to Lake Cuicocha, a 3km-wide sapphire-blue crater lake studded with forest-covered islands and surrounded by fertile volcanic slopes and endemic flora and fauna.
Hacienda Pinsaqui, Otavalo (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit Otavalo market (morning)
Pachamanca cookery experience (afternoon)
Cuichoca Lake visit (afternoon)
Day 4 - Otavalo - Quito
Day 4 - Otavalo - Quito
Today we visit a family-run workshop that makes panpipes and charangos - a small, traditional stringed instrument similar to a lute. We’ll make a stop at a sweet-smelling rose plantation, before driving up into the highlands to Parque del Condor - a non-profit refuge for rescued owls, eagles and endangered Andean condors. On our way back to Quito, we stop to walk the line of the equator - taking photos of the 30m-high Quitsato Equatorial Monument.
Hilton Colon Quito (4-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: Visit to musical instrument workshop, rose plantation and Parque del Condor (morning)
Day 5 - Quito - Coca - Yasuni National Park
Day 5 - Quito - Coca - Yasuni National Park
From the Andes to the Amazon, we board a flight to Coca - the gateway to the Ecuadorian Amazon. We transfer onto a motorboat to continue our journey deeper into the humming heart of the jungle and our riverfront eco-lodge. Yasuni National Park is thought to be one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. Dense rainforest, wide meandering rivers and mist-cloaked mountains provide a lost world habitat for millions of species of plant, mammal, reptile and bird. The park is also home to many indigenous tribes, two of which live in voluntary isolation from the outside world. This afternoon, hike along the ‘Playas’ trail in search of Amazon wildlife, and perhaps try kayaking on the river as the sun sets.
Napo Cultural Center Lodge, Yasuni National Park (2-star)
Day 6 - Yasuni National Park
Day 6 - Yasuni National Park
Up with the birds, we take a boat trip along the river to two clay licks - where hundreds of colourful parrots, macaws and parakeets gather to supplement their daily diet with rich sodium from the clay. We then carry on to Kuri Muyu Intercultural Centre - a centre managed by women from the Añangu Kichwa community who teach us about native culture, customs and how they use the natural resources of the rainforest. After lunch at the lodge and time to soak up the peace and tranquillity from your balcony, we climb up to a 36m-high observation tower for incredible views across the forest canopy.
Napo Cultural Center Lodge, Yasuni National Park (2-star)
Today includes…
Excursions & visits: River Napo clay lick (morning)
Kuri Muyu Intercultural Interpretation Center visit (morning)
What's included
43 meals
15 breakfasts
13 lunches
15 dinners
Accommodation
11 nights in hotels, 4 nights cruise on Galapagos Legend
Ship
Galapagos Legend
Transport
Travel in destination by coach
Plus
Welcome drink reception
Soft drink and a coffee or infusion with all meals
Tour highlights
23 excursions & visits
City tour of Quito
Visits to Otavalo market; Cuichoca Lake; musical instrument workshop; rose plantation; Parque del Condor; River Napo clay lick; Kuri Muyu Intercultural Interpretation Center
Chocolate tasting session; Pachamanca cookery experience; Añangu sustainable community project and Mama Kuna guided hike; Añangu creek boat trip; traditional Amazonian dinner and night nature walk
Tours on Santa Cruz; Santiago and Bartolomé
Visits to Mosquera Islet; Santiago Island; Rabida Island; Urbina Bay (Isabela); Tagus Cove (Isabela); Punta Espinosa (Fernandina); Highlands Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz)
Dinghy ride at Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela)
Adventure made effortless with Titan Travel
Experts
Titan tour manager
Porterage
Services included
Key information
Important notes
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