Welcome to Quito! The largest, best-preserved colonial city of America – declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and is located on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano.
Depending on your arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area. ADVENTURE JOURNEYS can help you to organize a day trip (please request in advance). In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you at the hotel’s lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00 hours. At this time, we will discuss the details and questions you may have regarding the adventure. Our first day is an acclimation and information day.

This morning, after breakfast, we will take our way to the South to reach the amazing Baños de Agua Santa town, on the way we will have the opportunity to admire the volcanoes avenue and the stunning landscape of the Andes.
The incredible Baños town, located right on the foothills of the Tungurahua volcano, which has been active since 1999. Here we will visit the second highest waterfall in Ecuador, the Pailon Del Diablo, where pounding water cascades on the rocks and mesmerizes you as you watch from a suspension bridge. You may also take an optional hike behind the falls. After another quick drive, we will arrive at another incredible waterfall called El Manto de la Novia, where we will ride in a cable car traversing the canyon of the Pastaza River.
In the afternoon we will have some time to explore the town and also go to The Swing of the End of the World, where the winner of the 2014 National Geographic photo contest took his photo. You can also visit a spa or another place to enjoy the hot springs of the area.

This day we will appreciate the magic and beauty of the Amazon rainforest traveling along a zig-Zag river in the jungle like a giant snake, considered the main system of the Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). Once we get to the lodge area, our staff will welcome you. From there we will continue to relax in the lounge with a fresh tropical snack, and a brief briefing that will contain the general information about the accommodation and activities, provided by one of our naturalist guides, and thus proceed to Lunch.
18:30(night walk)
A flashlight and camera are the most important tools on this night excursion, which allows guests to listen to and capture the nocturnal sounds of fishermen bats, owls, some insects, tarantulas, toads, frogs and possibly Snakes. If the sky is clear, we might have the opportunity to observe a lot of stars.

We will take the canoe for about 40 minutes to visit “Anaconda island”. We can observe the prehistoric bird “Hoatzin”, the woolly monkeys, squirrel monkeys, just to mention a few. We also visit a family in one of the indigenous communities to know their cultivation habits, medicinal plants, as well as the ancestral form of hunting with blowguns and handmade traps in the Forest.

A delicious box lunch is provided on this trip.

After lunch we will head to the Amazoonico, which is protecting a number of different animals, some in danger of Extinction. Amazonian is not a zoo, but a rescue center of Amazon Animals in Ecuador.

After breakfast, we will reach Guango Lodge, located near the paramo and hot springs of Papallacta, a paradise for hummingbird lovers. Seeing 14 species of hummingbirds within an hour is not uncommon, and the Sword-billed hummingbird with its unique, long bill is sure to amaze you. This scenic vista and variety of trails will offer us great opportunities to hike in a beautiful setting surrounded by forest-covered mountains.

In the afternoon we will go back to Quito to relax and enjoy the city.

On this day you will have time to explore this charming city on your own.

Optional day tours (upon request): Quito city tour, Mindo Cloud Forest, Otavalo Indigenous Market.

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to the Island of Baltra in the Galapagos Islands. On arrival you will be picked up and transferred to Santa Cruz, a nearby island, crossing the narrow Itabaca channel by ferry. From here we will continue by car to our first stop in the highlands of Santa Cruz. The highlands are home to the iconic giant Galapagos tortoises. Here you will visit a private ranch where you will enjoy lunch before heading out for a walk in search of the giant tortoises. During this visit, you will also visit some lava tubes, which are formed when the surface of a lava stream solidifies. After this tour, you will continue by private vehicle to your hotel. Here you will have a meet and greet with your local guide who will explain the following day’s itinerary to you. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure to relax and introduce yourself to this beautiful Island.

Today after breakfast you will enjoy a half-day tour of Academy Bay. Be sure to pack everything you need for this trip. Optional snorkel equipment will be provided free of charge to anyone who wishes to use it. During the tour, you will take a boat to the Bay where you can swim and snorkel with all kinds of exotic fish and marine life, as well as the famous sea lions; they are very curious animals and like to swim next to you underwater. Here you can also see the sought-after blue-footed boobies. Afterwards, climb to a nearby viewpoint, and if you are lucky, you can see white-tipped reef sharks swimming in the ocean below.

Afterwards, take a walk along the Playa de los Perros, where many sea iguanas are found basking in the sun. The enormous cacti, the deep, red color of the rocks and the turquoise, sparkling ocean make for great photo opportunities.

In the morning, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. We will then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to Learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands.
In the afternoon, you will travel by speedboat to San Cristobal Island. Once we arrive, we will check in at the hotel.

Today after breakfast you will be met and transferred to a dock where you will take a quick boat ride to the nearby Isla Lobos. During this boat trip, observe many marine animals before even setting foot on the island. Upon arrival, enjoy a guided tour where you will have the chance to observe frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, manta, sea lions and sometimes sharks that all inhabit the island and its surrounding waters. The white coral beaches of San Cristóbal are great to walk around, relax and swim at before you return back to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

Enjoy some more free time this morning before transferring to the airport of San Cristóbal. From here, you will take a flight back to Ecuador’s mainland. Upon arrival in Quito, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for one more evening of leisure before saying goodbye.

Today our trip will end and you will have your International departures. Take with you your memories and photos and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a “buen viaje”!