Ultimate Galapagos & Ecuadorian Cloud Forest

Private transfers from Quito Airport to the Patio Andaluz Hotel located in the heart of Historic Quito old town. You will have the rest of the afternoon and evening to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and cobbled streets of this Unesco Heritage Site.

After breakfast, transfer to Quito Airport for flight to Baltra. $120 National Park fee to be paid on arrival. Ferry to Santa Cruz Island and guided tour to see giant tortoises in the wild, followed by a visit to the Charles Darwin Centre in Puerto Ayora.  Embark and set sail.

Floreana Island. Visit Post Office Bay with its historic barrel post box – continue the tradition and leave or pick up mail yourself for posting!   Punta Cormorant and Devil’s Crown for guided walk to observe penguins and marine iguanas. Discover a green sand beach, coloured by olivine crystals, and then white sand Flour Beach. Amazing snorkelling with tropical fish, rays, sharks and turtles, plus superb birding.  

Isabela Island. Visit the charming, Puerto Villamil and beach home to flamingos, whimbrels, gallinules, stilts and lava gulls. Call at giant tortoise breeding station and later walk to the rim of the Sierra Negra volcano with its scenic lava flows.

Isabela Island. Visit scenic Isabela Island  and then a panga ride in Elizabeth Bay to see penguins on the small islets. At the narrow end of the bay, sea turtles and rays can usually be seen in the water. See red, white and black mangroves, flightless cormorant,  penguins, blue-footed boobies and pelicans.

Isabela Island. Walking around Urbina Bay to see colourful land iguanas, giant tortoises, plus flora and birdlife.  Snorkelling with rays and tropical fish. Later, enter cold-water Tagus Cove where whales and dolphins are often encountered.

Morning landing on volcanic Fernandina Island. Shoreline and lava walks to observe lava herons plus varied flora - lava cactus, petunia, mangroves. Snorkelling with juvenile sea lions, spot marine iguanas, flightless cormorant, penguins. Afternoon birds and marine life panga ride and snorkelling at Punta Vicente Roca, off Isabela.
 

Santiago Island. Landing on black beach at Puerto Egas. Visit fur seal grotto. See flamingos, flycatchers, lava herons and maybe a Galapagos snake. In the afternoon, climb the volcano cone on Bartolome island for long views. Beautiful, colourful volcanic rock formations, plus birds and snorkelling. l

Relax on board or swim in the morning. Later, on Santa Cruz, go walking near Dragon Hill to observe flamingos, finches and pintail ducks, plus land and marine iguanas.  

Morning visit to Santa Fe Island to see land iguanas, a pelican nesting site, sea lion colony, mockingbirds, doves, Galapagos hawks and Palo Santo trees. Afternoon on South Plaza to see rare plants including tall opuntia cactus, plus nesting red-billed tropicbirds, sealion  

Landing at Cerro Brujo, San Cristobal Island - sea lions and marine iguanas plus flamingos in the nearby lagoon. Then, sail to the iconic Kicker Rock for spectacular snorkelling with sharks, turtles, rays and tropical fish. One of the highlights of the cruise. Also visit Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Interpretation Center.
 

Visits on Española Island at Gardner Bay and Islotes Gardner and Osborn for great snorkelling. Later landing at Punta Suarez to see blowhole and rare fauna and flora, including endemic waved albatross (April-December), Hood mockingbirds, finches, boobies and hawks plus Espanola lava lizards and brightly-coloured iguanas.

Revisit Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz for the Darwin Centre if missed before and possible souvenir shopping. Walk through cactus forest to Tortuga Bay – finches and iguanas. Afternoon walking in the lush highlands.

Morning landing at eponymous Chinese Hat Island, great for snorkelling  with sealions and penguins. Beautiful volcanic landscape and white-coral sand beach.  Afternoon visit to Sullivan Bay on Santiago for beautiful lava walk – marine iguanas, Sally Lighfoot crabs and turtles.  

Genovesa Island.  Here, at Darwin Bay, walk amongst seals, nesting red-footed boobies, gulls and great frigatebirds as you traverse the shoreline amongst the lava rocks and pools. Afternoon, climb Prince Phillip’s Steps for a cliff walk amongst nesting Nazca boobies and other birds. Look out especially for short-eared owls.  

After breakfast we disembark with a transfer to Baltra airport for your flight back to Quito. Afternoon - arrival in Quito with transfer to The Patio Andaluz Hotel (bed & breakfast). Evening free to enjoy the World Heritage Old Town

Bellavista Cloud Forest. A full day guided tour. The day starts after breakfast with an early morning pick up from your hotel. 145 Minute drive take you high into Ecuador’s Cloud Forest offering over 700 hectares of private conservation reserve and located in the Mindo region. Bellavista Lodge is one of the most remarkable places in the world for colourful bird life and orchids. Hike up streams to hidden waterfalls on 10 kms of nature walks graded from easy to genuine adventure. Access to shared naturalist guides who will accompany small groups to observe 100’s of bird species particular to this region including Cock of the Rock and up to 14 species of humming bird at close range at feeders. A very exciting day. Back to Quito for a relaxing evening.

After a leisurely breakfast your private transfer to Quito Airport awaits. Check-in for your independent flights back home.