Galapagos Cruise & Wild Amazon Immersion

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning take a moment to appreciate your last few moments in the Amazon Rainforest as it’s time to head back to Quito. During your return journey through the mountains, stop at the serene Papallacta Hot Springs, where you can bathe to relax and reflect on your adventure so far.

Continue your journey to the capital city and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure to do some souvenir shopping for example or try some delicious food in the gastronomic neighborhood of La Floresta. Overnight stay in Quito.

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the Quito airport for your flight to Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Islands. On arrival, you’ll be greeted by your local guide and driven to your cruising yacht, where you can settle into your cabin and have lunch. Afterwards, your guide will provice you with an overview of the fun activities to come. In the afternoon, take a boat tour of the Itabaca Channel, where you can observe tropical fish, sharks, and blue-footed boobies. Overnight stay on the cruise.

Full board on the cruise ship. After breakfast, head to Prince Philip’s Steps. Named for a 1964 royal visit, this steep cliffside path hosts a seabird colony as well as diverse marine life from fish to sea lions. Follow the stairway upwards through the rocky volcanic terrain, encountering red-footed boobies and perhaps even short-eared owls as you reach the Palo Santo forest at the top.

Head back to the yacht for lunch, and in the afternoon make another stop at Darwin Bay. Land on a small coral beach, and then make your way westward up to a viewpoint overlooking the bay. On your walk, expect to see swallow-tailed gulls, lava gulls, yellow-crowned herons, and lava herons. This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see red-footed boobies, so if you didn’t catch them before, you will now! When finished, head back to the cruise for dinner and your overnight stay.

Full board on the cruise ship. This morning, head to Rabida Island with its unique dark red sandy beaches. Bear in mind that this will be a “wet landing,” meaning you’ll disembark slightly off shore due to environmental regulations–be sure to wear water shoes! Rabida Island is home to sea lions, brown pelicans, and several varieties of Darwin’s famous finches. Take a dinghy along the island’s cliffs to observe the bird life, and try snorkeling just offshore.

In the afternoon, make another stop at Bartolomé Island. This arid, moon-like volcanic island may not be home to much vegetation aside from some shrubs and cacti, but its beaches host the perfect location to snorkel and observe tropical marine life up close. Spot penguins on shore, plus sea turtles, white tip reef sharks, and a variety of colorful fish in the water. Return to the cruise for dinner and your overnight stay.

Breakfast aboard the cruise. Return to Santa Cruz and head to higher ground, taking a path up into the rainforest. If you're lucky, you might spot the island's characteristic giant tortoises on your walk. At the top, you’ll encounter an extraordinary bird sanctuary. Admire birds such as tree and ground finches, vermilion flycatchers, painted-billed chickadees, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually found standing on the shells of tortoises).

After your visit, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Quito. Once you land, head to a nearby hotel for your overnight stay.