This holiday visits the places ticked below. You can design your own itinerary by adding destinations. Select the destinations you would like and click the red button to see full details of the holiday you have chosen.
Including stay at Sacha Lodge, Rio Napo
We offer two jungle itineraries, one staying in a lodge and one cruising the river. Both itineraries include 3 nights in the jungle and offer the opportunity to follow jungle trails, visit lakes, see the wildlife and get an insight into the jungle way of life.
Jungle Cruise: Manatee Amazon ExplorerA comfortable 30 passenger river boat sailing on the Napo River. Cabins have lower berths and air conditioning.
Jungle Lodge: Sacha Lodge A superior lodge on an oxbow lake with hot water showers and electricity. There is a 275-metre canopy walkway.
Day 1 (Wednesday) Quito Fly from UK to Quito. You are met at the airport and escorted to your hotel (2 nights).
Day 2 (Thursday) Quito Take the optional Colonial Quito excursion and discover the charms of the old city.
Day 3 (Friday) Jungle A morning flight to Coca, then a two-hour motorized canoe ride down the Napo River to the lodge on Pilchicocha lake, arriving in time for a swim. Visit the butterfly house and the mini-tower to observe birds and watch the sun set. After dinner, take a walk to explore the forest after dark (3 nights).
Day 4 (Saturday) Jungle A morning visit to the canopy walkway to observe the jungle canopy and the vibrant colourful birdlife. Walk through an igapo forest, where native guides explain the medicinal use of many plants. After lunch, continue through the forest, perhaps seeing the dusky titi monkey.
Day 5 (Sunday) Jungle Take a canoe ride on Lagartococha lake, home to anacondas, caimans and capybaras. After lunch, fish for piranhas, then take a silent canoe ride through the fooded forest, looking for sloths. Climb the wooden tower built around an ancient kapok tree to get splendid sunset views. Return to the lodge by canoe, taking an amazing ride through the night-time fooded forest, accompanied by the chorus of frogs, bats and nocturnal birds.
Day 6 (Monday) Quito A canoe ride back to Coca before flying back to Quito (1 night).
Day 7 (Tuesday) Riobamba You drive south of Quito, passing Cotopaxi, to Latacunga. After visiting the market, carry on to Chimborazo National Park, driving to the refuge at 4,800m on the highest mountain in Ecuador. You can take an optional walk up to the second refuge at 5,000m. After lunch, continue to Riobamba (1 night).
Day 8 (Wednesday) Cuenca Catch the early morning train from Riobamba to the Devil’s Nose and Alausi for an exciting journey with stunning views. From here, continue on the beautiful road to Cuenca, visiting the Inca site of Ingapirca if time allows (2 nights).
The railway track is undergoing maintenance in 2010, and some parts of the train journey are not possible. This may extend into 2011. However, we are unlikely to know the exact situation until very close to departure. If part of the railway journey is not possible, this part of the journey will be made by road. However, the descent of the Devil’s Nose is only possible by rail.
Day 9 (Thursday) Cuenca In the morning, take a short tour of Cuenca, including a visit to a Panama hat factory. Afternoon free.
Day 10 (Friday) Quito A free day in Cuenca to explore the city’s markets and plazas, or maybe just watch life go by in one of the many cafes, before flying back to Quito in the afternoon (1 night).
Day 11 (Saturday) Galapagos, Santa Cruz morning flight from Quito to the Galapagos. Transfer to the Explorer II, your home for the next 4 nights. In the afternoon, visit Cerro Dragon where often there are flamingos near the two lagoons.
Day 12 (Sunday) Bartolome, Santiago This morning, visit Bartolome, where you can climb to the summit of this volcanic island. From here, there are wonderful views. You can also snorkel in the surrounding sea, where there are sometimes penguins. In the afternoon, visit Santiago. The black lava shoreline has marine iguanas and red Sally Lightfoot crabs. You can snorkel here with fur seals.
Day 13 (Monday) Fernandina, Isabela This morning, visit Fernandina, the westernmost island. Flightless cormorants, sea lions and Galapagos penguins are common here. After lunch, visit the cliffs off Isabela, the largest of the islands, excellent for snorkelling.
Day 14 (Tuesday) North Seymour, Santa Cruz After breakfast, visit Seymour, home to many marine birds, and see marine iguanas resting in the sun. In the afternoon, visit the highlands of Santa Cruz, where you can see giant tortoises, and explore the lava tunnels.
Day 15 (Wednesday) Galapagos, Quito Final visit the Interpretation centre on San Cristobal, then time to buy some souvenirs before flying to Quito (2 nights).
Days 16 (Thursday) Quito A free day in Quito. Take an optional excursion to the Bellavista Cloud Forest. Alternatively, extend your holiday by a day and take a two day excursion to the Papallacata Springs and Spa or to the Bellavista Cloud Forest.
Day 17 (Friday) Overnight flight to UK.
Day 18 (Saturday) Arrival in the UK.
Please note, jungle excursions may vary due to weather conditions.
Quito: Bed and Breakfast
Cuenca: Bed and Breakfast
Jungle Lodge: Full board
Riobamba: Bed and Breakfast; lunch is included on Chimborazo volcano; a packed lunch is provided for the Devil's Nose train.
Galapagos Explorer II: Full board
Manatee Amazon Explorer, Rio Napo
Day 3 (Friday) Jungle A morning flight from Quito to Coca, from where you take a motorized canoe ride down the Napo River to the Manatee. The boat then navigates downriver as the guides explain the Amazon’s ecosystem (3 nights).
Day 4 (Saturday) Jungle An early excursion to the banks of the river, where different species of parrot gather at a clay lick. Then walk through the jungle to Limoncocha Lake, where over 470 species of birds have been recorded. You can also try piranha fishing here. At night, it is possible to spot black caimans on the lake, before returning to the Manatee.
Day 5 (Sunday) Jungle You can row a canoe on a tranquil tributary of the Rio Napo to a native settlement. Take a walk under the jungle canopy, where the Kapok tree can grow to over 40 metres tall. There is also a fascinating Amazon museum, showing how people used to live in the rainforest.
Day 6 (Monday) Quito The Manatee sails upriver to Coca from where you fly back to Quito (1 night).
Day 11 (Saturday) Galapagos, Santa Cruz morning flight from Quito to the Galapagos. Transfer to the Explorer II, your home for the next 7 nights. In the afternoon, visit Cerro Dragon where often there are flamingos near the two lagoons.
Jungle Cruise: Full board