This 15 day tour includes a 5-day Galapagos cruise on a 100-berth ship; visits Quito, the capital of Ecuador surrounded by volcanoes in the Andes; and travels to the Napo River in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.
Itinerary in brief |
| Day 1: | Fly from UK to Quito (3 nights). |
| Day 2: | Optional Colonial Quito excursion. |
| Day 3: | Optional Otavalo excursion. |
| Day 4: | Fly to the Galapagos islands and transfer to your ship, the Galapagos Explorer (4 nights). |
| Day 5: | Galapagos excursions. |
| Day 6: | Galapagos excursions. |
| Day 7: | Galapagos excursions. |
| Day 8: | Final excursion on the Galapagos before your flight back to Quito (2 nights). |
| Day 9: | Optional Bellavista Cloud forest excursion. |
| Day 10: | Fly from Quito to the Jungle and transfer to your lodge or boat (3 nights). |
| Day 11: | Jungle excursions. |
| Day 12: | Jungle excursions. |
| Day 13: | Fly to Quito (1 night). |
| Day 14: | Flight back to the UK. |
| Day 15: | Arrival in the UK. |
Overview
The Galapagos Islands are one of the world’s great destinations and a visit to the remote islands is an incredible wildlife experience. As you sail around the archipelago, visiting the different volcanic islands, each unique, you have the opportunity to observe different land and marine creatures at incredibly close quarters. The islands were never connected to the mainland, so the animals that did make it here were completely isolated. As there are no natural predators on the islands, the animals have no fear, allowing you to walk right up to them.
The Galapagos Explorer II is a comfortable cruise ship, with 100 passengers. The 5-day cruise visits a range of islands, allowing you to see the bird and animal life on the islands, as well as snorkel in the surrounding seas.
Quito, the elegant capital of Ecuador, is situated high in the Andes at 2,800m, and has a beautiful colonial centre. From here, you can visit the traditional market town of Otavalo and explore the nearby Bellavista cloud forest, home to toucans and hummingbirds.
The jungle in Ecuador, east of the Andes, offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the rivers and flooded forest of the world’s largest rainforest. We offer two extensions in the jungle, one staying in a lodge, and one cruising on the river. Both itineraries include three or four nights in the jungle and allow you to follow jungle trails, visit lakes, see the wildlife and get an insight into the jungle way of life. The Manatee Amazon Explorer is a comfortable river boat which cruises on the Rio Napo, a tributary of the Amazon. The Sacha Lodge lies on an oxbow lake just off the Napo River. All meals are included on both the Manatee Amazon Explorer and at the Sacha Lodge.