9-Day Galápagos Outdoors Tour with Island Hopping and Snorkelling

• This is the arrival day for all tour participants. Depending on your flights, you can spend the day exploring one of the world's UNESCO Heritage Sites, Quito's Old Town, or simply rest at the hotel before our tour guide meets you in the lobby at 6:00 pm for the orientation meeting and briefing before the start of the tour. During this meeting, you can clarify anything you may be concerned about or curious to know regarding the overall tour.
• For the day, we can also assist you in arranging a full day in Quito or the surrounding area if you let us know in advance.

Overnight: DANN CARLTON **** or Similar

Meals: None

• Depart early for Quito's International Airport for your local flight to the Galápagos Islands. This flight takes 3 hours, with a stop in Guayaquil.

• Upon arrival at San Cristóbal Airport, clear customs and get ready to meet your naturalist guide from Galápagos, who will take you to your hotel to rest before the day's excursion.

• Afterwards, you will go kayaking towards Tijeretas Hill and Darwin Bay. You do not need to be an expert kayaker, as we provide all safety equipment and gear, and the excursion is escorted by a Galápagos tour guide.

• This tour may take up to 3 hours and also includes snorkelling to admire the beauty of the marine life. Finally, return to the hotel for the night.

Overnight: GALAPAGOS SUNSET **** or Similar

Meals: Breakfast

• Today includes some of the best snorkelling in the Galápagos and a day trip to Kicker Rock. After breakfast, a comfortable speedboat navigates along the coast of San Cristóbal, offering views of the birds and landscape from a different angle. At the rock formation, we'll snorkel through the channel in search of various sharks, fish, turtles, rays, sea lions, and more. Afterwards, enjoy a box lunch on the boat and some quiet beach time to relax before returning to town.

Overnight: GALAPAGOS SUNSET **** or Similar

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

• Take a public speedboat to Santa Cruz Island. Upon arrival, the guide will take you to the Charles Darwin Research Station, the most important research centre in the entire Galápagos. You will then have some time to enjoy the town and have a quick lunch before the next activity. Later in the afternoon, you will visit a tortoise ranch in the highlands of Santa Cruz, where you will see a vast area of wild tortoises in their natural state. Finally, return to town for the night.

Tonight's Advice: Don't miss eating at the QUIOSKOS street, where you can enjoy very fresh lobster and many different types of seafood caught in the morning. Also, go to the pier at night, where you can see baby sharks, rays, and many other animals up close.

Overnight: LA ISLA **** or Similar

Meals: Breakfast

• Take a public speedboat to Isabela Island, then visit a nearby islet known as Tintoreras, full of baby marine iguanas, seagulls, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, and some Galápagos penguins. Depending on the tide, you may also see the Tintoreras, or white-tip reef sharks, resting in the islet's canals. Then you will go for a magical snorkel in the La Calera area, where you will swim with marine iguanas, sea turtles, sea lions, and a great number of colourful fish. Finally, return to the hotel.

• In the afternoon, you will have free time to enjoy the beach sunset or walk around the wetlands.

Overnight: CORMORANT **** or Similar

Meals: Breakfast

• Today you will visit the famous TUNELES, located 1 hour from town by speedboat. In our itinerary, departure for this tour is at 11:30 am, but before it begins, we will take you to the tortoise breeding centre and the famous wetlands, where you can identify a number of birds such as flamingos, finches, and marine iguanas. You will do this excursion by bike, so get ready for this adventure.

• Then it is time for a speedboat ride towards the southwestern side of Isabela Island. Along the way, you will see other volcanoes that are also part of the island, such as Cerro Azul and Union Rock.

  Upon arrival, you will take a short walk around the lava formations floating above the sea, which are nesting places for many boobies, pelicans, and frigate birds as well.

• Then, you will enjoy a typical lunch on board. After this, you will go back into the water for more amazing snorkelling. This place, in particular, is more diverse in fauna, and if you are lucky, you will see many sea turtles, seahorses, marine iguanas, sea lions, and much more.

• Finally, you will return to the hotel in town.

Overnight: CORMORANT **** or Similar

Meals: Breakfast/Lunch

• Take an early 30-minute bus ride to Volcán Sierra Negra, the starting point for your hike up to the volcano caldera. This hike can take up to 3 or 4 hours, depending on your condition. Along the way, you can observe plants and birds endemic to the Galápagos Islands and, if the weather allows, enjoy great volcano views. This volcano erupted in July 2018, so you will see the remains of the last eruption.

• Once we return to the park control point, we will head back to the city. Then, you will take a public speedboat to Santa Cruz. Upon arrival, you will be taken to your hotel for the night.

Overnight: LA ISLA **** or Similar

Meals: Breakfast

• This tour starts early from town, followed by a bus ride to Itabaca Canal, where you will board the yacht for this excursion. This program includes sightseeing, hiking, snorkelling, snorkel equipment, lunch on board, and much more.
• Finally, you will return to Puerto Ayora for your last night in the Galápagos.
• Bartolomé:
  The small island of Bartolomé is very small and 114 m high, situated close to Santiago Island. When the volcano that formed Bartolomé erupted, there was no water present, resulting in large amounts of basalt on the island. When water is present in an eruption, tuff is created. The basalt hardened together with air, creating very light rocks. Bartolomé's surface is covered with volcanic ash, which is believed to have blown over from Santa Cruz Island. The island consists of an extinct volcano and volcanic formations in various shades of red, orange, green, and glistening black. Pinnacle Rock is the eroded remains of a tuff cone. This large, partially eroded lava formation was created when magma expelled from the volcano reached the sea. When the seawater cooled, the hot lava caused an explosion. The exploded particles eventually fastened together, forming a rock composed of thin layers. Bartolomé's Pinnacle Rock has become one of the most photographed sights on the islands. As a prominent landmark, it was used as a target by the US military during World War II, and you can still see the bullet holes. Galápagos penguins live behind the rock. A small submerged crater can be seen just offshore. To the east, you can see a series of small spatter cones. Beside Pinnacle Rock lie twin half-moon-shaped beaches. On the northern one, where there is a wet landing, you can swim and snorkel. Don't miss it.

Overnight: RED BOBBIE ***

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch

• Free morning, 10:00 am check-out, and transportation to Baltra Airport to take your flight to Quito late in the afternoon. Transportation to the hotel in Quito is on your own.

Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye after we arrive in Quito, and we invite you to see one of our other tours in mainland Ecuador and Peru. However, if you would like to add one more night in Quito or extend your stay in Ecuador, we can always help with free advice to make sure you optimise your time and continue exploring this paradise called Ecuador.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT HOTEL NIGHT IN QUITO IS NOT INCLUDED.
TRANSFER OUT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE.