7-Day Galapagos Island-Hopping Tour with Sierra Negra and Los Tuneles

• Welcome to Quito, the largest and best-preserved colonial city in America, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Considered the Cultural Capital of South America, the city lies on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano. Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the day exploring Quito's old town and the surrounding area. We can help you organize a day trip if requested in advance. In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you in the hotel lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00. At this time, we will discuss the details of the adventure and answer any questions you may have. Our first day is an acclimation and information day.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: none

• Today, we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory on the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of Baltra. Once we arrive, we head to the town of Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos. From here, we will take a quick boat to the largest island in the archipelago, where most of the volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island was formed by six shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf - and five are still active, making it one of the most volcanically active places on Earth. The Galapagos Islands are located 600 miles (965.6 km) from the coast of Ecuador, so it is essential to understand that you will need to take air, road, and sea transportation to get there.

Accommodation: Albermarle Boutique Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• Explore the amazing lava formations created by the volcanic island's last eruptions along the seashore. BBC and National Geographic have historically filmed this magical place for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches filled with crystal-clear water and home to sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks, and more. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through Los Tuneles. Here, we will have the best snorkelling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguins playing around. In the afternoon, we return to Puerto Villamil to go kayaking in Tintoreras and observe sea lions, penguins, turtles, and marine iguanas.
• Before or after the trip, you can enjoy some optional activities such as biking or simply relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We also recommend taking some time to visit the giant tortoise breeding center, located within walking distance from the hotel.

Accommodation: Albermarle Boutique Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• After breakfast, at around 08:00, you will depart for Sierra Negra Volcano. You will drive to the highlands of Isabela, where the hike normally begins. The volcano, with a height of around 1,500 meters and an outer diameter of approximately nine kilometres, is the second biggest lava dome in the world.
  You will have lunch at a local restaurant in the highlands at around 13:00, at a beautiful organic farm whose owners prepare their food with vegetables and fruits grown locally on the farm. Cooked on a lava rock grill, you will enjoy a delicious meal, and after lunch, you can take a walk along the fruit trails or simply rest in one of the hammocks and breathe the clean air beneath a big mango tree.
• We then make our way back to the pier, arriving at 14:30. After a short briefing, we will start kayaking in the bay, where we can enjoy the local wildlife. Along the way, we may observe penguins, blue-footed boobies, pelicans, iguanas Marinas, sea turtles, sea lions, eagle rays, and sometimes juvenile sharks known as Tintoreras. To finish the day, at 16:30, we will make a short visit to Concha & Perla, a small beach in Puerto Villamil, where we will snorkel. A short and beautiful walk through the mangroves on a boardwalk leads to this spot of turquoise waters and abundant wildlife. You can expect to see plenty of other tourists alongside colourful fish, sea lions, sea turtles, pelicans, mockingbirds, and maybe even marine iguanas.

Hiking time: 4 hours both ways
Hiking distance: 6 miles (9.6 km) (10 miles -16 km- optional to Volcan Chico)
Hiking elevation gain: 950 feet (289.5 meters)
Maximum elevation while hiking: 3687 feet (1124 meters)
Kayaking time: 2 hours
Snorkeling time: 1 hour

What to wear today for hiking? - shorts, t-shirt, tennis shoes, rain jacket, hat, buff, sun cream, mosquito repellent.
What to wear today for kayaking and snorkelling? - sandals, shorts, water long sleeve t-shirt, bathing suit, hat, sun cream, mosquito repellent.

Accommodation: Albermarle Boutique Hotel or similar.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

• In the morning, traverse from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Once we arrive, we will check in at the hotel.
• We will then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands.
• In the afternoon, we will head to the El Chato reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz, home to the famous Galapagos tortoises. Hiking through El Chato's beautiful landscape with these lumbering giants is an unforgettable experience.
• We will also see other highland wildlife, such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigatebirds, which gather to wash the salt off their feathers at a freshwater lake.
• Afterwards, return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in Galapagos' most populous town.

Accommodation: La Isla or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, we will transfer to Baltra airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland.

Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel or similar

Meals included: Breakfast

• Our trip will end today, and you will have your international departures.
• Take your memories and photos with you, and leave a piece of your heart behind, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a "Buen viaje"!

Meals included: Breakfast