18-Day Ecuador Adventure with Andes, Amazon and Galapagos Island Hopping

• Welcome to Quito, the capital of Ecuador! Arrive at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO), at 2,850 meters (9,350 ft) above sea level. Ecuador's dramatic capital city is the second highest in the world after Bolivia's La Paz.
• Your private driver will meet you for an approximately 45-minute transfer to your accommodation in the city center. Along the way, you'll get a short introduction to Quito's history and a quick briefing on the next day's activities.

• A guide will pick you up for a city tour in Quito. Start in the colonial center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to numerous historic buildings and squares.
• You will visit Plaza Grande and the beautiful churches of La Compañía and La Basílica.
• Then, you'll walk down La Ronda, the oldest street in Quito.
• Around midday, head to a traditional cooking class. There, you'll learn about the incredible gastronomy of this country and how to prepare it, and you will enjoy a delicious lunch.
• Afterward, make your way to the Mitad del Mundo monument to stand on the line of the equator. Strike a pose with one foot in each hemisphere and see how your balance is affected at latitude zero.
• Then, enjoy the nearby museums and exhibits, including the Planetarium, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Artisanal Beer Museum. There is also a small-scale model of Quito here, giving you a unique perspective on the city.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch included

• Today, you have the opportunity to explore Quito independently. This is a perfect chance to discover the beautiful DIY (do-it-yourself) activities available in the heart of the world.

Recommendations for DIY activities are:

• Browse around the Historical Center
• Take a free walking tour
• Take a ride on the cable car (Teleférico)
• Try authentic Ecuadorian chocolate
• Have a walk around the Guápulo neighbourhood
• Explore Museum La Capilla del Hombre and Parque Metropolitano

• In the morning, head to Otavalo. The city is home to a well-known indigenous market where artisans come to sell colourful textiles and other traditional goods. Snack on fruits and other treats while you browse the stalls for paintings, carvings, hand-painted bowls, and much more.
• Enjoy some street food - try salted mango or fritada con mote, fried pork with cooked corn - then continue to the nearby town of Cotacachi for some free time and more shopping. The town is famous for its leather products.
• In the afternoon, stroll along the shores of the volcanic crater lake of Cuicocha. Your guide will tell you about the high-altitude flora and fauna and the history of the lake. You can even take a boat ride around the two islands.

• You will wake up early, and after breakfast, you will leave Quito and head to Cotopaxi National Park, which is about 70 km (43.5 miles) from the center of Quito.
• Upon arrival at Cotopaxi National Park, you will see the volcano towering at 5,897 meters, with a perfectly symmetrical snow-capped cone and picturesque parkland. Located south of Quito, Cotopaxi is the second-highest summit in Ecuador at 19,347 feet. But there is more than meets the eye - it is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Its dome, whose form is almost perfect, is covered with eternal snow.
• Once there, you will start at Lake Limpiopungo. Here, you may find a variety of birds and occasionally even wild horses. A short walk around the lake will allow you to admire the Andean plant and animal life along the way.
• You will explore the rugged surroundings and stunning scenery of Cotopaxi National Park and Cotopaxi Volcano, enjoying the ascent into this sky-high region and stopping at the 15,800-foot (4,830-meter) Padre Rivas Refuge. Here, you will have a spectacular view of Cotopaxi Volcano's gigantic cone. The distance is short, and the hike presents no technical difficulty. Still, stay hydrated to avoid the effects of altitude, and bring warm clothes such as a hat, scarf, gloves, warm upper layers, and a windproof or rainproof jacket.
• This will be an excellent way to discover the mythical Andean landscapes in a truly unique way. In the afternoon, you will return to Quito.

• Today, you will explore Mindo's lush green cloud forest.
• Its location on the western slopes of the Andean highlands gives this region mild temperatures and lots of rainfall. Stretching over 48,000 acres (19,200 hectares) and reaching heights of 15,700 feet (4,778 meters), it is one of the most biologically diverse forests in the world. Known worldwide for its biodiversity and birding, its lush subtropical forest provides a mystical environment to roam around and pursue adventure.
• You'll get the chance to visit a butterfly farm, trek to waterfalls, go river tubing, fly between the treetops on a zipline, and taste locally made chocolate and coffee.
• Mindo is one of the premier birding destinations in the world. More than 500 different types of birds have been spotted here, and Mindo regularly holds the annual world record for the most bird species counted within 24 hours.

• Spend the day exploring Quito at leisure, and by night you will catch your shuttle bus from Quito to the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve.
• This is a shuttle bus that carries international groups to lodges in the Amazon rainforest area. The meeting point is Blue House Youth Hostel in Quito, where you will have your room to rest and refresh before your long journey. The bus will board at 10:30 PM.
• This is a long journey to the deep Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, but once you reach El Puente, where the bus drops you off in the morning, you will feel it was completely worth it.

• You will arrive at El Puente de Cuyabeno and enter Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. This is the perfect location to see a diversity of wildlife native to the Amazon rainforest.
• Our adventure will start at the entrance of the Cuyabeno River, where we will enjoy a delicious box lunch. Our naturalist guide will give you information about the site, important recommendations, and other tips before navigating the Cuyabeno River into the lodge for two hours.
• During the canoe ride, you get your first glimpse of the jungle. You will see different types of birds, such as caciques, oropendolas, and the prehistoric bird hoatzin. Depending on time and weather conditions, you may also be able to see a variety of monkeys and other jungle animals.
• We will arrive before sunset. Upon check-in, you will be shown your rooms, where you can relax a bit or take a short nap. Afterward, we will leave the lodge to swim in the lagoon and watch the beautiful sunset in the middle of the large lagoon.
• Later, you will return to the lodge for dinner and finish your first day in the jungle by relaxing in a hammock or enjoying a cocktail at the bar.

• After a very delicious breakfast, you will embark on a hike of approximately 3 to 4 hours in the primary forest in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. The local guide will explain the tropical forest and medicinal plants. During the hike, you may also spot big trees like the ceibo and giant Amazonian ant colonies.
• Once finished, you will return to the lodge for a well-deserved lunch and a short break before the next planned activity.
• In the afternoon, you will go outside the lodge to see the beautiful butterflies and swim in the lagoon. If possible, we will be able to watch the beautiful grey dolphins and enjoy the impressive sunset. Then, we return to the lodge for dinner. At night, the agenda includes a fantastic night hike focused on looking for alligators on the riverbank.

• After a delicious traditional breakfast, we will head downstream by canoe on a journey of about an hour to visit a family of the Tarapuy community. Here, we will be able to learn how to prepare cassava, a traditional yuca bread. We will help prepare it and learn to use the tools of the jungle to make this bread, which will occupy the entire morning. We will return to the lodge at approximately two in the afternoon.
• Upon returning to the lodge, lunch will be waiting for us, and afterward, it will be the perfect chance to relax before you embark on the next activity on the agenda in the evening.
• To end the day, we will have a short hike through the primary forest focused on observing nocturnal insects, such as spiders, geckos, or scorpions, and listening to the sounds of the night animals.

• Very early in the morning and before breakfast, you will enjoy a nice hike at sunrise in the jungle to view the wonderful and colourful birds that enrich the area around the lodge and enjoy another moment of peace in this wonderful natural paradise. Please remember that enjoying this activity depends on the weather conditions that morning.
• Make sure to take plenty of photos to commemorate your Amazon adventure. After breakfast, you'll gather your belongings and get ready for your return to civilization. The navigation upriver awaits you as you return to El Puente de Cuyabeno, where you will take the shuttle bus back to Quito. Expect to arrive late in the evening.

• Welcome to the beautiful Santa Cruz Island! After arriving at Baltra Airport, your guide will be waiting for you to take you to Santa Cruz Island.
• With no planned activities today, you're free to enjoy the island's beauty at your own pace.

Lay back and enjoy the hotel amenities or discover the following activities:

• Hike to Tortuga Bay
• Go for a stroll in the peaceful town of Puerto Ayora
• Shop for souvenirs
• Explore a hidden cove
• Today is for enjoying the beauty of the Galapagos, taking lots of beautiful photos, and slowing down the pace to truly appreciate island life.

• In the afternoon, you will be taken on a small-group shared bay tour by small boat to visit exotic places along the bay of Santa Cruz and visit one, or if time allows, more of these fantastic sites.
• You will arrive at the small islet called La Lobería, named for the great colony of sea lions, where you can snorkel around sea lions and tropical fish displaying a dazzling show beneath the surface against interesting underwater formations.
• Afterward, at Shark Channel, you may spot harmless white-tip sharks and blue-footed boobies. You'll then come upon Canal del Amor, where you may find sea turtles and many varieties of tropical fish. Taking a 10-minute walk, you'll see marine iguanas in their natural habitat and have plenty of opportunities to take pictures.
• Return to Puerto Ayora to spend the rest of your day at leisure.

• You will start with a 45-minute hike from Puerto Ayora to the heavenly Tortuga Bay, famed for its soft coral sand and spectacular scenery. This stretch of coast is considered one of the archipelago's most picturesque spots.
• Take a kayak out onto the water to see marine life up close and admire the coastline from a different perspective, observing colonies of marine iguanas and marine birds, as well as mangroves, cacti forests, and fascinating coastal flora. You may spot an interesting array of birds residing here. Pelicans and finches are locals here, and near the salt lagoon that backs onto the mangroves, you may even spot flamingos wandering.
• After kayaking at the nearby cove, sunbathe on the beach or head back under the waves for some snorkelling before returning to Puerto Ayora for the rest of the day.

• In the morning, you will take the public speedboat to Isabela Island, a ride of about 2 hours.
• Once you arrive, we recommend a visit to the flamingo lagoon or the giant tortoise breeding station. After lunch, you will visit Las Tintoreras for kayaking or snorkelling. The Tintoreras kayak tour will be private. You can discover Humboldt penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, and sharks resting in the natural channels formed by lava flows.
• While kayaking in the turquoise water, you can spot different fish, sea turtles, rays, and penguins. The evening is at your leisure.

• In the morning, you will have time to explore this beautiful island by yourself. In the afternoon, get ready to take the public speedboat back to Santa Cruz Island, roughly 2 to 2.5 hours away, where you will spend the night.

• After a very early breakfast today, you will enjoy an amazing day trip to an uninhabited island.
• Depending on the weather, scheduling, and permissions granted by the National Park, you'll visit one of the following islands: Santa Fé, South Plazas, Bartolomé, or North Seymour, where you will follow trails to discover their richness, while in the afternoon you will have the opportunity to explore the surrounding waters.
• Santa Fé and South Plazas are home to endemic land iguanas, while Bartolomé is known for its beautiful lava flows. On North Seymour, look for frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. Each island is unique, offering spectacular scenery and opportunities to see rare wildlife.
• Lunch is included onboard, as well as walking and a snorkelling activity to maximize your experience.
• In the evening, return to Puerto Ayora to enjoy some free time.

• If there is enough free time before your transfer to the airport, do some last-minute souvenir shopping or take a final stroll through Puerto Ayora.
• At the designated time, your driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the Itabaca Channel, which you will cross by ferry.
• For the last part of your trip to the airport, take the public shuttle bus to the terminal, where your program ends with your return flight to the mainland and onward connection. Safe travels!