Natural Wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos
Natural Wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos
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Natural Wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos
13 Days Starting in Quito, Ecuador and ending in Otavalo, Ecuador
Visiting: Quito, Mindo, Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal Island, Otavalo
Tour operator:
Specialist Group:
Singles Solo
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
15 - 27
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Foodie and Wine Tours, Gardens & Nature Tours, Wildlife Tours
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the "Natural Wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos" tour, where you'll explore the vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes of Ecuador. Begin your adventure in Quito, sampling local produce at Mercado Iñaquito and visiting historic sites. Discover the enchanting Mindo Cloud Forest, home to hummingbirds and butterflies, and learn about chocolate production at a working farm. Journey to the Galapagos Islands, where you'll encounter giant tortoises, snorkel with marine life, and hike the Sierra Negra volcano. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and explore San Cristóbal Island's rich history. Conclude your trip with a visit to the bustling Otavalo Market, perfect for finding unique souvenirs. With a dedicated holiday director and guaranteed private accommodations, this tour offers an immersive experience into Ecuador's natural and cultural treasures.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Cultura Manor
Meals Included: Dinner
Make your own way to the hotel where your Holiday Director will meet you this evening.
Day 2 Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Cultura Manor
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, our explorations begin with a trip to Mercado Iñaquito, this is one of the city's most popular markets and we will get to try some of the varied and interesting fruits that Ecuador has to offer. A Local Guide will show us around and you'll be offered samples of local produce.
After the market, we'll enjoy a visit to the new and old towns of Quito. Independence Square and the Churches of Basilica, La Compañia and La Catedral are a few stops we'll make before heading over to the Plaza Grande, the main square in the old town. Here we'll try the typical empanadas with coffee as a midday snack. Followed by a tasty lunch with a potato soup, typical of the Andes called Locro as we visit San Francisco Plaza with some traditional desserts to finish our tasting.
Next, we'll wind our way to the Calle de la Ronda. We'll peruse the local shops as we hunt for a street food vendor and taste the empanada de viento (empanada of wind). To finish our day, we'll head to possibly the best lookout in Quito, the Panecillo, for a panoramic view of the city.
Day 3 Quito - Mindo
Location: Mindo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Septimo Paraiso Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we're heading to the Mindo Cloud Forest, an area of spectacular scenery and wildlife. Our first stop is a chance to catch a glimpse of the small, interesting bird that enjoys the cloud forest climate – the hummingbird. The Alambi Cloud Forest is home to dozens of species of hummingbirds and is probably the best place in Ecuador to see them, along with a wide variety of other interesting species. You'll get so close to the hummingbirds that you'll feel and hear their wings fluttering right beside you! This afternoon after lunch, we will be visiting a butterfly garden where there are more than 1,000 species including the owl eye, the blue morpho and the Mariposas butterfly. We'll learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and may get an up-close look at some friendly butterflies that might land on an outstretched finger! Our adventure continues with an afternoon hike through the cloud forest, a great way to enjoy more of the spectacular scenery and wildlife. With our afternoon hike in the jungle complete, we'll head back to the hotel for a local dinner.
Day 4 Mindo - Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: EB Hotel Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Our adventure continues by visiting El Quetzal de Mindo, you'll see cocoa trees and have a peek at a working chocolate farm. Learn about how Ecuadorian chocolate is made, and try some samples! You may want to try the locally made craft beer as well. Later this afternoon we'll arrive back in Quito after visiting the middle of the World - Mitad del Mundo. The famous site that straddles the Equator. There's time to relax before we get together for dinner and a briefing about tomorrow's journey to the Galapagos Islands. You may be provided with a duffle bag for your belongings - all luggage is inspected on arrival at Galapagos and duffle bags make this process easier.
Day 5 Quito - Santa Cruz Island
Location: Santa Cruz Island
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Posada del Mar Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today we're going to fly to the Galapagos. This archipelago of islands is home to an astonishing array of wildlife and the landscapes range from black volcanic rock to glorious white-sand beaches. A Local Guide will be waiting for us on Santa Cruz and the sightseeing will start straight away. We'll make our way to a private ranch in the Highlands, where giant tortoises roam free. Whilst we enjoy lunch, you'll want to keep an eye on the birds - many species can be spotted in the Highlands, including the Galapagos mockingbird.
Day 6 Santa Cruz Island - Isabela Island
Location: Isabela Island
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Albermarle Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After some free time this morning, we'll transfer by boat to Isabela Island and make our way to the little town of Puerto Villamil. Once we've arrived in Puerto Villamil and settled in, we'll have a practice snorkeling session to help us prepare and test our gear for the afternoon activity. This afternoon, after lunch we'll catch our panga for the Tintoreras tour. This small boat tour of Isabela's bay includes a short cruise along the coast, a snorkel and a walk on Tintoreras islet. It's our best chance to see the Galapagos Penguin along with pelicans, and hopefully blue-footed boobies! The snorkelling is done in a sheltered area, where you may spot colourful tropical fish, sea lions, starfish, urchins, rays, turtles and perhaps even sharks. On Tintoreras islet, we'll hop off for a short walk on this lava-laden land, which is home to nesting marine iguanas. This nursery area is protected from many predators, so you'll probably see marine iguanas and scurrying lava lizards about!
Day 7 Isabela Island
Location: Isabela Island
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Albermarle Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
There's an exciting morning ahead, as we set off on a hike up the Sierra Negra volcano. Sierra Negra is one of the most active volcanoes in Galapagos; its last eruption was in October 2005. On our way we will make a stop at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre, that houses almost 1,000 of these creatures in different stages of development and is helping to protect them from extinction.
Then we will make our way to the Volcano, and as we hike to the perimeter of the caldera, we’ll be on the lookout for bird species found only in the highlands like the bright red vermillion flycatcher and the elusive short-eared owl. Once we reach the rim, we’ll be met with a 9km view that stretches across one of the most active calderas in the world. We'll make our way back to town early afternoon.
Day 8 Santa Cruz Island - at Leisure
Location: Santa Cruz
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Silberstein Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
You're free to enjoy a lazy morning if you wish. However, if you enjoy snorkelling our optional excursion to Los Tuneles is a must. You'll head to one of the best snorkelling spots in the Galapagos for a chance to explore underwater lava tunnels teeming with marine life. Look out for reef sharks, sea turtles, sea horses and more.
Later, we'll travel back to Santa Cruz by boat, and after dinner you might want to stroll down to the waterfront with your fellow travellers. At night the locals can often be found playing Ecua-volley, or Ecuadorian volleyball, which is always fun to watch.
Day 9 San Cristóbal Island
Location: San Cristóbal Island
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Miconia Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today we're going to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we'll learn more about efforts to conserve several species of the giant tortoise. Lonesome George was perhaps the most famous Galapagos tortoise. His species, the Pinta Island tortoise, became extinct when he died in 2012 and after being preserved by expert taxidermists, he is now on display at the centre.
We'll travel to another island, San Cristóbal, by boat this afternoon. After checking into our hotel, we'll walk to the Interpretation Centre. Here you'll learn about the history of the archipelago, Charles Darwin's famous visit in the 19th century and today's work to protect the amazing landscapes. Afterwards you can explore the surrounding area at your leisure. Hiking trails take you to Frigatebird Hill, Punta Carola - a wonderful beach - and Darwin Bay, where a statue of Charles Darwin commemorates his landing on the island.
Day 10 San Cristóbal Island
Location: San Cristóbal Island
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Miconia Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We're going to take a cruise along the coast and hopefully catch a glimpse of San Cristóbal's fabulous marine life today. Keep a lookout for birds including the great frigate and blue-footed booby as we head to Kicker Rock, where the remains of a volcanic tuff cone rises over 143 metres out of the ocean. If Kicker Rock were a building, it would have almost 50 floors! Snorkel a channel between the rocks in search of spotted eagle rays, chocolate chip starfish, sea turtles and Galapagos sharks, as well as damselfish, puffer fish, and, hopefully, curious sea lion pups.
After a busy morning you'll be ready for lunch on board. We're going to stop at a beautiful beach accessible only by boat – a little slice of paradise and the perfect place to relax.
Day 11 San Cristóbal Island - Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: EB Hotel Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
You're free to spend your final morning in the Galapagos at leisure. Perhaps head to the beach for one last swim, or shop for some last-minute souvenirs.
Later, we'll drive to the airport for our flight back to Quito. Once at the hotel, you can use the facilities for a relaxing afternoon and then sit down for an included dinner.
Day 12 Otavalo
Location: Otavalo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: EB Hotel Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Your holiday ends with a trip to the market in Otavalo, considered to be one of the biggest and best in South America. There will be lots of colourful textiles and handicrafts on offer, so you might want to have a go at bargaining for a few souvenirs. Next we'll head to Cotacachi, a town famous for its leather. The main street is packed with shops selling jackets, shoes, wallets and more, so be warned, you might be tempted to treat yourself!
This evening we'll get together for a farewell dinner and a chance to reminisce about the wonderful experiences we've shared
Day 13 Departure
Location: Otavalo
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today it's time to say goodbye to your fellow travelers as your trip comes to an end.
What's Included
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Just You Holiday Director as your host & Specialist Local Guide
A dedicated Just You Holiday Director and a Specialist Local Guide will accompany you throughout the trip.
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12 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels
Accommodation for 12 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels is included.
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A guaranteed twin or double room of your own
You are guaranteed a twin or double room of your own without any single supplement.
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30 included meals: 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 7 dinners including welcome drink & dinner and farewell dinner
The tour includes 30 meals: 12 breakfasts, 11 lunches, and 7 dinners, including a welcome drink & dinner and a farewell dinner.
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Transportation excluding overseas transfers to and from the airport & porterage
Transportation during the tour is included, excluding overseas transfers to and from the airport and porterage.
What's Not Included
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Transfers to and from the airport at the destination are not included.
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International Travel
International travel to and from the destination is not included.
Mode of Transport
Travel includes flights to the Galapagos Islands and boat transfers between islands. Local transportation is provided for sightseeing, excluding overseas airport transfers. Enjoy seamless travel arrangements with a dedicated holiday director and specialist local guide.Accommodation
Enjoy 12 nights in comfortable 3 and 4-star hotels, including Cultura Manor in Quito, Septimo Paraiso Hotel in Mindo, and Posada del Mar Hotel on Santa Cruz Island. Each guest is guaranteed their own twin or double room, ensuring privacy and comfort throughout the journey.Check out our Q&As
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What kind of wildlife can I expect to see during the tour?
During the tour, you can expect to see a variety of wildlife including hummingbirds in the Mindo Cloud Forest, giant tortoises on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos penguins, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and possibly even Galapagos sharks and sea lions during snorkeling activities.
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What activities are included in the Galapagos Islands portion of the tour?
In the Galapagos Islands, the tour includes visiting a private ranch to see giant tortoises, snorkeling at Tintoreras and Kicker Rock, visiting the Charles Darwin Research Station, and exploring San Cristóbal Island's Interpretation Centre. There are also opportunities for hiking, such as up the Sierra Negra volcano, and optional snorkeling excursions.
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Will there be opportunities to try local food during the tour?
Yes, there will be opportunities to try local food. In Quito, you will sample local produce at Mercado Iñaquito and try traditional dishes like empanadas and locro soup. Additionally, you will visit a working chocolate farm in Mindo to learn about and taste Ecuadorian chocolate.
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What kind of accommodations can I expect on this tour?
The tour includes 12 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels, with a guaranteed twin or double room of your own. Some of the accommodations mentioned include Cultura Manor in Quito, Septimo Paraiso Hotel in Mindo, and Posada del Mar Hotel on Santa Cruz Island.
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Are there any special preparations needed for the Galapagos Islands visit?
Yes, you may be provided with a duffle bag for your belongings as all luggage is inspected on arrival at the Galapagos, and duffle bags make this process easier. Additionally, there will be a briefing about the journey to the Galapagos Islands.
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
All the people in your group will be solo travellers and will share your sense of adventure and passion for travel. There’s usually a good mix of ages too, so you’ll meet a variety of solo travellers who have more, or in some cases less, life experience. We find the overall mix of people really adds to the whole experience and there are certainly plenty of l
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Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
A few years ago we set up Just You Cares, a programme that gives back to some of the places we love. We have always believed in taking care of the communities we visit, and have taken the time to really get to know the local people and understand the challenges they face. Some of our holidays give our Customers the chance to see how the money from their trips has been spent.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
At Just You, we are committed to operating our business operations responsibly, with integrity and always act ethically in all our business dealings and relationships. We are committed to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking does not take place in our own business or in any of our supply chains
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If we can accommodate a change in date - we will always do our best to help you. Just pick up the phone and ask one of our friendly advisors - just make sure you have your booking number to hand.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes, and all of our accommodation providers will be working to the very highest standards of hygiene – you already always enjoy a private room of your own on all of our trips, all of our partners will be guided by local government operational standards of hygiene and the new protocols we have issued to them.
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Will I eat alone?
We find there’s always a social element to dining, so you’ll never eat alone, unless you want to! Every holiday includes a welcome get-together, all breakfasts and many other meals. When a meal is not included we find travellers meet and dine together.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
No, given the nature of our holidays, it is not possible to join the tour once it has departed.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Just You has been operating solo holidays for more than 15 years.
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Am I guaranteed a room of my own?
Of course, you’ll always have a twin or double room all to yourself. It’s great to have that space to relax and reflect at the end of the day. In some hotels you can also pay a little extra to upgrade for more space or a lovely sea view.
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What is the typical age range on a Just You holiday?
Typically, our customers are solo travellers in their 40s, 50s and 60s, but it’s quite possible you could meet 20-year-olds or 70-year-olds (or anyone in between)... After all, age is just a number!
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
We have received the World Travel and Tourism Councils (WTTC) Safe Travels stamp, which recognises businesses and destinations worldwide that have adopted a new set of global protocols to support the return of 'Safe Travel' around the world. The 'Safe Travels' stamp provides you, with assurance and peace of mind that we have implemented enhanced health and hygiene prprotocols on all holidays.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Once you book, you will receive a confirmation invoice within 7 days, prior to departure, we will send you further information to help prepare for your trip.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Just You is exclusively for solo travellers, every tour includes a twin or double room of your own, with no single supplement.
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Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
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