Quito & Galapagos Explorer

Welcome to Quito, Ecuador's capital city. On arrival, there is an included transfer to the hotel. You can spend the evening exploring at leisure, before our Galapagos adventure begins tomorrow.

Tour Style: This tour is made up of a selection of excursions and activities, with transportation and a choice of standard or superior accommodation. You will have different bi-lingual (English & Spanish speaking) local guides for each excursion. Some excursions are on a shared basis, meaning you will be joined by travellers from outside of the group and the group size may exceed 16. Please note: Internal flights are not included in the cost of the tour but we can book these for you on request.

Quito - Baltra (Galapagos) - Santa Cruz. After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, gateway to the Galapagos. Note that your flight to Baltra is not included. We can assist with booking your flights to and from the Galapagos. See the Trip Notes for recommended flight information

From Baltra, we take the ferry to Santa Cruz. We then spend the rest of today exploring the Highlands on a guided tour. You will visit shelters for the endemic giant tortoises, see lava tunnels and other geological formations. We also have a great chance to spot some of Darwin's famous finches. After a day of wonderful wildlife, we transfer to our hotel in Puerto Ayora.

Today we enjoy a half-day exploration of Puerto Ayora's bay. We pay a visit to the huge sea lion colony on La Loberia Island and enjoy snorkelling amongst sea turtles and colourful fish, as well as the curious sea lions. Next we embark on a hike to the Tunel del Amor (Lover's Tunnel). From this viewpoint we may be able to see white tip reef sharks prowling in the shallow waters. We then head to Punta Estrada, a good spot for catching sight of the Galapagos Island's famous marine iguanas.

Alternatively there is the option to upgrade to a full day tour for an additional fee. The full day tour visits Cerro Meza with kayaking at Garrapatero.

2026 Itinerary UpdateToday we enjoy a half-day exploration of Puerto Ayora’s bay, beginning at the main dock. We follow the coastline towards Playa de la Ratonera, then continue past El Barranco, navigating on to Love Canal, Canal de los Tiburones, and Las Cracks, before walking to Playa de los Perros. Along the way, we can observe a variety of wildlife including sharks, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, stingrays, and more. Our final stop is Las Grietas, where you'll have the opportunity to go snorkelling.

Today we embark on a full-day boat excursion with a former fisherman, his friendly crew, and an expert naturalist guide to explore the waters surrounding one of the Galapagos' more remote islands. There will be plenty of swimming and snorkelling opportunities along the way. After our full day taking in the wonderful wildlife and beautiful scenery of the region, we return to our hotel in Puerto Ayora.

Santa Cruz - Baltra - Quito. After breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer back to the airport on Baltra and return to Quito, or Guayaquil, where our tour ends. Note that the flight back to Quito or Guayaquil is not included. See the Trip Notes for recommended flight information. We can assist with booking this flight.