When you arrive in Ecuador, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your charming hotel in Quito.
Accommodation: Hotel Mercure
After breakfast, your will visit Quito, the most beautiful and colonial city in South America and declared by UNESCO part of the Cultural Heritage of mankind.
You will explore the colonial part of the city. Your first stop will be the Independence square, where the presidential palace, the city hall, the Sagrario church and the Cathedral stand. You will then visit San Francisco church and museum-monastery (1535) and the San Agustin monastery. Afterwards, you will visit the finest example of baroque art in America: La Compañía church (1605) with its breathtaking gilded altars. After this, you will visit the art & crafts gallery of Tianguez and finally, drive up to the Panecillo hill to enjoy an amazing view of Quito from above. Here you can admire the only winged-Virgin statue in South America. This is a great spot to take pictures above Quito.
After visiting the Colonial center of Quito you will arrive to the Middle of the World Monument and Museum, which is located 25 km north of Ecuador’s capital. There you will find the monument on the equatorial line marking latitude 0° 0´0”, where you will have the opportunity to stand in both hemispheres and take wonderful pictures. Here you can also visit the ethnographic museum on site as well.
Accommodation: Hotel Mercure (Breakfast)
After an early breakfast you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to the magical Galapagos Islands. Here you will board your exclusive cruise for your Galapagos experience. Your flight will take approximately two hours. You will be greeted by the Galapagos Legend Cruise’s staff and be taken by bus to board your vessel.
Accommodation: Galapagos Legend Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
AM – Baltra Airport
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra (2½-hour hour flight). In Baltra, passengers are picked up at the airport by our naturalist guides and taken on a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend
PM – Bartolome
Dry or wet landing. The view from the top of Bartolome Island is considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago. The climb up the wooden boardwalk, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock and the austere Santiago Island beyond, is well worth it. This volcanic scene has often been likened to a lunar landscape. Our subsequent snorkel here might put us face to face with Galapagos penguins, white-tipped reef sharks and playful sea lions.
Accommodation: Galapagos Legend Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
AM – South Plaza Islet
Dry landing. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls and land iguanas are all present at the landing site. The small island is covered with a carpet of a red succulent studded with Opuntia cacti. At the cliff edge, we spend time watching birds fly past at eye level in the up draught. These include, frigatebirds, flocks of Galapagos shearwaters and of particular note, flights of displaying red-billed tropicbirds. Back at sea level, we once again encounter land iguanas, some of which have hybridized with their resident marine cousins.
PM –North Seymour Island
Dry landing. This flat, uplifted, island is an important spot to see both magnificent and great frigatebird males courting the females. This act is done by clicking, bill-clapping, shuddering and flapping their wings, all while showing off their grossly inflated, bright red, gular pouch. We will also likely see courting blue-footed boobies displaying their unique feet while ‘dancing’ to a prospective mate. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit.
Accommodation: Galapagos Legend Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
AM – Pitt Point & Islet (San Cristobal Island)
Wet landing. Sea lions will greet us as we land on the beach and prepare for our climb to a high point on the steep eroded tuff cone. This is the only place in the islands where we will enjoy the chance to see all three of the booby species in the same place. The red-foots will be perched on the Cordia lutea and small trees, the Nazca’s on the ground near the cliff edge while the blue-foots will be a little further inland. Frigatebirds will be all around and the views are breathtaking.
PM – Cerro Brujo (San Cristobal Island)
Wet landing. From our pangas, as we head to shore, we are first humbled by the immensity of the stunning cliffs of “Sorcerer’s Hill.” We can enjoy simply sharing the beach with sea lions or snorkeling from shore. You can also take a walk to a hidden lagoon where we might spot black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels and white-cheeked pintails.
Accommodation: Galapagos Legend Cruise (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
Dry landing. In the moist highlands of San Cristobal we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center ìLa Galapagueraî. Here you can witness the most iconic creature of the archipelago in its various life stages. The tortoises wander in a semi-natural habitat which lends itself to good photographic opportunities. The aim of the reserve is to help restore populations of the threatened San Cristobal tortoise back into the wild. In town, there are shops to purchase local handicrafts and souvenirs.
After the visit you will go to San Cristobal Airport for the return flight to Quito.
Accommodation: Ilatoa Lodge (Breakfast)
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.
