Compare Highlights of Colombia, Ecuador & Galapagos by Audley Travel vs Ecuador & Galapagos Islands: See & Experience Almost it ALL in 11 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours by Charlie The Traveler
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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Ecuador & Galapagos Islands: See & Experience Almost it ALL in 11 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours
by
Charlie The Traveler
5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 16 days | 11 days |
| Price From | $ 9,538 | $ 2,249 |
| Price Per Day | $ 596 | $ 204 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Luxury |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included while on the Galapagos cruise. We do our best to ensure you are being offered healthy and tasty local cuisine. |
| Description |
Enjoy a walking tour of Quito with your guide. Exploring how the landscape has been shaped by volcanic activity. Explore Isabela Island further, journeying to the mangroves. |
You absolutely will not find another tour out there as packed with activities and attractions as this one, provided by CharlieTheTraveler. You will also not find another tour out there that offers it all ""FIRST CLASS,"" yet for a relatively low price. We have thousands of travelers taking this specific tour every year-and that's because no competitor can beat us on quality, price & substance. Below are just some examples of what you will see, do and have on this tour:
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Day 1: Quito
Accommodation options: La Casona de la Ronda, Casa Gangotena, Hotel Hilton Colon & Patio Andaluz
On arrival in Quito you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2: Quito
Accommodation options: La Casona de la Ronda, Casa Gangotena, Hotel Hilton Colon & Patio Andaluz
Enjoy a walking tour of Quito with your guide.
Day 3: The Galapagos Islands
Accommodation options: Galapagos Odyssey, Casa Opuntia, Casa Opuntia & Floreana Lava Lodge
Transfer to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival in the Islands you will be met and taken to your boat for the start of your cruise.
Day 4: The Galapagos Islands
Accommodation options: Galapagos Odyssey, Casa Opuntia & Floreana Lava Lodge
Today will be spent exploring Isabela Island. Lava herons are often spotted in the mangroves here, as are sea lions and Galapagos penguins. There is an optional snorkel and swim: white-tipped reef sharks often come to rest in the shallow waters. In the afternoon you'll hike to the Sierra Negra and Chino volcanoes, exploring how the landscape has been shaped by volcanic activity.
Day 5: The Galapagos Islands
Accommodation options: Galapagos Odyssey, Casa Opuntia & Floreana Lava Lodge
Today you'll explore Isabela Island further, journeying to the mangroves and lakes on the north coast which are a haven for birdlife. In the afternoon you'll take a Zodiac trip around Elizabeth Bay. Wildlife commonly seen here includes sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and flightless cormorants.
Day 6: The Galapagos Islands
Accommodation options: Galapagos Odyssey, Casa Opuntia & Floreana Lava Lodge
This morning you'll explore Fernandina Island, which has the largest population of marine iguanas in the Galapagos. Later you'll take a Zodiac tour of Tagus Cove on Isabela island, keeping an eye out for Galapagos penguins, and take a short but steep hike up the cliff side for great views over the island and some nearby volcanoes.
Day 7: The Galapagos Islands
Accommodation options: Galapagos Odyssey, Casa Opuntia & Floreana Lava Lodge
Today you'll visit Santiago Island, with optional snorkeling and kayaking around a beach that's a nesting site for marine turtles.
Day 8: Bogotá
Accommodation options: Hotel Abadia Colonial, Hotel de la Opera & Sofitel Bogotá Victoria Regia
Today you will disembark your cruise and will fly back to mainland Ecuador where you will connect with a flight to Bogota. In Colombia you will be met and taken to your hotel for the night.
Day 9: Hacienda Bambusa
Accommodation: Hacienda Bambusa
Enjoy a morning walking tour of Bogota before transferring back to the airport and fly to the coffee region. You will be met upon arrival and taken to your hacienda in the coffee region.
Day 10: Hacienda Bambusa
Today you will visit Filandia, Salento and Valle Cocora.
Accommodation: Finca Bambusa & Hacienda Bambusa
Day 11: Cartagena
Accommodation options: Hotel Alfiz, Casa San Agustin, Hotel Ananda & Hotel Las Islas
Morning coffee tour, ending at the airport for your flight to Cartagena where you will be met and taken to your hotel.
Day 12: Cartagena
Accommodation options: Hotel Alfiz, Casa San Agustin, Hotel Ananda, & Hotel Las Islas
Enjoy a tour of Cartagena with your guide.
Day 13: Cartagena
Accommodation options: Hotel Alfiz, Casa San Agustin, Hotel Ananda & Hotel Las
Time at your leisure to further explore Cartagena.
Day 14: Return home
Transfer to the airport for your flights home.
Day 15: International return flight
Transfer to the airport for your flights home.
Day 16: International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey
Day 1: A Jewel of Colonial Architecture, Quito
Our tour starts in Quito. Upon arrival, do not be surprised if you are breathing heavily. This is due to the city’s high altitude. Most visitors acclimate just fine. If you are not jetlagged and bothered by the altitude, then it is time to sightsee. The large historical center is a jewel of South American and colonial architecture.
Day 2: Centuries-Old Markets & a Volcano, Lake & Crater
From Quito, we make a daytrip. The first stop is a viewpoint overlooking Lake San Pablo and Imbabura Volcano. Next is a guided walking tour in Otavalo. The indigenous locals are famous for weaving textiles, such as handmade blankets and tablecloths. Although Saturday boasts the largest market, there is a very wide range of products available throughout the week. During the market’s peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, fake shrunken heads, traditional costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods and spools of wool. Following Otavalo is a fascinating crater lake called Cuicocha. This is our final destination for today. The hike to the viewpoint only takes about 10 minutes and the views are great.
Day 3: Donkey-Riding Around a Caldera, Kayaking in a Lake & Visiting an Indigenous Family’s Home
We are making another daytrip from Quito. Passing by an active stratovolcano called Cotopaxi, our first destination is Quilotoa Lake. Upon arrival, we are taken via a 5-minute walk to reach a viewpoint from where we can see the 3-kilometer (2 mile)-wide caldera. It was formed by the collapse of dacite volcano following a catastrophic eruption about 600 years ago. Next, we hike to the lake. There we go kayaking. We return via a donkey ride. After Quilotoa is the Toachi River Canyon. It is a nice place for taking selfies. Lastly for today is a visit to an indigenous family’s home.
Day 4: Immersing in Culture & South America at its Most Authentic
We have the whole day to explore Quito with a private and English-speaking tour guide. The capital of Ecuador is fascinating not only for its architecture, but for its people as well. This city is still a place where indigenous women wear traditional attire and carry a child on their back, wrapped in a blanket. Quito is nothing short of authentic in both its appearance and its culture.
Day 5: The Gateway to the Galapagos Islands
Today we relocate from Quito to the Galapagos Islands, staying for the evening in Puerto Villamil. Its harbor is frequently filled with sailboats and private yachts. Tomorrow we start our 6-day cruise. We see animals not found anywhere else on Earth! We snorkel. We hike. We create unforgettable memories.
Day 6: Giant Turtles, Flamingos & Volcanoes
This morning we check out Sierra Negra Volcano and Volcano Chico. Sierra Negra is one of the most active of the Galapagos Islands’ volcanoes. We traverse the rim of the caldera along its east side before heading into the fresh lava fields north east of the main crater. We then head to the yacht so we can eat. Following lunch is a visit to the flamingos at the lagoon in Puerto Villamil and a visit to the giant tortoise complex.
Day 7: Blue-Footed Boobies, Marine Iguanas & More
Cruising along the archipelago, Moreno Point (a.k.a. Punta Moreno) and Elizabeth Bay are the destinations for today. Moreno Point has a desolate and pristine landscape of very impressive black lava flows, featuring a unique system of lagoons which serve as a magnet for wildlife. Moreno Point is home to doves, penguins, blue-footed boobies, mockingbirds and flightless cormorants. Elizabeth Bay is home to rays, sharks, green sea turtles, penguins, pelicans and sealions. Nearer to the shores and mangroves we see flightless cormorants and marine iguanas.
Day 8: Darwin's Finches, Hawks & Other Birds You Never Even Heard of
Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove are the destinations for today. Giant tortoises and iguanas are the highlights on Urbina Bay. Tagus Cove is home to ground and tree finches, penguins and flightless cormorants. There is an occasional sighting of a woodpecker finch as well. Other potential sightings include hawks, yellow warblers and flycatchers.
Day 9: Lava Formations, Mangroves & an Army of Green Sea Turtles
Fernandina Island’s Espinoza Point (a.k.a. Punta Espinosa) and Isabela Island’s Vicente Roca Point are the destinations for today. Punta Espinosa is one of the most popular visitor sites in all the Galapagos, featuring marine iguanas, lava lizards, penguins, flightless cormorants, sealions and interesting marine life. Punta Espinosa also gives us a chance to get an up-close look at mangrove plants and different lava formations. Vincente Roca Point is renowned for its green turtles, which are very numerous on the bay. Their concentration is so great that sometimes five or six turtles can be spotted in a row, floating on the surface of the sea and cradled by the waves.
Day 10: Multicolored Crabs & the Archipelago's Most Photographed Location
Santiago Island’s Egas Port and Bartolomé Island are the destinations for today. The easy walk along Egas Port’s wide trails and scenic shoreline gives us the chance to see birds, marine iguanas, sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs and fur seals. Bartolomé Island offers some of the most beautiful landscapes in the archipelago. It consists of an extinct volcano and a variety of red, orange, green and glistening black volcanic formations. Bartolomé Island has a volcanic cone that is easy to climb. Its outlook provides great views of the other nearby islands.
Day 11: Checking Out North Seymour Island Before Our Tour Ends Today
Although our tour ends today, first we visit North Seymour Island. It is home to a large population of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. It also hosts a large population of frigate birds. What’s more, flocks of pelicans feed offshore. Seasonally, Nazca boobies can also be seen. After visiting North Seymour Island, transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport on Baltra Island.
