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Natural Wonders of Ecuador and the Galapagos

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From £7,009

Duration 15 Days

Departures from: Nov 2026 - Nov 2028

Book Now

From £7,009

Duration 15 Days

Departures from: Nov 2026 - Nov 2028

Book Now

Discover
Itinerary
Accommodation
Reviews
Optional Excursions
Dates

Tour Overview

This is the wildlife journey of a lifetime, beginning in the high- altitude capital of Quito and ending on some of the most extraordinary islands on the planet. We explore Quito’s magnificent old town, wander its markets and sample local delicacies, before heading into the Mindo Cloud Forest to see dozens of hummingbird species at close range, visit a working chocolate farm and hike through spectacular scenery. Standing on the true Equator line at Intinan is a moment to remember, and then the Galapagos Islands await. Across three islands, Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal, we encounter giant tortoises roaming freely on private ranch land, snorkel alongside sea turtles and sharks at Tintoreras, hike up the active Sierra Negra volcano, and cruise the coast searching for blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, Galapagos penguins and playful sea lion pups. The Charles Darwin Research Station brings the islands’ remarkable conservation story to life, and beaches accessible only by boat offer moments of pure paradise. Our adventure concludes with the vibrant colours and extraordinary crafts of the Otavalo Market, one of South America’s finest.

Pace of trip: Adventurous
Designed for confident travellers - perfect if you love immersive exploration and are looking for an adventure

Max 20

With our smaller group tours you'll experience a perfect balance between social travel and closer connections; connections to both the incredible places we're exploring and to the kindred spirits you'll meet along the way. A max 20 tour will never have more than 20 travellers on it.

Your Tour Includes

Just You Holiday Director as your host & Specialist Local Guide
Return flights from your chosen airport
Use of an airport lounge in the UK
12 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels plus 2 nights in flight
A guaranteed twin or double room of your own
30 included meals: 12 breakfasts. 11 lunches, 7 dinners including welcome drink & dinner and farewell dinner
Overseas transfers, internal flights, other transportation & porterage

Included Tour Highlights

Tour of Quito
Visit Mercado Iñaquito & sample the local produce
Visit a butterfly garden & orchid park
Visit a working chocolate farm
Hike in the Mindo Cloud Forest
See Hummingbirds
Visit Intiñan - the true latitude 0
See giant tortoises at a farm on Santa Cruz Island
Tintoreras snorkelling & hike
Visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre & a wetland on Isabela Island
Hike up the Sierra Negra volcano
The Charles Darwin Research Station
San Cristóbal Interpretation Centre
Snorkelling at Isla Lobos
Otavalo Market
Small group travel style - Max 20 people on this tour

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 UK - Quito

Today, you'll fly to Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Next day

Day 2 Quito

On arrival in Quito we will transfer you to your hotel. Located high in the Andes at 9,000 feet above sea level, Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world. You'll probably need a little time to acclimatise, so today has been left free for you to relax. This evening you will get to know your travelling companions over a welcome drink followed by dinner. Meals included: D

Next day

Day 3 Quito

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. Meals included: B,L

Next day

Day 4 Quito - Mindo

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! 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. This afternoon, take a 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.
Meals included: B,L,D

Next day

Day 5 Mindo - Quito

Our adventure continues this morning as 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! After lunch, we'll travel back to Quito, but not before visiting the 'Middle of the World' at Intiñan . This famous site straddles the Equator and has a very informative museum dedicated to the 0 degree line of Latitude. 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.
Meals included: B,L,D

Next day

Day 6 Quito - Santa Cruz Island

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. You will be offered the use of a duffle bag to transport just the items you need for the Galapagos, leaving your main luggage secured at the hotel in Quito. All luggage is inspected on arrival in the Galapagos and the use of duffle bags make this process easier. If you prefer not to make use of the duffle bags and take your main luggage with you to the Galapagos, this is fine, though we do recommend using the duffle bags. You will need to carry your luggage across boats and the duffle bags are much easier to transport than a suitcase. Meals included: B,L

Next day

Day 7 Santa Cruz Island - Isabela Island

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! Meals included: B,L,D

Next day

Day 8 Isabela Island

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.
This afternoon there will be a highlight of the whole trip as we will visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. This conservation centre houses almost 1,000 of these creatures in different stages of development and is helping to protect them from extinction.
Meals included: B,L

Next day

Day 9 Santa Cruz Island

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. 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.
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.
Meals included: B,L

Next day

Day 10 San Cristóbal Island

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. Meals included: B,L

Next day

Day 11 San Cristóbal Island

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 Isla Lobos, where the remains of a volcanic eruption rise out of the ocean. 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. Meals included: B,L,D

Next day

Day 12 San Cristóbal Island - Quito

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. Meals included: B,L,D

Next day

Day 13 Otavalo

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! At lunch time we will visit Kawsaymi - a community-based social enterprise founded by a Kichwa family in the Otavalo area. This project is dedicated to preserving ancestral knowledge and traditional Otavalo culture through tourism. Travellers are welcomed into the community to experience traditional Andean cuisine, storytelling, music, and artisan activities while learning about local customs and daily life.

This evening we'll get together for a farewell dinner and a chance to reminisce about the wonderful experiences we've shared Meals included: B,L,D

Next day

Day 14 Quito - UK

Today we will transfer you to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

Meals included: B

Next day

Day 15 UK

You will arrive in the UK today.

Additional Information

To experience the best of the islands and their wildlife, this holiday requires a significant amount of walking. Please note: During this tour you will travel to altitudes of over 9,000ft where altitude sickness can occur. If you suffer from heart or respiratory conditions, or have any other concerns, please consult your doctor. Island Taxes of approximately $230 including Galapagos National Park entrance fee are not included in the cost of your holiday and will be payable locally upon arrival in Galapagos. Please note - hotels in the Galapagos Islands are generally more basic than those found on the mainland of Ecuador, and all properties used have been chosen due to location and optimised for the itinerary. Flights from the Ecuador mainland to the Galapagos Islands and return, sometimes make a technical stop in Guayaquil. Customers stay onboard the aircraft for this 45 minute stop.

Memorable Moments

Memorable moment Getting up close to giant tortoises - the islands’ most famous residents.

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"I was extremely nervous, I hadn’t been on holiday since 1986! But everyone is in the same boat as you, and alone, you will make many new friendships and everyone looks after each other, no one gets left out, just Enjoy the experience"

Hotel Hilton Colon (Deluxe)

Hilton Colon Quito is a comfortable property in an excellent location which offers easy access to the Historic Centre, where you can admire the old town and enjoy fine dining. The well appointed rooms and modern hotel provide guests with a comfortable stay when they are in the city of Quito.

Next accommodation

Septimo Paraíso Hotel

Septimo Paraiso Lodge, ecological country hotel, is located just outside of the village of Mindo. All hotel rooms have en-suite facilities with hot water from hotel's own hot spring. It offers rustic-style wooden interiors with elegant, wooden furnishing and canopy beds. Septimo Paraiso Lodge is surrounded by exotic and lavish cloud forest and offers an extraordinary experience of the amazing biodiversity of the area.

Next accommodation

EB Hotel Quito

The EB Hotel Quito offers modern decor, 5-star service, unique state-of-the-art amenities an impressive lobby bar and restaurant with a fusion of local, Ecuadorian and international cuisine that will make your visit unforgettable.

Next accommodation

Grand Leon Marino

The Grand Hotel Leon Marino Galapagos in Puerto Ayora has an outdoor swimming pool, terrace, a restaurant and bar. It is situated less than 1 km from Los Alemanes Beach. All rooms are complete with a private bathroom fitted with a shower and free toiletries, all rooms at Grand Hotel Leon Marino Galapagos have a flat-screen TV.

Next accommodation

Hotel Cally

Located just a short walk from Puerto Villamil Beach, this hotel is praised for its proximity to nature and service. Guest rooms include air-conditioning, toiletries, and hair dyer. Whilst facilities at the hotel include a terrace, restaurant, bar and free Wi-Fi.

Next accommodation

Grand Leon Marino

Next accommodation

Hotel Galapagos Planet

Located on San Cristobal Island, this hotel is located 200 metres away from Playa de Oro beach. Surrounded by the local environment, this hotel offers comfort and convenience. Rooms include air-conditioning, TV and fridge.

Next accommodation

EB Hotel Quito

Optional Excursions

Experience even more of your destination by adding one or more optional excursions to your holiday before you set off. Take a look below at the extra trips you can enjoy on this tour.

Los Tuneles Snorkelling Experience

Head to Los Tuneles for an incredible snorkelling experience where sleeping sharks, sea horses, sea turtles and strange lava tunnel formations are just some of the underwater sights you could witness.
Also called Cabo Rosa, this area is about one hour from the town and was created millions of years ago when lava flows from the volcanoes touched the water and solidified forming tunnels, arches and sheltered bays. They are the perfect feeding grounds for sea turtles and resting places for other species like Galapagos sharks! Even the Galapagos penguins have been known to visit this area at times. It is one of the most diverse snorkel spots in the entire archipelago, and home to some birds, such as nesting blue-footed boobies. And there is so much more – keep your eyes peeled for sea lions, eagle rays, octopus, tropical fish, sea stars and sea urchins that can also be spotted in these crystal clear waters.

Safe access to this snorkelling site is only possible at certain tides and due to the lava formations, the ride to get to this here can be a little rough – but this experience is worth it! If you want to maximise the time you spend in the water in the Galapagos, Los Tuneles should be on your list.

1/2 Day – Moderate Walking – Once in a Lifetime experience

Please note: This excursion must be booked 40 days before departure.

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Further Information

Deposit information

When you book a holiday, you will be asked to pay a deposit, this will be made clear at the time of booking. In most cases we will charge the following deposit amount;

UK Holidays - £150 per person
European Holidays - £200 per person
Worldwide Holidays - £400 per person
Ocean and River Cruise - £400 per person

On some holidays we may charge a slightly higher deposit, to cover any costs we have to pay immediately to secure your booking with our suppliers. This will be made clear at the time of booking.

If you choose a tour that is within 84 days of departure you will need to pay the full balance when you book.

Our cancellation policy

If you decide to cancel your confirmed booking you must notify us (or your travel agent) in writing, as soon as possible. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below.

More than 75 days before departure - Loss of deposit only
43 - 74 days - 50% of tour price
29 - 42 days - 75% of tour price
15 - 28 days - 90% of tour price
Day of Departure - 14 days - 100% of tour price

Our full cancellation policy can be found in our booking terms and conditions, section 8.

How do I find out Entry and Health Requirements for my holiday?: We have partnered with Sherpa, an on-line self service tool that allows you to search up-to-date information regarding travel entry requirements for all countries and also allows you to apply for eVisas or eTAs via their on-line portal. Just click on this link to find out more – Travel requirement & Visa Service.

You can also refer to the Foreign Travel Advice section on the gov.uk website: Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Click on your destination and then click on 'Entry Requirements'. For Health Requirements, the Department of Health also offers travellers health advice on www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, click on country information to locate your destination.

It is important to remember that passport, visa and health requirements can change before departure; therefore, we recommend you regularly familiarise yourself with the latest requirements before you travel. If you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport/entry/immigration requirements, we are unable to accept any responsibility.

For some destinations, it is not always discernable that a visa is required for entry at the border. For example, for some customers, to travel to the United States, an ESTA may be required. For Canada, an ETA and to India, an e-visa may be needed. Please do check your requirements to avoid any unnecessary cost and delays.

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