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Duration:
8
Days
Group size:
Single supplement:
Destinations:
Departs From:
Ends In:
Travel Styles:
Booking validity:
–
Best Months to Visit
12:25 pm – Fly American Airlines, AA 1266: Raleigh to Miami
2:32 pm – Arrive Miami. Connect to Quito, Ecuador.
6:14 pm – Fly American Airlines, AA 939: Miami to Quito.
9:21 pm – Arrive Quito. Clear Immigration and Customs. Outside Customs, you are met by a representative. He/She will be holding a sign displaying your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel where you have your own reservations for 2 nights.
Location:
LocationQuito
Accommodation:
Accommodation JW Marriott Quito
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Your day is at leisure.
Location:
LocationQuito
Accommodation:
Accommodation JW Marriott Quito
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
4:30 am – You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands.
6:50 am – Fly on Avianca Airlines, AV 1632: Quito to Baltra Island, Galapagos.
This flight makes a stop in Guayaquil en route. Free checked luggage allowance is 23kg/50lbs per person.
9:20 am – Arrive Baltra Island, Galapagos. At the airport you are met by members of your vessel’s expedition team. You will be transferred to your awaiting vessel for embarkation and commencement of your 4-night Galapagos Islands cruise.
Note
The cruise itinerary is subject to change without notice for various factors including but not limited to: safety, weather, mechanical breakdown, unforeseen emergencies, and the discretion of the Captain, Guide, and the Galapagos National Park. The Galápagos is a natural ecosystem, making animal encounters there ultimately unpredictable and therefore exceptional in the way they typically occur. Though Galápagos species seem to have little fear of humans, they are wild animals subject to environmental factors, including their own instincts that can affect sightings, which means these encounters cannot be guaranteed. Accepting all these factors, including adhering to the rules of the Galápagos National Park, is a condition of participation on this trip.
Types of Landings: Wet and Dry
Wet Landing: Pangas (Zodiac-type boats) cannot always make it all the way to an island’s shore because of conditions that could damage a propeller, so wet landings are sometimes necessary. A wet landing is made from as close to the beach as possible, where you will have to step out into a foot or so of water. You’ll do this by swinging your feet out over the side of the panga and then stepping into the water. You’ll reverse the procedure when you get back in the boat; sit down facing outwards and swing your feet in. You can go barefoot or wear water-sports sandals for wet landings.
Dry Landing: For a dry landing, the panga will make its way up against a natural dock of lava rocks or a man-made dock. You may wear your shoes or hiking boots. These landings may be a bit tricky because the panga is moving with the waves, and the rocks you step on are often slippery. They usually, however, have intermittent, flat portions. Your guide will offer you a hand as you disembark. When accepting a hand, grasp the guide’s wrist. The guide, in turn, will grasp yours in a “sailor’s grip” or wristlock. Once on the shore, place your feet carefully on the first few feet of rocks, which could be wet, depending on the tide level.
Your excursions today are at:
PM – Eden Islet & Whale Bay (Santa Cruz Island)
Eden Islet & Whale Bay (Santa Cruz Island)
Off the western coast of Santa Cruz Island, Eden Islet offers visitors a great chance to see a variety of Galapagos wildlife from the dinghy ride both on shore and under the water on a snorkeling excursion. Landing: None.
The visitor site of Whale Bay is a cove of green sand at the base of Dragon Hill on the west coast of Santa Cruz Island. One of the least visited sites, Whale Bay is an open area where visitors can wander a bit. The boundary is a semicircle that extends 250 m around the base of the hill. Climbing the hill is best done from the inland southern side. The beach is green-colored due to the olivine crystals found in the sand. Ceramic pieces are sometimes found in the area and must be left in place. There is no verified information about the origin of the ceramic but there were two or three houses at Whale Bay in 1846. According to the captain of the Genie, this site had the only trail to the highlands, which served for obtaining fresh water. It is believed that various men lived here for a time and worked harvesting a species of lichen, Rocella tinctoria, which was used as a dye. Landing: Wet.
Location:
LocationSanta Cruz Island
Accommodation:
Accommodation Coral I and Coral II
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Room Basis:
Room Basis Full Board Plus – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
Continue with your 4-night Galapagos Islands cruise. Your excursions today are at:
AM – Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)
PM – Punta Espinosa (Fernandina Island)
Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)
At Punta Vicente Roca in the north, remnants of an ancient volcano form two turquoise coves with a bay that is well protected from ocean swells. This is a popular anchorage from which to take panga rides along the cliffs that are the volcano’s remains or to explore a partially sunken cave at the water’s edge. Blue-footed and Nazca boobies perch along the sheer walls, while flightless cormorants inhabit the shoreline. Landing: None.
Punta Espinosa (Fernandina Island)
Here you may see some of the most unique Galápagos species: flightless cormorants, Galápagos hawks, Galápagos penguins,and the largest colony of marine iguanas in the islands. In 1994, Punta Espinosa was raised between two and three feet by tectonic uplift, leaving the landing dock inaccessible except at high tide. Landing: Dry.
Location:
LocationFernandina Island
Accommodation:
Accommodation Coral I and Coral II
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Room Basis:
Room Basis Full Board Plus – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
Continue with your 4-night Galapagos Islands cruise. Your excursions today are at:
AM – Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)
PM – Tagus Cove (Isabela Island)
Urbina Bay (Isabela Island)
A trail leads away from the beach and into the arid zone of the island. Here you may encounter large land and marine iguanas and giant tortoises. Closer to the water you may see flightless cormorants. The most unique feature here is the miles-long stretch of coral reef jutting into the air – a result of a major uplift in 1954. Landing: Wet.
Tagus Cove (Isabela Island)
Early pirates and whalers frequented Tagus Cove and some even wrote their names on the cliffs along the shore. A short steep hike leads to Darwin Lake, which is comprised of salt water and lies within a tuff cone. It is a good place to spot a variety of land birds such as ground and tree finches, hawks, yellow warblers, large-billed flycatchers and, occasionally, woodpecker finches. A panga ride along the cliffs may reveal flightless cormorants, Galápagos penguins, and Galápagos sea lions. Landing: Dry.
Location:
LocationIsabela Island
Accommodation:
Accommodation Coral I and Coral II
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Room Basis:
Room Basis Full Board Plus – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
Continue with your 4-night Galapagos Islands cruise. Your excursions today are at:
AM – Puerto Egas (Santiago Island)
PM – Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)
Puerto Egas (Santiago Island)
At the southern end of the bay James Bay lays Puerto Egas. It is the jumping off point for two trails. The first leads to fur seal grottos – a stretch of rocky coastline that offers them shade and protection. The second trail leads to the Salt Mine Volcano, a small crater that features a seasonally flooded lagoon, where flamingos and Galápagos hawks can sometimes be spotted. A salt mine was active here in the 1920s and 1960s. Landing: Wet.
Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)
While it doesn’t boast much wildlife, Sullivan Bay provides visitors with an opportunity to walk across a recent lava flow and examine its otherworldly beauty. Don’t worry; the lava isn’t hot, as it was formed in the late 19th century. The trail here crosses pahoehoe lava, dotted with pyroclastic cones. Inland, striking red and yellow tuft cones rise above the flow. Keep an eye out for tiny molluga plants growing in the lava fissures. Landing: Dry.
Location:
LocationSantiago Island
Accommodation:
Accommodation Coral I and Coral II
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Room Basis:
Room Basis Full Board Plus – Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
End your Galapagos cruise this morning. Disembark vessel and transfer to the airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador.
10:25 am – Fly on Avianca Airlines, AV 1633: Baltra Island, Galapagos to Quito.
This flight makes a stop in Guayaquil en route. Free checked luggage allowance is 23kg/50lbs per person.
2:50 pm – Arrive Quito. Outside baggage claim, you are met by a representative. He/She will be holding a sign displaying your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel.
Location:
LocationQuito
Accommodation:
Accommodation Holiday Inn Express Quito
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
3:00 am – You will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to the USA.
7:00 am – Depart on American Airlines, AA 932: Quito to Miami.
12:11 pm – Arrive Miami. Clear Immigration and Customs and re-check your luggage to Raleigh.
3:39 pm – Fly on American Airlines, AA 1521: Miami to Raleigh.
5:44 pm – Arrive Raleigh.
Location:
LocationQuito
Accommodation:
Accommodation Holiday Inn Express Quito
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Price Includes:
LAND & GALAPAGOS CRUISE ARRANGEMENTS ARE INCLUSIVE OF:
• Hotel accommodations as indicated, inclusive of hotel taxes
• Galapagos Islands cruise aboard indicated vessel in an air-conditioned outside view cabin, as stated in your itinerary.
• Meals as indicated.
• Daily Galapagos excursions which are conducted by your vessel’s on board naturalist guide and shared in with other guests aboard the vessel. Guide services are provided with English speaking guides.
• Prepaid Galapagos National Park Tax ($100 per adult) and Galapagos Transit Control Card ($20 per person).
• Round trip airfare between Ecuador Mainland and the Galapagos Islands.
• All airport transfers. Airport transfers in mainland Ecuador are private. In the Galapagos, they are provided by your cruise vessel and thus shared by other passengers heading to/from the vessel. During any included transfers, baggage handling assistance and gratuities to porters at airports are included.
• Use of snorkeling equipment aboard the vessel.
• 24/7 Emergency Handling assistance and local concierge service assistance by our in-country representative.
Price Excludes:
NOT INCLUDED:
• Any international airfares.
• Any passport and visa expenses. No visas as required for travel by USA citizens to Ecuador for visits less than 90 days. However, USA passport hotels require a passport to be valid for at least 6 months from entry date into any country in South America.
• Costs of obtaining any inoculations. No vaccinations are required for travel to Ecuador.
• Any excess baggage charges.
• Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, bar and beverage charges (unless specified otherwise as included above) and internet/telecommunication charges.
• Any gratuities to guides, drivers and porters at hotels.
• Any meals and services not specified.
• Rental of wet suits aboard your Galapagos vessel.
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