9 Days Treasures of Ecuador

Treasures of Ecuador 

9 Days/ 8 Nights 

Tour Includes: 

• Accommodation with daily breakfast

• Transfers and domestic flights as per itinerary

• Meals as mentioned (lunches & dinners where specified)

• Sightseeing tours with English-speaking local guides

• Entrance fees and park visits per program

• Excursions to Santa Cruz and Isabela Islands

• Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Centre

• Assistance throughout the tour

Treasures of Ecuador 

9 Days/ 8 Nights 

Itinerary: 

Day 1 – Saturday – Quito
Welcome to Quito, Ecuador’s capital nestled high in the Andes. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2 – Sunday – Quito
Discover Quito’s charm on a city sightseeing tour through the colonial historic center — a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit La Compañía Church, Independence Square, and enjoy a chocolate tasting before heading to the Equatorial Line Monument, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere.

Day 3 – Monday – Quito → Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos)
Fly to the Galapagos Islands and transfer to Santa Cruz Island. Drive through the lush highlands, stopping at the Twin Craters, a lava tunnel, and a Giant Tortoise Reserve. Lunch included.

Day 4 – Tuesday – Santa Cruz → Isabela Island

From Puerto Ayora, walk about 3.2km (2mi.) to Tortuga Bay, one of the longest white sandy beaches in the archipelago. Along its shores, keep an eye out for marine iguanas, sharks, sea turtles, and migratory birds. On the west, a rocky edge divides the beach and creates a calm cove ideal to swim around the bay. In the afternoon, transfer to the pier to take the public speedboat to Isabela Island. The ride takes about 2 hours. Transfer to hotel.

Day 5 – Wednesday – Isabela Island

After breakfast, from Puerto Villamil, take a short boat ride to a small rocky islet known as “Las Tintoreras”, one of the island’s most beautiful sites. Here, sharks can be seen resting in the lava canals. Observe marine iguanas and playful sea lions on the sandy beach. Put your mask and snorkel on to explore the underwater world filled with colourful fish, sea turtles, and much more. Later on, visit the Flamingos’ pools, or “Pozo de los Flamingos”, and get up close and personal with these beautiful, bright pink birds that adorn the lagoon’s shores. The trail ends at the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre.

Day 6 – Thursday – Isabela → Santa Cruz
Take a 50-minute drive towards the Sierra Negra volcano. On a clear day, enjoy the breathtaking views of Sierra Negra’s immense crater along the way. The sulphur mines are located on the slopes of the volcano’s collapsed crater. Begin your descent into the interior of the caldera, covering approximately 2 kilometres each way (4 kilometres in total, taking approximately 2 hours). As you enter the crater, you will encounter a variety of environments and microclimates. 

In the afternoon, transfer to the pier to take the public speedboat to Santa Cruz Island. The ride takes about 2,5 hours. Transfer to hotel.

Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 7 – Friday – Santa Cruz Island

In the morning, you will enjoy a half-day boat tour along the coast of Santa Cruz Island. You visit 5 different spots: La Loberia, which is a small island about 10 minutes into the bay where there is a large colony of sea lions. Shark Channel and Lovers Channel are both nice snorkelling sites and also beautiful places to take in the blue footed boobies who are regularly seen resting on the cliffs close by. Dog’s beach gives you opportunity to get off the boat and walk through cactus forests to a remote beach where you will almost definitely encounter a marine iguana or many, and turtles are often seen feeding just off the shore. The last site is Las Grietas, a water filled crevice in the rocks. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant in Puerto Ayora.

In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora to learn about ongoing conservation and tortoise breeding efforts.

Day 8 – Saturday – Santa Cruz Island
Day at leisure to explore at your own pace.

Day 9 – Sunday – Santa Cruz Island
End of your Ecuadorian adventure. Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the mainland (e.g., Quito) or continue on a post-tour extension.