Ecuador A la Carte Private Vacation

Upon arrival at the airport, meet your local representative for a private transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours at leisure.

Through this uniquely designed private tour, you will gain a real experience of life in Quito by involving all five senses, plus the “sixth sense,” love. Visit a local bakery to sample the traditional Ecuadorian dessert, the quesadilla. Next, visit the ancient temple of the moon and the street of the seven crosses. Your next experience of Quito will be the origins of the cacao seed by visiting a workshop, which produces pacari, the world’s oldest chocolate bar. Meet a local family known for their traditional sweets then dig deeper into the city by visiting the workshops of the Escuela Quitena, the artists who keep the secrets of colonial art and architecture in Quito’s churches and museums. The final stop of the day will be to a hat workshop to take part in the hat making process. (B,L,D)

Meet your driver for a private transfer to the airport for your short flight to the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, meet your local Sea Star representative for your private transfer to Puerto Ayora. Board the Galapagos Sea Star and get acquainted with your luxury yacht accommodations. (B,L,D)

This morning, navigate the waters of the White-Tipped Reef Shark Canal, known as Tintoreras, to observe the exotic birds and marine life that call this place home. Commonly seen here is the White-tipped Reef Shark, known to rest in the shallow waters. This afternoon, you will make land at Puerto Villamil and head up the highlands from to the rim of the Sierra Negra Volcano. From there, you can hike to Chico Volcano to watch the striking lava formations, examples of the geological occurances that have created the Galapagos Islands. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, head to Punta Morena on the north coast of Isabela Island for a nature hike along solidified, corrugated lava paths. The Pahohoe lava flow leads right into a complex of coastal lagoons where several species of bird can be found around the lake and mangroves. Later, continue on to Elizabeth Bay by zodiac through the Marielas Islets, home to the largest penguin colony in the Galapagos Islands. Next you will journey along a cove of red mangroves spotting exciting marine life along the way. After your excursion, you’ll return to your yacht. (B,L,D)

Today you will spend the day visiting Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island observing many of the unique species found in the archipelago such as the marine iguana or the flightless cormorant. With no natural predators on the island, visitors can get as close as 2m to these amazing creatures. This afternoon, you’ll travel along the cliffs of Tagus Cove in a zodiac for a chance to witness the Galapagos penguin and other sea birds. Hike from the landing dock to the top of the cliff where you can view Darwin Lake and several volcanoes. (B,L,D)

Your first excursion of the day will be to Espumilla Beach on Santiago Island in James Bay. Enjoy the marvelous landscape or watch marine turtles along the beach. Later in the day, you’ll visit Puerto Egas, its black beach located at the west side of the island. The volcanic tuff deposits helped form the special black sand beaches seen here and are the main attraction of the island. (B,L,D)

You will leave your luxury yacht behind today as you journey in a small boat from Port Baquerizo Moreno to Isla Lobos where you will walk along a trail of dry vegetation, volcanic rock and sand. Here you may witness a small colony of blue-footed boobies and frigate birds, known to nest in this area, and a large colony of sea lions along the beach. Later you will take a private transfer to the airport in San Cristobal for your flight to Guayaquil. Upon arrival, meet your local driver/guide for a private city highlights tour of Guayaquil. After your immersive tour of the city, take your private transfer to the Southern Malecon 2000 where you will appreciation the Integration Plaza and its famous Southern Marketplace. Afterward, visit the neighborhood of Penas, the oldest part of the city, where you will climb to the Cerro Santa Ana for wonderful views of the city and river. (B,L,D)

This morning, you will be picked up from your hotel for a private transfer to the airport or train station to continue on to your next destination. (B)