Ecuador’s Andes and Galapagos Islands hop

Day 1

Arrive in Quito; transfer to hotel in the historic centre.

Transfer to your hotel in the colonial centre of Quito, the Andean capital of Ecuador. The active volcano Guagua Pichincha, to the east, glowers over the dynamic city which, at 2,850m, is one of highest capital cities in the world. Quito is divided into two contrasting districts. The modern zone is characterised by towering glass buildings and houses banks, international companies, hotels, shops and restaurants, while the central colonial area has well-conserved and recently spruced-up white-washed architecture, open air markets and graceful Spanish-style mansions and churches.

Day 2

Guided walking tour of colonial Quito.

Visit the colonial centre of the capital, the first city ever to be named a World Heritage site. High on the agenda is a walk through the main plaza, the Plaza de Independencia, where you will see the government palace, the cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the 16th and 17th centuries, including the monastery of San Francisco.

Day 3

Drive to Cotopaxi National Park; guided lake walk.

Depart Quito early, driving south to Cotopaxi National Park down the aptly-named ‘Avenue of the Volcanoes’, one of the most scenic routes in Latin America. As its name implies, the route passes an imperial guard of conical snow-draped volcanic cones, surrounded by lush pastures pitted with colonial market towns and tiny indigenous villages. Visit the Cotopaxi Interpretation Centre to learn about the history of its major eruptions as well as its tundra-like vegetation of altitude-resistant shrubs and flowers, over 90 species of bird and variety of hardy mammals.

Later, you will go to Limpiopungo lake (3,850m) and walk around it. If you feel like exploring further, drive to the lower slopes of Cotopaxi and hike to Cotopaxi’s J. Ribas refuge (4,800m – a mountaineers hut located below the snow line) which takes around 2 hours and where you will have a nice view of the volcano and the Andes.

Day 4

Indigenous Markets and Quilotoa Lake

Continue along the Avenue of the Volcanoes with a drive to Quilotoa. Along the way there will be an opportunity to visit one of the indigenous markets, where indians from different places in the locality come together to trade their agricultural goods and buy household necessities. Then visit the volcanic crater at Quilotoa, where you can appreciate a serene, green lake over 200m deep. The 3km-wide caldera was formed by the collapse of the now-dormant volcano following a massive eruption about 600 years ago.

You’ll have the option of a short walk (1.7 km) along the crater’s rim to take in views of the mountain scenery. On the way back, you will stop to visit the galleries of the Tigua community where you can observe the paintings which represent stories from the folklore of this area. You also have the option of attending a painting class given by a local artist.

Day 5

Continue to Cuenca, via Ingapirca.

Depart Riobamba heading south to Alausi. This little highland town would escape under the radar were it not a famous stop along the railway track crossing the Andes from Quito to Guayaquil on the Pacific coast. The most ambitious and spectacular part – named the Devil’s Nose – was restored for visitors and begins right here. Alas, Ecuador’s railways have not been operating since 2020, but the good news is that by a mixture of road journeys – and on foot – you can still appreciate the splendid scenery of the region. There’s time for a steep hour-long hike to the mirador (look out point) of Pistashi (this can also be done by vehicle if you prefer).

Afterwards, continue by road to Ecuador’s most important Inca ruins at Ingapirca. Many of the settlement’s imperial-style structures – residences, storage houses, fortress and tambo (inn) were partially removed by the Spanish invaders but the central structure, the impressive Temple of the Sun, remains intact. Please note Ingapirca is closed on Monday and Tuesday so instead you’ll visit Cojitambo, another important Inca settlement. Continue south to the graceful colonial city of Cuenca.

Day 6

You will be introduced to Cuenca with a guided walking tour of the historic centre. Declared a World heritage site by UNESCO, Cuenca, with its flowery plazas, beautifully renovated churches, cobblestone lanes and museums is a delight to discover. Peruse San Francisco Market, San Sebastian Square, Abdon Calderon Park and two cathedrals. It has earned the nickname ‘Athens of Ecuador’ for its artistic heritage: writers, artists, poets and philosophers have all settled here, and nowadays the congenial ambiance has encouraged the establishment of a thriving expat community. In addition the city is famous for the manufacture of Panama hats – these straw confections originate in Ecuador, not Panama – drop in on a workshop and the Panama Hat Museum ‘El Barranco’.

Then drive to Guayaquil with a stop at El Cajas National Park (3,600m) – a land of hundreds of lovely lakes and smaller pools. The area is ruggedly beautiful with páramo covering most of the hilly terrain and Quinua trees sheltering in pockets of primary forest.

It may be necessary or desirable to fly from Cuenca to Quito, from where you will continue to the Galapagos Islands the following day, instead of travelling via Guayaquil.

Day 7

Fly to Baltra in the Galápagos Islands (2hrs) transfer to hotel on Santa Cruz Island.

The Galápagos Islands emerged in the Pacific Ocean 6 million years ago following a spate of volcanic activity and, isolated from the continental mainland, have become home to unique plant and animal species. Without fear of humans, they are sufficiently trusting to allow you to approach them and observe them up close. The islands were the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which formed the basis for his revolutionary book ‘On the Origin of Species’, published in 1859.

You spend the first few days of your visit on Santa Cruz, one of the larger islands, with small villages and cattle farms in the interior. Your hotel, Mainao, which started life as a family home, is in a quiet part of the nowadays busy town Puerto Ayora, where you’ll find shops, bars, cafés and small tour operators. It’s just a block or so from the waterfront.

Day 8

Boat trip to neighbouring islands.

Today you cruise to one of the nearby islands, South Plaza. This tiny wedge-shape islet is low and mostly flat, rising to a cliff at one end from where there are good views down into the turquoise water below. The lava here is covered with scrubby vegetation which changes colour according to the time of year: bright green in the rainy season and orange and purple in the dry.

Wildlife is profuse here: iguanas, boobies, frigate birds, tropicbirds, shearwaters vie for space. The channel between this islet and another tiny neighbor is a favourite breeding ground for sea-lions – in fact one of the largest colonies of sea-lions is resident here.

(The island visited may change at short notice depending on local conditions).

Day 9

Day at leisure on Santa Cruz island

Today you are free to explore. You can relax at your hotel or book an excursion locally into the highlands, or to go snorkelling or kayaking. Tortuga Bay – just a stroll from town – has a superb beach, with iguanas and reef sharks waiting to be observed. Giant tortoises roam in the volcanic highlands. There’s plenty of choice of things to do; choose something which suits your personal interests.

Day 10

By speedboat to San Cristóbal Island.

You’ll travel by speedboat across the water to San Cristóbal Island (2 hours), the most fertile in the archipelago, supporting coffee and sugar plantations. Your hotel, is close to the quay in the port, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galápagos. It’s a fishing port, but now also has a good infrastructure for visitors, with a growing number of shops and restaurants close to the waterfront.

Day 11

Snorkelling at Kicker Rock.

Kicker Rock is one of the most impressive geological formations in the islands – there are in fact two rocks, jutting skywards in the form of vertical obelisks. Not only are they awe-inspiring enough to be visited just for the sight of them, but they also mark the site of one of the best snorkelling opportunities. Today is likely to be one of the highlights of your holiday.

After a practice run with your snorkelling equipment (supplied) you will be taken to Kicker Rock for some fun in the calm water. This is a superb opportunity to observe an abundance of  tropical fish in their kaleidoscopic undersea theatre, and you may well catch sight of stingrays, reef and hammerhead sharks, rays and turtles.

Day 12

Day at leisure on San Cristóbal Island.

Once again you have a day to spend just as you like: your hotel can help you book excursions such as motor launch trips to other islands, diving, kayaking, hiking, bike rides or trips into the interior of the island. You might well be tempted just to relax on a beach (the town beach is reserved for sea-lions, which sometimes venture into town to lounge on a park bench. There are two public beaches to the north of the town.

Day 13

Fly to the mainland to connect with your international flight.