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✈ Transfer Quito (airport – hotel).
Welcome to Quito. A representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. You will have free time to explore the city, relax and settle in.
Accommodation: In the 5-Star GO Quito Hotel/ Premium Room
Itinerary SED-karanki
Day 1 – Welcome to Quito AM ✈ Transfer Quito (airport – hotel). Welcome to Quito. A representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. You will have free time to explore the city, relax and settle in. Accommodation: In the 5-Star GO Quito Hotel/ Premium Room Day 2 – Quito Old Town […]
Day 1 - Welcome to Quito
Day 2 - Quito Old Town Tour & Middle of the World
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Colonial Quito.
Stroll through the busy streets and squares of the most significant historic center of the Americas: a multi-ethnic, artistic, and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The Middle of the World.
Afterward, our guide will visit the Middle of the World Complex at latitude 0*0*0. Return to the hotel for the night.
Accommodation: In the 5-Star GO Quito Hotel / Premium Room
Day 3 - Quito – Otavalo – Magdalena Community
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Driving north from Quito, we pass through various ecosystems and agricultural zones, even crossing the equator. Along the way, we taste local flavors and enjoy scenic views of volcanoes, including “El Taita” Imbabura.
At the Otavalo market, visitors can engage with locals, negotiating for woven goods, bags, hats, flutes, and other crafts.
We visit villages like Peguche, known for traditional looms and Andean instruments, and Cotacachi, famous for its leather work. Next, we explore Cuicocha Lagoon in Cotacachi Cayapas National Park. Enjoy free time for lunch with recommendations from your guide.
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Our journey continues to the Karanki-Magdalena Community, at 3,100 meters above sea level. The landscape resembles a colorful patchwork, and locals are known for their exquisite embroidery, which is available for purchasing directly from artisans.
Experience their daily life, unhurried by modern distractions. Overnight in a comfortable room with private facilities and hot water. Enjoy authentic Andean home cooking and optional activities like horseback riding and hiking.
- Meals Included: Dinner at Magdalena Home Stay.
- Accommodation: Magdalena Home Stay.
Day 4 - Magdalena Community – Ibarra – Quito
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Join the locals in Magdalena for their morning activities, including milking cows.
Next, we head to Ibarra, famously known as “La Ciudad Blanca” and the capital of Imbabura. Your guide will delve into the city’s rich history while we admire its stunning architecture.
Our journey continues to “Parque Cóndor,” a rescue center for birds of prey. Here, you’ll learn about the significant challenges faced by Andean condors and owls.
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In the afternoon, we visit Hacienda Pinsaqui, a historic site in Imbabura Province. Savor a traditional lunch, stroll through the picturesque gardens, and interact with the horses.
Later, we drive back to Quito, ensuring your drop-off at either your hotel or the airport.
Meals Included: Breakfast at Magdalena Home Stay, Lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui.
Day 5 - Welcome to Galapagos & San Cristobal Island
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AM ✈ Welcome to Galapagos. Departure from Quito to Baltra Island is a 2 1⁄2 hour flight. Upon arrival in the Galapagos, passengers are greeted at the airport by our knowledgeable guides, who will accompany them on a short 10 minute bus ride to the pier where they will board the Galapagos Legend. PM Interpretation Center & Frigatebird Hill (San Cristobal Island) The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview of the formation of the Galapagos. Following a hike to Frigate bird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas), we will have a great look at both species of frigate birds, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below. |
Day 6 - Española Island
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AM Gardner Bay (Española Island) One of the most stunning beaches in the Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters, is home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions. Hood mockingbirds are endemic to this particular island. We can also snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay. PM Punta Suarez (Española Island) is a naturalist’s paradise. The oldest extant island in the archipelago is our only opportunity to commune with the endemic wave albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, we can watch their complex courtship display. |
Day 7 - Floreana Island
| AM Post Office (Floreana Island) The famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett. The system involved whalers and fur sealers would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward-bound colleagues. Actually visitors often take letters and hand- deliver them to their home countries. PM Cormoran & Devil´s Crown (Floreana Island) Our walk takes us to a large, shallow lagoon, often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingos. We arrive at a powdery white beach, a nesting area for green turtles. Devil’s Crown is one of the favorite snorkeling sites on the islands. |
Day 8 - Santa Cruz Island
AM Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz Island) Arriving at a small lava dock, our first encounter is with marine iguanas that blend in perfectly with the dark rock. Walking past a large prickly pear cacti, we arrive at one end of a long, sickle-shaped beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Our walk takes us on a circular path, past a shallow lake where flamingos frequently come to feed. PM Punta Bowditch (Santa Cruz Island) Feel the indescribable feeling of being where no one else has. Relax on a powdery beach. Snorkel around turquoise water islets and hike beside salt pools and dried white corals. Be one of the first humans –to visit Punta Bowditch at Galapagos Legend. |
Day 9 - Santa Cruz Island & return to Quito
| AM Highlands Tortoise Reserve (Santa Cruz Island) Dry landing. In the Galapagos mountains, admire diverse bird species like finches, flycatchers, crakes, warblers, and egrets (often perched on tortoises’ shells). The journey to the reserve showcases the island’s contrasting ecosystems, from coastal areas to dense humid forests. Look out for Galapagos Giant tortoises wandering through pastures. This spot is a haven for birdwatchers, as it hosts a wide range of land birds that reside or migrate here. ✈Baltra Island Airport After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Quito. PM Accommodation: In the 5-Star GO Quito Hotel / Premium Room. |
Day 10 - Transfer to Airport
Transfer to Quito airport
Transfer to Quito airport or guests can also extend their stay in Ecuador with other land tours we offer.
