South America Vacations

Ecuador Vacation Package 1

14 Days Ecuador & the Galapagos Complete Tour Package

Duration: 14 Days / 13 Nights
Priced From: $7,460 pp dbl. occ.
Dates: Apr - Dec, Jan


 



Traveling with one of our experienced and guides and tapping into local culture, nature and experiences our Ecuador & the Galapagos Complete is the best way to see one of the relatively unknown jewels of South America.

Packed like a knee-cap between Peru and Colombia, Ecuador contains within its borders an improbable variety of landscape and culture. For the mountaineer, it is bisected by an epic stretch of the northern Andes. For the jungle explorer, there is a biological mother lode within the Amazonian Oriente. The sea-minded are rewarded with miles of Pacific coastline, to say nothing of the living wonders of the Galapagos Islands.

Not only are these regions highly defined, but excluding Galapagos they are also wonderfully contiguous. The entire country is about the size of Washington state, and it is home to some of the world's most extraordinary national parks. In a matter of two hundred miles, the traveler can penetrate all of the mainland's defining regions--the coastal lowlands in the West, the volcanic central highlands, and the rainforests of the East, or Oriente.

Ecuador's climate is equally generous to the traveler. Embracing the Pacific, Ecuador rests squarely on the equator (hence its name). Here, seasons are defined more by rainfall than temperature. A warm rainy season lasts from January to April, and May through December is characterized by a cooler, drier period that is ideally timed for a summer trip.

Accommodations: Hotel

Day 1.  As most flights arrive late in the evening there are no activities planned for today. You will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred toyour hotel - Patio Andaluz. Enjoy the sights and sounds of Latin America.

Day 2. Today is spent exploring the ancient city of Quito - ancient in that it was once the Incan capital before the expansion of the empire saw a second capital created in Cusco Peru.

Our comprehensive city tour includes visits to residential neighborhoods at the northern end of the city, visiting the "Guapulo Mirador", passing through the 12 of October Avenue up to the Culture House and the Legislative Palace (Congress) where the rock murals related to the history of Ecuador can be appreciated.

The tour then continues through Gran Colombia Avenue up to the Basilica Church, where we will make a brief stop and the "San Juan Mirador" presents us with a beautiful sight of Colonial Quito.

Walking through the colonial streets we will then stop at Independence Plaza where the stunning Cathedral, Government's Palace, and the Archiepiscopal palace are all within easy walking distance of each other.

We also visit La Compañia Church, Sagrario Church and San Francisco which was built in the XVII century.

We now drive to the Middle of the World monument, geographically located at 0 degrees 0 minutes 0 seconds.

We will visit the museum and afterwards walk around a authentic replica of a Spanish Colonial town. Finally, we drive to a viewpoint where we can observe the crater of the extinct Pululahua volcano-the only inhabited crater in the world.

We then return to our hotel where the evening is free to explore some of the amazing gastronomic delights tha Quito has to offer. B,L

Day 3. Today we start a journey to the lowlands of Ecuador via the amazing rail system that dissects the Andean mountain range.

A Chiva is a typical, old-fashioned Latin American bus, with plenty of room on the roof for bags of grain, bananas and the odd chicken.

In Quito, these buses have taken on a new lease of life as party vehicles with adapted, high-sided roofs.

Typically, someone hires a chiva for a celebration, invites all their friends to ride on top, the bus drives around the streets of Quito, an oompa-oompa brass band banging out favorite tunes, while Andean canelazo drinks are liberally poured.

We utilise and adaptation of the chiva idea that has been applied to the historic train ride from Quito to Guayaquil.

We will enjoy an exclusive and unique trip through the Andean countryside and the coastal lowlands on board our Chiva Express - specially adapted for safety and comfort, while complementing the fun of the ride. Canelazo and brass band optional.

The adventure starts in Quito with a bus ride to the station of Tambillo, where the "Chiva Express", a colorful one coach train, like a bus on tracks, is ready to depart. A highlight of the trip is to 'ride the roof' with a panoramic view of the stunning Andean region of Ecuador. You will leisurely enjoy the ever-changing scenery as the "Chiva Express" advances along the ancient tracks. Stop for a snack at a dairy hacienda with cows, horses and llamas. Then the Chiva advances up and down the slopes of Cotopaxi volcano and the fertile Valley of Latacunga for a visit to a rose plantation and a taste of the products of the land (potatoes and broccoli picked that same morning).

We then board a bus and return to Quito. B,L

Day 4-8
Galapagos Islands

Perhaps more so than any other place in the world, the fauna of the Galapagos are unique. Charles Darwin's observations of these unique animals, their remarkable adaptation to a hostile environment, and the subtle variations between races of the same species living on different islands led directly to his theory of natural selection.

The theory explains how the vast multitude of species on the Earth have evolved from a simple, singled-celled ancestor. The theory remains the single most important one in biology. Thus we can look back at nearly five centuries of human contact with the Galapagos and say that, without a doubt, the most important event in the human history of the Galapagos was Darwin's visit in 1835.

Even without Darwin, though, the tale of human contact with the Galapagos is a fascinating one, and the Enchanted Islands, as the early mariners called them, have meant many things to many people from many lands.

The Galapagos Archipelago is situated 800 kilometers west of the Ecuadorian coast and lie directly on the equator. The archipelago encompasses over 50 islands of volcanic origin that are spread out over an area of about 4,500 square kilometers.

The volcanic Galapagos platform originated probably not more than 15 million years ago and the oldest island not more than 2.4 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions still occur in the islands. Isla Fernandina and the Sierra Negra volcano on Isla Isabela have erupted within the past 10 years.

According to legend... the Inca Tupac Yupanqui set sail from the coast of Ecuador in the late 1400's with 20,000 men on balsa rafts. On his journey he discovered and named two islands - Ava Chumbi (Outer Island) and Nina Chumbi (Fire Island) . Some historians believe these islands were the Galapagos.

In 1535, a Spanish captain, Thomas de Berlanga rediscovered the Galapagos archipelago. "We found seals, turtles and such big tortoises that each could carry a man on top of itself, and many iguanas that are like serpents..."

They were later used by Spanish and English buccaneers, whaling fleets, and fur sealers.

Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 and made them famous in Origin of Species. "Here, both in space and time, we seem to be brought near to the first appearance of new beings on this earth."

A scientific collection expedition of The California Academy of Sciences in 1906 also helped bring the Galapagos to attention of scientists and the public.

The Galapagos National Park was established in 1959 to protect the unique flora and fauna of the islands.

That same year the Charles Darwin Research Station was founded in Academy Bay on Isla Santa Cruz. In 1979, the Galapagos Islands were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

As of December 20, 2001, the newest addition to the expanding Galapagos fleet, the modern 5-star, adventure-style M/V Galapagos Legend set sail with a maximum of 90 discriminating explorers. The Legend's 3, 4, and 7-night weekly voyages Darwin's "living laboratory" into a course in evolution and natural history.

With 2,746 GRTs the Legend offers all the amenities of a larger cruise liner, yet she is small enough for that intimate experience with nature that brings you to the Galapagos. This ship has been designed for the most comfortable Galapagos adventure.

Veterans of the Galapagos cruise industry consider the "Legend" to be among the finest cruise liner offering weekly naturalist cruises in the Archipelago for these reasons: The Galapagos Legend has a length of 91.5 meters/300 feet, 5 decks, spacious public areas, elegantly appointed cabins and suites, conference room, medical facilities staffed by an M.D., a crew of 55, and 6 multilingual naturalist guides as well as some of the most technologically advanced safety equipment in the Galapagos waters.

Guests can benefit from the added comfort of extra space in our tastefully decorated cabins and suites, most with ocean views, wardrobes, and private facilities, offering hot and cold water, hair dryer, safe deposit boxes and other amenities.

Other facilities include an auditorium for conferences, multiple social areas, Ecuadorian and international specialties at the dining room, coffee bar, swimming pool with broad sun decks, and observation platforms.

The M/V Galapagos LEGEND is a 300 feet Ocean-going cruise ship that provides all the facilities and services to make the cruise enjoyable and comfortable. B,L,D days 4 to 7B day 8

Day 9-12. Today sees us venture from the cool highlands into the famous Amazon basin. Here is your chance to feel a little bit "Indiana Jones" as we utilize all form of modern and traditional transport to reach our jungle lodge - La Selva.

La Selva Jungle Lodge, is situated high on Lake Garzacocha, deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, and offers the ultimate in jungle experiences.

La Selva Jungle Lodge is 60 miles down the Napo river (two and a half hours by canoe) from the town of Coca where our morning flight will leave us.

Located within Yasuni national park, it boasts 17 thatched cabins and a dining room with bar/lounge area.

Each of the cabins has a private bathroom, mosquito nets, and a hammock for relaxing. One of the more deluxe jungle lodges, each of the cabins has filtered water and hot water in the showers. They also take great pride in their food: the restaurant at La Selva is one of the better ones as jungle lodges go.

Remote enough to be located in primary forest, La Selva offers many activities common to jungle lodges. There are various trails, day and night guided hikes, canoe trips and even a 135 foot canopy observation tower. Nearby is a salt lick where parrots and macaws congregate. There is also a butterfly farm. It is also possible to visit the home of a local indigenous family, and learn how residents of the rainforest commonly live. If guests wish, they can spend the night out deeper in the wilderness at a camping facility.

Native guides are included to show guests the hundreds of species of birds in the park, and it is also common to see monkeys, caimans and a variety of insect life. B,L,D days 9 to 11. B day 12

Day 13
Otavalo - Quito

History has it that Otavaleño Indians have been talented textile makers and businesspeople since ancient times, prior even to the Incan invasion. Under Incan rule in the 15th century, Otavalo became an important administrative center, as new crops and animals were introduced to the area. A year after the Spanish conquest, Ecuadorian land was parceled-out to the Spanish. In Otavalo, Rodrigo de Salazar set up a large weaving workshop ("obraje") on his land; by the mid-1500's it employed hundreds of workers and produced a large share of the textiles used in colonial South America.

The market is centered on 'Poncho Plaza'. All day long, the whir of cotton candy machines, Andean pipe music, and Quechua, the native tongue derived from the Incan tongue, drift across the square. A blinding maze of colored textiles spills from the square out across town.

As you stroll the streets you'll find everything from jumpers to armadillo shell guitars, wall hangings to ceramic fried eggs.

Otavaleños have become the most prosperous and possibly the most famous indigenous group in Latin America. In part because of their economic success, Otavaleños have managed to hold on to centuries-old traditions without adopting a 'quick get dressed, here come the tourists' cultural identity. They are proud people and it shows. Otavaleños are still easily identified by their distinctive dress: women wear intricately embroidered blouses and a wealth of beaded necklaces, while men have long, braided hair and wear calf-length white trousers, ponchos and sandals.

Don't restrict yourself to Poncho Plaza, as you'll probably get better bargains away from the main square (the more items you buy, the lower the prices you can haggle), and the goods on display start to diversify as the market weaves its way through the side streets.

After a day of hard bargaining, use of 2 camera memory cards, lots of food and great memories we return to Quito. B,L,D

Day 14
Home
You will be transferred to the airport for your return flight home Adios! B

• Meals as listed
• All transfers
• All transport
• All accommodation
• Transfers in Quito – airport / hotel / airport
• Private transportation
• English speaking guide during the trip
• Meals as stated
• Accommodation in Quito: Hotel Patio Andaluz including breakfasts
• Full day City tour & Equator line
  
• Full day Otavalo market
• Full day train ride
• 5 day Galapagos cruise on board M/V Galapagos Legend all inclusive
• Airfare Quito – Galapagos – Quito (subject to change)
• Accommodation in the jungle: La Selva lodge for May and June departures. Sacha Lodge for October departure.
• Farewell dinner

• Visa fees (if required)
• Passport & Visa Costs
• Vaccination Costs
• Personal Spending Money
• Meals where not listed
• Drinks
• International Flights
• Travel Insurance
• Airport departure taxes
• Border taxes or fees

• Horse riding Otavalo
• Mountain Biking

• Your guide will meet upon arrival into Quito.

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