Ecuador and Galapagos Family Adventure
Duration: 15 days
Location: Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea
On this 15 day tour you will experience the highlights of both Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Spend time exploring the capital city of Quito before heading our to learn tricks from the local cowboys, spending the evening learning the traditional dance of the Kichwa community. Get up close to the unique wildlife that lives on the Galapagos Islands and see seals, giant tortoises as well as the blue footed boobie.
Highlights of the tour
Take a private tour of the Cuicocha lagoon
Learn tips from the vaqueros (local cowboys)
Test your skills at chocolate making
Go horseriding in Cotopaxi National Park
Visit the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands
Day 1 - Arrival in Quito
On arrival at the airport you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel at Zuleta. In the afternoon after a drive through lush pasture lands. to see the stunning views of the snow-capped volcano, Cayambe,
After planning your stay, you will be shown around the main building. You will learn more about Zuleta’s history, see ex-President Galo Plaza Lasso’s private library, our chapel and wander through our beautiful gardens. As the sun sets, it gets chilly at Zuleta, so enjoy some wine and our farm made cheese in front of the fireplace while reading from our vast libraries prior to dinner.
Day 2 - Cuicocha Lagoon & Peguche Waterfall
Today you will meet your guide for a private tour of the Cuicocha lagoon. With the deep blue hues of the water and the two small islands in the middle it has a local nickname of Guinea Pig Lake. Walking around the lagoon is a wonderful way to enjoy the unique biodiversity in the area and learn a little more about pre-Columbian cultures. Or, take a small boat trip on the lakes itself for views of the Imbabura and Cayambe volcanoes. Next visit Cotacachi a small local village known for its leather handicrafts before heading to the Otavalo Indigenous Market.
Finally head to Peguche, an indigenous Quichua community surrounded by high mountains and inactive volcanos. Here you can visit Pablo and Mojanda lagoons and the Peguche waterfall.
Day 3 - Explore your Hacienda
Today you have a free day to explore your haceinda at Zuleta. One of the experiences we highly recommend is The “Condor Huasi Project”. In the mornings, you are more likely to see wild Condors soaring as the sunlight creates thermal updrafts. The Condor project is located in a native forest valley, and accessible via vehicle, horseback or on foot. You will learn about the foundation’s efforts, see rescued condors in the aviary, and perhaps visit the nearby trout farm.
Other activities that you could consider include, learning about the farm operations, feed calves, count sheep, talk to the vaqueros (local cowboys), enjoy the embroidery museum, or relax in the garden; hiking in the local area and visiting the Caranqui ruins.
Day 4 - Middle of the world visit & Qutio old city
This morning visit Intiñan, a small interactive museum next to the Middle of the World Monument. It features astronomical outdoor exhibits and explanations of the importance of Ecuador’s geographical location. One of the highlights is the ‘solar chronometer,’ a unique instrument made in 1865 that shows accurate astronomical and conventional time, including the month, day, and season – all by using the sun's rays.
In the afternoon enjoy a half-day city tour, you will explore the beautiful colonial center of Quito. You will see the Basilica del Voto Nacional, Plaza Grande, known as Independence Square, the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace, plus experience the lively colonial streets.
Day 5 - Waterfalls & Chocolate making
This morning you will transfer to Tena and after checking into your lodge and having lunch enjoy a short walk to a 12 meters high waterfall where you can give yourself an energetic bath. During the tour you will learn about medicinal plants, enjoy from a beautiful lagoon, see the Huasquila tree and visit a vineyard.
Then it’s back to the lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you accompanied by the singing of the toads of the lagoon in front of the restaurant. Then, you will enjoy a chocolate session where you will learn the whole process of making it, starting with the toast, continuing with the grinding until tasting a delicious dessert with fruits.
Day 6 - Guayusa Plantation
After breakfast you will start a 3 hours approx. jungle hike surrounded by a primary and secondary forest, you will cross a 120 mts. long cave where you can find bats. After that you will visit the 14 meters high impressive "Golondrinas waterfall ", offering you the opportunity to immerse yourself in its waters. Upon return, you will visit a Guayusa plantation and factory.
In the afternoon, after lunch you will visit a Kichwa community where you will enjoy a traditional dance, learn about its culture and help in the preparation of the famous chicha. In the evening you will enjoy a dinner with specialties from the region. Then, you will have a 40-minute night walk around the gardens where you can see toads, grasshoppers, insects and with a bit of luck bio-luminous fungi, ending in this way your experience in the jungle.
Day 7 - Termas De Papallacta
Today you will transfer to Termas De Papallacta. On the way you have the option to stop at Guango Lodge which is located on private property surrounded by temperate forest teeming with a multitude of birds. This combination of geographic and climatic factors makes Guango a true gateway to the rainforests. Guango has always been a necessary stop along the traditional route from Quito to the Napo River of the Amazon and remains one to this day. As part of the Papallacta region, Guango is the central point between the cold forest, Andean highlands and territory between the Amazonian ethnic groups and Quito.
Day 8 - Cotopaxi National Park
Today’s adventure starts early in the morning when you drive south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes, to find one of the worlds highest active volcanoes, the elegant Cotopaxi Volcano, with an altitude of 5897 meters above sea level. This impressive, snow-capped volcano stands proudly in the middle of the beautiful national park that bears its name.
Upon arrival at the entrance of the Cotopaxi National Park, your guide will explain about the unique flora and fauna of the area, and about the history of the volcano. Subsequently, you’ll continue to the Limpiopungo Lake (altitude: 3850 meters), to enjoy a hike through the stunning “paramo”, or grassland, landscape where you can see hummingbirds, wild horses, and other wildlife. All this time, the imposing Cotopaxi Volcano is just a few steps away and on a clear day you can admire its full glory. You can then finish the day with a cooking class at a traditional Hacienda.
Day 9 - Horse risding and rope adventure course.
Today you will enjoy a riding tour wearing the typical dress of the “chagras” (Ecuadorian cowboys), you will ride out across the paramo to the slopes of the extinct volcano, Rumiñahui. A legendary chagra from the area will come with you and share his knowledge of the countryside and the life lived in these areas.
Get ready for an exciting afternoon on a ropes adventure course near Cotopaxi Volcano. There is fun for all ages here with with ladders, nets, swings, ropes, wobbly bridges, swinging logs, and other fun surprises. The lower course, only about 4 feet off the ground is perfect for younger children.
Day 10 - Galapagos
Today you will fly from Quito to Baltra Island. and upon arrival at the airport you will be met by your guide and transferred tothe lush green highlands of Santa Cruz and see different types of vegetation on the way. The first stop is at ‘Los Gemelos’ (The Twins), two immense craters located in the middle of the island. These giant holes are actually not real craters; they are the remains of volcanic magma chambers that collapsed and are now covered with vegetation. Next, you visit another unique place: the Primicias Ranch. Here, giant tortoises wander around freely at their own, very slow, pace. It is a unique experience to see this ancient animals in their natural habitat. You can also explore a beautiful lava tunnel located close to the ranch. In the afternoon, you descent to Puerto Ayora, the main town of Santa Cruz Island. Here, you visit the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Day 11 - Santa Cruz Island
Today you will be given an option to go on a navigable excursion to another island. The activities on these navigable tours may include hiking, snorkeling, swimming or an opportunity to relax in beautiful areas. Depending on the availability this could include:
Bartolome Island - for colourful fish, snorkelling and relaxing on the beaches.
Santa Fe Island - to see the Santa Fe land iguana and other colonies of land iguana.
South Plazas - Plazas Island include the land iguanas, the sea lions and the swallow tailed gulls as well as yellow tailed mullets, Audubon’s shear waters, red-billed tropicbirds, frigate birds, and brown pelicans gliding past the cliff.
North Seymour - This island is a natural haven for blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, land iguanas, marine iguanas and sea lions.
Day 12 - Wetlands & Wall of Tears
The Wetlands are located on the Southern Coast of Isabela Island next to Puerto Villamil. The area is one of the few places where you can see all four native species of Galapagos mangrove. The area is home to amazing species of birds such as flamingos, stilts, whimbrels, white-cheeked pintails, and gallinules. Later on, you will head to ‘The Wall of Tears’, a historic site where prisoners from the time when Isabela was a prison colony, between 1946 to 1959, were forced to build the wall from huge blocks of lava as punishment. Finally, you can finish this interesting excursion by visiting the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center, where eggs are nursed in a hatchery and the adults are observed in supervised corrals. This breeding program is helping to increase the populations of these wonderful animals, and ensure their survival as wild species unique to the Galapagos Islands.
Day 13 - Isabela Island
Visit one of the “Lost Paradise” of the Galapagos, this is an amazing place with series of lava flows wich have created hundreds of arches and tunnels, both above and below the water. The striking geological formations are outdone only by the extraordinary collection of creatures that call this place home. The water is cool and still and an astonishing array of marine life is visible from above as you trek across the lava arches and bridges or from below as you snorkel in this unique habitat.
Day 14 - Quito
Today you will take a couple of domestic flights to arrive back in Quito for a final day of exploring and an overnight ready to head to the airport for your onward departure.
Day 15 - Departure
Today you will be transferred to the airport for your onward departure.
If you’re ready to start exploring your next fabulous family holiday, we’d love to help. And perhaps inspire you, with new ideas you might not even know are possible yet.
Call us on 0118 336 0363 or click here now to reach us personally & talk more about your plans.