Nature's Masterpiece: The Galápagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest

Welcome to Quito, a city of dramatic mountain backdrops, colonial charm, and soulful creativity. Upon arrival at the airport, we’ll arrange a private transfer to the Illa Experience Hotel, a beautifully restored heritage home in the historic San Marcos district. More than just a place to sleep, Illa is an immersive cultural stay that weaves in local traditions, art, and flavors—right down to daily surprise “experiences” like traditional candy-making or Andean music.

Spend the evening settling into your elegant room or enjoying the rooftop views of the city. We’ll gather for a welcome cocktail on the rooftop as the sun sets over Quito’s skyline, followed by dinner at the acclaimed La Purísima, known for its innovative take on Ecuadorian cuisine.

After a delicious Ecuadorian breakfast at the hotel, we’ll explore the heart of Quito through a curated city tour. This is no ordinary city tour, expect a multisensory journey through the UNESCO-listed Old Town, with visits to artisan workshops, centuries-old churches, and vibrant local neighborhoods that offer an insider’s glimpse into Quito’s living culture.

We’ll stop for a locally inspired lunch before continuing to the Fundación Guayasamín, home and museum of Ecuador’s most revered artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín. His emotional works highlight Latin American struggles and strength. The Quito-view museum enhances its contemplative atmosphere, with expert guides bringing Guayasamín’s story to life.

This evening, we’ll indulge in an extraordinary tasting menu at Urko, one of Latin America’s most innovative restaurants. Chef Daniel Maldonado showcases Ecuador’s biodiversity through his “Ciclo de la Vida” concept, with each dish telling a story of the country’s seasons, regions, and traditions. A truly unforgettable culinary experience.

This morning, we’ll accompany a local chef on a visit to one of Quito’s bustling markets. As we browse stalls brimming with tropical fruits, herbs, and Andean ingredients, you’ll learn how food connects to Ecuador’s identity. 

Back at Illa, we’ll step into the kitchen for a hands-on cooking class, followed by a leisurely lunch made with your own creations.

In the afternoon, enjoy free time for shopping, wellness appointments, or exploring. We’ll get dropped off at one of the city’s most picturesque squares, where we will explore artisan boutiques, galleries, and cozy cafés—perfect for picking up handcrafted treasures or simply people-watching.

This evening, we’ll gather for dinner in-house at Inés Restaurante, where the chef brings contemporary elegance to traditional flavors. It’s a relaxed and intimate setting to reflect on our Quito adventure.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning, sampling fresh local fruit, warm breads, and rich Ecuadorian coffee one more time. Take in the final moments of our stay at the Illa Experience Hotel, whether it's a quiet moment on the rooftop terrace or a final stroll through the San Marcos neighborhood.

When it's time, a private transfer will bring us to the airport, where we will meet with the rest of the group for our flight to the Galápagos. While your Quito extension may be coming to an end, this awe-inspiring adventure in Ecuador is only just beginning.

Fly into Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO). As most incoming flights arrive late, we've included an Arrival Day in the trip cost, including a stay at the Courtyard by Marriott at the Quito Airport with dinner. Rest and relax. We'll head to the Galápagos Islands tomorrow morning.

We'll transfer together back to the airport to fly from Quito to San Cristóbal Airport in the Galápagos this morning. Once we touch down in paradise, our driver will be waiting to whisk us away to our (women-owned!) home for the week: The Ocean Spray cruiseboat.

The Ecuadorian government has designated 97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands as the country's first national park. To protect this extraordinary natural resource, access is tightly controlled. A licensed naturalist must accompany any trip ashore. We'll have one aboard as a resource for the voyage.

All of our meals on this trip will be prepared and enjoyed on the boat. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients are transformed into gourmet dishes by the ship's chef, what a treat! Lunch today will be buffet style. 

After an orientation for our ship, we'll set sail for Lobos Island and Kicker Rock. Lobos Island is aptly named after the many sea lions resting and playing along its rocky shores. It's also home to various birds, including pelicans, frigate birds, yellow warblers, and more. In the clear waters of the narrow channel, sea turtles, sea lions, stingrays, and perhaps even white-tipped sharks are easy to find.

We'll view one of the most iconic sites in the Galapagos, Kicker Rock, up close and personal from a dinghy. It consists of two eroded volcanic cones towering 340 feet above the sea. Seabirds nest there, and it's a nice spot to take pictures while our dinghies circumnavigate the rock.

Dinner will always be a formal, sit-down event onboard, and our welcome dinner tonight will be a delightful way to get to know your fellow travelers and chat about our upcoming adventures. 

We'll enjoy a hearty breakfast buffet this morning before we set sail for Pitt Point, where it will feel like we’ve landed on an extraterrestrial planet.

We'll be able to see the many different ways volcanic activity shaped this island over time. A walk to the top beholds fantastic views of the surrounding waters. Watch out for blue-footed boobies nests on the ground, and keep an eye out for the red-footed boobies nesting in the trees once you reach the top of the island.

Then we're off to Witch Hill. We'll explore its incredible crevices and eroding rocks along the shoreline from our dinghy. Make sure you bring a bathing suit because afterwards, we'll land on a powdery white sand beach with turquoise waters.  

Today, we'll likely see sea lions, shore birds, finches, mockingbirds, tropical fish, and crabs like the Sally Lightfoot.

This morning, we're off to Floreana and Post Office Bay. Centuries ago, great whaling ships, often at sea for years at a time, would stop at Floreana for supplies. They devised a clever solution for sending mail home: they left letters in a particular place, and when passing ships stopped there on their way back to Europe or North America, they would pick up all the letters destined for their home port and deliver them. Hence, "Post Office Bay". This practice continues today! Bring a postcard to send to your home city!

After lunch, we'll head to Cormorant Point / Devil’s Crown. It's one of the finest snorkeling opportunities in the Galápagos. Impressive volcanic structures that have submerged over time lie below the surface. Hundreds of colorful fish species can be seen along the reef, with diving marine iguanas, sea turtles, sea lions, and rays. It’s a beautiful underwater spectacle you don't want to miss.

In case that's not enough, just beyond the first beach is a saltwater lagoon with flamingos!

This morning's destination is Santa Cruz Island. Black Turtle Cove, located on the north side of Santa Cruz, is a shallow inlet bordered by mangroves. It offers natural shelter for a variety of marine species, particularly attracting vulnerable juvenile fish from many different species. Below the water's surface, you can see black-tip and white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, golden cow-nose rays, and spotted eagle rays. Pelicans and blue-footed boobies hunt here, diving gracefully into the water.

This afternoon, we'll head to Bartholomew Island and Pinnacle Rock, a volcanic cone formed by magma expelled by an underwater volcano. The sea cooled the hot lava, and as it exploded from contact, the pieces created a massive rock of many layers of basalt. The huge rock also has a beach where a small population of green sea turtles nest during the breeding season. Galapagos penguins gather here as well, and going for a swim offers beautiful sights of colorful schools of fish and curious sea lions.

We're off to Genovesa and Darwin Bay. Centuries ago, it was a shield volcano, but now you can see where one of the sides of its caldera collapsed after hundreds of years of erosion. It's known for the wide variety of birds it houses. An estimated 20,000 red-footed boobies call this island home.

After lunch, we'll voyage to El Barranco, also known as Prince Phillip’s Steps. It leads to a rocky path up a cliff that rewards us with a remarkable view. We'll wander through a Palo Santo forest, home to nesting red-footed boobies and other shorebirds.

Keep your eyes peeled for red-footed boobies, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, storm petrels, Galapagos doves, short-eared owls, sea turtles, rays, sea lions, and marine iguanas on this wildlife-packed day.

On Santiago Island, we'll head for Espumilla Beach in Buccaneer Cove. Buccaneer Cove is an excellent snorkeling destination. It was once a refuge for passing sailors and pirates, and the underwater formations provide a fantastic home for the many tropical fish species found here.

After lunch, we're off to Egas Port, also known as James Bay, and home to quick-footed Galapagos lava lizards. Grottos and tide pools house various marine species. This is also one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galapagos.

Look out for fur sea lions, Galapagos hawks, oystercatchers, marine iguanas, finches, sharks, sea turtles, sally lightfoot crabs, and all manner of tropical fish. How lucky are we to be so up close and personal with so much wildlife!

Formed by uplifted submarine lava, North Seymour Island is home to a vast colony of about 2,500 land iguanas and large populations of sea lions, blue-footed boobies, common noddies, and frigatebirds. It's possible to see land and marine iguanas along the coast and the Galápagos' largest colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds.

This afternoon in Santa Cruz, we’ll head to the highlands to see the famous giant tortoises in the wild. So renowned are these endemic animals that they gave the archipelago its name. 

We'll continue to the famous Charles Darwin Research Station, offering us a unique opportunity to discover the vital work required to preserve the archipelago’s ecosystems. 

The Research Center is also home to a significant breeding program for Galapagos tortoises, whose numbers have declined since the 1970s. These captivating reptiles aren't camera-shy, so be sure to snap a few close-ups!

Mosquera Islet is between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour. It's a reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) and a great white sand beach. This island has one of the largest populations of sea lions in the Galápagos. There have been occasional reports at this site of Orcas (Orcinus orca) feeding on sea lions.

After our visit to Mosquera, our trip draws to an end. We'll transfer to Baltra airport for our group return flight to mainland Ecuador, landing in Quito at 4:15 pm.

For those of you joining the optional trip extension to the Amazon rainforest, we'll overnight at the Courtyard by Marriott Quito Airport for convenience and fly out in the morning. If this concludes your time with us, book your onward travel accordingly. Safe travels!

This morning, we'll take a 30-minute flight to Puerto Francisco de Orellana, aka "El Coca". We'll be whisked from the airport to the Napo River, where we'll board a motorized canoe heading downriver at the beginning of an unforgettable experience in the Amazon rainforest. Staff will help with our larger luggage - you just have to take care of your carry-on items.

Our destination is La Selva, a stunning, woman-owned, eco-lodge on 50 acres of rainforest. 

After we unpack, rest, and gather for a briefing from one of the naturalist guides, we'll walk down the Matapalo Charapa Trail. As we stroll under immense strangler fig and mahogany trees, our guides will share their knowledge of the flora and fauna. At this time, soft natural light shines through the canopy, and the diurnal and nocturnal animals are beginning their daily transitional activities.

After dinner, Garza Cocha Lagoon is an excellent place for a night canoe ride to search for caimans, bats, owls, and nocturnal mammals with the help of a spotlight. There are also excellent opportunities for stargazing if the night sky is clear! 

After breakfast, we'll take a 15-minute walk to La Selva's observation tower, soaring an impressive 120 feet above the forest floor. The naturalist and native guides will use a sighting scope to show us the colorful birds enjoying the canopy and perhaps even primates. 

Mandi Cocha is a 30-minute walk from the tower. This small lake boasts a myriad of vegetation and landscapes, displaying the beauty of the flooded forest. With some luck, we might spot the famous giant otters that make their home nearby. 

We'll break for lunch and have time to chat about all the critters and birds. 

This afternoon, we'll head back to Garza Cocha Lagoon. This is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Ecuadorian Amazon, where we'll have several opportunities to spot species of monkeys and birds. Sometimes, large groups of squirrel monkeys join capuchin monkey families to search for food. Howler monkeys also enjoy spending the late afternoon near the lake. The hoatzin, a large, unique bird found only in pristine Amazon habitats, is easy to spot as well.

We'll indulge in a delicious meal at the lodge, with time to relax before bed.

After an early breakfast, we'll return to the Napo River and take a motorized canoe ride to the clay lick, one of the most fascinating displays of the wild world. Hundreds of parrots and parakeets gather here to eat the mineral-rich soil, an essential part of their diet.

Then we'll visit the indigenous community of Pilchi where we'll learn about how the first nations of the Amazon lived for thousands of years, including how they dress, what they eat, how they cook, and the many ways they use what the forest provides in their daily lives - a truly unique and fascinating experience!

Don’t be shy to ask them questions, and be brave to try some of the traditional drinks and food! They love to share their ancestral knowledge and spread awareness about their culture. 

After lunch, we'll take a fantastic walk on the Coto Trail to the edge of the Garza Cocha Lagoon. In the afternoon, the light from the sun makes this walk a tremendous experience and the perfect opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the forest. The naturalist will discuss the creatures and medicinal plants we come upon, giving us a better understanding of the weird and awe-inspiring world of the Amazon.

It's been a busy day. Let's relax and have a leisurely dinner.

After breakfast, we'll head to the Yasuní National Park, the largest protected area in Ecuador. On this adventure, we’ll visit a different clay lick where scarlet macaws and other species of parrots congregate to drink the sodium-rich water. Other mammals, such as deer, wild pigs, and tapirs, also come to drink water here!

Afterward, we will take a lovely walk through this incredible forest, where we will find other species of primates unique to this area. Yasuní National Park is also the home of the last uncontacted Indigenous tribe in Ecuador, but as they are uncontacted, we definitely won’t see them.

After lunch, we'll paddle down the beautiful Morete Yaku, the main creek that feeds into the Garza Cocha Lake. We'll see the difference between the Terra Firme forest and the swamp forest, also known as Moretal. Morete is one of the dominant species of plants in this ecosystem. This very tall palm is significant to many species of animals and to the indigenous communities that use its fruit as a vital energy source.

This is our last night in the Amazon. Over dinner, we'll regale each other with stories about the wonders we've experienced.

After breakfast, we'll take a boat back to Coca, where we'll be transferred to the airport. What a spectacular trip it's been!

We'll take the short flight to Quito together, where you can connect to your return flight home. We'll arrive in the late afternoon around 4:30 pm, so make sure you book your flight accordingly.