Bienvenidos! Welcome to Ecuador. Your adventure begins in Quito – Ecuador’s sprawling capital city. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 5 or 6 pm tonight to meet your local leader and small group of fellow travellers. If you arrive early, maybe check out the city at your own pace – head to the Old Town and pick one (or more) of the 30 churches to explore. After your meeting, you’ll head to a small, local restaurant for dinner with your group. Take in the aromas and fresh flavours of the traditional Ecuadorian cuisine – think locroc (traditional potato soup) or quinoa, pork and vegetable dishes cooked with herbs, lemongrass and rich sauces, all sourced from local farms. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. As this trip spends very little time in Quito, we recommend you spend a few extra days before your trip to experience all the city has to offer. We recommend not engaging in any strenuous activity until you have time to gauge your reaction to the city’s high altitude. Some people experience mild symptoms of altitude sickness, like dizziness, shortness of breath and sleeplessness.

You have a very early start this morning (maybe as early as 4 am, depending on flight times) as you head into the Galapagos. Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (Quito Airport), with a boxed breakfast on the way. When you arrive, you’ll meet your naturalist guide in the arrival hall. Take the short bus ride to the ferry, then board and head across the Itabaca Channel to Isla Santa Cruz. You’ll then board a private bus to Los Gemelos, in the highlands. Surrounded by the unique scalesia cloud forest, look out for the abundant birdlife when you arrive, including different species of Darwin finches, woodpeckers, warbler finches and vermillion flycatchers. Continue further into the highlands to explore a rancho farm, where you’ll take a walk and have lunch – you might even see the giant tortoises in their natural habitat! After lunch, travel to Puerto Ayora, where Le Grande Daphne and her crew will be waiting for you. Today is predominately a long travel day with an early morning start. Your first activity on the islands will not commence until after lunch. There are no snacks provided on the flights to and from the Galapagos Islands, so we recommend that you carry some snacks today. Please keep in mind that the Galapagos has strict quarantine regulations regarding bringing food onto the islands, with many fruits and vegetables being on the restricted list. There will be time after check-in and before departure to buy snacks at the airport. A USD 20 transit card is payable on departure at Quito Airport and a USD 200 national park entry fee is payable when you arrive on the islands. Credit cards are not accepted, so make sure you have cash on hand. Your flight to the Galapagos Islands will stop in Guayaquil to refuel and pick up other passengers. Your walking time will be approximately 3 hours or 2 km. We recommend you wear comfortable closed shoes, as the trails in the rancho can be muddy. You can also opt to swap into rubber boots at the farm. From January to April, it can rain heavily in the highlands, so a rain jacket is also recommended.

Learn about the maritime history of Post Office Bay – home of the oldest postal system in the Americas. The post box here was first built by 18th-century whalers and is still in use today. Maybe leave a letter, then head out for your first spot of snorkelling. After, head ashore at Punta Cormorant, where the sand is made up of olivine crystal – a glassy, volcanic mineral that gives the beach an olive-green colour. Take a walk in search of sea lions, flamingos, pintails and stilts, finishing at a sandy beach where Eastern Pacific green turtles nest. Just offshore, the famous Devil’s Crown waits for those who want a special snorkelling experience – the partially-submerged remains of a volcanic cone are now a unique swimming hole, home to rays, sharks, sea lions and turtles. Your sailing time today will be approximately 4 hours (32 nautical miles) to Isla Floreana. Tonight, you’ll sail for approximately 6.5 hours (52 nautical miles) from Punta Cormorant (Isla Floreana) to Isla Espanola.

Today will begin with a hike on Isla Espanola – the southernmost island of the Galapagos and the breeding site for almost all the estimated 24,000 waved albatross on earth. If you’re lucky (and the timing is right), you might spot the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatross before the female chooses her lifelong mate. Hike through booby colonies to the rocky trails of beautiful Punta Suarez, ending at a clifftop viewpoint. Look out over views of rugged cliffs framed by swooping frigate birds, watching while albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, getting airborne on the southeast winds. Next, head to Bahia Gardner for a walk along the beach. Dodge lounging sea lions, then cool off with a spot of snorkelling. The rocks off the coast are rich with reef sharks, turtles and many species of tropical fish (such as surgeon and angelfish). Small, white-tipped reef sharks can also be spotted resting under the rocks. Your hiking distance today will be approximately 4 km. Your sailing time today will be approximately 1 hour (5 nautical miles) to Bahia Gardener. Tonight, you’ll sail for approximately 5 hours (8 nautical miles) to Leon Dormido. Albatross are not seen here between the months of January and April.

Take a trip to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) – this basalt crater rises 150 m above the water and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. Cruise around Kicker Rock as nesting seabirds flank the boat, tropicbirds soar overhead and sea lions lounge by the water. Next, spend some time snorkelling at Cerro Brujo, looking out for Galapagos sharks and sea turtles. You could also walk on the beach to see the sea lions. Later, sail to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on the island of San Cristobal. Some passengers will be leaving today, and others may join you. You’ll have free time in the town, then in the afternoon you’ll visit the San Cristobal Interpretation Centre, which brings the history and geography of the archipelago to life. If there’s time, your guide may be able to organise a visit to the highlands, for a chance to see giant tortoises in the wild. The price of this optional activity depends on the number of passengers attending. Relaxing on the beach is a great option for those who don’t wish to go. Your sailing time today will be approximately 1 hour (8 nautical miles) to Isla San Cristobal.

Sea lions, iguanas and hawks – oh my! Isla Santa Fe is home to all three, plus Galapagos mockingbirds, marine turtles, frigate birds, Galapagos doves and lava lizards. This island boasts one of the most attractive coves in the whole archipelago. Take a hike along the coast into the opuntia forest, then cool off with a snorkel, looking out for schools of fish, rays and sea turtles. After, continue to Isla Plaza Sur. When you arrive on this small, gorgeous island, you’ll head out for another walk to get close to sea lions, passing one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations on the way. The southern cliffs are great for spotting tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as ‘the Gentlemen’s Club’ – a gathering of male sea lions. Your hiking time today will be approximately 3 hours. The first trail is rocky, so mind your step and make sure you’re wearing good walking shoes. Your sailing time today will be approximately 3.5 hours (16 nautical miles) to Isla Santa Fe. Tonight, you’ll sail for approximately 7.5 hours (59 nautical miles) to Isla Genovesa. There may be an extra stop on the way to Plaza Sur to restock the boat’s provisions, adding 2 hours (16 nautical miles) of sailing time to your journey.

Explore Isla Genovesa – the archipelago's north-eastern outpost. The island’s varied landscapes are a twitcher's paradise, with all three kinds of boobies (including the rare red-footed booby) nesting here. Next, see Bahia Darwin (Darwin Beach) for another birding site with large breeding colonies of seabirds, frigates, lava herons, swallow-tailed gulls, mockingbirds and vampire finches. Head out for a hike to see tide pools, sea lions and diamond stingrays. The steep Prince Philip's Steps lead you to the heart of the seabird rookeries, with birds swirling overhead and nesting among the cliffs. Look out for storm petrels on the island’s rocky plains – Genovesa is the only place in the world where these birds can be seen flying during the day! After, maybe cool off with a snorkel, looking out for manta rays, sharks, turtles and moray eels, plus many species of fish. Your walking time today will be approximately 2.5 hours. This walk involves sand and some rocky sections. You’ll sail overnight for approximately 8 hours (48 nautical miles) to Isla Santiago. Snorkelling activities could change depending on weather currents or swell conditions.

On Santiago Island's eastern coast sits Bahia Sullivan. Take a walk along pahoehoe lava, which was created by an eruption that occurred here in 1897. With some luck, you might see some marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions, finches, turtles, sharks and penguins. During your walk, as always, your naturalist guide will take you through the geological history of the island. Then, travel to Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) – one of the best places to see land iguanas. Walk to a brackish lagoon to see lagoon birds such as stilts, pintail ducks, sandpipers, sanderlings and flamingos. Further inland, the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western area of the archipelago. This area is a nesting site for land iguanas, which is constantly monitored and assisted by the Charles Darwin Research Station. The arid-zone vegetation makes for an ideal place to see Darwin's finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, the endemic Galapagos flycatcher and yellow warblers. Your walking time today will be approximately 1 hour. The path can be challenging, but it’ll be worth it for a spectacular view of the bay. Your sailing time today will be approximately 2 hours (17 nautical miles) to Cerro Dragon. Tonight, you’ll sail for approximately 1 hour (8 nautical miles) to Black Turtle Cove.

Explore the red mangrove wetland of Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) today on your Zodiac. Cruise through this peaceful cove and look out for mating green turtles, golden cow-nose rays, eagle rays and Galapagos sharks. After, head to the airport in Isla Baltra for your flight back to Quito. You’ll arrive back to Quito at approximately 4 pm, where you’ll then ttransfer to your hotel for your last night. Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours. Your flight will make a brief stop in Guayaquil to drop off or pick up other passengers. We recommend bringing your own snacks. As you’ll be leaving the boat this morning, please remember that if you have enjoyed the services provided by your guide and crew, a tip is considered appropriate. For logistical and cultural reasons, we treat this as an optional expense and do not incorporate it into your trip price. Suggested tipping amounts can be found under the Money Matters section in the Essential Trip Information.

There are no activities planned for today, and your adventure finishes after breakfast this morning. Of course, that doesn’t mean your adventure has to end! Why not stay on in Quito for a few days and discover the charms of the city. If you need help booking extra accommodation, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.