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DAY    1            DEPART WASHINGTON OR RICHMOND - ARRIVE QUITO
(3 NIGHTS)
Enjoy your scheduled flight to Quito. Upon our arrival at the airport, an English-speaking guide will meet us and accompany us as we transfer to our hotel in Quito for the evening.

DAY    2            QUITO
Our morning commences with a Tour of Quito's Old Town, which will include a visit to the Iglesia de San Francisco, Quito's oldest and most important church, as well as the viewing of La Compañía de Jesús, Casa Museo María Augusta Urrutia, El Panecillo for panoramic views of the city, and the colorful buildings painted by artists after the late 1980s. We continue to The Basilica, begun in 1883 and still unfinished today. Once inside the concrete marvel, modeled after Notre-Dame in Paris, we will have the option of ascending the towers for views of the Old City, the Winged Virgin, and numerous gargoyles of Ecuadorian animals. We will then enter the New City and visit the Museo del Banco Central, where we will enjoy an astonishing collection of artwork from the pre-Columbian, Colonial, and Modern periods of Ecuadorian history. In the evening we will stroll through the beautiful Plaza de la Independencia and view Guayasamin's mural of Orellana discovering the Amazon on the wall of the Palacio de Gobierno.
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch and Dinner in Quito

DAY    3            DAY TRIP TO OTAVALO & MITAD DEL MUNDO
Saturday is the largest market day in Otavalo, and indigenous people from the mountains descend into the valley to sell their crafts, textiles, cows, and goats in the tiny town of Otavalo. This is the most famous Indian market on the continent, and the good-hearted Otavaleños are certain to win your heart. We will arrive early to the animal market for a riotous time of literal horsetrading, and spend the day bargaining with the locals over fine sweaters, tapestries, and woodwork. After time to explore the markets, we continue to the Mitad del Mundo, the exact place where the Earth is divided into two hemispheres. In 1936, the French American Committee sponsored the idea of the Ecuadorian geographer Dr. Luis Tufiño and raised a monument commemorating 200 years of the arrival of the First Mission. They chose to raise a monument 10 meters high in San Antonio de Pichincha, a place where Dr. Luis Tufiño established the Equatorial Line based on the pyramids of Oyambaro and Caraburo, landmarks erected by the First Mission. This historical monument remained in this place for 43 years, but in 1979 it was moved 7km to the West to the town of Calacalí, where the Equator Line does cross. Today, a new larger monument stands in San Antonio de Pichincha to replace the historical pyramid. It is made out of iron and cement, covered with the coating of polished and cut andesite stones; this material was taken out of "La Marca" mountain, which is quite close to the monument. It is called Equatorial Monument because the quadrangular pyramid is located on the Equator Line, which is 0º-0'-0" latitude. The quadrangular pyramid, with its four monoliths on its angled bases, which have the same geographic orientation, ends on its top with a spherical metal globe that represents the Earth with its respective relief of the five continents and the oceans. We will also visit the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, an impressive structure with replicas of a colonial Spanish town. The complex features a church, an equatorial plaza, a bull-fighting arena, a cock-fighting house, several handcraft workshops, and warehouses. We can also visit the Ethnographic Museum of the Middle of the World, which was inaugurated in August of 1982. The Museum features an exhibition representing the different Ecuadorian cultures, with its clothing, customs, activities and in general ethnic groups who have constituted the past and the present of Ecuador. We return to our hotel in Quito for the evening.
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast at the hotel, Lunch at Pinsaqui Hacienda, Dinner in Quito

DAY    4            QUITO - FLIGHT TO BALTRA (3 NIGHT GALAPAGOS ISLAND CRUISE) - ISLAND OF CHINESE HAT
This morning we take an early morning flight from Quito to Baltra on the Galapagos Archipelago. Upon our arrival, we will transfer to our private chartered 20, 36, or 100-passenger boat, our home for the next three nights. We will visit several islands during our unforgettable voyage through the Galapagos Islands. Each day we will leave the yacht and go ashore in a Panga (the local word for dinghies, Zodiacs, etc.) to remote areas of the islands for Natural History Walks through the Galapagos' unique ecology. Our crew will take excellent care of the group, provide delicious meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and attend to all of our comforts onboard. On the islands our Naturalist Guide will introduce and explain the diversity of Galapagos life and teach us about the area's natural history. We will have the opportunity to photograph unusual marine iguanas, snorkel with playful sea lions, and just take in the unique landscape of ancient volcanic turmoil. Except for a few settlements, the entire archipelago is a national park and the beaches and meandering footpaths invite relaxation and fanciful dreams. Our first stop on our Galapagos cruise will be a wet landing at Chinese Hat. Here we will observe sea lions before taking an hour-long Hike where we will observe the volcanic landscape. On the way back from our hike we will have the opportunity to Snorkel with the Sea Lions. We return to the ship for dinner.
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast at the hotel in Quito, Lunch and Dinner aboard the ship

* Please Note - The cruise route is not determined until after time of booking and the Islands visited on the cruise route are subject to the final cruise schedule for your exact travel dates. The routings are determined by the Galapagos National Park and are designed for preservation of the Galapagos Islands.

DAY    5            GALAPAGOS CRUISE - ISLANDS OF SANTA CRUZ & FLOREANA
This morning we will make a wet landing at Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz and walk to a saltwater lagoon that is occasionally visited by flamingoes. We will then Hike up Dragon Hill and enjoy beautiful views over the bay. On our hike we will see nesting sites for numerous reintroduced iguanas and a very peculiar scalesia tree forest. We will also take a Dinghy to Venice Islet, where we can observe a variety of vegetation and marine life, such as spotted eagle rays, golden rays, mullets, sharks and sea turtles. Land iguanas are often seen here as well. We return to our boat for lunch. This afternoon we continue to Cormorant Point on Floreana Island. We will make a wet landing on a greenish colored sand beach and then Hike from the black mangrove beds to a large, brackish lagoon, which holds one of the largest flamingo populations in the Galapagos. While here we can also observe the diversity of the island's endemic plant life, such as the Galapagos millwork, the passion flower, and the button mangrove. We will also Snorkel with the Sea Lions along the main beach before returning to our ship for the evening.
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner aboard the ship

DAY    6            GALAPAGOS CRUISE - ISLANDS OF ESPAÑOLA & SAN CRISTOBEL
This morning we will make a dry landing at Suarez Point on Espanola. Here we will cross the inactive lava fields that helped to form the island hundreds of years ago. The island is well-known for its sea lion colonies, but is also one of the most important sites for bird watching. Our nature guide will point out the many unique species, including the hooded mockingbird and the red-billed tropic. Past these nesting grounds we will encounter the world's largest colony of waved albatross, whose mating rituals are the highlight of any visit between May and December. Our morning concludes at the famous Blowhole, where we will see water shoot seventy-five feet into the air. We return to our boat for lunch. This afternoon we make a dry landing on San Cristobel, where we will visit the Interpretation Center (La Galapaguera), and learn about the National Park's breeding program with giant tortoises. We return to our ship this evening for dinner.
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner aboard the ship

DAY    7           NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND - BALTRA - FLIGHT TO QUITO (1 NIGHT)
This morning we make our final island stop as we land on the island of North Seymour. Our first encounters will be with swallow-tailed gulls and sea lions, but the site is also known as a major nesting colony of blue-footed boobies, and the largest colony of the magnificent frigate bird (a different species from the great frigate bird). While here we will see both endemic species of the iguanas in the Galapagos - the marine iguanas and the land iguanas. We will enjoy a relaxing Hike around the island's many nesting sites. We return to our boat for lunch. This afternoon our cruise concludes back in Baltra. We will then transfer to the airport for our flight back to Quito. Upon our return we will enjoy Dinner with a Cultural Performance for our last evening in Ecuador.
MEALS INCLUDED: Breakfast and Lunch aboard the ship, Dinner in Quito

DAY    8            DEPARTURE FROM QUITO
Our enjoyable, rewarding and life changing experience comes to an end, as we transfer to the airport for the return journey home.

OTHER ISLAND EXCURSION OPTIONS

Due to Galapagos conservation laws, other islands and landing sites besides those in this itinerary may be visited. The exact itinerary for your tour will be determined by your specific travel dates and the routing determined by the Galapagos National Park. Other options may include:

Bartolomé
After a dry landing we will explore the island's many volcanic formations, such as lava bombs, spatter, and cinder cones. We will then hike to the island's summit where we will enjoy views over the surrounding islands, including Pinnacle Rock's eroded tuff cone. During our hike we will see colonies of marine iguanas, lava lizards, tiquilla, and various species of cacti. Back at sea level we will have the opportunity to snorkel and see Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, and white tipped sharks from a safe distance.

Gardener Bay on Española
We will make a wet landing on the white coral beaches of Gardner Bay amidst a large colony of sea lions. From this open area we will observe Galapagos hawks, American oyster catchers, Galapagos doves, hooded mockingbirds, 3 species of Darwin finches, yellow warblers, lava lizards, and marine iguanas. We will have the option to swim or snorkel, which will allow us to see the diverse marine species of the Galapagos, including king angelfish, creole fish, damsel fish, parrot fish, manta rays, and white tipped reef sharks.

Espinosa Point on Fernandina
Here we will observe the largest marine iguanas in the Galapagos mingling with sally-light foot crabs. We will also see Galapagos penguins, Galapagos hawks, sea lions, the nesting sites of the flightless cormorants. Our exploration of the island will also reveal "pa-hoe-hoe" and "AA" lava formations, brachycereus cactus, and mangrove beds that extend to the sea.

Urbina Bay on Isabela
e will visit the fossil beach and coral area, and perhaps be able to observe giant tortoises, land iguanas, and flightless cormorants. After a walk through this impressive habitat we will have opportunity to snorkel.

Lookout Point on Floreana Island
We will take a short trip by panga and make a dry landing at Lookout Point, where we will enjoy incredible views among the marine birds.

Mirador de la Baronesa on Floreana Island
After a wet landing our naturalist guide will tell us the mysterious legend of the Baronesa, a tuff basalt formation between Cormorant Point and the Post Office. We will enjoy an easy hike along the trails in this area

Post Office Bay on Floreana Island
Post Office Bay is on the north side of Floreana Island and takes its unusual name from an informal post box set up by Captain James Colnett in 1793. As sailors passed through the Galapagos they could take other letters with them to their destinations. We can continue the tradition today by placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel (though it may take weeks, months, or even decades for them to reach their final destination). We will take a short walk from the barrel to a tunnel formed by lava flows. Here we will observe the mocking bird of Galapagos, some species of Darwin's finches, yellow Wardle, and lava lizards.

Tagus Cove on Isabela Island
We make a dry landing here on the largest island in the Galpagos. Here we will learn about the eruptions of five volcanoes that led to the formation of the island. We will then take a trail leading to Darwin's salt water lagoon, where we will have excellent views of the lava fields and volcanic formations. We will then take a dinghy to observe the island's marine life, often including Galapagos penguins, and graffiti believed to have been made by 19th century pirates.

Rábida
This is considered to be the geographic center of the Galapagos due to its extremely diverse collection of volcanic rocks. From our landing site we will hike to a salt water lagoon in hopes of spotting flamingos and brown pelicans, who nest in the salty bushes between July and September. We will also see Boobies and nine species of Darwin's finches before either taking a dinghy around the reefs or enjoying some snorkeling.

Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz
Here we will encounter many different types of sea bird, marine iguanas, and sea turtles. After swimming at the white sand beach we will return to our cruise ship, where we will check out and transfer to Baltra airport.

Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz
We will stop at this cove located near Las Bachas beach on the north side of the island. We will take a dinghy through the mangrove forest with the motor turned off to allow close observation of marine turtles, white tipped reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, and yellow rays.

Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz
We will visit this center staffed with international scientists conducting biological research and conservation projects. While there we will be able to observe the famous giant tortoises involved in a breeding program. After admiring the prickly pear cactus forest and many species of land birds we will have some free time to explore the town and shop for souvenirs.

Puerto Arroyo on Santa Cruz
This is the economic center of the archipelago, with the largest population of the 4 inhabited islands at approximately 8,000. We will then continue into the Santa Cruz Highlands where we will observe the twin pit craters, Los Gemelos and Cerro Chato, and walk inside the dormant lava tubes. We will also have the opportunity to observe the famous Giant Galapagos Tortoises for which the islands are named. We will return to our cruise ship for dinner this evening.

Santiago
We will make a wet landing on the dark sand beaches of Egas Port. The unusual landscape of this island is composed primarily of tuff-stone layers and lava flows, and is inhabited by hunting herons, great blue herons, lava herons, yellow crowned night herons and oystercatchers. As we swim or snorkel we will also see octopuses, sea horses, star fish, and a colony of fur-seals swimming in deep cool-water pools.