Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Ecuador Galapagos Islands Land & Sea Multi-Adventure
Day 1 Arrive in Quito
1-hour private van transfer from airport to hotel
Welcome to the historic city of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. An MT Sobek representative will meet you outside customs at the airport and escort you to your deluxe boutique hotel located in the heart of the Old Town. After settling in at the hotel, the rest of the day is free to unwind, take advantage of the spa services or begin your exploration of this dynamic city. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Accommodation: Illa Experience Hotel
Day 2 Explore Quito's Old Town & Meet Local Artisans
AM 1-2 hours/1 mile walking in Quito Historic Center
Set out this morning on a guided tour of colonial Quito. The city's UNESCO-listed old town contains the best examples of Colonial Baroque architecture in South America! After lunch at a local restaurant, participate in one of the interactive Illa Experiences and learn how local artisans make a local product using authentic ancestral methods. Gather for an evening briefing about the upcoming Galapagos portion of the adventure, followed by a special tasting dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Illa Experience Hotel
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Fly to the Galapagos Islands
1-hour private vehicle transfer, 2-hour flight transfer
PM panga cruise
Rise for breakfast and an early transfer flight from Quito to Baltra Island in the Galapagos. After meeting your naturalist guide, take a short transfer from Baltra to Santa Cruz Island and board your private luxury catamaran. Enjoy an afternoon excursion by panga in Santa Cruz Island's Black Turtle Cove and see a variety of bird and small shark species, as well as sea turtles, in this protected mangrove lagoon. Enjoy a welcome dinner onboard.
Accommodation: Alya
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Discover the Rich Birdlife of Genovesa Island
AM 2 hours easy hike (1 mile) plus snorkeling & kayaking; PM 3 hours moderate hike (2 miles) plus snorkeling
Genovesa Island is known as Bird Island and is one of the most interesting for visitors! Make a wet landing and hike along the north side of Darwin Bay, formed by the rim of a sunken crater. The highlight is the incredible abundance of red-footed boobies (rarely seen outside of Genovesa Island), great frigatebirds and swallow-tailed gulls. The bay also offers several places to snorkel or kayak, with opportunities to get close to wildlife such as Galapagos fur seals, and bird life. After lunch, explore the cliffs by panga before climbing Prince Phillip's Steps to the island's plateau. Walk through massive colonies of Red-footed and Nazca Boobies on the way to a lava ridge where thousands of storm petrels dart about. Snorkelers can explore below the cliffs, where there are chances of seeing sharks, rays and sea lions. Return to the boat for cocktail hour and dinner.
Accommodation: Alya
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Hike & Snorkel on Santiago & Bartolome Islands
AM 2 hours easy walk (1.5 miles) plus snorkeling; PM 1.5-hour easy walk (1 mile) plus snorkeling
Get a sense of the primordial beginnings of our planet, walking across a recent lava flow at Santiago's Sullivan Bay where dramatic contrasting black pahoehoe flow and the reddish-yellow tuff cones are the stars of this visit. You will also have the option to swim or snorkel where the sea is teaming with life. After lunch, make a wet landing at Bartolome Island, one of the best snorkeling locations in the Galapagos, not only for its clear and calm waters, but also because of the presence of Galapagos penguins, which are relatively easy to find while snorkeling, along with an incredible diversity of fish, colorful invertebrates, sea lions, turtles, rays, and reef sharks. End the day with a climb up to the pinnacle of this ancient cinder cone, with spectacular views of iconic Pinnacle Rock, as well as Santiago Island, and Daphne Major and Minor.
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Sombrero Chino & Mosquera Islet
AM 1-1.5 hours easy walk (1 mile) plus snorkeling; PM 1 hour easy walk (1 mile)
This morning, anchor off the small islet of Sombrero Chino and make a wet landing on shore. Snorkel with Galapagos penguins along the cliff face or swim with sea lion pups - another highlight of the trip! On a guided walk, enjoy additional encounters with the colony of sea lions and their pups that often play along the coral beaches and tide pools, and marvel at the fantastic volcanic scenery. This afternoon, make a wet landing at Mosquera Islet, located between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour, and boasting a white sand beach framed by a reef of rocks and coral. This island has one of the largest populations of sea lions in the archipelago, as well as several species of shore birds. Enjoy a final dinner on board tonight.
(B, L, D)
Day 7 See Giant Tortoises in the Wild on Santa Cruz & Journey to Isabela Island
1-hour private vehicle transfer; 2.5-hour speedboat transfer
AM 1.5 hours easy walk (1 mile)
Arrive this morning back at Santa Cruz Island. Disembark the Alya and transfer by private vehicle to the lush highlands of Santa Cruz for a special opportunity to see giant tortoises in their wild and natural habitat. The Galapagos Islands are named after these magnificent, ancient creatures and the experience with them is magical. Return to the port and board a privately chartered speedboat to Isabela Island, the largest of the islands, and transfer to your beachfront hotel in Puerto Villamil. Take the remainder of the day to swim and snorkel at the beach and explore the village with your guide. Be sure to keep an eye out overhead for blue-footed boobies and along the shoreline for Galapagos sea lions. Formed by six volcanoes, Isabela is home to roughly 60% of the flora and fauna found in the Galapagos.
Accommodation: Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Hike the Sierra Negra Volcano
2-hour private vehicle transfer
4–7 hours/10 miles hiking with 400’ elevation gain and loss
Take an awe-inspiring hike up the Sierra Negra Volcano (4,890'), one of the most active volcanoes in the Galapagos. Hike two hours up a gradual incline to the massive crater's edge, walking among fumaroles and petrified lava formations. Along the way, enjoy spectacular views of the ocean and surrounding islands, and watch for endemic Galapagos hawks, martins, and vermilion flycatchers. From the top, you can hike back down or extend your hike by continuing along the crater's rim.
Accommodation: Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel
(B, L)
Day 9 Snorkel at Los Tuneles
2-hour speedboat transfer
Snorkeling
Set out by privately chartered motorboat to Los Tuneles, a marine paradise where stunning natural tubes and bridges were formed by the impact of lava flows on ocean waves. Enjoy spectacular snorkeling in shallow, clear waters brimming with parrot fish, yellowtail surgeon fish, and green sea turtles, as well as manta rays and small white tipped sharks. It's an unforgettable experience to discover the diversity of species that have taken up residence in the unique geological formations of arches and tunnels both under and above water. Return to the hotel for a festive farewell evening. NOTE: the entrance to this site is shallow and the waves can be strong. If conditions prohibit the stop, we will substitute another snorkeling option on this day.
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Depart from the Galapagos & Return to Quito
2.5-hour flight transfer
Awake early to swim or take a nature walk before your transfer to Puerto Villamil airport for the short flight to Baltra, connecting with a flight back to Quito. An MT Sobek representative will greet you at Quito Airport and provide assistance to meet your connecting late-night flight home, or opt to stay on in Quito for an exciting extension in Ecuador or Peru!
(B)
