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Ecuador's Natural Wonders:
Quito, Amazon Lodge & the Galapagos
Immerse yourself in the ultimate holiday by experiencing three diverse destinations. First, enjoy a stay in Quito, including tours of the city and surrounding areas, as well as an exclusive dining experience. Then an alluring combination of the Amazon and the Galapagos: two of the best destinations in the world, offering wildlife and landscapes found nowhere else. You'll experience nature's living laboratory on a cruise or island hopping program of your choice, viewing tortoises, marine life, and an amazing variety of bird life. And this creative itinerary gives you the flexibility to choose any available Galapagos cruise, or island hopping program!
ACCOMMODATIONS
• 4 Nights Quito
• 3 Nights Amazon Lodge with All Meals and Daily Activities
• 4 Nights Galapagos Cruise or Island Hopping Package
 
INCLUSIONS
• All Arrivals and Departure Transfers
• Quito City Tour
• Terra Dining Experience
• Cotopaxi National Park Tour
• Daily Breakfast and Other Meals as Stated
 
Arrive Quito:
Arriving at Quito Airport, meet your driver guide for a private transfer to your hotel and the evening is on your own.

(Accommodations, Quito)




Quito:
Today enjoy a Private Quito Colonial City Tour. After meeting your guide, you'll start in Colonial Quito, an area of narrow cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls and, rising above, the steeples and cupolas of the city's many spectacularly decorated historic churches. Quito has one of the best-preserved colonial centers in all South America, and its integrity was assured in 1978 when the United Nations declared Quito a World Cultural Heritage site. During the morning you'll walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace, the spectacular gilded church of La Compañía, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the San Francisco Monastery, which was begun 5 days after the founding of the city in 1534. Then visit "La Ronda", the city's most famous colonial street, where you'll learn about the traditional jobs of Colonial Quito. The final stop of your colonial visit will be the "Panecillo", the hill that divides Quito in North & South, and where you'll admire the famous statue of Our Lady of the Panecillo, built by Bernardo de Legarda, as well as enjoying spectacular views of Quito. You'll stop for lunch in the old town, and afterwards enjoy a chocolate experience, starting with a guided tour explaining the history of cocoa in Ecuador, followed by a chocolate tasting.

(Breakfast, Lunch & Accommodations, Quito)

Amazon Lodge:
After breakfast, meet your driver for a transfer to the airport, and take a 50-minute flight to Coca, in the Amazonas region. You'll transfer to a boat and head towards Yasuni National Park, and your chosen lodge. The transfers will generally be a combination of driving, motor boats, and canoes, and can range from 2 to 3 hours. At your lodge, all your meals and activities are included. After arriving at your lodge, and settling in, enjoy a welcoming dinner this evening.

(Breakfast, Quito; Dinner & Accommodations, Amazon Lodge)

Amazon Lodge:
Daily activities will vary based on your chosen lodge, time of year, and day of the week. Here is an example of a tour that can be taken: Wildlife Discovery - After breakfast at the lodge, set out for a full day of adventure in the rainforest. You'll take a long hike to learn about the plants, animals and people of the Amazon. Discover medicinal uses for the rainforest's many plant species, search for impossibly small species of frog and startlingly large insect species, keep our eyes open for primates high in the forest canopy, and learn about the native cultures. You will also hone your blow gun skills to understand survival hunting techniques. Then enjoy a picnic lunch in the forest in a special spot chosen by your guide. Following lunch, you'll make your way to the lagoon system, where you'll set out on kayaks for an afternoon of paddling. A stop at the observation tower is a highlight of the tour. You'll wind your way up an observatory perched at the top of the forest canopy. The exhilaration of standing above the entire forest is quickly overtaken by the excitement of spotting some of the 565 registered species of birds. With some luck, there is also a chance to spot howler or squirrel monkeys, or even sloths resting high in the canopy. The wildlife viewing from above is an entirely different perspective, and gives a chance to discover some of the Amazon's biodiversity that can be difficult, if not impossible to see from the ground. After getting your fill of wildlife watching from the tower, walk back to your kayak for a (1 hour) recreational paddle back to the lodge. Then enjoy another delicious chef-prepared dinner before retiring for the night.

(All Meals & Accommodations, Amazon Lodge)


Amazon Lodge:
As previously stated, daily activities will vary based on your chosen lodge. Here is an example of a tour that may be done: Parrot Clay Licks - This morning, visit the best parrot clay licks in Ecuador. You'll start early and paddle downstream then take a motor boat for a quick ride for a wonderful view of thousands of parrots, such as Amazon-Mealy, blue-headed, orange-cheek, among others, landing on the earth to eat the clay. Later, back to the welcome area and a short hike to the parakeets' clay lick, where hundreds of cobalt-winged parakeets remain on the top of the trees searching for the best time to eat the salts, chemicals and minerals contained in the organic matter. You'll pause for lunch in the welcome area. Then in the afternoon, visit the Interpretation Area to see the traditions of the ancestral Kichwa community of Añangu, and share a traditional ceremony with the shaman. You'll return to the lodge late in the afternoon, where you'll be welcomed back with a refreshing fresh juice.

(All Meals & Accommodations, Amazon Lodge)

Quito:
After breakfast, meet your driver for a transfer to Coca, and your return flight to Quito. After checking into your hotel, the remainder of the day is at your leisure. This evening you'll be treated to a special gourmet experience in one of Quito's top restaurants: Terra. Enjoy a unique dining experience that will introduce you to the traditional flavors and modern gastronomic methods of Ecuador. Located in the heard of Quito, Terra explores innovative ways to combine exotic ingredients, well-executed techniques, and Ecuadorian flavors. Head chef Alvaro Reinoso has created an exclusive experiences for gastronomic connoisseurs at Terra with a 3-course meal blending exotic ingredients with comforting and palate pleasing tastes that will introduce you to Ecuadorian cuisine at its best.

(Breakfast, Amazon Lodge; Dinner & Accommodations, Quito)

Quito:
Meet your guide as you venture outside the capital to experience a very different, yet equally impressive natural landscape: Cotopaxi National Park. Arriving at the park, and weather permitting, you will be able to see the snowcapped summits of the Cotopaxi and Antisana volcanoes. A stop will be made at the Interpretation Center to learn about the history of this spectacular volcano's major eruptions, as well as the local flora and fauna. You'll then visit Lake Limpiopungo and explore the surrounding area on foot. If you feel like a longer walk, a 2-hour hike will take you to Volcan Cotopaxi's J. Ribas refuge (15,750 feet), where you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of the volcano and the surrounding Andean peaks.

(Breakfast & Accommodations, Quito)

Galapagos Cruise:
After breakfast, meet your driver for a private transfer for your flight to Baltra in the Galapagos. Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, guides will meet you, collect your luggage, and escort you to the ship, where the crew will welcome you aboard. After an orientation and safety briefing, lunch is served and the cruise begins.

You have the freedom to choose any 4 night cruise* or island hopping program that matches your taste, budget, and dates. Here is an itinerary based on the 4 Night Northern Cruise on the Santa Cruz II: Visit Las Bachas, a glorious white sand beach with a couple of lagoons that are the feeding grounds for various wading birds, including flamingos and stilts. You may enjoy swimming and/or snorkeling at this beach. Then return to the boat for a welcome cocktail and afternoon briefing, followed by dinner.

*Please Note: Itineraries will differ depending on chosen cruise or island hopping package.

(Breakfast, Quito; Lunch, Dinner & Accommodations, Selected Ship)

Galapagos Cruise:
Today starts with a visit to Buccaneer Cove. Years ago Buccaneer Cove was a safe haven where pirates in the 1600 and 1700's, would stake out on the Northwestern side of Santiago Island. Sea turtles have now taken the pirates place, and dig their nests for their eggs near the Mangrove trees. It's a great location for snorkeling, and many marine birds and sea lions can be found here. In the afternoon, visit James Bay, also known as Puerto Egas, which is home to the curious Galapagos Hawks and Quick-footed Galapagos Lava Lizards. The trail leads to a coastline with gorgeous tide pools and grottoes full of fauna. Here the Galapagos Fur Sea Lions bathe in the sun. This tide pools also offer a great snorkeling site.

(All Meals & Accommodations, Selected Ship)

Galapagos Cruise:
This morning, disembark on Rabida (Jervis), a small Island considered the geographic center of Galapagos, because its volcanic rocks are the most diversified in the archipelago. The dark red color of the beach comes from the high iron content in the volcanic stones. Afterwards, don't miss the opportunity to snorkel with a colony of sea lions and rays. Return to the boat for a relaxing lunch, before a visit to Bartolomé. It's a barren islet in Sullivan Bay to the east of Santiago Island, and is home to a distinctive and recognizable site of the archipelago: Pinnacle Rock. Pinnacle Rock, essentially a volcanic cone, was formed when magma was expelled from an underwater volcano; the sea cooled the hot lava, which then exploded, only to come together and form this huge rock made up of many thin layers of basalt. Visitors have access to two sites: one that involves a climb for an incredible viewpoint, and the other at the beach, where snorkeling and swimming is enjoyed. Birdwatchers should be on the lookout for Galapagos Penguins, herons, and Galapagos Hawks.

(All Meals & Accommodations, Selected Ship)

Galapagos Cruise:
Spend the entire day on Genovesa (Tower) Island; one of the most spectacular places in Galapagos for bird species. You'll land at Prince Philip's Steps, where red-footed boobies nest in Palo Santo trees. Nazca boobies nest near the trail, and storm petrels gather in large numbers in an open lava field. With luck, you may see the elusive short-eared owl. Return to the boat for lunch on the sun deck. Then you can choose to paddle from a kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, and explore the cliffs. Look for the red-billed tropic bird hiding in the crevices, or snorkel in deeper water from the Zodiac. Land at Darwin Bay, a coral sand beach where swallow-tailed and lava gulls gather near the tide pools. Enter a forest of Opuntia cactus and mangroves, where colonies of great frigate birds nest, the males inflating their red-throated pouches to attract females as they fly overhead. Choose to relax on the beach, or swim with sea lions in these northern warmer waters. Returning to the yacht, there will be a briefing, followed by dinner and an evening full of stars.

(All Meals & Accommodations, Selected Ship)

Galapagos Cruise:
Your last morning begins at the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. After breakfast, your luggage will be taken to the airport, while you visit the Tortoise Reserve. A dry landing at a passenger's wharf, and a bus ride to the inland region of the island will provide the last highlight of the cruise: giant tortoises in the wild. The windward slopes of the island are home to two species of giant tortoises. These lush highlands include dense forests of Galapagos daisies, orchids and bromeliads, and several endemic land birds. After this exciting visit, you'll have a transfer to Baltra airport. Farewell to Galapagos! Fly back to either Quito or Guayaquil for your return flight home, or continue to your next Avanti Destination!

(Breakfast, Selected Ship)

 
** Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
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