Compare Galapagos Discovery by Intrepid Travel vs Active Ecuador - A Multisport Adventure by Adventure Unbound

Day 1 Quito

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Quito, Ecuador. Your trip begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive with some time to spare before the meeting, consider exploring the city on an Urban Adventure like the Quito Market Discovery.

Day 2 Isla San Cristobal

Transfer to the airport and board your flight around midday (an Intrepid representative will provide detailed flight times on the evening of Day 1 during the welcome meeting). Arrive in Isla San Cristobal and meet your leader at the arrivals lounge. Meet the travellers who began their journey in the Galapagos Islands and get straight into it with a visit to the Interpretation Centre to learn about the human and natural history of the archipelago. Afterwards, go for your first snorkel at Tijeretas, a small cove where you can swim with sea turtles, rays, and sea lions!

Day 3 Isla San Cristobal

Enjoy a free day on Isla San Cristobal. You may also like to take an optional boat ride to Kicker Rock or Isla Lobos – one of the most recommended activities. You'll be able to observe the famous Galapagos marine life along the way as well as the opportunity to go snorkelling with sea turtles, eagle rays and the harmless Galapagos shark, just to name a few.

Day 4 Isla Santa Cruz

Early in the morning, take a 2.5-hour public speed boat ride to Isla Santa Cruz. On arrival, have breakfast and settle into the hotel before a mid-morning visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station. The station's visitor centre and museums contain information about the islands and the conservation efforts being made to preserve the unique ecosystem here. It's also a great place to have close encounters with giant tortoises. In the afternoon, head to the higher part of the islands to observe these giants roaming in their natural habitat.

Day 5 Isla Isabela

Today you’ll travel to Isla Isabela where you’ll check-in to the hotel and enjoy breakfast. The island is the largest in the Galapagos and one of the most volcanically active places on earth. You have a free day here to explore at your own pace. A worthwhile optional activity today is an excursion to Las Tintoreras, where white-tipped sharks rest during the day and marine iguanas nest.

Day 6 Isla Isabela

Start the day with a visit to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre for a close encounter with these placid giants. Here you can see tortoises in different stages of development as well learn about the preservation program of this unique species. Take a bus to the highest part of Isabela Island where Sierra Negra Volcano is located. Weather permitting, go for a hike up to the crater to enjoy spectacular views and the possibility of sighting the rare vermillion flycatcher. The challenging 17-kilometre hike takes between 5—6 hours, but at the top you'll be able to enjoy spectacular views. After the hike, make your way back to town in the late afternoon for some free time to curl up with a book or venture down to the water for a relaxing swim before dinner.

Day 7 Isla Santa Cruz

Travel back to Santa Cruz in the morning and enjoy some free time. Consider taking part in some of the optional activities available, such as an excursion to Tortuga Bay, an immaculate natural paradise where you can go kayaking, observe marine iguanas and birds or swim with harmless sharks in an alcove. After lunch (own expense), jump on a boat to La Loberia where you can swim in the waters that the area’s sea lions call home. Then, it’s off to Punta Estrada to observe birds like blue-footed boobies and pelicans. Finally, visit Playa de Los Dogs to see a large number of iguanas, the only sea-going lizard in the world that lives in these volcanic landscapes.

Day 8 Quito

Say goodbye to these enchanting islands and your Galapagos leader. The flight back to Quito leaves at midday and stops in Guayaquil en-route to Quito. You should arrive in Quito in the early evening (4-5pm). A representative from Intrepid will take you from the airport to your hotel. Enjoy a free evening in Quito.

Day 9 Quito

There are no activities planned for the final day. If you want to spend more time in Quito, speak to an Intrepid booking agent to secure extra accommodation (subject to availability). You can get to know the city on an Urban Adventure. See urbanadventures.com for details.

Day 1: Welcome to Ecuador

Meals Included: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Quito

Custom Trip Note: Below is our most popular multisport itinerary in Ecuador, however, we can customize this trip at every turn to fit your availability, trip preference, activities, budget, lodging preferences or any other reason. Please call us at 800-451-6034 to customize a trip.

Arrive in Quito, Ecuador to begin your adventure! Assistance and transfer provided from the airport to the Hotel Quito in the modern part of the city. Time to acclimate to the altitude. In the evening enjoy a welcome cocktail and briefing.

Day 2: Quito City Tour

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Quito

Today you will sample imperial Quito. You will begin by touring the St. Augustine Convent to see its coffered ceilings, colonial patio, numerous paintings and cloisters. Make sure you tour Independence Plaza (which is bordered by the great Cathedral), the Municipal edifice, the Presidential palace and the Archbishop’s residence. Do not forget to visit the San Francisco Church and see its imposing portico and foyer which lead to a gold covered interior and the Virgin of Quito (with wings), on its principal altar. Delicious lunch will be waiting for you at a downtown Ecuadorian restaurant which specializes in local cuisine and live musical melodies. When lunch is finished, you will tour La Carolina, the city park, to see Quito’s botanical garden.

Day 3: Otavalo and Papallacta Hot Springs

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Quito

The Ecuador adventure begins today early as you move north on the Pan-American Highway with beautiful mountain scenery surrounding you. Take time to tour the Indian Market at Otavalo which like other regional markets is crucial to Indian culture because of the opportunities afforded to these people to meet, socialize and trade. In the Andean Valley, you will find vibrant local markets which are renowned for beautiful handicrafts. Otavalo Market is known for shuttle loom and back strap woven textiles dating back to pre-Inca times. It is the most renowned of all Indian fairs in South America.

Ensure you tour the famed Indian market and saunter on the lean cobblestone street which will be full of Otavalo Indians donning white trousers, blue ponchos and elongated braided hair. For lunch, we will take you to an amiable Hacienda or country inn. The adventure back to Hotel Quito from here will first take you to Pifo, through Cayambe village.

Day 4: Cotopaxi Bike Tour

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Casa Mojanda

You will leave Quito and travel on the Pan-American Highway to the south via the renowned ‘avenue of the volcanoes’ until you reach Cotopaxi National Park’s gate, the ultimate stop for an Ecuador adventure. You ride bikes as you tour Limpio Pungo lagoon and El Salitre Inca ruins which are found in the park’s highlands. The Tambopaxi Acclimatization Center will host us for lunch and the spectacular sights of Cotopaxi Volcano will be your backdrop. Your accommodation will be provided by the Hacienda Tierra del Volcan.

Day 5: Cotopaxi Horseback Tour

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hacienda Tierra del Volcan

A horseback ride awaits you today as you scale the highest peak on the slopes of Rumiñahui's. You will travel through concealed trails in order to see the dazzling landscape of a number of Andean Volcanoes. You will see varieties of guarros, quilicos, falcon, curiquingues and probably a condor and its companion. The afternoon will see you travel back to Hacienda Tierra del Volcan.

Day 6: Sincholagua Volcano Hiking

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hacienda Tierra del Volcan

The Sincholagua Volcano is your first stop after breakfast on this Ecuador multisport adventure. The terrain on your journey is characterized by sandy slopes, Páramo vegetation and boulders. The Cotopaxi's ridges will give you a splendid view. Six to seven hours of hiking will be enough before you go back to Hacienda Tierra del Volcan.

Day 7: Amazon Jungle

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Cuyabeno Lodge

"El Puente del Cuyabeno" or the entrance of the Cuyabeno Reserve is you next destination, first by flying to Lago Agrio, and then driving for three hours. On River Cuyabeno you will ride a canoe downstream in the midst of the Amazon jungle’s thick vegetation. You accommodation and dinner will be provided by Cuyabeno Lodge.

Day 8:

You will eat breakfast before heading to the forest to study prevalent flora and fauna. The excursion begins with a trek in the basic forest and the nearby Lake Laguna Grande for about three hours. Here you will see various ancient trees, orchids, giant palms and a number of birds including macaws, woodpeckers, toucans and also three types of monkeys. Activities for the afternoon are piranha hunting and a revitalizing dip at the Cuyabeno Lagoon. You will be accommodated and have dinner at the Cuyabeno Lodge.

Day 9: 

Breakfast over, you and your naturalist guide will hike in the jungle to help you understand how medicinal plants are used. This is also your opportunity to see reptiles, birds and diurnal mammals. Your lunch will comprise of the finest global and traditional jungle delicacies. Later in the afternoon you will sail in a canoe on Lake Canangueno where you will view arapaimas, fresh water dolphins and primeval hoatizins in addition to a wonderful sunset. You will be accommodated and have dinner at the Cuyabeno Lodge.

Day 10:

On this day, you will have an early breakfast and proceed to watch birds. You will also tour Puerto Bolívar, which is a small Siona Indians settlement, and study their daily life. A canoe ride on Grande Lake is scheduled for the afternoon where a spectacular sunset awaits you. You will search for caiman crocodiles and other nocturnal animals on Cuyabeno River when darkness falls. A sheltered hammock will give you’re a memorable experience

 of nocturnal jungle. You can choose to go back to the Cuyabeno Lodge or have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to camp in the Amazonian Jungle!

Day 11: Return to Quito

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Quito

Enjoy the surrounding nature on your Ecuadorian adventure for the last time before making your way back to "El Puente." You'll travel to Lago Agrio by bus to take a flight back to Quito. Stay the night at the Hotel Quito.

Day 12: Departure

Time to say goodbye to Ecuador or catch an extension with ROW Adventures, e.g. to the Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu, etc... Transfer to the airport is  included.