Compare Active Ecuador - A Multisport Adventure by Adventure Unbound vs Galapagos Islands Retreat by Tours of Distinction
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
|
5 | Excellent
|
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 3,750 | $ 4,000 |
| Price Per Day | $ 469 | $ 500 |
| Highlights |
|
|
| Trip Style | Small group tour | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
| Physical Level |
|
|
| Travel Themes |
|
|
| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
|
|
| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
| Activities |
|
|
| Meals Included |
7 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches and 8 Dinners |
6 Breakfasts | 3 Lunches | 5 Dinners |
| Description |
Jungles, Volcanoes and Hot Springs. A multisport adventure to the highlights of Ecuador, this trip offers visitors an intimate connection to Ecuador's culture, wildlife and nature. |
Be inspired by the serenity of yoga on this wellness tour of the Galapagos Islands where wildlife frolics unfettered and free on this wildlife and wellness vacation. The journey begins in Quito, Ecuador, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and then visits four Galapagos Islands where you can walk in the footsteps of Darwin. Imagine the thrill of spotting penguins, flamingos, and giant tortoises, watching the dance of marine iguanas and seeing a parade of blue-footed boobies as frigate birds soar overhead. |
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.
Day 1 - Home - Quito, Ecuador
Today, transfer to the airport for the flight to Quito, Ecuador. Upon arrival in Quito, we transfer to our hotel.
Day 2 - Quito, Ecuador
Following breakfast, we head out to explore Quito. Our city tour of Quito includes: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo which is a statue of the virgin of Quito that overlooks and protects the city.
Then, we travel to the middle-of-the-world, Mitad-del-Mundo. At 0 degrees latitude, you can stand with both feet in each hemisphere and learn the gravitational forces at work along this imaginary line. We have some free time this afternoon before our included dinner this evening at the hotel. (B,D)
Day 3 - Quito - Galapagos Islands
This morning after breakfast, we transfer to the Quito airport for our flight to the Galápagos Islands. We arrive on the island of Baltra and transfer to our hotel in Santa Cruz. After check-in, we visit the Charles Darwin Research Station for an introduction to the Island’s unique wildlife and history. The Charles Darwin Research Station works to preserve the unique and balanced ecosystem. Here, we have a thorough introduction to the flora and fauna that make these islands so special.
Later, we travel to Rancho Chato, in the highlands of Santa Cruz, and get up-close and personal with the giant Galápagos tortoise. The area also has volcanic lava tubes we can explore underground. We top off our time in these spectacular natural surroundings with a local, traditional lunch. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Galapagos Islands
Today, we hop-over by speed boat and visit South Plazas, one of the smallest islands in the Galápagos. Though one of the smallest islands in the Galapagos, it has the island chain’s largest population of land iguanas. Birdlife is also abundant. Look out for red-billed tropicbirds and indigenous swallow-tailed gulls and sea lions frolicking the water as we tour the area. Our time on South Plaza includes lunch before we return to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz island. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - Galapagos Islands
We begin our day with a yoga lesson in Tortuga Bay. Tortuga bay is one of the most beautiful stretches of white sandy beach and turquoise waters in the Galapagos Islands.
This morning, we depart for San Cristobal to witness amazing wildlife watching and interesting geological formations. Each island in the Galapagos is truly a different experience and San Cristobal is one of the most unique. Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon, we head into the highlands of San Cristobal and have a yoga lesson in the typical highlands of the San Cristobal.
San Cristobal is the fifth largest and easternmost island in the Galapagos. It consists of a few fused volcanoes and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. (B,D)
Day 6 - Galapagos Islands
Today, we take a small boat to Isla Lobos. We have a guided tour and will learn about frigate birds, blue footed boobies and sea lions that inhabit the island from our Naturalist Guide. Afterwards, we have time to snorkel and swim with playful sea lions and observe rays and turtles. We continue to a local restaurant for lunch before ending our Lobos excursion on Playa Ochoa ~ a white coral beach. Here, we have a yoga lesson surrounded by views of the Pacific Ocean.
After, we transfer back to our hotel and have dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 7 - Galapagos Islands - Quito
Today, after our last yoga session, we have some free time for some last minute shopping or sightseeing around San Cristobal. Some great sites to explore include:
Jacinto Gordillo Breeding Center
A giant tortoise breeding center where you can view various species of these incredible creatures that can to be over 100 years old!
Early this afternoon, we transfer to the airport for the flight to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, we will check-in for our overnight flight home to Bradley International Airport. (B)
Day 8 - Arrive USA
Arrive back in the USA this morning and transfer home rested and relaxed with incredible memories.
*Yoga lessons and snorkeling are included activities. They are not mandatory to participate in.
