Compare Ancestor Volcanoes of Guatemala & Galapagos Islands by Big Five Tours & Expeditions vs Quito, Galapagos, and Guayaquil by Gray Line Ecuador

Day 1: Guatemala City, Guatemala / Antigua

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo

Welcome to Guatemala to begin your discovery of some of Central America’s active volcanoes.  A Big Five representative will greet you when you arrive in Guatemala City, and transfer you by road to your hotel in Antigua. This captivating city is famous for its Spanish Baroque influenced architecture as well as spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas. Your five-star hotel is a restored Dominican Order monastery that has preserved the treasures from the baroque period while creating a luxurious experience for its guests

Day 2:  Antigua – Pacaya Volcano – Antigua

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo

After breakfast, your volcanologist guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and transfer you to Pacaya Volcano, where you will set out on a hike, about two and a half hours.  At the top of the volcano, you will savor a lunch with spectacular views.  Active since 1965, this volcano is classified as a strombolian but occasionally plinian.  Pacaya recently had a slight increase in volcanic activity, which created several lava rivers.  Finish off your meal with a unique dessert – marshmallows heated by volcanic steam!  Return to Antigua to enjoy an afternoon walking tour of this captivating city.  Even Antigua’s present location is the result of volcanic activity.  It was moved here in 1527 after being destroyed in another location by a volcanic eruption. It has the distinct feel of a place lost in time, from its cobblestone streets to its priceless colonial architecture. There is much to explore here – art galleries, museums, shops, restaurants, quaint bars and cafes.  The city is also known for its chocolate makers!  At the Chocolate Museum & Workshop, you learn how the Mayas used cacao, and you can make your own chocolate.

Day 3: Antigua – Acatenango Volcano – Antigua

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo

After breakfast, you are transferred by a 4x4 expedition through forest, communities to a point where you begin your two-to-three-hour trek up the volcano.  Acatenango Volcano sits at an altitude of 3,975 meters/13,041 feet, making it the third highest volcano in Guatemala.  And, it has the unique characteristic of having an active twin, Fuego Volcano.  From the summit of Acatenango, you enjoy lunch surrounded by incredible scenery, and you may see Fuego Volcano explosions. Both volcanoes overlook Antigua and, on a clear day, you may even see the Pacific coastline. After lunch, rendezvous with the vehicle for the ride back to Antigua.

Day 4: Antigua –Lake Atitlan – Antigua

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo

This morning, travel by helicopter to Lake Atitlan.  Its natural beauty, gorgeous views of the volcanoes and indigenous villages caused the famous writer Aldous Huxley to call it, ¨the most beautiful lake in the world.¨   The flight passes over spectacular landscapes including four volcanoes: Fuego (active), Acatenango, Atitlan and Toliman.  In sight of three dormant volcanoes, you set out to hike Cerro de Oro, 1,892 meters/6,207 feet, a volcanic formation made by an explosion that occurred millions years ago.  Later you enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Return to Antigua by helicopter. 

Day 5: Antigua / Guatemala City / Guayaquil, Ecuador

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Hilton Colón

You are met by a representative in the lobby of your hotel for your transfer to Guatemala City Airport for your departure flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  You are welcomed and privately transferred from airport to hotel.

Day 6: Guayaquil / Santa Cruz Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Galapagos Safari Camp

This morning, you fly to the famous Galapagos Islands.  Your guide meets you at Baltra´s airport and drives you through the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit the “El Chato” reserve.  This is the natural habitat of the Galapagos tortoise.  Explore the reserve to encounter these lumbering gentle giants and other wildlife such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigate birds bathing in freshwater lakes.  You will also see amazing volcanic tunnels created by hot flowing lava.  Continue on to “Los Gemelos”, two volcanic sinkholes near the top of the island. Walk around these deep craters through a beautiful Scalesia forest covered with epiphytes and ferns.  Later in the afternoon, transfer to your accommodations.

Day 7:  Santa Cruz Island - Daily Boat Excursions

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Galapagos Safari Camp

*Depending on the day of the week the excursion to the islands may vary, however, we recommend a  visit to Bartholome.

Bartholome Island and Sullivan Bay (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday)

The summit trail begins with a dry landing, though sea lions make the dock more exciting.  The trail is a dusty walk through volcanic ash. The only vegetation is the “pioneer plants”, grey Tiquilia and greenish Chamaesyce. These are vital in binding the ash that fans down from the hill. The park wardens have built wooden steps up the hill to prevent further erosion by humans. The reddish spatter cones were minor eruptions of highly viscous material that cooled rapidly. The summit is such a cone; it seems higher than 114 meters/374 feet as you climb the steps.  The eastern side has many small lava tubes. If you look carefully, you can make out sunken craters in the sea below. In the distance, you can see most of the central islands, the peaks of Isabela to the west, and, on a clear day, Marchena and Pinta to the north. A good snorkeling place lies at the foot of the Pinnacle Rock that leans into the bay. The cliff is an eroded tuff cone. A small family of Galapagos penguins lives in the shadows of the Pinnacle. You can often spot the penguins on a dingy ride. In the afternoon, return to your tented camp privately nestled on the highlands of Santa Cruz. 

Day 8: Santa Cruz Island / Isabela Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Iguana Crossing

This morning, transfer to Baltra’s airport to take the interisland flight to Isabela Island.  You arrive at your hotel with some time to relax before lunch.  This afternoon, visit “Las Tintoreras”, a set of small islets within the bay. The islets are home to the Galapagos penguin, the only one of this species found in the northern hemisphere.  Explore the small, idyllic beaches and coves, and in the offshore waters, you may spot sharks, sea lions, sea turtles and rays.  At the end of the day, relax at Puerto Villamil, the island´s lazy beach town known for its flamingos and sand streets.

Day 9: Isabela Island - Volcan Sierra Negra

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Iguana Crossing

Today, you head into Isabela’s volcanic highlands on one of the most impressive hikes in the Galapagos. After driving to the end of the road, you begin your hike into a surreal world of volcanic terrain and the flora is sustains. As you hike, you are surrounded by stunning views of volcanoes and the sea. When you arrive at the rim of Volcan Sierra Negra, you are rewarded with a truly one-of-a-kind vista. This is the second largest active caldera on the planet, six miles across at its widest point. Continue your hike along the rim of this enormous crater.  The next leg of our hike continues on to the otherworldly landscapes of the secondary vent Volcan Chico, where spectacular lava formations are painted in vibrant hues by sulfur deposits and puffing fumaroles vent volcanic gases.  As we head back, we stop for lunch at a restaurant on the slopes of Sierra Negra, which also serves as a private giant tortoise reserve.  After spending the day in this volcanic terrain, we take some time to soak up the atmosphere of Puerto Villamil and relax on the beach.

Day 10: Isabela Island / Baltra / Guayaquil

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Hilton Colón

Transfer to the island airport for your inter-island flight to Baltra, and connect with your flight back to the mainland. You are met and privately transferred to your hotel. 

Day 11:  Guayaquil / Depart

Meals: Breakfast

Today you will be transferred to airport in Guayaquil to connect with your onward flight.

Day 1:

Transfer from airport to Hotel in Quito. Accommodation.

Day 2:

Meals: Breakfast

1914 Original trolley city tour of Quito + Northern and south Hemisphere Experience in the Middle of the World

We will visit the historic center, the largest and best preserved in South America, in one of our original trolleys, which are a replica of the trams that circulated in Quito in the last century.

Visit to the Basilica del Voto Nacional Church, where we will make a brief stop for an explanation of its facade, to later move towards the Panecillo viewpoint, an iconic place in the city, renowned for its beauty, and where is a giant statue of the ""Winged Virgin"", where you can admire a beautiful landscape of colonial and modern Quito. Later we will continue to the Plaza de San Francisco, one of the representative places of the city and full of history, from where we will walk to the Plaza Grande, historical and political center of the city, surrounded by innumerable attractions including: the Cathedral, the Palace of Government, the Archbishop's Palace and the La Compañía church.

We continue our tour meeting the traditional La Ronda neighborhood, in whose romantic setting we can find workshops where our visitors will learn with a group of authentic artisans, how their works are elaborated, and trades of yesteryear that keep alive the cultural traditions of this charming city. (Entrance to churches are not included).

We will stop at the “Zona Rosa” of the city, approximately an hour and a half to have free time for lunch (not included), and later we continue with our excursion “Northern and south Hemisphere Experience in the Middle of the World”.

We go to the ""Middle of the World City"", where you can see the monument that divides the northern hemisphere from the southern hemisphere of the planet. It was built during the XVII century when a French Expedition defined the precise location of the equatorial line that divides the world and it is a must-see place for those who visit Quito. Includes entrance to the Middle of the World complex ,where you can live experiences that defy the laws of physics and occur only in this part of the world. After visiting this privileged place and registering it in your passport, you will always see Ecuador and the Middle of the World in a different way.

Day 3:

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel before your transfer to the airport for your flight to Galapagos. 

Welcome at the Baltra airport and transfer by public buses to the tip of the Itabaca canal, where you will proceed by a public ferry service in the Island of Santa Cruz. Transport will be waiting in order to transfer you to Puerto Ayora, area where the hotels are located on the Island. On the way, you will have the opportunity to visit the lava tunnels and a Turtle reserve. Visit to the Scientific Charles Darwin Station, where you can learn more about the Galápagos Islands; the species that live in this enchanted place, its origin, the theory of Evolution, the conservation programs, and observe some Giant Turtles in captivity. (Transfer operates daily at 13h00). Accommodation.

**It will be possible to operate transfers without visits and without guide at the following times: 10h00 and 15h00** (previous request)

Day 4:

Meals: Breakfast

In the morning excursion to Tortuga Bay Beach, after 40minute walk (approx.) we will arrive to this magic place, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos, with white sand and green mangroves. “Playa mansa” is where we can swim and enjoy of the beach.  Free time for lunch (not included). In the afternoon, tour around the bay on board a yacht, starting with a visit to “La Lobería”, named because of the presence of sea lions. Here you will be able to swim or snorkel. Then we proceed with our tour to the “Canal del Amor”, a marvelous site where nature gives us an unforgettable view; at the end of this channel, just a few meters forward, a viewpoint where we can observe reef sharks; from here we continue with a short

walk to see the marine iguanas that inhabit in “Playa de los Perros”.  Punta Estrada will also be visited. Return to Puerto Ayora.

*Note: shipping used in this excursion is a boat engine with capacity for 16 people. This tour only takes place Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Day 5:

Meals: Breakfast

Excursion in yacht to one of the following Islands: Bartolomé & Bahía Sullivan, Seymour & Bachas, Plazas & Punta Carrión, Santa Fe or similar ones. Lunch included and return to Puerto Ayora to accommodation.

** Tour Operations in Galápagos, may change due to climate conditions, operations, and logistics and are also subject to availability and itinerary changes, days of excursions, etc. However, GRAY LINE Guarantees the number of excursions and visits to be met, but does not guarantee the itinerary or specific place to visit.

Day 6:

Meals: Breakfast

We will pick you up at your hotel to go to the canal of Itabaca, where a ferry will take you to Baltra Island. At the port you will board a public bus that takes you to the airport. On the route from the hotel to the canal, you will have the opportunity to make a brief stop at the craters ""Los Gemelos"", crater holes formed by the collapse of materials, surrounded by scalesia's forests. (Transfer operates daily at 07h00, 09h00 and 12h00). Includes only transport.

Transfer Airport / Hotel in Guayaquil. Accommodation.

Day 7:

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer Hotel / Airport