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Compare Quito, Galapagos, and Guayaquil by Gray Line Ecuador vs 8 Day Ecuador with 4 Day Northern Galapagos Cruise by Gate 1 Travel

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Duration 7 days 8 days
Price From $ 1,238 $ 8,089
Price Per Day $ 177 $ 1,011
Highlights
  • Visit the largest and best preserved Historic Center of South America.
  • Visit the Middle of the World and live experiences that defy the laws of physics and occur only in this part of the world.
  • Learn more about the Galapagos Islands, the species that live in this enchanted place, its origin, the theory of evolution and conservation programs.
  • Discover Quito's colonial quarter, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Stand at the Middle of the World monument, situated at latitude 0º
  • Embark on a journey to the beginning of time in the Galapagos Archipelago of volcanic islands
  • Visit Buccaneer Cove, once an important site for 17th and 18th-century sailors
  • Snorkel on magnificent beaches with friendly marine turtles and plentiful marine life
  • Travel along the jagged shores to Rábida Island on a panga while naturalist-guides explain the area's dramatic geology
  • The unique environment encourages sea lions, marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, penguins and flightless cormorants
  • Observe areas with Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, and sea lions
  • Explore Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador and the nation's largest port
  • Visit Parque Historico and learn about the history & culture of the region
 
Trip Style Small group tour Group tour
Lodging Level Standard Standard
Physical Level
  • 3- Moderate
  • 3- Moderate
Travel Themes
  • Cultural
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • National Parks
  • Cultural
  • 50 plus
Countries Visited
Cities and Attractions
  • Galapagos
  • Guayaquil
  • Quito
  • Darwin
  • Galapagos
  • Guayaquil
  • Quito
  • Santa Cruz
Flights & Transport Ground transport included Ground transport included
Activities
  • Culture
  • History
  • Wildlife viewing
N/A
Meals Included

6 Breakfasts

N/A
Description

Get to know Quito with its historical center and the Middle of the World, a place you can’t miss to visit and the wonderful Galapagos Islands with their diversity of fauna.

2 Quito, 4 Cruise, 1 Guayaquil

Itinerary: Quito, Galapagos, and Guayaquil

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

Itinerary: 8 Day Ecuador with 4 Day Northern Galapagos Cruise

Your Galapagos itinerary may vary according to weather conditions, seasonal changes, safety issues and wildlife migration patterns.

DAY 1, Saturday - Depart for Ecuador
Depart for Ecuador. Arrive in Quito, capital of Ecuador, founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city; transfer to your hotel. The Quito airport is approximately an hour drive from the city. Balance of the day is at leisure to get acquainted with this lively city's priceless historical treasures of art and architecture
Overnight: Quito ▲

DAY 2, Sunday - Quito City Tour & Visit to the Middle of the World
The morning's tour begins with a visit to the colonial section of Quito to walk along the narrow cobblestone streets and feel the charm of 16th-century Quito. See the Independence Plaza, the Cathedral, Presidential Palace, and the Archbishop's Palace before visiting La Compañia de Jesus Church, with its beautiful gilded interior or the Church and Monastery of San Francisco, one of the great religious buildings of the New World with its impressive facade and atrium. Afterward, visit the Middle of the World Monument, located at a latitude of 0º, and stand with one foot in the Northern and one in the Southern Hemisphere. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure
Overnight: Quito
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3, Monday - Flight to Baltra, Embarkation, Las Bachas - Santa Cruz Island
Embark this morning on a journey to the "beginning of time" as you transfer to the airport for the flight to the astonishing Galapagos Archipelago of volcanic islands, five million years in the making. Arrive at Baltra Airport, meet your naturalist guides and transfer to the pier to board the M/V Santa Cruz II. Lunch on board with time to settle in before this afternoon's excursion to Las Bachas on Santa Cruz Island's north shore. Here, enjoy the delightful white sand beach with briny lagoons just a few steps from the sea, a feeding ground for various wading birds, from stilts to flamingos. Tonight, a welcome cocktail on board with a briefing by a naturalist guide on tomorrow's exciting activities followed by dinner
Overnight: Galapagos Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4, Tuesday - Buccaneer Cove, Puerto Egas (James Bay) - Santiago Island
Awake early and get ready for the thrilling explorations that lie ahead on Santiago Island. Discover the extraordinary cliffs of Buccaneer Cove, once an important site for 17th and 18th-century sailors, now home to large numbers of marine birds, sea lions, and adorable Galapagos fur seals. View the amazing natural formations including Elephant Rock, the Bishop, and a remarkable natural cave. Swim along the rocky shoreline or, snorkel in the company of friendly marine turtles. Later, on the trails at Puerto Egas, you view land and marine birds in this landscape of tuff-stone layers with Sally Lightfoot crabs roaming the lava rocks. At low tide, marine iguanas graze upon the algae beds next to colonies of fur sea lions. Enjoy dinner and evening at leisure
Overnight: Galapagos Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5, Wednesday - Rábida and Bartolomé Island
A morning panga ride takes you along the jagged shores to Rábida Island with its volcanic rocks surrounding a striking red sand beach. Your walk brings you close to a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas and several species of Darwin's famous finches. Very close to the beach, a salt pond seasonally hosts migrating flamingos. Try snorkeling at this beach, a perfect place to learn! Experienced snorkelers will appreciate the exceptional combination of underwater marine life and submarine landscapes. After lunch, travel to the golden beaches of Bartolomé Island, dominated by the iconic Pinnacle Rock, an impressive towering lava structure that rises from the ocean's edge. After snorkeling and swimming, a chance to ride on a glass bottom boat with incredible views of the underwater life. Later, option for a steep hike to the summit of this diminutive island with fantastic panoramic views of the archipelago. In the evening after dinner, attend a briefing by a naturalist guide
Overnight: Galapagos Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6, Thursday - Prince Philip's Steps, Darwin Bay - Genovesa Island
Start the day with a steep hike (90 feet) up Prince Philip's Steps, named in recognition of Prince Philip's visit to the Galapagos in 1964. Atop the flat rocky plateau, observe large colonies of Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and storm petrels. Alternatively, panga rides are available along the cliffs (conditions permitting). After relaxing on board, afternoon visit to Darwin Bay, a coral beach that winds through mangroves filled with land birds. Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls can be spotted along with tidal pools where sea lions swim. An easy stroll takes you to an observation area to view hundreds of birds, including gulls, herons, finches, and mockingbirds. Tonight, bid a fond farewell to the crew and naturalist guides on this last night on board your Galapagos cruise
Overnight: Galapagos Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7, Friday - Disembarkation, Flight to Guayaquil, City Tour & Parque Historico
Disembarkation at Baltra Island. Then, proceed to the airport for the flight to Guayaquil. Your discovery of this historic city in the high Andes begins at the main square, with its stirring memorial to the Heroes of the Independence, symbolizing the triumph of the Republic against the Spanish. Continue to Seminario Park (Parque de las Iguanas), a favorite place for bird watchers and home to arboreal Iguanas. Next, experience the many ethnological influences present in Ecuadorian culture by viewing the contrasting architecture of a Neo-Gothic Cathedral, a Moorish clock tower, and La Rotonda Monument. Continue to the lovely riverside Garden of Malecon and Santa Ana Hill where the city was founded in the 16th century. Continue to Parque Historico and learn about the history & culture of the region. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure
Overnight: Guayaquil
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 8, Saturday - Depart Ecuador
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Some flights depart shortly after midnight in the very early morning of Day 10 and will require a transfer on Day 9. Transfers depart the hotel approximately 4 hours prior to flight time
Meals: Breakfast

▲ Due to the high elevation, travel in the Ecuadorian Andes may cause some passengers to experience the temporary effects of altitude sickness. If you have any concerns about traveling to higher than your accustomed elevation, please consult your healthcare provider.

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