GALAPAGOS FAMILY LUXURY EXPERIENCE
Experience in company of your family the enchanted Galapagos Islands from the comfort of a luxury land-based expedition! The islands offer endless opportunities to explore a unique abundance of life in a setting unlike any other on earth. The Galapagos form a natural sanctuary that preserves species, allowing them to evolve since countless millennia. This is one of the few places on earth that allows such intimate contact with so much wildlife. This holyday also provides flexible time to spend on your own and discover the withe sand beaches, well signed trails in the Galapagos forest, and the lots of wildlife.
This trip also benefits to local communities and is socially and environmentally responsible. Be part of an educational and inspirational journey of a lifetime in one of the most fiercely protected marine wilderness areas in the world!
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DepartureQuito / Ecuador
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IncludedActivitiesDomestic flightsLand TransportationMeals detailed in the itinerary
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Not IncludedFees and entrances to parks and museumsAirport tranfer in & outInternational flight
FROM OUR GALLERY
DAY 1: QUITO ARRIVAL DAY
Welcome to Quito! The biggest, best-preserved colonial city of America was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. The city is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and the second most important city of the old Inca Empire. Depending on arrival time, you can spend your day exploring the old town of Quito and the surrounding area. Adventure Journeys can help you to organize a day trip.
Meals included: Dinner.
DAY 2: GALAPAGOS ARRIVAL DAY - ISABELA ISLAND
Today we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago in the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based its theory of the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of Baltra. From here we will take a domestic flight to Isabela, the largest island in the archipelago and the place where the most volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island is formed by six shield volcanoes, Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf, five of them still active, and therefore the island is one of the most volcanically active places on earth.
Meals included: Breakfast.
DAY 3: HIKE SIERRA NEGRA ACTIVE VOLCANO
After driving up from Puerto Villamil to the trailhead, we will prepare our backpacks and hike into a young forest ecosystem, a world of recent geological history. Our destination is the rim of Sierra Negra Crater, an active volcano which last erupted in October 2005.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
DAY 4: BIKING IN THE BREEDING CENTER, FLAMINGO LAGOON & SNORKEL AT TINTORERAS
Today, we will head out on our mountain bikes to explore the beautiful coastline on an exclusive trail, taking us through an incredible ecosystem with a wide variety of wildlife. We start with a visit to the Wall of Tears, a massive wall built with lava rocks. This site dates back to the '50s, when Isabela was used as a penal colony and prisoners were forced to build the wall to keep them from going mad, because of the isolation they experienced. As we continue our ride along the coast, we will explore pristine, white sand beaches, mangrove forests and lagoons. This area is filled with birdlife, including American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos, finches and many shore birds, as well as the ubiquitous sea lions and marine iguanas
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
DAY 5: SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS & CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION
In the morning we will take a domestic flight from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.
DAY 6: FREE DAY IN SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
Today, you can experience the Galapagos at your pace! As an option, you can go on a self-guided exploration walk through a dry forest to Tortuga Bay (about 3 ½ miles long), a beautiful white sand beach and nesting side to thousands of marine turtles. This beautiful place invites for swimming or snorkeling. Alternatively, you can join any of the optional activities (at an extra cost), such as a trip to Floreana Island, Bartolome Island or a scuba-diving day trip, just to mention a few.
Meals included: Breakfast.
DAY 7: FLIGHT BACK TO QUITO
After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, we will have a transfer to Baltra's airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland.
Meals included: Breakfast.
DAY 8: DEPARTURE
Today our trip will end and you will have your International departures. Take with you your memories and photos and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a "buen viaje"!
Meals included: Breakfast.
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What's Included?
- Transportation: Domestic flights Santa Cruz – Isabela - Santa Cruz, comfortable land and sea transportation, Airport transfers (national & international flights).
- Accommodation based in double occupancy: Luxury hotels in Santa Cruz and Isabela Islands.
- Meals: 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner.
- Activities: Biking to Breading center and flamingo’s lagoon, kayak & snorkel in Tintoreras islet, Hike to Sierra Negra Active volcano, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, hiking in Santa Cruz highlands.
- Gear: Snorkeling mask and fins, life vest.
- Trip Leader: Certified AJ expert English-speaking adventure leader and naturalist local guides in Galapagos National Park.
What is not included?
- Airfare Quito - Galapagos - Quito round trip - estimated budget USD $535.
- My Own Room supplement cost USD.
- Airfare International flights.
- Travel insurance (mandatory).
- Meals not described in the itinerary - estimated budget USD $180.
- INGALA transit card: USD $20 per person, cash only (subject to change).
- Galapagos National Park fee: USD $100 per person, cash only (subject to change).
- USD $10 pier-use fee at Puerto Villamil.
- Tips for guides and drivers - estimated budget USD $120.
IMPORTANT DETAILS
DRIVING TIME: Pichincha, Imbabura, Napo, Pastaza, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar and Azuay.
SEASON: All year.
PROVINCE: Pichincha, Imbabura, Napo, Cotopaxi.
TERRITORY: All Inter-Andean Valleys and Andes ranges, Amazon Rainforest upper part, cloud forest and canyons.
ALTITUDE: From 500 to 5000m (1600 to 16500 ft).
AVG. TEMP.: Day 15-34ºC / 59-93ºF - Night 12-17ºC / 53-62ºF
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy. This program will run from the high Andean Mountains to the tropical Amazonian rain forest, which involves the hiking in flat areas of the Amazon, a hike down the Pastaza canon to the Pailon Del Diablo waterfall for 1 km. Optional hike up to Chimborazo Volcano Base Camp 5000m.
ADVENTURE GEAR: Life jackets, hiking sticks.
ACCOMODATION: All prices are based on double-occupancy. If you are traveling solo, you will be matched with another participant of your same sex. If you prefer to have a single room, please contact AJ prior to your departure to arrange your accommodation at an extra cost.
SAFETY: Guides are certified as Wilderness First Aid Responders. We carry a complete first aid kit.
MEALS: Traveling with Adventure Journeys you will have the possibility to experience and taste local food and snacks. Your guide will help you identify typical food and suggest the best places to enjoy it. Some meals are not included in order to give you some flexibility about where, what and with whom to eat. You have the option to share these meals with the group, however there is no obligation to do this. If you have any allergies or food restrictions, please inform AJ prior to your departure. Vegetarians, Vegans and Gluten Free people are very welcome in our trip, our guides are always ready to coordinate with chefs and restaurants for substitute meals for them, as Ecuador is very well known for its great diversity of gastronomy.
YOUR TRIP LEADERS AND GUIDES: All AJ guides and trip leaders are highly experienced, licensed from the Tourism University to operate in Ecuador and certified as Wilderness Adventure First Aid respondents. They all have approved several extra training courses for kayaking, rafting, biking and horse riding, besides this they all are Ecuadorian and have a fantastic personality. We always carry a complete first aid kit in our trips.
In some locations and for some activities, local guides join the trip leaders to provide an added service and make sure we practice sustainable tourism involving local indigenous people in our operation.
SUSTAINABLE ECO AND CULTURAL TOURISM: Clients receive interpretation and education about the ecology and conservation of the Andes, Amazon Rainforest and Galapagos Islands, and learn about the factors that threaten it. We aim to promote long-term conservation of both local people cultural identity and the environment. We transport out and recycle all non-organic garbage and we prefer to work with local suppliers. Your visit will encourage the local communities to support responsible eco-tourism as a sustainable alternative for their living.
HEALTH INFORMATION: Please inform AJ of any existing medical conditions (i.e. pregnancy, diabetes, etc). Yellow fever, Hepatitis B vaccination and Malaria Medication are recommended when traveling to the tropics. Please ask your doctor for advice.