ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

This trip will be for 10 days and includes the beauty of the Otavalo region and 5 days on the Galapagos Islands.

All About EQ Expeditions, a guide group based in Otavalo, will run the tour.

Highlights of the Trips

• Otavalo area and wedding logistics

• Island hopping to tour the Galapagos islands with Santa Cruz and Isabela and more

• Hike, kayak, discovering, cultural exchange, gastronomy.

DAY BY DAY DESCRIPTION:

Day 1: Upon your arrival, an English-speaking guide and driver will be waiting for you at the airport to bring you to Otavalo so you can check in at the hotel and rest.

Day 2: After breakfast, you will leave Otavalo and be driven to several very attractive areas around the Otavalo region with an opportunity to encounter weavers and craftsmen and enjoy the beautiful landscapes the area has to offer. The visit includes the Cuicocha crater lake, Cotacachi town, Peguche craftsman houses, and the town of Agato. Meals will be provided as part of the day's experience.

Day 3: Transportation and guide will be at your service to transport you from Otavalo to the place of the wedding (45 min drive). During the ceremony, all the cultural aspects will be explained. After the festivities, transportation will be ready to bring you back to the hotels in Otavalo.

Day 4: After breakfast in the hotel, you will leave Otavalo and head towards Quito. Along the drive, you will stop at the Cayambe Valley where the famous solar dial is located, directed on the Equator. We will arrive in Quito and the afternoon will include a very short sightseeing tour through Quito.

Day 5: This will be the beginning of your adventure to the Galapagos islands, a world heritage location. You will depart early from Quito airport and arrive at Baltra airport before lunchtime ( The Galapagos Islands are a time zone earlier than mainland Ecuador). From Baltra, you will be transferring to Itabaca Channel, and from there, you will take a ferry to Puerto Ayora. The ferry will make a few stops on your way to Puerto Ayora. The first stop is to the craters Gemelos (twin craters) and then continues to the Rancho Primicias tortoise reserve. At Rancho Primicias, you will encounter the wild emblematic animals from these islands, as well as lava tunnels. Afterwards you will get lunch before getting transferred to the hotel in Puerto Ayora. After checking in at the hotel, you will go and visit the Charles Darwin research station. Dinner (not included) will be at one of the restaurants in the town of Puerto Ayora, which has lots of options.

Day 6: Today's items consist of a yacht tour to one of the following uninhabited islands: Santa Fe, Seymour, or Bartolome. The destination will depend on availability, weekday, and program of the National Park. The tour company will let you know which island is available when you book the tour. On Santa Fé and Plazas, you can spot endemic land iguanas. Bartolomé is known for beautiful lava sceneries, and on Seymour, you can see frigate birds, land iguanas, and blue-footed boobies (well worth googling). The trips combine hiking and snorkeling; snorkel equipment is included. This day has breakfast and lunch included. The night is spent at the same hotel. After you return to Puerto Ayora, you will be free to explore Santa Cruz. You can choose from a lot of restaurants close to the pier for dinner. The “Kioskos” in the center of Puerto Ayora is also a great option: every night, the streets are closed to traffic, and restaurants put tables and chairs on the street where you can enjoy a typical local meal surrounded by locals. The tour company recommends walking by night at the pier, where you can often spot juvenile sharks swimming!

Day 7: At 6:30 AM, you will be picked up at the hotel and accompanied to the harbor, where a public speed boat will transport you at 7:00 am with other passengers to Isabela Island (approx. 2-hour ride). The tour company staff will meet you at the port to welcome you and accompany you to your next hotel. After lunch, you will have a couple of options to explore the island. There is a tour of the wetlands by bike (or walking if you prefer) and the Wall of Tears. Several stops will be along the route to spot Darwin Finch's and tortoises. There are beautiful viewpoints and hidden beaches throughout the route. The other option is to snorkel at the Concha de Perla lagoon (according to the tide, we could first do the snorkeling). Dinner and the evening have nothing planned. You can have a drink at the beach-front bar de Beto to watch the sunset.

Day 8: Hiking from the hotel to the Sierra Negra Volcano, you will walk through spectacular lava landscapes. the hike has views of the northern volcanoes of Isabela and Fernandina islands. The hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano and the Volcano Chico is 10 miles(16km) long (duration approx. 6 hours), but worth every effort. You see the second-largest volcanic crater in the world and explore different vegetation zones. A lunch box is included for the hike.

Day 9: You will go by boat to Cabo Rosa (45-60 min boat ride), where lava has flowed into the ocean and formed beautiful lava tunnels. There you may see penguins, blue-footed boobies, and sea turtles. The expected highlight of the day will be snorkeling. You have the chance to see sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, sea rays, seahorses, and many tropical fishes. The snorkeling tour takes about 5 hours. Breakfast and lunch are included with the snorkeling. After the tour, the rest of the day is yours. You can enjoy the beautiful beach in Isabela or snorkel again in the Concha de Perla Lagoon (snorkel equipment in your free time is not included in the price but can be hired locally).

Day 10: Flights from Isabela island to Quito with a layover in Baltra. It is recommended you plan your flights for the following day in case something occurs with your flight from the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival at the Quito airport, if you leave the following day, you will be transported to Zaysant Ecolodge, near the airport—dinner and night at the hotel.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE GUIDED TOUR?

• The program described above

• Full private transport for the entire trip from the airport to the end and in Galapagos, according to the description.

• Lodging in Hotel Otavalo or Hotel El Indio Inn (Days 1-3), Zaysant ecolodge or San Jose de Puembo (Day 4), Red Booby Hotel or similar (Days 5-6), Isamar (Days 7-9), Zaysant ecolodge(day 10 if needed)

• English-speaking guides with a national certificated guide and local guides on the Galapagos islands.

• Full Alimentation (Breakfast and Lunch), drinkable water, and/or juices throughout the trip.

• The flight to/from the Galapagos islands

• The navigable day tour to Bartolome or a similar shared tour

• Sierra Negra volcano in a shared group

• Tintoreras or bay tour

• Visit to Charles Darwin station.

• Inter islands flight from Isabela to Baltra

• Inter islands ferry from Santa Cruz to Isabela

• Transfers to airports and partes altas of Santa Cruz

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE GUIDED TOUR?

• Airline tickets to/from Ecuador

• The dinners during Galapagos tours

• Extra drinks or foods outside of the activities

• Alcoholic drinks

• Activities out of the program

• Personal equipment

• Personal belongings

• Vaccinations and other medicines

• Travel or/and medical insurance. (requested)

• Luggage on the flight from Quito to Cristobal-Isabela over 50lbs/23kg will cost 4USD per extra kilo/2.2lbs

• Entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park $100,-** (to be paid upon arrival at the airport – CASH ONLY – There is no ATM at the airport. Please bring enough cash)

• INGALA Migration card $20** to be paid in cash in Quito or Guayaquil airport (Consejo de Gobierno counter, easy to spot in the airport. There you will also have to register your personal details before you go to the check-in counter of your airline)

• Water Taxi (small boat that takes you from the speedboat to the harbor and back).

• For rent: wetsuit (recommended between May – November).

• Any extra activities not mentioned in the program.

• Travel insurance: mandatory for all tourists entering Galapagos.

• Tips (guides expect tips and the boat crew – for boat excursions, not for transfers between islands)

AMAZING EXPERIENCE COST?

The listed options below are for adults. Pricing for children will be coming soon! Please reach out if you are interested in and have children along for the tour.

Option 1: With Hotel Otavalo (town of Otavalo for the wedding) $3259 to $3585 per person. The price will depend on the number of people participating in the tour.

Option 2: With Hotel EL Indio Inn (town of Otavalo for the wedding) $2995 to $3320 per person. The price will depend on the number of people participating in the tour.

HOW TO CONFIRM THE TRIP?

With your acceptance and use of an official letter, you can transfer/deposit 50% via international money transfer to the bank account of our local tour operator. 50 days prior to the trip, the full payment must be completed.

The money wired must include the cost of bank services and duties.

Billing will be under the name of one of the passengers of the group. Personal bills can be issued if necessary.