Luxury Galápagos Voyage: Ecuadorian Highlights & Archipelago Cruise - 7 Days

Highlights

• Stroll Quito's cobbled streets and visit Spanish colonial cathedrals
• Relax in natural hot springs in Ecuador's gorgeous highlands
• Hop between the most famous isles of the Galápagos on a luxury ship
• Witness baby tortoise hatchlings at a breeding center on Isla San Cristóbal

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Quito, Tour the Historic Center

Welcome to Ecuador! There's not a moment to waste on this weeklong adventure, which is why the activities start right upon arrival in the capital of Quito. Located high in the Andes, this dazzling metropolis features no shortage of Spanish colonial history. In fact, its Old Town district is so well preserved that it has earned UNESCO World Heritage Status.

Upon arrival at the airport, a driver will pick you up for the ride into Old Town and Casa Gangotena. This luxurious 5-star hotel is situated in a beautifully restored mansion overlooking Plaza San Francisco. Each of its elegant rooms and suites is outfitted with mod-cons and luxury amenities, from flat-screen TVs to plush bedding. You can dine at the hotel's gourmet restaurant, which celebrates traditional Ecuadorian cuisine, enjoy a smart cocktail at the classic mahogany bar, or relax in the garden amid lush greenery.

After dropping off your bags, you'll meet a local guide for a private walk through Quito's colonial center to see firsthand why it's listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Admire the intricate stone carvings of Iglesia La Compañía and wander the 16th-century Iglesia San Francisco cloisters. Wrap up the historical center leg of your tour with a walk down La Ronda, once a pre-Columbian walking trail, now a romantic pedestrian street full of cafés, live music venues, and eclectic shops.

Day 2: Day Trip to Papallacta Hot Springs & Ecological Reserve

Meet your private driver after breakfast for the ride southeast of Quito to the famous Papallacta Hot Springs, where you'll soak in volcanic waters. Situated at 12,100 feet (3,700 m) in an evergreen páramo (Andean high grasslands) landscape, this area is renowned for its healing springs. You'll spot the giant Artisana volcano looming above if the weather is clear.

You'll also spend time at the Termas de Papallacta Resort and Spa, which offers nine warm and three cold pools at various temperatures, plus an on-site spa with multiple health and beauty treatments, including hydromassage, a Turkish steam bath, and a mud wrap. It's also a great spot to have a meal with local dishes such as fresh-grilled trout.

Later, continue the drive north into the cloud forests at Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve. During a 3-mile (5 km) hike, you'll see colorful flora like orchids and spot rainforest birds like tanagers and hummingbirds. At the end of the day, you'll drive back to Quito and your hotel. Make sure to get a good night's rest—you're off to the Galápagos tomorrow!

Day 3: Fly to the Galápagos, Visit Playa Bachas & Transfer to Cruise Ship

Rise and shine because this morning, you're off to the islands! Transfer to the airport and board a two-hour flight to Baltra, an islet adjacent to Santa Cruz, one of the Galápagos' 13 main islands. At the airport, a driver will pick you up for the ride to nearby Playa Bachas. The soft white sands and turquoise waters are the perfect introduction to these islands. Not only is it beautiful, but it's also home to exotic animals like flamingoes and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Bachas is also a popular nesting spot for sea turtles.

After enjoying the beach, you'll continue to Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz's south side. At the port, you'll hop aboard the M/C Cormorant II, a luxury catamaran that will be your home for the next few days. And "luxury" is an apt description—this sleek, twin-hulled vessel would be right at home cruising the French Riviera. All suites on this elite catamaran are spacious, comfortable, and well-appointed; each has panoramic windows affording sweeping ocean views and a private outdoor balcony. It's the perfect place to relax and recharge after a day spent discovering the wonders of the Galápagos.

Day 4: Cruise to Isla Genovesa & Darwin Bay

Get ready for some island hopping, as today you'll cruise north from Santa Cruz to Isla Genovesa. There, you'll disembark and hike along Prince Philip's Steps up to a rocky plateau. During the walk, you can observe large colonies of Nazca boobies, red-footed boobies, great frigatebirds, and storm petrels. Those not wishing to disembark can enjoy a longer panga (outboard boat) ride along the cliffs (depending on weather conditions).

In the afternoon, you'll land at Darwin Bay, a beautiful beach where you can enjoy some free time for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. Then, take a stroll and watch for avian residents like frigatebirds, red-footed and Nazca boobies, gulls, herons, finches, and mockingbirds, before returning to your ship.

Day 5: Cruise to Isla Plaza Sur & Santa Fé 

Enjoy an al fresco breakfast aboard the ship as you cruise south along the coast of Santa Cruz to Plaza Sur, one of the smallest islands in the archipelago. It's home to some of the most interesting species of the Galápagos, including several hybrid iguanas, a result of crossing a marine iguana with a land iguana. In addition, look for swallow-tailed gulls nesting in the rugged cliffs along with other seabirds like Audubon shearwaters, red-billed tropicbirds, frigatebirds, and brown pelicans.

Later, continue south to Isla Santa Fé. Located in the southeastern part of the Galápagos, some theories claim that this could be the oldest island in the archipelago. Santa Fé is also home to several endemic species like the Galápagos hawk, Galápagos snake, Galápagos mockingbird, and a couple species of land iguanas. After disembarking, you can take a nature hike along a flat trail fringed by salt bushes and giant prickly pear cacti. Then, swim or snorkel with playful sea lions and tropical fish.

Day 6: Cruise to Isla San Cristóbal: Pitt Point & Witch Hill

This morning, the ship will cruise east to Isla San Cristóbal. You'll disembark at Pitt Point, characterized by two rocky, wind-sculpted volcanic cones that form the far eastern end of the island (as well as the archipelago). These cliffs were the first sight of land when Charles Darwin arrived here in 1835. A group of barking Galápagos sea lions marks your arrival to the green-sand beach. This is a bachelor colony, where males separate from the females to relax and prepare themselves for fighting and mating.

Hike up a trail behind the saltbush and spiny shrubs to an area of tropical dry forest dotted with palo santo trees, yellow cordia shrubs, tiny prickly pear cacti, and carpetweed that turns a vibrant red in the dry season. After a steep climb through a gully to the clifftop, wander around the only bird colony in the Galápagos home to all three species of boobies: blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca. You'll also see both species of frigatebird (great and magnificent), famous for their scarlet balloon pouches. 

In the afternoon, make your way to Cerro Brujo (Witch Hill), the remains of a volcanic cone that was one of the first sites visited by Charles Darwin on his first voyage to the archipelago. Nearby, you'll find a coral-sand beach, the perfect spot to stop for some swimming and snorkeling. Keep an eye out for both coastal and migratory birds as you swim and relax the fine sands—you'll likely see pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and the swallow-tailed gulls that nest in the area. Sea lions and marine iguanas are also common along the beach.

Day 7: Disembark Cruise, Visit Tortoise Breeding Center, Depart the Galápagos 

Sneak in one last wildlife adventure before it's time to head home. After an early breakfast, return to San Cristóbal and visit the David Rodriguez Breeding Center. This conservation initiative serves to protect endemic Galápagos tortoises to increase their population. These animals are raised here from hatchlings and reared in a habitat as close to their natural environment as possible. Get close to the magnificent creatures as you hike around the center's trails, where you can admire tortoises of varying ages, from hatchlings to 120 days old. At this point, they're released into the wild.

Afterward, you'll transfer to the airport in San Cristóbal and board a connecting flight back to mainland Ecuador. There, you'll catch your flight home—or onward to the next journey!

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