14-Day From the Andes to the Galapagos

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Today you will visit Quito's historic centre. We will begin early in the morning to have enough time to see the best highlights of the city. We will go to an overlook to get a great view of Quito and then we will visit the beautiful centre area that is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

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You will go to Cayambe, famous for its snow-capped volcano. Afterwards, visit a plantation of roses and learn about how Ecuador is able to produce some of the largest rosebuds, which aids with its status as one of the largest rose exporters in the world. Then, head to the famous Otavalo's indigenous market to observe where the locals shop and also buy some exciting souvenirs.

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Visit the Cuicocha Lake in the ecologic reserve of "Cotacachi - Cayapas". This is one of the most beautiful natural reserves in Ecuador with shiny blue water and diverse flora and fauna. You will hike around the lake to get several different vantage points of its beauty.

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Today, visit the Cotopaxi National Park with Ecuador's second-highest summit at 5897 metres. You will walk around the Limpiopungo Lagoon with stunning views of the Cotopaxi volcano. You can appreciate the flora and some fauna, typical of the "paramo", which are the wide plains swept by the cold winds of the Andes. After driving up to the car park at 4600 metres, you will continue by foot to the José Rivas hut 200 metres higher. The most motivated can also reach the snowline.

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Visit the Quilotoa Lake and hike around its perimeter. The emerald-coloured Quilotoa Lake (3854m) lies in an active volcano, it gains its green colour the presence of sulfur. We will visit the lake, and after hiking, we will travel to the hotel in Riobamba.

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Get ready for an early start today as we board a train in Alausi to pass through the Nariz del Diablo. The train is more modern than the former trains, and the trip is very safe. You will pass by the "Nariz del Diablo" (Devil's nose) with successive Andean landscapes of highlands, forests, deep gorges, and locals along the way. We will be back on the road in the afternoon to travel to Ingapirca, a site where the rock is full of legends and history.

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Today, you will visit the historic city of Cuenca with its great examples of Spanish colonial Renaissance architecture. Then, we will tour a Panama hats workshop established in Cuenca more than 60 years ago. You can observe the different stage of the hats' fabrication, which are an Ecuadorian speciality.

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You will continue to the Western mountain range to Cajas National Park from Cuenca, where you will enjoy stunning views over the many lakes of this protected area. Then, journey onward to reach Guayaquil, Ecuador's biggest city and economic capital. Down from the mountains, you will pass by fertile lowlands with huge orchards and banana plantations before arriving in Guayaquil.

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Today, take a flight to the Galapagos. You will visit the interior of Santa Cruz Island on your way to the south of the island where your hotel is located. Once you arrive in the south, you will begin your Galapagos tour with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station.

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You will travel from Santa Cruz to Isabela Island aboard a public speedboat this day. You will visit "Tintoreras", which are small volcanic rock islands that in front of Puerto Villamil. They are named from the shark population "tintorera" that are abundant in the turquoise waters bordering these islands.

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You will visit Los Tuneles, one of the best places to practice diving since it offers calm, transparent waters. This area is unique because it has geological formations made up of lava, which over time formed a large number of arches and tunnels in and out of the water.

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Visit the Volcano Sierra Negra today, the second-longest crater in the world. The crater is about 10 kilometres in diameter and 100 metres deep, and it constitutes one of the most spectacular views of the Galapagos. You will travel from Isabela to Santa Cruz aboard a speedboat to reach your hotel for the evening.