19-Day The Sierra, the Amazon & 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 highlights of the city. We will go to a viewpoint for a great view of Quito and we will visit the beautiful centre area that is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We will also go to the Middle of the World monument where you can place each foot in a different hemisphere!

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Travel from Quito to Lake Agrio. Then, after two to three hours of navigation on the Cuyabeno River, you will reach Jamu Lodge in the afternoon. Take a little time to rest after the trip, and then we can go for a swim in the lagoon and watch the sunset.

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Tour the Amazon in the primary forest for three or four hours whilst your guide explains how this complex tropical ecosystem works. In the afternoon, we will have a swim in the lagoon and watch the sunset. With a little luck, you can observe the pink river dolphins or an anaconda sunbathing in a tree. You will return to the camp for dinner, and then take a night canoe ride to look for caimans.

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After breakfast, we will depart for the Siona Community of Puerto Bolivar, the largest ethnic group in the Reserve. A visit to the local shaman is also included. He will explain more about life in the jungle. Afterwards, we will return to the lodge for a nocturnal hike through the primary forest in search of insects, spiders, geckos or scorpions, and listen to the night sounds of the jungle.

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Finish touring the Amazon with an early bird-watching excursion in the morning before travelling back to Quito. Then, you will take a private transfer to Otavalo and check-in to your hotel for the evening. This is a long day of travelling, so when you arrive, you can take some rest.

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Visit of the Cuicocha lake in the ecologic reserve of "Cotacachi - Cayapas", one of the most beautiful in Ecuador with amazing blue water. Stop in Cotacachi, Ecuador's leading artisan manufacturer of leather goods. Then, we will visit the morning of the famous Otavalo's Indigenous market, the most significant in Ecuador's Andes. Finally, you will reach the San Clemente autonomous community, down the Imbabura volcano, where you will spend the night.

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You will spend the day in the community of San Clemente. You will have the chance to spend time with the local people to learn about their way of life. Take hikes to see their natural healing practices and guinea pig rearing. Then, spend the night in one of the San Clemente accommodations with a local family.

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You will visit the village of Peguche, with its sacred waterfall and its Andean music instrument fabrication workshops. You may see a local music session and weavers fast at work while we pass through. You will then get back on the road to pass Quito and reach Cotopaxi National Park to go horseback riding.

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Today visit the Cotopaxi National Park with Ecuador's second-highest summit at 5897 metres. It is also the highest active volcano in the world. We will walk around the Limpiapungo lagoon and learn about the local flora and fauna of the area.

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Visit Quilotoa Lake today. The emerald-coloured Quilotoa Lake (3854 m) lays in a still active volcano, its colour is due to the presence of sulfur. If you wish, you can take a walk to the lagoon or simply enjoy the view from the top of the crater.

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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 stages of the hats' fabrication, 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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Travel from Quito to the Galapagos Islands today. You will arrive at the Baltra Airport, and then take a tour to see the Santa Cruz Highlands. The highlands offer amazing views of the surrounding areas and also the chance to see local wildlife like the vermilion flycatcher, the elusive Galapagos rail and the paint-billed crake.

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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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You will travel from Isabela to Santa Cruz aboard a public speedboat. There aren't any planned activities today, but we would suggest you visit Tortuga Bay, a beautiful beach of white sand. It has its name because it is the place where the black tortoise lay their eggs. You will be able to see the white tail shark, iguanas, mangroves and flamingos. It is a great place to see birds.