Ecuador & Galapagos 2026-27

Departure on scheduled Iberia flights to Quito – meals on board – on arrival, transfer to the hotel – dinner at leisure - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – morning visit with a guide to Quito, the capital of Ecuador (the largest and best-preserved colonial historic centre in Latin America, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the city’s most beautiful churches and convents – Calle Cuenca, Plaza San Francisco, Calle Sucre, the Church of the Compañía de Jesús, Plaza Grande, the Cathedral, the Carondelet Palace, seat of the government, and El Panecillo hill at 3,000 m with its spectacular panorama) – typical lunch in a restaurant – in the afternoon, excursion with a guide to the Mitad del Mundo, 22 kilometres from the capital, near the village of San Antonio, where in 1736 the French scientist and explorer Charles-Marie de La Condamine proved with his measurements that he was standing exactly on the Equator line – this is the only place on the planet where you can straddle the two hemispheres, with one foot in the Northern and the other in the Southern - visit to the monument built to immortalise the imaginary line that divides the planet, and visit to the spectacular Inti Nan Solar Museum – return to the city - dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Quito by night: tour with guide and private coach – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion with a guide – departure southwards along the Pan-American Highway – stop to admire the Quilotoa Lagoon, a splendid natural lake set in the crater of a volcano and fed only by rainwater – intense colours and unforgettable views await – visit to the Tigua community and a lesson in traditional Tigua painting, which involves painting on sheepskin - lunch in a restaurant along the way – arrival in Latacunga- dinner at the hotel – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Cotopaxi National Park – visit to the Kichwa village of Salasaca, between Ambato and Baños – typical lunch in a restaurant - continue to Riobamba – visit to the historic centre with the stately squares of Sucre, Maldonado and La Libertad, the Municipal Palace, the Teatro León and the Cathedral – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure southwards – visit to the oldest Catholic church in Ecuador, La Balbanera built in Baroque style with stones of volcanic origin – in favourable weather conditions, you can enjoy a

splendid view of the Chimborazo Volcano – continue to the ruins of the Inca Fortress of Ingapirca, the most important pre-Columbian site in the country (the ruins stand on a grassy hill at an altitude of around 3,100 m) – lunch in a restaurant – evening arrival in Cuenca – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Cuenca by night: a walk with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – morning visit with a guide to the city, described as the most beautiful in the country and regarded as its artistic and cultural capital (the elegant colonial-style historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the charming flower market, the Archaeological Museum of Aboriginal Cultures, and a visit to a workshop producing Panama hats) - lunch in a restaurant – afternoon transfer to Guayaquil - guided visit to Guayaquil, a city on the banks of the Guayas river, a short distance from the Ocean (the historic centre with the Catedral Metropolitana, a walk along the Malecón 2000, the Las Peñas district with its colourful houses, and Cerro Santa Ana with its stunning panoramic view) – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to the airport – departure from Guayaquil on scheduled Latam/Avianca flights to Santa Cruz Island – arrival at Baltra airport - transfer by shared bus to the Itabaca Channel – ferry transfer to the other side of Santa Cruz Island (10 minutes) – bus transfer to Puerto Ayora – free time if available – tour leader on hand – lunch at leisure – dinner in a restaurant - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion aboard a yacht – visit to North Seymour Island – the sailing is pleasant and there will be the chance to go snorkelling – lunch on board - North Seymour is a flat island that was lifted from the sea by underground seismic activity - located north of Baltra, it is one of the best places to see blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds. The blue-footed boobies are found in the flat area near the island’s coast (they nest from May to November). Continuing along the trail inland, you come across the island’s largest congregation of magnificent frigatebirds. On North Seymour there is a high chance of witnessing a great display of aerobatic flight, namely a frigatebird stealing food from a booby, a gull or even another frigatebird – late-afternoon return to Santa Cruz – free time – tour leader on hand - dinner in a restaurant - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion – in the morning, the Academy Bay Tour, a boat trip to 5 different spots: La Lobería, a small island about 10 minutes away in the bay, home to a large colony of sea lions. Shark Channel and Lovers Channel  are both fine snorkelling sites and also good places to admire the blue-footed boobies regularly seen resting on the nearby cliffs. The beach at Playa Perro offers the chance to leave the boat and walk through cactus forests to a remote beach where you are almost certain to encounter a great many marine iguanas, and turtles are often seen feeding just off the shore. The last site is Las Grietas, a water-filled fissure in the rocks where you can enjoy a swim in crystal-clear waters among the fish – lunch at leisure – in the afternoon, visit to the upper part of Santa Cruz - extinct volcanoes and remarkable endemic plants characterise the Santa Cruz Highlands - you can admire unique flora such as ferns and metre-high Miconia shrubs in the Scalesia forest, or spot various bird species such as Galápagos rails, egrets and flycatchers - continue to the Giant Tortoise Reserve, in the Santa Cruz highlands, one of the few places where these giants can be seen in their natural habitat. The large, prehistoric-looking animals can be seen walking along the trails during their migration from the coast to the highlands. This is also one of the best sites for observing the short-eared owl, another species endemic to the Galápagos - dinner in a restaurant - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day excursion aboard a yacht – visit to Bartolome Island – the sailing is pleasant and there will be the chance to go snorkelling – lunch on board - Bartolome is a tiny island that offers visitors one of the most spectacular views in the Archipelago. Bartolome lies close to the western coast of James Island, across Sullivan Bay. It is famous for its Pinnacle Rock, the island’s signature landmark. The climb to the 114 m summit is demanding, but well worth it. On the way up, you encounter various volcanic formations including spatter and tuff cones, lava flows and lava tubes. Once at the top, there is a spectacular view of the surroundings. Bartolome is also a must for visitors interested in geology. Penguins are common in the bay area – late-afternoon return to Santa Cruz – free time – tour leader on hand - dinner in a restaurant - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – lunch at leisure - transfer to the airport – departure from Santa Cruz on scheduled Latam/Avianca flights – on arrival, transfer to the hotel in Guayaquil – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader on hand – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – day at leisure - tour leader on hand – lunch at leisure - transfer to the airport – departure from Guayaquil on scheduled Iberia flights back to Italy – meals on board – overnight flight.

In flight – arrival in Italy.