A Grand Ecuadorian Adventure: 14-Day Galapagos & Amazon Expedition 14d/13n - Tour

Upon your arrival at Baltra airport, your dedicated Hermes guide is there to greet you warmly to the Galapagos Islands and escort you to the Seymour dock. You will then board the Hermes Superyacht to enjoy a delicious lunch and begin the journey of a lifetime! After this initial time on the yacht, we will provide you with critical details about our yacht’s facilities and elaborate itinerary for your upcoming adventures. After lunch, we will set off for an excursion at Santa Cruz Highlands. Here you will have an invaluable experience viewing wild Galapagos tortoises in their natural surroundings - the amazing, ancient reptiles will be roaming freely in the verdant meadows of the rainy season. As you explore deeper in the area, you will be enamored with the placid presence of these delightful creatures. The day will then conclude by immersing yourself in a fascinating 1-kilometer-long underground lava tunnel, a geological feature that highlights the fiery, volcanic nature of the islands. While navigating through these exciting underground passages, it is recommended to observe areas along the tunnel filled with cool, shaded air, as barn owls, with mainly nocturnal birds, sometimes make their roosting holes in the tunnels. After this diverse and interesting tour, you will return to the Hermes for a full briefing of the next day’s activities. Your first night aboard concludes with a scrumptious gourmet dinner, giving you a sneak preview of the amazing cuisine to come during your cruise.

Day 2 provides an initiation into a brilliant visual experience at Rabida Island, with its uniquely colored red sand beach, which only your imagination could suggest puts us on another planet. This morning’s exploration includes a peaceful walk on a short trail that leads you to a beautiful lagoon with a chance to observe elegant flamingos in their natural, untouched setting a moment of tranquility. Next, we continue on a longer “palo santo” trail through unusual vegetation and enjoy beautiful views of landscapes that dramatize the island’s unusual flora and interesting geological formations. To conclude this stunning adventure, you return on foot to the brilliant red sand beach and witness prehistoric-looking pelicans nesting among the low-lying bushes, an uncommon sight. Upon return to the yacht, you will have an opportunity to prepare for a thrilling snorkeling adventure. Panga boats will transfer you to a stunning cliff wall that drops into crystal clear waters and showcases one of the best Galapagos Islands deep-water snorkeling locations. Here, you are going to be able to dive into colorful waters filled with different marine life. After a refreshing aquatic experience, you will return and have a yummy lunch while the Hermes elegantly sails off towards the landmark of Bartolome Island. Upon arriving at Bartolome Island, you will take an excellent hike to the top of Bartolome, which not only has stunning panoramic views of the volcanic island formations, but also one of the most photographed landscapes of the entire archipelago, the Pinnacle Rock. Once you have enjoyed your spectacular views, you will descend back to the catamaran for another wonderful marine excursion, snorkeling, and summit rock. This area is teeming with diverse specimens, plus the friendly Galapagos penguins, playful sea lions, graceful sea turtles, and many colorful fish, not to mention the awesome opportunity to explore the natural wonders below the sea. The day concludes with another wonderful gourmet dining experience onboard the Hermes for the perfect finish to such an adventurous day.

On day three, your adventure takes you to South Plaza Island, although small, it has an ecological diversity that is vigorous inside on the Galapagos archipelago. The island is of interest due to the fact is home to one of the largest populations of land iguanas, which presents incredible opportunities to watch closely the unique and enigmatic reptiles. By following along a deliberate route with a path through a fascinating cactus forest, you will witness a beautiful compared with dry and coastal vegetation, which grows specifically in a unique way on this energetic island. Even though South Plaza is modestly sized, the island is home to an astounding repertoire of fauna. You will get to see stately red-billed tropicbirds and native swallow-tailed gulls positioned on the cliffs, while you will delight in playful sea lions who bask in the turquoise waters. The flora and fauna never seem to cease in diversity and dynamic activity. In the afternoon, you will join an exhilarating hike on Santa Fe Island, which offers a more unique and distinguished ecological zone to continue examining. The hike will take you to the rugged cliffs that rim the northern shores of the island, as you enter a grand forest of giant prickly pear cacti, scientifically known as Opuntia. This variety is important because it is unlike the species you have observed thus far in the journey and staunchly the largest variety in the Galapagos Islands, including a fascinating, spectacular, and distinctively hibiscus characteristic botanical zone. In addition to this significant hypothetical exploration, you will gain first-class sightings of the Galapagos hybrid iguana, which is endemic to the island specifically. After a satisfying day of awe-inspiring views and hikes, we will return to the Hermes, where you will enjoy a delicious dinner, which is a perfect and satisfying bookend to your full day of discovering adventure.

Day four begins with waking up in the peaceful and beautiful setting of Pitt Point, a secluded cove located on the eastern side of San Cristobal Island. The morning consists of an exciting hike that provides amazing opportunities to view native wildlife and makes for incredibly interesting stories on the formations of the island. Pitt Point is made up of some distinct volcanic tuff substrate, and not only that, it also boasts the highly coveted honorable mention of the only locality in all of the Galapagos Islands from which to view three species of boobies and two species of frigatebirds, making it a birder’s paradise. After this fun-filled excursion, you will be returned to the Hermes where you can change and gear up for another exciting marine adventure. The crystal-clear waters of Pitt Point welcome you to a snorkeling experience that you will never forget. While you are bobbing in the water, you may very well have some playful sea lions swim right beside you. As well as some stunning starfish, quiet sea turtles, and thousands of vibrant reef fish, which display a really immersive underwater experience. After this great experience in the water, you will return to the boat to enjoy a tasty lunch while the boat proceeds to the next visitor site. In the afternoon, you will finally arrive at Witch Hill on San Cristobal Island, which has a stunning white sand beach. You’ll have a long enough stretch of time to wander the beach, and then walk to a nearby lagoon, which is an important habitat for many bird species, especially impressive pelicans and blue-footed boobies. You might select to just sunbathe on the sand, enjoy the beach’s calmness, gaze into the soothing surf, or jump back into the incredibly clear waters for another swim. These waters are alive with wildlife, where swimming is possible at the same time as sea lions, marine iguanas, and various sea birds, activities that will help you feel more connected to the Galapagos ecosystem. The day will end back on the Hermes; you’ll have a memorable farewell dinner, rounding out a day filled with an abundance of natural wonders and aquatic fun.

This day begins with a sentimental goodbye visit to Lobos Island, a small islet off of San Cristobal that is world-famous for its extraordinary wildlife. This morning, you will hike on an excellent trail providing great views to see a small, lovable family of blue-footed boobies and another colony of rosy marine iguanas. These intimate observations enable a better understanding of the diversity of wildlife in the Galapagos. Before your journey aboard the Hermes ends, you'll have one last unforgettable moment with the exquisite marine wildlife during one final snorkeling experience. This action-packed experience will have you swimming with stunning sea turtles and playing with lively sea lions - all of this will not soon be forgotten as you'll take with you memories of the colorful underwater environment.. In the afternoon, an adventure begins on San Cristobal Island with a visit to the Interpretation Center. This stop is informative and a necessary visit to understand the Islands, including an analysis of the historical timeline from volcanic inception to current critical conservation efforts. You will also see the Human History exhibit, outlining the discovery and colonization of the islands, as well as natural history information, where you will learn of the unbelievable variety of flora and fauna that make up the Galapagos, a so utterly marvelously cool and totally distinctive part of the world and ecosystem. After this very interesting visit, you will further ascend Tijeretas Hill. The Tijeretas Hill name is still referenced because of the frigatebirds, known vernacularly as "Tijeretas". The word "Tijereta" means "scissors” in Spanish, a name derived to capture the way the frigatebirds open and close their tails while in flight. While you visit Tijeretas Hill, come spot frigatebirds nesting near the hill (as well as another solid birdwatching opportunity) to cap off the day with stunning spectacles.

On the sixth day, you will dive into the remarkable natural beauty of Española Island by starting with a morning excursion to the spectacular white sandy beach of Gardner Bay. This pristine area is a perfect beach for social sea lions, and other seabirds provide the chance to watch and interact with them. Make sure to also swim in the beautiful turquoise waters, which have an amazing amount of colorful marine life. Great chances of young, inquisitive sea lions swimming alongside you. You’ll also be sure to see large schools of surprisingly large tropical fish, species such as the bright yellow-tailed surgeonfish, the mighty king angelfish, and the unique bump-head parrotfish. After enjoying the beach experience, you’ll get to immerse yourself in snorkeling at Tortuga Rock and Gardner Bay. The underwater landscapes are rich with life, giving you the chance to swim with young sea lions and large schools of bright tropical fish. Make sure to keep your eyes open for gentle white-tipped reef sharks sometimes sighted snoozing on the sandy bottom, just to highlight a degree of excitement and exploration during your marine excursion. We’ll finish our morning off with an afternoon excursion to Punta Suarez, also considered one of the most wildlife-filled landing sites in the Galapagos. When we arrive, chances are you’ll be welcomed by thrashing young sea lions surfing the waves in a pleasant greeting. After you take the trail, you will encounter potential nesting sea birds, and if you are lucky, you can witness the waving albatross (rare and exclusive to Española) engage in its mating ritual of well-orchestrated courtship displays. Both marine and land species generally dominate the ecosystem. The trail leads upward to a breathtaking vantage point of cliffs and mind-blowing ocean environments, and will also see seabirds displaying the raw ecosystems of the Galapagos, such as the sea gull smoothly gliding and riding the wind.

Day seven is dedicated to the extraordinary Floreana Island, featuring your first morning stop at Cormorant Point, the only landing site on this fascinating island. Here, you will experience two very different and spectacular beaches, one beach with unusual green sand that is contained with glimmering olivine crystals, and a second beach known as “Flour Beach” with very fine, soft white sand. You will spend part of your morning watching some beautiful flamingos, other shore birds, as they feed in the very still lagoon of this island, from some excellent photography and wildlife viewing. After that, a fun snorkeling trip awaits at Champion Islet with superb underwater viewing! Get ready and enjoy the company of a colorful colony of rambunctious sea lions in the very clear waters next to this tiny island! Be on the lookout for beautiful sea turtles, rays, and a multitude of fish swimming past in an exciting underwater experience. Always remember, the currents here can be strong, so these activities are not recommended for beginners or weak swimmers. After a fun and adventurous morning, your exploration concludes at the historic Post Office Bay to learn about an interesting and unique history. Discover the long-standing practice beginning in the late 1700s, when wooden barrels originally used by whaling crews from England were used to set up a makeshift postal service. Even now, this quaint custom has very much continued, especially today, where it’s tourists like you who use the postal service, sharing and dropping off unstamped letters that are “hand delivered” to far-off places anywhere in the world. We encourage you to participate in this delightful and timeless practice - leave a note for someone across the globe, and maybe pick up a note to help deliver its contents, while preserving this unique, maritime way of delivering a message.

Your last morning in the Galapagos Islands will provide one last experience as you prepare to depart. You will visit the famous Charles Darwin Research Station, a major scientific organization that began in 1964, whose primary mission is to sustain the Galapagos ecosystem through the science of conservation, all while allowing the extensive knowledge obtained by scientists, researchers, and volunteers. Within the research station, you will tour the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center, a prime facility that helps you to observe a variety of species of tortoises and land iguanas in captivity. This is an intimate and exceptional opportunity to see the infamous Galapagos tortoise closer than you could expect. You will be able to visit the separate enclosure that houses adult giant tortoises and a unique nursery that houses yes baby tortoises until they reach approximately three years of age, when the tortoise shells have hardened enough to be returned to their natural habitat. Although the administrative offices cannot be accessed by visitors, the research station is an essential site for international scientists to study and provide important environmental education to the surrounding communities to demonstrate our ongoing effort to protect these amazing islands. After this enlightening and final activity, your guide will escort you to Baltra Airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador. When you arrive at either Quito or Guayaquil airport, you will be met and offered something to drink, and transferred to your hotel of choice. This evening you will have deserved space to reflect on your exciting Galapagos experience - and will sleep comfortably for your next journey.

Your Amazon experience begins this morning with your evacuation from your hotel in Quito or Guayaquil to the respective airport for your domestic flight to Coca, a busy port town located at the extreme edges of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Upon arrival in Coca, you will be greeted by the Napo Wildlife Center team, and walk you through the beginnings of your journey into the depths of the rainforest. The journey truly begins with a thrilling motorboat ride along the magnificent Napo River, the most significant tributary to the Amazon, offering you your first shocking views of the rich, lush jungle. As you descend into the water, the sounds and sights of the rainforest will wrap around you, providing contexts for the deepening experience. What begins as a motorboat journey transforms into a more personal experience as you transfer to a dugout canoe, drifting peacefully along blackwater creeks and narrow waterways. You will be in immediate and intimate contact with the forest with this calm canoe excursion, providing the best chances to see an array of wildlife, including the cacophony of birds, playful monkeys, and outstanding pristine environments. Finally, we arrive at Napo Wildlife Center - remote, eco-sensitive, luxurious, and sustainable - your home away from home for the next four nights. Once comfortable in your accommodations, the lodge will offer a full orientation about the lodge and the Amazon ecosystem to get you ready for the amazing experiences that await you in this extraordinary place. Once night falls, the chatter of the jungle wraps around you and introduces you to one of the most unique sounds in the world - the sounds of the Amazon at night.

Today is a center focused on a very deep experience into the biodiversity and cultural experience of the Amazon rainforest. The day starts early as we take off to visit the famous parrot licks. Parrot licks are clay banks found in the southeast Amazon basin that attract hundreds, thousands of individual birds comprised of several varieties of parrot species, including some radiant macaws. The parrots gather to eat the minerals that they need for proper diets, and the result is an explosion of multi-colored birds crawling all over the clay banks. To see the combination of parrot colors was unreal and truly a highlight on the trip, and a perfect opportunity to try some great photography and to take a close look, the intelligence of parrots. After the exhilarating parrot lick excursion, we continue to the Kichwa Interpretation Center to offer you an understanding of the people and Kichwa culture, traditions, and lifestyle, which is fundamental to understanding their role of the Kichwa in the Amazon Rainforest. Kichwa people will share the stories of their ancestors, their relationship with the forest, and ongoing conservation work. In the afternoon, we will head out to hike in the Terra Firme forest. Terra firme forest has drier and unflooded soil, and is home to different trees, flora, and fauna uniquely adapted to thrive in this environment. Your naturalist guide will point out the plants, insects, and disguised wildlife, which make up the network of life alive and well in this density. Today offered a deep connection to the wonders of nature and the human heritage of the Amazon.

On day eleven, you are going to experience both spectacular views and exhilarating wildlife encounters inside the Amazon! Your morning begins with an energizing walk to a high observation tower, located high above the forest floor. When you climb this tower, you will enjoy a perspective of the vast rainforest canopy for miles. You will see species that are normally not seen from the ground, like monkeys, sloths, and a dizzying assortment of brightly colored birds that live in the upper layers of the jungle. The 360-degree views will give you a visceral appreciation of the exceptional scale and diversity of the Amazon. After your bird’s eye view of the forest, you will have a guided rainforest trek with your naturalist guide searching for wild animals. This hike is a chance to learn about everything from complex ecosystems, with their many layers, including understory and canopy. You will learn about medicinal plants, and search for signs of animals like peccaries (small wild pigs), tapirs, and jaguars; it is unusual to see them, but they are possible to see before their tracks. In the afternoon, you will slip into a canoe for a peaceful ride around the lake and the interconnected streams around the lodge, providing a quiet way to see and hear wildlife. You will look for giant river otters, caimans, and a range of riverine birds. The serene gliding through the water produces a magical experience, getting you closer to the hidden beauties of the Amazon’s aquatic habitats.

Today will be your last full day in the Amazon, which will be spent by deeply exploring its ecosystem. With many opportunities for up-close wildlife encounters. You’ll be exploring various types of forests and swamps that are typical of the Napo region of the Amazon for most of the day. You’ll have your local naturalist guide and local tracker accompanying you as you battle the thick vegetation of the Napo rainforest and search for the jungle’s hidden treasures. This journey provides opportunities to observe various micro-habitats and organisms that thrive in those unique habitats. Similarly, troops of active monkeys, such as capuchin monkeys and tamarins, will be traversing through the trees. Colored and camouflaged insects and amphibians will be spotted. Your guide will provide stories about the complexity of the rainforest and the ecosystem, and how each plant and organism is integral to the balance of the rainforest. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a scenic canoe ride deeper into the junctions and twists of streams. With paddles, we glide silently along the flooded forests displayed before us. This calm glide allows for wildlife spotting that may be timid or difficult to reach while on foot, such as various birds perched on low branches or even small mammals along the water’s edge. The peaceful serenity of the streams. Leading you through an experience that connects you closely with the unspoiled beauty of the Amazon as you close out another day of discovering nature.

On your last morning at the Napo Wildlife Center, you will have breakfast and begin your departure from this amazing refuge in the wild. After saying goodbye to the peaceful lodge and wilderness, you will embark on the beginning of your return journey to civilization. Typically, this process will begin with another tranquil canoe ride along the still waters of the creeks; this is such a nice way to quietly enjoy a few last moments of reflection, exploration, and hopefully a final sighting of wildlife, as you leave the heart of the rainforest. The canoe will then meet the motorboat for the journey along the Napo River to Coca. From Coca, you will be transferred to the local airport for your domestic flight back to Quito or Guayaquil. Try to keep a lovely record at the end of your unforgettable experience in the Amazon. Upon arrival in Quito or Guayaquil, you will be transferred to your onward connection or hotel, marking the end of your grand Ecuadorian journey, which brought together the iconic marvels of the Galapagos Islands and the rich biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest. This day truly allowed you to enjoy, one last time, the incredible natural beauty and cultural richness of my amazing journey.

In conclusion, you will conclude your day, based on your flight schedule, if time allows it, while in Quito or Guayaquil, for breakfast at your hotel, or one last attempt at souvenir shopping. When the time arrives, you will be transferred to the international airport to take your flight, then it’s a wrap for your 14-day unforgettable experience on your grand Ecuadorian Journey!