Escape into the sublime natural realm of the Galapagos and enjoy near-exclusive access to its majestic world. Hopping red-footed boobies, endemic waved albatross, giant tortoises, curious sea lions, colorful marine worlds... your 13-day Galapagos and Ecuador tour for private small groups unveils the poetic wonder of the islands and the exemplars of evolution. Before following Darwin's footsteps, you indulge in the resplendent bliss of the Andes and Ecuador's ancient cities.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Standing in an Ancient Incan City
Quito's history is buried underneath late-16th century stone; the memoirs of Incas and conquered indigenous groups now lost under colonial city squares and broad conquistador palaces. But explore the first ever World Heritage site, and you quickly find a semblance of the distant past that mingles with the elegant display of colonial Latin America. Women in traditional tribal dress carry fruits to markets, ancient musical instruments are blown on city squares, and your local guide narrates stories of Quito that start long before the Spanish arrived. You'll be picked up at Quito International Airport and transferred to your hotel in the old city. After time to freshen up, your guide takes you for a welcome dinner and a first taste of Ecuadorian tradition. For the first six days, your trip is private and the guide is flexible in timing everything to your needs. Consider reading more about your travel agents for Galapagos Islands who strive to make your trip specialized and exceptional to the highest degree.
What's Included:
Day 2
Discovering an Evocative World Heritage City
Day 3
Through the Volcanoes and Markets of the Highlands
Day 4
The Dramatic Devil's Nose Train Through the Andes
Day 5
Leisurely Exploration of Another World Heritage City
Day 6
A Relaxed Day Before Flying to the Coast
Day 7
Cruising Off On a Nine-Passenger Boat
Day 8
Beautiful Volcanic Remains on Santiago Island
Day 9
The Mass Seabird Breeding Ground of Genovesa
Day 10
Marine Delights on Eastern San Cristobal
Day 11
Rare Waved Albatross and Great Diversity on Espanola
Day 12
Kayaking with Sea Lions and Encounters with Giant Tortoises
Day 13
Departure
Trip Highlights
- Cruise through the Galapagos for eight days on a luxury nine-passenger boat
- Explore the archipelago's most evocative islands, including Genovesa in the far north and San Cristobal to the east
- Seductively encounter the mystical wildlife of the islands, including red-footed boobies, manta rays, magnificent frigates, and huge land iguanas
- Marvel at endemic wonders that only exist on one Galapagos island, such as the waved albatross, giant tortoise, and Santa Fe iguana
- Being in a small group means that you're one of only nine people exploring these surreal wildlife sites
- Snorkel into the Galapagos' strange underwater world and get close to some of the ocean's pelagic giants
- Discover the Andean beauty of Ecuador with six days on the mainland, your private journey heading through the Andes to connect two World Heritage cities: Quito and Cuenca
- Zigzag your way up the Devil's Nose on one of the world's most dramatic train journeys
Detailed Description
On a Galapagos and Ecuador tour for private small groups, you undertake an exclusive journey through the annals of natural history, marveling at the colorful snippets of evolution that distinguish the archipelago's endemic creatures. A bird's red feet, an inflated scarlet throat-sack, waved albatross, marine iguanas sneezing out salt...you're submerged in their world, exploring how nature's eccentrics have adapted to islands of volcanic fire. Man has never conquered these islands, and the numbers confirm that you're just a visitor. Your luxury boat has a capacity of only nine, and your group will have exclusive access on all the Galapagos tours to wildlife sites. Compare nine with two million birds on Genovesa, 25,000 endemic albatross on Espanola, thousands of giant tortoises on Santa Cruz, and the hundreds of endemic iguanas that flicker across the islands. There's nobody else in the frame. It's just you and these scenes that seemingly come from a farfetched nature documentary.
But before the Galapagos, there are the mountains, the resplendent Andes that hide treasures of nature and culture. Start with two days in Quito, the first ever World Heritage site and an iconic slice of colonial Latin America. On a private tour, you travel south, zigzagging through the mountains towards a second UNESCO city: Cuenca. Ascend on the Devil's Nose train, discover colorful village markets, learn about an ancient indigenous heritage and explore Incan ruins. Throughout these six days on the mainland there's always a view, always an effervescent vista over snow-capped peaks and lush languid valleys.
Fly to the Galapagos from Guayaquil, and the luxury nine-passenger boat is home for the next six nights. Lounge on the sundeck as dolphins follow the boat, watch the stars from the jacuzzi, and enjoy meals and snacks from the gourmet chef. Every day, you visit two iconic sites with many of these mixing land and marine exploration. Snorkel famous sites frequented by hammerheads, wander across red volcanic islands, and kayak in calm bays filled with fishing sea lions. The cruise connects many of the archipelago's most important islands, including North Seymour, Genovesa, San Cristobal, Espanola, and Santa Fe. It's an itinerary that ensures encounters with almost all of the islands' evocative species; in particular, it's rare to find a cruise that can offer Galapagos penguins, red-footed boobies, and waved albatross. It's a cruise itinerary for wildlife lovers who aim to intimately admire the finest of Galapagos' natural wonders.
Starting Price
$15,900 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.89 stars based on 28345 reviews.
Zicasso’s travel company was wonderful in planning our trip on short notice and in line with our requests and preferences. Their suggestions of what to do and where to stay were perfect. And when we accidentally got off on the wrong island, the travel company quickly got us new ferry tickets to get to the right place. It was all seamless.
Reviewed By Sherry G.
Although the trip had a few bumps, Zicasso’s travel agency was excellent to work with. Our travel agent was responsive, informative, and had an excellent app (which he improved upon before we went away). He checked in regularly to make sure everything went smoothly and took all the pain out of self-traveling, which was the whole idea!
Reviewed By Audrey B.
Five stars are not enough! From the moment we connected, Zicasso's travel agency curated the perfect trip from start to finish. It was almost as if they knew the ins and outs of my family and our desires; they knocked it out of the park.
Traveling with two teenage girls, accommodations were important to us. Our hotel choices were perfect, spacious, and centrally located. Every tour was perfect, curated, and personal.
As first-time international travelers, we were a bit anxious. We were constantly supported by the travel company, getting our questions answered immediately at all times of the day or night. We had the trip of our dreams and could not have done it without this amazing agency.
Our travel agent was a delight, a mind reader and a consummate professional. The most sincere appreciation to all on this stellar team. I will shout this agency's name to everyone I know planning a trip. Thank you!
Reviewed By Jennifer S.
All activities were very well planned and generally good choices. The tour guides were generally good, also. Our Zicasso travel company needs to review the night ghost tour. It was actually pretty terrible. Our group of about 25 didn’t enjoy themselves and, along with us, many left before the end.
The entire transportation plan was excellent and drivers were always on time and very polite. The accommodations at both hotels were excellent.
Thank you.
Reviewed By Francis S.
Zicasso's travel designer put together a trip that got us to the places we wanted to see, with companies that suited our abilities and desires. He offered excellent suggestions, was always available, and was a pleasure to work with.
Reviewed By Mark H.
This trip was the greatest week of our lives! Everything planned was better than I could have imagined. The private drivers being coordinated behind the scenes made the trip so easy and removed all the stress of trying to navigate a new country. Every driver and our tour guide was so nice and I feel like we made friends with all of them.
My favorite part of the trip was definitely the cooking classes and that every tour was private and intimate for my wife and I. The connections Zicasso’s travel agent hooked us up with made the trip the most memorable experience. Our travel agent and the travel company took special care of all the tiny details of the trip; our hotel knew it was my birthday and had a special surprise for me! I’m beyond thankful for the perfect honeymoon they provided my wife and I.
Reviewed By Branson S.