Young  boy from an Amazon tribe

Best of Amazon and Galapagos Island Tours

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Galapagos / Ecuador

Places Visited

Quito, Amazon Rainforest, Galapagos Islands

Suggested Duration

12 Days

Two of the planet's most sacred ecosystems combine in this unique Best of Amazon and Galapagos Tour of Ecuador's natural jewels. Cultural and natural history blur together as you spend five days exploring the untamed Amazon with indigenous Huaorani guides. Seamlessly discover the eclecticism of endemic wildlife with a five-day luxury cruise through the Southern Galapagos Islands. The ancient city Quito connects the two kaleidoscopic ecosystems, providing the third distinctive treasure of Ecuador.

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Spend five days cruising through the Southern Galapagos Islands
  • Immerse yourself in the Amazon Rainforest with five days at a remote lodge in the land of the Huaorani indigenous tribe
  • Discover the dramatic wildlife that inhabits these rare ecosystems, everything from the red-footed booby to caimans and giant tortoises to howling monkeys
  • Snorkel or glass-bottom boat ride along pristine reefs teeming with sea turtles, reef sharks, and rays
  • Kayak beside volcanic cliffs in the Galapagos and canoe down enchanting jungle rivers in the Amazon
  • Marvel at hundreds of rare birds that inhabit these unique ecosystems, including albatrosses, scarlet macaws, endemic mockingbirds, red-lored parrots, toucans, and hawks
  • With your face smeared in red achiote, you get completely involved in Huaorani traditions, including using a blowgun and building fires without matches

Detailed Description

This Best of Amazon and Galapagos Tour combines five days in the untouched Amazon with a five-day Galapagos cruise, providing an untrammeled immersion in these remarkable ecosystems. Eclectic natural spectacles cover the Ecuadorian landscape. At one extreme lie the Galapagos, young and fiery volcanic islands where endemic species have evolved to flourish in desolate conditions. To the other is the Amazon Rainforest, over 50 million years old and home to an incredible abundance that brings constant competition. Both are threatened yet continue to showcase the incredible diversity of our planet. And it's not merely a natural history that you discover. Indigenous Huaorani are your guides through the Amazon while the tales of pirates and scientists are found on the islands. During a two-night stop in Quito, you discover another enchanting slice of cultural history, with a walking tour through the world's first ever World Heritage site.

First the Amazon and a remote ecolodge that's far from any road. With red achiote smeared across your face, you discover how the Huaorani coexist in this landscape of tropical abundance and competition. Canoe down mysterious rivers, head out with hunters and their traditional weapons, and learn all about lifestyles that only became known to the outside world in the 1950's. Comfortable and blending into nature, your lodge is a leading example of community tourism and cultural involvement, as well as offering an unforgettable immersion in the wilds and wildlife of the Amazon. You'll also learn how this ancient indigenous community has been battling oil companies to save the rainforest.

Then the Galapagos Islands, a series of intriguing islands rising from the Pacific, packed with mystique. It's dry and desolate here, with only the most specialized surviving...sea lions, diving cormorants, giant tortoises, red-footed boobies, and a dozen other iconic species. And with no competition and little predatory threat, this wildlife isn't fussed by your presence. You'll get exceptionally close throughout the five-day cruise of the southern islands on a beautiful yacht. Snorkel or glass-bottom ride on vibrant reefs, hike on stunning volcanic islands, and trace the theory of evolution through your encounters with reptiles. Like the Amazon, the journey is continually graced by endemic birds and wildlife that's adapted to the most unique of conditions.

Starting Price

$11,695 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

4.88 stars based on 210 reviews.

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"Every step of the way, Zicasso’s team answered our questions...

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