Epic Galapagos cruise holiday on the fantastic Odyssey yacht.
Departures: Fortnightly on Fridays (the Galapagos cruise departs every other Sunday)
Length: 8 days / 7 nights
Destinations: Quito / Galapagos Islands Cruise / Guayaquil
Cruise: 5 days / 4 nights on board the Galapagos Odyssey Yacht, a fantastic Superior-Class cruise yacht operating in the Galapagos. A selection of different itineraries are available on this yacht, please contact us to discuss further.
Highlights: The Odyssey cruise ship is an excellent vessel to explore the Galapagos Islands and this 8 day holiday to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands including a 5 day cruise through the Galapagos and a stay in Quito is a great and affordable introduction to this world-famous destination.
Price: from £2,999 per person. Based on 2 people travelling together in our hand picked Standard-Class (3-star or equivalent) Ecuador hotel accommodation and the Galapagos Odyssey cruise ship. We work with a wide selection of hotels in Ecuador and superior and luxury hotel upgrades are available.
Tailor Made: This is a suggested holiday that can be booked exactly as described if you wish or that can be used to help inspire you on the fascinating journeys and destinations in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Like all our holidays this itinerary can be tailored, customised and crafted by our friendly experts to suit your own travel style, personal requirements, wishes, budget and interests. Simply get in touch to discuss, and we would be delighted to create a truly personalised holiday for you.
Holiday Itinerary
Today is the first day of your Ecuador and Galapagos holiday experience. Arrive in Quito airport at anytime. We will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The remainder of the day will be free time for you to relax after your flight to Ecuador.
Meals: None
Overnight: Central hotel in Quito
The old-town city centre of Quito is a wonderful colonial-era UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fabulous place to explore. Today you will enjoy a free-day in Quito to give you time to discover this fabulous city on your own. Places worth visiting that are within walking distance of your hotel include include the Compañia de Jesús (Church of the Society of Jesus) with its incredibly ornate and beautiful gold interior, the Presidential Palace and Independence Square which is surrounded by staggering architecture, and the Church and Convent of St. Francis.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Central hotel in Quito
In the morning we will escort you to Quito airport from where you will fly to Baltra airport on Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos Islands to start your cruise. On arrival at Baltra you will be met by your cruise guide and will immediately set off to explore these fantastic islands. First stop is a visit to Dragon Hill where it is possible to spot the famous Iguanas, an iconic animal of the Galapagos archipelago. Later you will travel to your cruise vessel the Odyssey and will be welcomed on board by the captain and a welcome drink.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Meal
Overnight: Galapagos Odyssey Cruise Yacht
After your first breakfast aboard your cruise vessel today you will make a wet-landing on Rabida Island where you will journey on two short (easy) nature walks along the red beaches of the islands to spot for breeding colonies of brown pelicans. There are snorkelling opportunities here before you return to the yacht for lunch. Later you will visit Chinese Hat, a volcanic island cone complete with lava tunnels which is a good location to spot penguins. You will explore the island on an inflatable dinghy with further opportunities for snorkelling to search for the rays, reef sharks and sea lions that swim in the Galapagos waters, as well as various species of colourful fish.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Meal
Overnight: Galapagos Odyssey Cruise Yacht
Having travelled northwards overnight and passed over the equator today your yacht will arrive at Genovesa Island in the far northern region of the Galapagos. This place is a bird-watchers dream and after making a landing on the island at the beautiful Darwin Bay you will journey on a 2 mile walk exploring the island. Wildlife you may spot includes whimbrels, sea lions, red-footed boobies, frigate birds, Darwin's finches and mockingbirds amongst many others, it truly is a bird-lovers paradise. The afternoon is spent visiting Prince Philip's Steps and after a dinghy ride you will enjoy a short trek through the island to observe the breeding grounds of red-footed boobies.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Evening Meal
Overnight: Galapagos Odyssey Cruise Yacht
The islet of Bartolome is regarded as one of the most beautiful sites in the Galapagos Islands with a fabulous beach, volcanic peak, and iconic pinnacle landmark rock. Today you will land at Bartolome by dinghy and will walk to the top of this wonderful island to observe the morning sun and wonderful scenic views of the archipelago and landscape of the islands. After reaching the peak and admiring the stunning views you will have time for snorkelling or swimming in the crystal-clear tranquil waters or can explore the isolated and beautiful beach. In the afternoon you will visit Sullivan Bay, a volcanic landscape created by solidified lava, and will go on a short walk over this barren region to observe the unusual volcanic rock structures.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Galapagos Odyssey Cruise Yacht
On your final day in the Galapagos you will travel by dinghy from your cruise ship to the town of Puerto Ayora, one the larger settlements in the archipelago, and will travel by road to the highlands region of Santa Cruz island. Here the landscape is luscious and green and in sharp contract to the volcanic landscapes of the previous few days. Giant tortoises are one of the most famous animals in the Galapagos and the highland regions here are a great location to spot for these animals in their native habitat in the wild. After the morning excursion you will be escorted back to Baltra airport to take a return flight to the city of Guayaquil on the Ecuador mainland. In Guayaquil we will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel for the evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Central hotel in Guayaquil
Today is your final day in Ecuador, and at a suitable time we will meet you at your hotel to escort you back to Guayaquil airport for your international return flight home.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: N/A
Optional: You may consider exploring Ecuador further so let us know and we can let you know more about the extension options we have to visit places like the Amazon jungle, Ecuador's colonial UNESCO World Heritage cities, Cotopaxi volcano and much more. Guayaquil also serves as a major transport hub for onward travel, so adding a Peru extension to visit Machu Picchu or beyond is another good option.
Included
- Two domestic flights within Ecuador (Quito - Galapagos Islands / Galapagos Islands - Guayaquil)
- All excursions
- English-speaking guides for all excursions
- INGALA Galapagos Control Card
- Entry fees to all sites included in the itinerary (with the exception of Galapagos National Park Entry Fee which needs to be paid on arrival in Galapagos)
- Accommodation
- All meals detailed
- Private transfers to / from airports or hotels
- All transport and travel within Ecuador
Not Included
- International flights to/from South America. We exclude international flights to give the option to compare flight pricing or use air miles, however we can include and provide international flights as part of your holiday and any international flights booked through us would be ATOL-protected as part of your package with us. Depending on time of year, departure airport and airline preference flight prices start from around £500pp economy for return flights. If you would like us to include international flights or provide a quote just let us know your preferred departure airport when you enquire.
- The Galapagos National Park Entry Fee (payable on arrival in the Galapagos).
ATOL PROTECTION
This is a flight-inclusive package holiday. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/atolcertificate.
Contact Us if you want more information or want to book this holiday. One of our Galapagos cruise holiday specialists will be more than willing to help.
