Arrival in Quito and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight at hotel Alameda or similar.

Quito, one of the most beautiful colonial cities of Latin America, is surrounded by spectacular snowcapped volcanoes. The rich mixture of architectural styles and decorative arts of the Quito School of Art, prompted UNESCO to declare the city part of the Cultural Heritage of Mankind in 1979. During our three-hour tour we will visit the Ecuador's House of Congress, the Independence Square, the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, La Compañia Church, and the Monastery of San Francisco. Finally, we will head for the art and crafts gallery, and the City Museum. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight.

During this fascinating tour we will discover the highlands of Ecuador with its Indian markets, small villages, and antique traditions. Today we will travel north until we reach the Awakening Valley, home ot the Otavalo In dians. We will go on a shopping spree as we discover the fascinating markets of Otavalo, where we will bargain for wonderful textiles, naive paintings, tapestries, and ceramics, and Cotacachi, a leather good center, famous for its handmade designs. In the evening you will be transferred to a typical hacienda where you will stay overnight. (B)

Today we will continue our tour of the Highlands by first visiting Peguche, where excellent wool tapestries are made, and Ilumán, a pleasant little town known for its traditional healers (witch doctors) and family-run hat workshops. Finally we will head for San Antonio de Ibarra and Cayambe, where we will try their delicious biscuits and cheese, and Calderón, famous for its handmade bread-dough figures. Return to Quito. Overnight.

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight to Baltra. Once in Baltra a representative will transfer you to the docks. Today we will visit: Santa Cruz, the second largest and most populated of the islands. We will tour the Charles Darwin Research Station, a sanctuary for the breeding of giant tortoises, and a great spot for snorkeling and/or relaxing on the beach. We will see: 11 subspecies of tortoise, marine iguanas; sharks; mockingbirds; vermilion flycatchers; Darwin finches, prickly pear cactuses; palo santos; salt bushes; Scalesias; mangroves.

Today we will visit: San Cristobal, including the remarkable rock formation of Kicker Rock, Lobos Island, a small island located an hour by boat from San Cristobal, and the research station at Puerto Barquerizo Moreno. We will see: Giant tortoises; sea lions; blue-footed and masked boobies; frigate birds.

We will visit Espanola, known for its beautiful white beach, the famous blowhole, and the varied seabird colonies including blue-footed and masked boobies. Also, it is the only breeding site for the waved albatross. We will see: Sea lions; marine iguanas; blue-footed boobies; waved albatross (Apr-Nov); Galapagos hawks; wood mockingbirds; oystercatchers; large cactus finches.

We will visit North Seymour, a small island with large colonies of sea lions and marine birds. We will see: Sea lions; land iguanas; frigate birds; blue-footed boobies; swallow tailed gulls; bright yellow warblers; fur seals. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the Baltra airport for your connecting flight to Quito. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight.

At the appointed time transfer to the airport in time for your international flight or continue your adventure in Ecuador with a unique visit to the Ecuadorian Amazon.

From: USD1891.00

Known as the most extensive ecosystem in the world, the Amazon Basin is the home of the greatest variety of plants and animals on the face of the Earth, many of which are still to be discovered. Primary forest, thick and exuberant, teeming with all kinds of life, covers about 45 percent of Ecuador's territory. Various navigable rivers allow visitors to enter into the heart of the jungle. Your package includes overland transportation from Quito, all meals, daily excursions, accommodations at a jungle lodge, and English speaking assistance.