Just You: Natural Wonders of Ecuador & the Galapagos

• Just You Tour Manager as your host
• Return flights from Heathrow with Avianca
• 12 nights in 3 and 4 star hotels
• 29 meals:  12 breakfasts. 11 lunches and 6 dinners
• Specialist Local Guide
• Overseas transfers & other transportation
• Porterage
• Dedicated Just You representative to greet you at all UK airports

• Visit Mercado Iñaquito & sample the local produce
• Tour of Quito
• Visit a butterfly garden & orchid park
• Visit a working chocolate farm
• See hummingbirds & listen to the frog symphony
• Hike in the Mindo cloud forest
• Mitad del Mundo, the Equator line
• See giant tortoises at a farm on Santa Cruz Island
• Visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre & a wetland on Isabela Island
• Hike up the Sierra Negra volcano
• The Charles Darwin Research Station
• San Cristóbal Interpretation Centre
• Snorkelling at Kicker Rock
• Otavalo Market

• Tintoreras snorkelling & hike
• Los Tuneles snorkelling

Day 1: UK – Quito

Today you’ll fly to Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Day 2: Quito

On arrival in Quito we will transfer you to your hotel. Located high in the Andes at 9,000 feet above sea level, Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world.

Day 3: Quito

Our explorations begin with a trip to Mercado Iñaquito, one of the city’s most popular markets. A Local Guide will show us around and we’ll see everything from local fruit and vegetables, to speciality meats.
After this, a sightseeing tour will introduce us to Quito’s highlights.

Day 4: Mindo

Today we’re heading to the Mindo cloud forest, an area of spectacular scenery and wildlife. We’ll make a stop at a butterfly garden, where we’ll see species such as owl and blue morpho, and an orchid park with 200 different varieties. After an included lunch we’ll head to El Quetzal de Mindo to see cocoa trees and visit a working chocolate farm.

Day 5: Quito

Our adventure continues with a morning hike through the cloud forest, a great way to enjoy more of the spectacular scenery and wildlife. Then we’ll travel to Mitad del Mundo, where you can pose for a photo on the Equator line! Later this afternoon we’ll arrive back in Quito, and there’s time to relax before we get together for dinner and a briefing about tomorrow’s journey to the Galapagos Islands.

Day 6: Santa Cruz Island

Today we’re going to fly to the Galapagos. This archipelago of islands is home to an astonishing array of wildlife and the landscapes range from black volcanic rock to glorious white-sand beaches. A Local Guide will be waiting for us on Santa Cruz and the sightseeing will start straight away. We’ll make our way to a private ranch in the Highlands, where giant tortoises roam free.

Day 7: Isabela Island

After some free time this morning, we’ll transfer by boat to Isabela Island and make our way to the little town of Puerto Villamil. We’ll visit a nearby wetland which is home to pink flamingos and pintail ducks, before walking a short distance to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre.

Day 8: Isabela Island

There’s an exciting morning ahead, as we set off on a hike up the Sierra Negra volcano. It last erupted in 2005, and on our walk we’ll keep our eyes peeled for birds such as the vermilion flycatcher and the elusive short-eared owl. Once at the crater edge, we’ll continue on through lava fields and otherworldly landscapes, stopping now and then to take in spectacular views.

Day 9: Santa Cruz Island

You’re free to enjoy a lazy morning if you wish. However, if you enjoy snorkelling our optional excursion to Los Tuneles is a must. You’ll head to one of the best snorkelling spots in the Galapagos for a chance to explore underwater lava tunnels teeming with marine life. Look out for reef sharks, sea turtles, sea horses and more.

Day 10: San Cristóbal Island

Today we’re going to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we’ll learn more about efforts to conserve several species of the giant tortoise. Lonesome George was perhaps the most famous Galapagos tortoise. His species, the Pinta Island tortoise, became extinct when he died in 2012 and after being preserved by expert taxidermists, he is now on display at the centre.

Day 11: San Cristóbal Island

We’re going to take a cruise along the coast and hopefully catch a glimpse of San Cristóbal’s fabulous marine life today. Keep a lookout for birds including the great frigate and blue-footed booby as we head to Kicker Rock, where the remains of a volcanic tuff cone rise from the ocean. Snorkelling a channel between the rocks, you might be lucky enough to see spotted eagle rays, chocolate chip starfish, sea turtles and Galapagos sharks.

Day 12: Quito

You’re free to spend your final morning in the Galapagos at leisure. Perhaps head to the beach for one last swim, or shop for some last-minute souvenirs.

Day 13: Otavalo

Your holiday ends with a trip to the market in Otavalo, considered to be one of the biggest and best in South America. There will be lots of colourful textiles and handicrafts on offer, so you might want to have a go at bargaining for a few souvenirs. Next we’ll head to Cotacachi, a town famous for its leather.

Day 14: Quito – UK

Today we will transfer you to the airport for your flight back to the UK.

Day 15: UK

You will arrive in the UK today.

Please note, prices listed are guide prices only and are based on solo travellers in their own room. Holiday prices are fluid and dynamic and may be changed at a moment’s notice, prior to booking, at which point they are confirmed. Please call the team free on 0800 707 6229 for more departure dates available and a quote.