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See giant tortoises in the Galapagos

Wildlife Odyssey

Amazon & Galapagos - Example 15 Day Tour
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Experience three wonders of the world - the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Andes mountains - in one action-packed 15-day trip visiting the best of Ecuador. Spend five nights in the Amazon jungle at the comfortable Sacha Lodge, paddling dug-out canoes and searching for Amazonian wildlife like monkeys, sloths, and caimans. Later in the week, fly to the Galapagos for a cruise around the islands. Visit remote areas for nature walks and get the opportunity to view the unique, fearless wildlife of the Enchanted Islands.  
Sacha LodgeTrek through the AmazonMonkey business in CocaAt the Parrot Clay LickA pair of blue-footed boobies watch travelers pass in the GalapagosCrossing the suspension bridgeFrigatebird in the Galapagos Islands250kg fully grown, 300 metres an hour, just try and stop itSee Blue-footed Boobies on your trip to the GalapagosRaul declares Land Ahoy - Ruth confirms!Nap timeKayaking awayEl Penguino!A view from the deck of the MV AquaGalapagos Sally Lightfoot CrabBoat ride to Sacha LodgeIguana found during a Galapagos wildlife cruiseCruising Leon Dormido on a tour of the GalapagosEspanola is for loversGalapagos PenguinsA couple of old cronies climbing down Quilatoa craterRoad to QuitoPenguins pay us a visitA pair Galapagos penguins during a cruise tourSea lions nap on the sunny beaches of the GalapagosSee giant tortoises in the Galapagos
Highlights
  • Observe macaws at Ecuador's most famous clay lick
  • Visit a 130-foot observation tower for views of the rainforest canopy
  • See blue footed boobies, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, seals and more!
  • Snorkel through clear waters with playful sea lions and colorful fish
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive in Quito

Arrive in Quito and overnight.

Day 2: Arrive Sacha Lodge

  • Hotel
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Begin your Ecuador travel adventure with a short flight over the high Andes and down to the Amazon frontier town of Puerto Francisco de Orellana (called Coca by locals). You travel by motorized canoe two and a half hours down the Napo River, followed by a short walk through a thick palm forest to Sacha Lodge, your home for the next few days.

Day 3-5: Sacha Lodge

  • Hotel
  • 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
Days at Sacha Lodge are filled with discovery. During excursions, visitors are divided into small groups (usually around six people per group), each with its own native guide and bilingual naturalist. Native guides carry a lifetime of knowledge about rainforest plants' medicinal and functional uses. They proudly display the wonders of their home environment, sometimes even offering a tasty treat like the strange lemon-tasting ants that coexist in the stems of certain trees. Naturalists, educated in biology and ecology, translate for native guides and complement your Amazon tour excursions with explanations of the scientific workings of the rainforest.

Sacha Lodge has something for everyone. A favorite activity includes paddling dugout canoes along blackwater creeks and lakes past luxuriant lianas, bromeliads, and enormous palms. Swimming and piranha fishing are also popular (the piranha here are harmless!). For the adventurous, there are night walks and canoe trips in search of caiman and other nocturnal creatures.

Sacha Lodge also offers three very unique sites to visitors. The first is a 130-foot observation tower that allows visitors to get above the rainforest canopy for incredible views of the area. This is also a great place to observe toucans and other tropical birds and, with luck, spot noisy howler monkeys or a three-toed sloth. The second site is the butterfly house, where over 40 local butterfly species are bred. Visitors can see the process of breeding and raising these colorful insects and wander through the "flying room." Finally, there's the Yasuní Parrot Lick. Just a short distance from Sacha Lodge is Ecuador's most famous macaw lick, where visitors can observe dozens of magnificently colored birds feeding on the clay's salt.

Day 6: Depart Sacha Lodge | Hacienda Pinsaqui

Complete your Amazon tour with a flight back to Quito. Two hours north of Quito lies one of Ecuador's finest haciendas. Nestled in the Otavalo Valley in the shadow of Imbabura Volcano, the 200-year-old Hacienda Pinsaqui was a favorite haunt of the revolutionary General Simon Bolívar. The thick, whitewashed walls seem to whisper stories of a bygone era. From the hacienda, go mountain biking in the countryside, visit the white city of Ibarra and the leather shops of Cotacachi, or take horses around Cuicocha Lake. Pinsaqui, with its gardens and old textile shops, is yours to explore.

Day 7: Otavalo Market | Quito

After a pleasant breakfast at Pinsaqui, your day's adventures are open. Hike around the volcanic crater of Cuicocha, visit the villages around Otavalo, or share a traditional lunch with an Otavaleño family. The choice is yours! There are markets every day of the week in the tiny town of Otavalo, where indigenous people from the mountains descend into the valley to sell their crafts, textiles, cows, and goats. This is the most famous Indian market on the continent, and the Otavaleños are sure to win your heart. This afternoon, return to Quito to prepare for the next day's Galapagos adventures!

Day 8: Fly to Galapagos

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Dinner
An early morning flight from Quito brings you to the Galapagos Archipelago. Upon arrival, you are picked up and transferred to your yacht - your home for the next seven nights. This afternoon, you head to your first island to begin your Galapagos cruise and a week filled with mysteries of the natural world. Click here for more details about Corals.

Day 9-14: Galapagos cruise

  • Ship
  • 6 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 6 Dinners
Visit several islands during your unforgettable voyage. Each day, you leave the comfort of your yacht and go ashore in a panga (the local word for dinghies, Zodiacs, etc.) to remote areas of the islands for natural history walks through the Galapagos's unique ecology. Your crew takes excellent care of you with delicious meals and attends to all your creature comforts onboard. On the islands, your naturalist guide shows you the diversity of Galapagos life and teaches you about the area's natural history. This is everyone's chance to photograph unusual marine iguanas, snorkel with playful sea lions, and take in the unique landscape of ancient volcanic turmoil. Except for a few settlements, the entire archipelago is a national park, and the beaches and meandering footpaths invite relaxation and fanciful dreams.

Day 15: Fly to Quito | Return Home

  • 1 Breakfast
This morning, you visit one last island and say goodbye to Bachas Beach as you complete your Galapagos tour. You are transferred back to the airport for your return to Quito.

Accommodations

Corals

Corals during the sunset
Corals Jacuzzi
Sun Terrace  Moon deck  Coral II

Sacha Lodge

Sacha Lodge
Sacha Lodge Oropendola Restaurant
Sacha Lodge Bar

Hacienda Pinsaqui

Hacienda Pinsaqui
Hacienda Pinsaqui
Hacienda Pinsaqui

Quito - Hotels

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$7,177

Notes

Select a Date
Price based on the Standard Plus cabin of Corals. Contact us for different Galapagos yacht and start date options.
Included
  • 14 Breakfasts, 11 Lunches, 11 Dinners
  • 14 Nights Accommodations
  • 2 Days Locally Hosted Guide Service
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Gear Rental: Snorkeling Gear
  • Bilingual Naturalist Guide 
  • Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
  • Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
  • Shore Excursions, Swimming, Snorkeling and Glass Bottom Boat
  • INGALA Transit Control Card
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12 (fees of $100 per adult and $50 per child valid on arrivals through Aug 1, 2024). Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador: $475-675
  • Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board - $25 for 4-day and 5-day tours, $50 for 8-day, 11-day, and 12 day tours, and $75 for 15-day tours. 
  • Kayak available for $45/use
  • Park Entrance Fee - Optional parrot salt lick excursion
  • Internal Flights: $840 Quito - Coca - Quito - Galapagos - Quito

Map

When to Go

Jan
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Dec
Good to ideal period to travel, and many people choose to visit at this time.

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This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).
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