After breakfast, you'll set off on a full-day tour to the famous Otavalo Market, the best place in Ecuador for authentic Andean handicrafts. En route, you'll make several stops at small villages and natural highlights, such as the stunning San Pablo Lake, before enjoying a guided tour of the market and plenty of personal time to peruse at your leisure.

Your exploration of the Galapagos Islands begins! Upon arrival in Baltra, 600 miles off the coast, you will be met by your guide and taken on a short bus ride to the harbor to board your cruise. After lunch, you will set sail for Dragon Hill, famous for its impressive population of land iguanas.

Alight on the red sands of Rábida Island, which is small but teeming with wildlife. Along the shore you can find sea lions and nesting Pelicans. A short inland trail takes you to a saltwater lagoon where you're likely to see Flamingos and Finches. Then, in the afternoon, you'll learn about Galapagos geology on the tiny but fascinating island of Sombrero Chino, which is capped by a relatively recent volcanic cone.

Discover Genovesa Island, often called Bird Island for its abundance of avian species. In the morning you'll ascend Prince Philip's Steps, a rocky inclined path surrounded by Boobie colonies. Spend the afternoon at Darwin Bay among Galapagos sea lions, Red-Footed and Masked Boobies, and Great Frigates.

Enjoy a morning at Bartolome Island. From here, at an elevation of almost 400 feet, you will have breathtaking views of the lunar-like craters, volcanic cones, lava fields and beaches of the Galapagos Islands. In the afternoon, explore the still-active volcanic island of Santiago, one of the best places for observing fur seals in the Galapagos.

During your last day in the Galapagos you'll explore the highlands of Santa Cruz where the scenery changes dramatically to lush forest. You'll have the opportunity to explore a lava tunnel and see enormous crater-like sink holes before heading to the airport for your flight to Quito.

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your journey back home. Depending on your international flight departure and your interests, we can arrange further explorations of colonial Quito and its surroundings.