For lunch and dinner, the tour leader will recommend various options in convenient locations, usually booking restaurants and eating with the group. For the included meals at restaurants, they are usually a set menu with two or three options.

Drinks and incidentals are quite expensive in the Galapagos, as everything is imported from the mainland. The choice of meals in some areas can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking. Budget for around US$20-US$25 per meal.

Breakfasts are a mix of continental and boxed breakfasts, depending on the hotel. They are generally simple in the Galápagos, but sufficient to fuel you for a day of adventure.

The choice of meals in some areas of the Galápagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking.

Test your legs as you trek the Sierra Negra volcano, following highland tracks to one of the world’s largest volcanic depressions. The vast caldera, rimmed by cinder and ash, reveals recent flows and a stark mosaic of lava textures.

Cross rugged, sun-exposed terrain where fumaroles whisper from fractured ground and lichen paints the rock. Keep watch for the vermilion flycatcher and Darwin’s finches as your guide interprets the living geology underfoot.

Follow a paved trail through dry forest to Tortuga Bay, a sweeping arc of blinding-white sands edged by black lava and salt-tolerant palo santo. Along the shore, marine iguanas shuffle across the tideline while pelicans and frigatebirds patrol the surf.

Wander the beachscape to photograph textures of cactus, sand and stone. Swimming is not recommended due to currents, but the contemplative space and abundant wildlife offer time to pause and absorb the coastal drama.

Explore the Andean capital’s UNESCO-listed heart as you join a guided walking tour through colonial streets and sweeping plazas. Take in Plaza Grande (Independence Square), the gilded wonder of La Compañía de Jesús, and the convented grandeur of San Francisco Church, all framed by volcanic peaks.

Hear stories of conquistadors and republic-builders while admiring baroque facades, carved wooden doors and cobblestone lanes. When conditions allow, a viewpoint stop reveals the winged Virgen de Quito on El Panecillo and the serrated rim of Pichincha, setting historic architecture against dramatic Andean scenery.

Taste Ecuador’s highland flavours as you meet your Tour Leader and travelling companions for a convivial evening in a locally owned restaurant. Expect to sample regional dishes such as locro de papa, grilled trout and humitas, paired with bright ají salsas and Andean corn.

Soak up the warmth of Quiteño hospitality in a locally owned restaurant as introductions turn to shared plans. This relaxed gathering sets the tone for the journey ahead, blending cuisine, conversation and cultural insight in the colonial quarter’s atmospheric setting.

Begin your island immersion as you visit the Galápagos Interpretation Center in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, tracing the archipelago’s geology, ocean currents and human history through thoughtful exhibits and timelines.

Continue on foot to the headland as you hike to Las Tijeretas, a lookout favored by frigatebird colonies. Descend to the cove to snorkel with sea lions amid schools of reef fish in crystalline water, where volcanic rock shelves create sheltered pockets alive with color and movement.

Cruise out by small motorboat to the sheer tuff spires of León Dormido (Kicker Rock), where currents funnel nutrients and marine life through a cathedral-like channel. Slip into the blue for a deep-water snorkel, scanning for turtles, eagle rays and the hammerhead silhouettes that sometimes patrol these walls.

Afterward, step ashore for a white-sand beach landing at sites such as Playa Ochoa, Cerro Brujo or Manglecito. Stroll pristine shorelines backed by lava and cacti while sea lions doze and marine iguanas bask beside turquoise surf.

Ascend into misty highlands to walk to El Junco crater lake, one of the archipelago’s few freshwater bodies. Watch frigatebirds skim the surface to bathe as you take in panoramic island views across a quilt of volcanic cones and Pacific horizons.

Continue to a giant tortoise reserve where conservation efforts have restored a prehistoric quiet to the forest. Observe these ancient grazers at respectful distances as your guide explains their life cycles, threats and the breeding projects safeguarding their future.

Enter the water at La Lobería, a rocky cove renowned for curious juveniles that twirl and bubble past as you snorkel with sea lions. Glide above gardens of basalt and seaweed where green turtles feed and damselfish flicker in shafts of light.

From the shore, spot marine iguanas warming themselves on honeycombed lava. Your guide advises on safe entries and local surge patterns, ensuring a confident swim in this dynamic Pacific setting shaped by wind and wave.

Venture inland to the Asilo de la Paz highlands where cloud-kissed slopes shelter agriculture, springs and lore. Walk through cool, echoing lava tunnels once used by buccaneers and settlers, their basalt walls revealing the islands’ molten origins.

Visit an enclosure protecting Galápagos giant tortoises, hearing how Floreana’s turbulent human story is giving way to renewal. The contrast between arid coast and fertile upland paints a vivid portrait of life on one of the archipelago’s earliest-inhabited islands.

Stroll along black-sand beaches formed from eroded lava, where scarlet Sally Lightfoot crabs skitter over glossy rocks and a resident sea lion colony lazes between swims. The stark palette of jet sand, white surf and emerald cacti defines Floreana’s volcanic character.

Slip into clear shallows to watch reef fish and, in season, red-tinged marine iguanas browsing algae. Your guide selects a suitable spot based on conditions, balancing wildlife encounters with safety and minimal impact on this fragile coastline.

Walk sandy paths and coastal scrub to the somber Wall of Tears, a lava-block barrier raised by convicts—a stark relic of penal colony history 1946–1959. The solitude of the site contrasts with the island’s exuberant nature.

Return past brackish lagoons and mangroves alive with herons, stilts and phalaropes. These mangrove wetlands provide shelter to waders and marine iguanas, offering close observation of wading birds and tidal rhythms amid cactus-studded dunes.

Navigate to Los Túneles (Cabo Rosa), a labyrinth of collapsed tubes and lava arches sculpted by the sea. Step carefully across natural bridges to spot blue-footed boobies and resting turtles in glassy pools framed by black basalt.

Enter calm, sheltered channels to snorkel calm channels alongside sea turtles, reef sharks and, with luck, delicate seahorses clinging to mangrove roots. The interplay of light, shadow and motion makes this one of the archipelago’s most photogenic marine sites.

Board a panga for a short hop to Las Tintoreras, a low-lying islet laced with narrow lava channels where whitetip reef sharks often rest in the shade. Follow a marked trail to observe marine iguanas, herons and lava formations shaped by cooling flows.

Mask up to explore protected coves, sharing the water with sea lions and—when conditions align—Galápagos penguins darting like torpedoes. The site’s compact scale offers intimate, slow-motion wildlife encounters ideal for careful observers.

Set out by day boat to cruise to Bartolomé, South Plaza or North Seymour, each revealing a different face of the archipelago. Ascend Bartolomé’s boardwalk to the Pinnacle Rock viewpoint; meet land iguanas dozing beneath opuntia on South Plaza; or witness frigatebird colonies and blue-footed booby courtship on North Seymour.

When conditions allow, slip into calm bays to snorkel with penguins, reef fish and rays, before lunch aboard. This flexible expedition showcases signature landscapes and emblematic species in a single, well-paced outing.

Just north of Quito, visit the Intiñan Equator Museum for a playful, illuminating look at latitude 0°. Step outside to stand on the equator and explore exhibits on Andean cosmology, Amazonian traditions and the natural science behind Earth’s tilt.

Hands-on demonstrations explore hemispheres and balance, while guides share stories linking sky lore with daily life. This excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour, making an engaging complement to your time in the capital.

In Puerto Ayora, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, meeting the science behind the scenery. Walk through shade-dappled enclosures to see giant tortoise breeding programs and learn how genetics, habitat restoration and biosecurity protect endemic life.

Exhibits and researcher insights reveal the archipelago’s conservation challenges and triumphs, from invasive species control to repatriation of hatchlings. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, ideal for travellers seeking deeper context for the wildlife they encounter.