Itinerary
- Day 1
Guayaquil
You'll arrive in Guayaquil today, and how you spend your time depends on when your flight lands. If you have a few hours to kill, downtown has some good spots to check out, including Iguanas Park where you can actually see iguanas hanging around, Malecon 2000 along the waterfront, and Las Peñas Hill if you're up for a walk. Or you can just head to your hotel and relax. Your guide meets you at 6:30 pm to go over what's coming up and answer any questions about the week ahead.
- Start point
- Grand Hotel Guayaquil, Boyaca 1615 Y Clemente Ballen Clemente Ballon, Guayaquil, Guayas 0903, Ecuador (Hotel Lobby)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Grand Hotel Guayaquil)
Optional Activities
- Explore Guayaquil downtown
- Visit Iguanas Park
- Visit Malecon 2000
- Visit Las Peñas Hill
- Full day tour of Guayaquil or surroundings (must notify in advance)
Landmarks Iguanas Park Malecon 2000 Las Peñas Hill - Day 2
Guayaquil to San Cristobal
A 1.5-hour flight gets you to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island this morning. After checking into your hotel and grabbing lunch on your own, you'll pick one of two afternoon options. The kayak tour to Darwin Bay takes about 3.5 hours and works for most people unless you have mobility concerns, and you'll get to snorkel during it. The other choice is hiking up to Tijeretas Hill with a snorkel session at Darwin's Bay afterward. Both let you see the island's marine life up close.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Arena Blanca)
Included Activities
- Kayak tour to Darwin Bay with Tijeretas Hill and snorkeling (approximately 3.5 hours) - OR - Hike to Tijeretas Hill with Interpretation Center visit and snorkel at Darwin's Bay
Landmarks Darwin Bay Tijeretas Hill 
- Day 3
San Cristobal Island
You're heading out on a full day snorkeling trip to Kicker Rock. After breakfast, a speed boat takes you along the coast where you'll see seabirds and different landscapes. Once you reach the rock formation, you'll snorkel through the channel looking for sharks, fish, turtles, rays, and sea lions. Lunch comes in a box on the boat, and you'll have time to relax on the beach before heading back to town for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Box lunch on boat)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Arena Blanca)
Included Activities
- Speed boat excursion to Kicker Rock
- Snorkeling at Kicker Rock channel
- Box lunch on boat
- Beach relaxation time
Landmarks Kicker Rock - Day 4
San Cristobal to Santa Cruz
The speed boat ride to Santa Cruz Island takes around 2 hours, and you'll head straight to Puerto Ayora to check in. After that, you can walk around town and have lunch wherever looks good to you. In the afternoon, you'll visit a tortoise ranch up in the highlands where the tortoises roam wild in their natural habitat. You'll be back in town for dinner. If you're interested, there's an option to check out the pier at night to see baby sharks and rays cruising around.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Deja Vú)
Included Activities
- Visit Tortoise Ranch in Santa Cruz highlands
Optional Activities
- Explore Puerto Ayora town
- Dine at Quioskos street for fresh lobster and seafood
- Visit the pier at night to see baby sharks, rays, and other animals
Landmarks Tortoise Ranch 
- Day 5
Santa Cruz to Isabela
A speed boat brings you to Isabela Island. Once you check in and have some time to settle, you can rent a bike for $10 to see the breeding center or explore the wetlands if that appeals to you. Later on, a guided tour takes you to Tintoreras Islet where you'll see baby marine iguanas, sea gulls, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds, plus maybe Galapagos penguins. Depending on the tide, white-tip reef sharks might show up too. The day ends with snorkeling at La Calera where you swim alongside marine iguanas, sea turtles, sea lions, and colorful fish.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Cally)
Included Activities
- Tintoreras Islet tour with wildlife viewing
- Snorkeling at La Calera area
Optional Activities
- Rent bike for USD 10
- Visit Galapagos Breeding Center
- Visit wetlands
Landmarks Tintoreras Islet La Calera Galapagos Breeding Center - Day 6
Isabela Island
You get to choose based on how active you want to be. The challenging route includes an early bus ride to Sierra Negra volcano and a hike lasting 1.5 hours or more to reach the caldera, where you'll see plants and birds found nowhere else, and check out evidence from the 2018 eruption. After hiking back and a 30-minute bus ride, you'll speed boat to Santa Cruz Island in the afternoon. The easier day involves visiting a giant tortoise station and a flat walk through wetlands to spot pink flamingos and marine iguanas.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Deja Vú)
Included Activities
- Sierra Negra Volcano tour with hike to caldera (approximately 1.5+ hours each way, 4 hours total active hiking) - OR - Wetlands tour with Giant Tortoise Station visit and flat hike
Landmarks Sierra Negra Volcano Giant Tortoise Station Isabela Wetlands - Day 7
Bartolome Island
An early bus takes you to Itabaca Canal where you'll board a yacht heading to Bartolome Island. This small island rises 114 meters and features volcanic rock in red, orange, green, and black. Pinnacle Rock, the island's most photographed landmark, is an eroded tuff cone where Galapagos penguins hang out and you can still see bullet holes from World War II. You'll do a wet landing on one of the twin beaches to swim and snorkel, then sail back to Puerto Ayora with lunch served on board.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch on board yacht)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Deja Vú)
Included Activities
- Yacht excursion to Bartolome Island
- Sightseeing and hike on Bartolome Island
- Snorkeling at twin beaches
- Lunch on board
- Wet landing and swimming
Landmarks Bartolome Island Pinnacle Rock Itabaca Canal 
- Day 8
Isabela to Guayaquil or Quito
The morning is yours to do what you want until 10:00 am when you check out. Transportation takes you to Baltra Airport for a late afternoon flight back to Guayaquil or Quito, which wraps up the tour. If you want to stay longer in either city or explore more of Ecuador, the operator has other tours and options available.
- End point
- Aeropuerto Internacional José Joaquín de Olmedo (GYE), Avenida de las Américas, Guayaquil, Guayas 0905, Ecuador (Drop Off )
Optional Activities
- Add one more night in Guayaquil or Quito
- Extend staying in Ecuador
- Explore other mainland Ecuador tours
