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Day 1 : Guayaquil

Fly to Guayaquil and overnight at the Hampton Inn located in the heart of the tourist district.

Day 2 - 4 : Cuenca

Short flight to Cuenca, with its cobblestone streets, red tiled roofs and shady, flower-filled plazas retains a sense of tradition from days gone by. 3 nights at the colonial Hotel Santa Lucia.

Day 5 - 6 : Chiva Express

A Chiva is a typical, old fashioned Latin American bus, with plenty of room on the roof for bags of grain, bananas and the odd chicken. Our Chiva is a little different; a comfortable journey by road and rail through the spectacular Avenue of the Volcanoes to Ecuador's capital, Quito. Travelling north we visit Incan ruins, a traditional Ecuadorian village with llamas, a colourful market and the undoubted highlight a memorable rail journey over the Devil's Nose, with its switchback track system, which is now considered a masterpiece of engineering. Overnight in the attractive town of Riobamba located at the foot of the imposing Chimborazo volcano.

Day 7 : Quito

Spend the day in the capital of Ecuador, Quito and take a half day scenic tour of this city. The rest of the day will be at leisure.

Day 8 : San Cristobal Island

Fly to San Cristobal Island where we board the MV Santa Cruz for our 3 night cruise. Built exclusively for the Galapagos Islands the Santa Cruz offers 46 simple cabins with en-suite facilities and air-conditioning, excellent dining options, sun deck with Jacuzzi, platform for dolphin watching and knowledgeable naturalist guides.

Day 9 : Esplanola Island & Floreana

To Espanola, for an exciting walk on the lava terrain to visit its unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatross. Afternoon to Floreana where you can see flamingos in the lagoon and snorkel off the white coral beach.

Day 10 : Isabela and Fernandina

Morning visit to Fernandina, with a dinghy ride to observe Galapagos penguins and the flightless cormorants. Fernandina has no introduced mammals, leading to a very unique environment; it has the highest density of marine iguanas sharing their island habitat with sea lions, sally light-foot crabs and hawks. In the afternoon depending on conditions of the ocean a snorkeling outing in the Northern tip of Isabela Island. A coastal exploration by panga is included where the guide will show the geology of the area with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers.

Day 11 : Quito

Opportunity for an (optional) early morning visit to the famous Charles Darwin Research station and its giant tortoise breeding programme. Return flight from Baltra Island to the mainland and overnight at the Mercure Alameda in Ecuador's capital.

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