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Price Guide
18 Nights - £6,535pp

Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Tour Info
  • International flights
  • Domestic flights
  • 18 nights accommodation
  • Amazon Cruise
  • Quito-Guayaquil Rail Tour
  • Galapagos Cruise
  • Airport transfers
  • ATOL Protection
  • Travel Trust Protection
  • Based on 2023-24 Prices

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Ecuador in Depth

Colonial Quito

Colonial Quito

Quito to Guayaquil Rail Tour

Quito to Guayaquil Rail Tour

Chimborazo Volcano

Chimborazo Volcano

Galapagos Iguana

Galapagos Iguana

Blue-footed Boobies, Galapagos

Blue-footed Boobies, Galapagos

Amazon Cruise

Amazon Cruise

 

This is a very special tailor-made tour, an immersion into Ecuador's most beautiful and wild areas.

The trip starts in Quito from where you will take a flight the very next day to Coca, gateway to the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Board the Manatee Explorer and cruise the Ecuadorian Amazon for 5 days to explore this fascinating corner of South America.

On your return to Quito, discover the Colonial Old Town and the Equatorial Monument (and straddle the Equator!). 

Continue to Papallacta Hot Springs for two days of relaxation with plenty of activities on offer.

From here board a vintage train for an unforgettable journey by rail from Quito to Guayaquil.

This 4-day rail journey will take you from the high Andes to Ecuador's Pacific Coast.

Once in Guayaquil, enjoy a guided city tour and a visit to Guayaquil Historical Park. 

Also explore the pristine mangrove Forest at Churute.

Finally, the ultimate once in a life time experience, an amazing 5-day Galapagos cruise on board the Seaman Journey Yacht.

At a glance

  • All flights from the UK including taxes
  • 3 nights Quito
  • 4 nights Amazon Cruise
  • 1 night Papallacta Hot Springs
  • 3 nights Quito - Guayaquil Rail Tour
  • 3 nights Guayaquil
  • 4 nights Galapagos Cruise
  • Meals as indicated
  • Local English speaking tour guides 
  • Airport transfers

Day 1: Fly UK to Quito

Fly from the UK to Quito.

On arrival you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight Quito.

Days 2 - 6: Amazon Cruise 

Transfer to the airport for the short flight to Coca and transfer to your cruise.

Enjoy 5 days exploring the Ecuadorian Amazon on board the Manatee Amazon Explorer Cruise.

On the final day transfer to the airport for the flight back to Quito where you will be transferred to your hotel.

Overnights Manatee Amazon Explorer. All meals and excursions included.

Day 7: Quito Colonial Old Town & Equatorial Line

After breakfast visit Quito's Colonial Town and the Equatorial Line.

Situated in a circle of Andean peaks, Quito is the world’s second highest capital.

The colonial centre, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978 is one of the largest and best preserved in Latin America.

The tour starts at the quirky Guapulo quarter and finishes at the “Panecillo” hillside with its breath-taking views of the old and modern city surrounded by the rolling Andes Mountains. 

As an addition to the Quito Colonial City Tour, visit the “Equatorial line” complex.

The monument here is located right on the Equator and provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to straddle both hemispheres!

Overnight Quito. Breakfast included.

Day 8: Quito - Papallacta Hot Springs

After breakfast, transfer to Papallacta Hot Springs where you can relax for 2 days.

Offering a picturesque setting, The Termas of Papallacta are Ecuador’s most beautiful thermal hot springs.

On the way to Papallacta, stop at the impressive Antisana Volcano.  

Overnight at Termas de Papallacta. Breakfast included.

Day 9: Papallacta Hot Springs - Quito 

After breakfast, you will have free time to dip into the amazing hot springs or enjoy some of the optional health and beauty treatments.

In the afternoon you will be transferred back to Quito.

Overnight Quito. Breakfast included.

Days 10 - 13: Quito – Guayaquil Rail Tour 

After breakfast, board the Tren Crucero, one of the world’s most thrilling railway journeys.

This 4-day rail tour will take you from Quito, high in the  Andes to Guayaquil, on the Pacific Coast.

On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel in Guayaquil.

Overnights Tren Crucero. All meals included.

Day 14: Guayaquil

After breakfast, enjoy a guided city tour and a visit to Guayaquil Historical Park. 

Overnight Guayaquil. Breakfast and all activities included.

Day 15: Churute

After breakfast, visit the pristine mangrove Forest at Churute for an insight into the eco-system of Ecuador's Pacific Coast, quite a contrast to the Amazon and the Andes.

Overnight Guayaquil. Breakfast and all activities included.

Days 16 - 19: Galapagos Cruise – Seaman Journey

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your onward flight to the Galapagos.

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your Galapagos Cruise for 3 nights to experience this unique environment.

Overnight Seaman Journey Cruise. All meals and excursions included.

Day 20: Fly to UK

After the morning excursion you will be transferred to Baltra Airport for your return flight back to the mainland and your overnight flight back to the UK.

Day 21: Arrive UK

Arrive back in the UK.

Day 1: Amazon Cruise 

Itinerary: Coca – Napo River 

After breakfast, transfer to the airport. This is a short 30-minute flight to the town of Coca. 

On arrival, transfer to the dock where you will embark on a motorized canoe and navigate down the river approximately 1 ½ hour to board the Manatee Amazon Explorer Cruise. 

Evening walk after sunset where you will discover the forest activity and listen to the incessant sounds of nature. 

Overnight on board the Manatee Amazon Explorer. All meals and activities included. 

Day 2: Amazon Cruise

Itinerary: Border with Perú (The heart of Yasuní) 

After a delicious breakfast, disembark for a first daylight close-and-personal tropical rainforest experience. 

After lunch, the Manatee will navigate to one of the most pristine and little explored sections of Ecuadorian Amazonia, home to the legendary pink river dolphin, black caiman and anaconda. 

You may also find river turtles and various species of monkeys, as well as the primitive Hoatzin, a one-of-a-kind bird locally known as "the Stinky Turkey". 

The only way to actually visit this flooded ecosystem is by canoe, a ride that will reveal the beauty of a lush jungle world. 

Overnight on board the Manatee Amazon Explorer. All meals and activities included. 

Day 3: Amazon Cruise

Itinerary: Meeting the community, activities on board & island exploration. 

After breakfast, visit a school located on the banks of the Napo River. 

Today offers a great opportunity to interact with children and learn about the educational system of a remote jungle community in Ecuador.

Return to the Manatee for lunch and a moment to relax whilst the Manatee navigatea upstream. 

In the afternoon, explore one of the largest river islands of the Napo River.

Overnight on board the Manatee Amazon Explorer. All meals and activities included. 

Day 4: Amazon Cruise

Itinerary: Observation tower – Limoncocha Biological Reserve 

After breakfast, visit an observation tower 100-feet high, built against a giant kapok tree. 

Observe a unique perspective of the forest, looming over the treetops and the greatness of the Amazon Basin. 

In the afternoon visit the Limoncocha Biological Reserve, a fascinating protected area home to more than 400 bird species and several monkey species. 

There will be a chance to spot black caimans with the help of flashlights from the boat.

Return to the Manatee for dinner.

Overnight on board the Manatee Amazon Explorer. All meals and activities included.

Day 5: End of cruise & transfer to Quito 

In the morning, disembark the Manatee and transfer by motorized canoe to Coca (1 ½ hour ride), followed by a 30-minute flight to Quito. 

On arrival at the airport you will be met and transferred to your selected hotel.

Overnight Quito.

Day 1: Quito - Guayaquil Rail Tour

Quito - Otavalo - Ibarra

After breakfast, depart by bus to Otavalo to board the train.

The stretch from Otavalo to Ibarra is operated with a steam locomotive across the northern valleys.

Visit woodcarving workshops at San Antonio. Discover local traditional food in Andrade Marin and a show of local music and textile weaving at San Roque train station.

Overnight in Quito. Breakfast and all activities included. 

Day 2: Quito - Guayaquil Rail Tour

Quito - Boliche - Urbina 

After breakfast be ready for a journey across the Avenue of the Volcanoes. 

Discover the Andean woods, an ecosystem in the El Boliche area in Cotopaxi National Park. 

Enjoy amazing views of Yambo Lake and visit Baltasar, the last ice-harvester in the Chimborazo slopes. 

Overnight in Riobamba at Hoteria Abraspungo or similar. All meals and activities included. 

Day 3:  Quito - Guayaquil Rail Tour

Riobamba - Colta - Alausi - Devil´s Nose - Bucay

After breakfast, Riobamba - Colta with steam engine. Visit to one of the very last Andean indigenous market: The Guamote Market. 

Devil’s nose crossing and the impressive climatic transition while traveling from the Andes Mountain Range to the Pacific coast. 

Overnight in Bucay at Hostería D´Franco or similar. All meals and activities included. 

Day 4: Quito - Guayaquil Rail Tour

Bucay - Naranjito - Yaguachi - Duran (Guayaquil)

Cacao and chocolates tasting at Naranjito  in a Coastal Hacienda. 

Yaguachi to Duran (Guayaquil) is operated with a steam engine.

Arrival at Duran train station at 16:45h with complimentary shuttle to selected hotel in Guayaquil.

Day 1: Fly Guayaquil to Galapagos

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your morning flight to San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands.

On arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred by bus and then by motorised rafts to the M/C Seaman Journey.

After lunch you will visit the San Cristobal Interpretation Center with exuberant gardens and stunning ocean views.

You will learn about geological and human history of the islands, conservation facts and natural history.

Overnight on board. All meals and activities included.

Day 2: Galapaguera, San Cristobal Island

After breakfast, short visit to the Galapaguera, a good place to observe Galapagos tortoises in its natural habitat.

San Cristobal island has endemic species such as the Mockingbird, the lava lizard, the Chatham Leaf-toed Gecko and tortoises.

In the afternoon, visit the Cerro Brujo, a beautiful beach of white coral where you can swim, snorkel and watch birds and sea lions.

This is the first coast where Charles Darwin walked in 1835.

In this marvellous lava landscape, you will see seabirds like blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and shore birds.

Overnight on board. All meals and activities included.

Day 3: Bahía Gardner & Suarez Point

The Gardner Bay provides an excellent beach for relaxing, swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, and the opportunity to observe sea lions.

Here we can also observe sharks in the crystal clear ocean waters. This area is also important for marine tortoises nesting.

In the afternoon, visit the Suarez Point, this area is great for spotting blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and Nazca boobies.

A beautiful site on the ocean front, the large waved albatrosses use the cliff as a launching pad.

The famous attraction is the magnificent blowhole, spurting water high into the air at least from 50 to 75 meters high.

Overnight on board. All meals and activities included.

Day 4: Cormorant Point & Post office Bay

This site offers probably the best flamingo lagoon in the Galapagos; it is also one of the largest in the islands.

It is situated between two tuff lava cones that give the area a special atmosphere.

There are various species of shorebirds to observe besides flamingos; the most frequent are common stilts, white-checked pintail ducks, and other migratory birds.

It is very interesting to see the two distinct beaches: The Green Beach and the Flour Sand Beach.

Afternoon visit to the Post Office Bay and the Baroness Lookout.

Historically, this site is the location of a wooden barrel that was placed in the 18th century by the crew of a whaling ship.

It has been used since this time by mariners and tourists as a post office.

The idea was to carry letters or postcards to their destination by hand.

Apart from being the Post Office Barrel, this site was the landing area for some of the first colonists.

You will then continue to the north of the island to ascent to an elevated slope and enjoy a beautiful vista at the Baroness lookout. 

Overnight on board. All meals and activities included. 

Day 5: Charles Darwin Station

After breakfast, morning visit to the Charles Darwin Station.

After the morning excursion you will be transferred to the airport for the flight back to the mainland.

Superior Hotel Suggestions Quito:

Patio Andaluz or similar.

Superior Hotel Suggestions Papallacta:

Termas de Papallacta or similar.

Superior Hotel Suggestions Riobamba:

Hoteria Abraspungo or similar.

Superior Hotel Suggestions Bucay:

Hostería D´Franco or similar.

Superior Hotel Suggestions Guayaquil:

Wyndham or similar. 

Please note:

The Manatee Explorer Cruise operates from Monday to Friday.

The Quito - Guayaquil Rail Tour operates every second Tuesday.

Accommodation in the Amazon or on the Galapagos Islands will take place on board the Manatee Explorer Cruise (Amazon) and the Seaman Journey Yacht (Galapagos).

18 nights Ecuador in Depth:

  • Price from £6,535 pp

This is a guide price only, based on travel in low season.

Prices will vary according to choice of hotel and seasonal airfare and hotel surcharges. Please ask us for any current special offers.

Contact Us:

All of our Ecuador Tours are completely tailor made and we can put together any kind of Ecuador itinerary to suit your interests and budget.

Call us now to speak to an Ecuador expert about your tailor made Ecuador holiday.

Call us now on 0333 7000 747

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We're open from 9 until 9 daily and our 0333 number is a local rate number included in most call packages.