Galaven - 8 Day Tour

Wednesday departure. Enjoy a 8-day vacation with a 5-day Galapagos Cruise onboard the 20 passenger Expedition Yacht Galaven with 3 nights in Colonial Quito! Enjoy Galaven's spacious outdoor seating areas & bilingual Galapagos National Park guides.

Galaven Expedition Yacht - 8 Day Tour

Wednesday - Arriving in Quito you will be met and transferred to your hotel by private car with English speaking driver/guide. Once you have checked in the remainder of the day is free to acclimatize of start exploring this historic city on your own.

Day 2: Quito

Thursday - Breakfast at your hotel. Quito colonial city tour exploring the bustling streets and squares of the largest historical old town in the Americas. Visit some of its most important churches such as the majestic La Compañ­a and iconic San Francisco, repositories of a stunning multi-ethnic artistic and cultural heritage. (B)

Day 3: Quito | Galapagos Cruise - Santa Cruz Island

Friday - This morning a private car will collect you from your hotel in Quito and take you to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos. Assistance at the airport by our representative for your Galapagos flight. You will arrive at Baltra Island in the morning. After passing through immigration and baggage claim you will be met and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing. PM: Garrapatero Beach, Santa Cruz Island After you will enjoy Garrapatero Beach, Situated on the Northern side of Santa Cruz, El Garrapatero is a gorgeous sandy beach surrounded by mangroves. A fresh water lake behind the beach is home to flamingos, herons, stilts and other shore birds. The beautiful turquoise waters provide a good opportunity for swimming and snorkeling.(B.L.D)

Day 4: Galapagos Cruise - Santa Cruz Island

Saturday - AM: Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz Island In the morning we will visit the Dragon Hill in Santa Cruz. The visitors site at Dragon Hill is located in northwestern Santa Cruz Island, and consists of a trail that runs through three different environments at just 1,600 m long. The beach is very rocky. At high tide it's a nice place for snorkeling. At this visiting site you can find vegetation of typical the intertidal zone and dry zone. PM: Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz Island The afternoon visit, Bachas Beach, located on the north shore of Santa Cruz, is a swimming beach. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest off the beach. (B.L.D)

Day 5: Galapagos Cruise - Floreana Island

Sunday - AM - Post Office, Floreana Island In the morning, we will visit the famous Post Office Bay. You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel for use as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don't forget your postcards, and don't be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home! PM - Cormorant Point, Floreana Island In the afternoon, we will head to Cormorant Point. Here you will enjoy a hike to a salt-water lagoon which is home to flamingoes. You will also get to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Devil's Crown. This extinct volcano peaks out of the waters just off of Floreana's coast and offers a magnificent snorkeling experience. (B.L.D)

Day 6: Galapagos Cruise - Española Island

Monday - AM: Suarez Point, Esnpañola Island Española Island is the southernmost island of the Galapagos and is the breeding site of nearly all of the Waved Albatrosses in the entire world. Española is densely populated with mockingbirds, Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies, Darwin finches, Galapagos Doves, hawks, red and green marine iguanas, and loads of sea lions. The morning trip will head to Suarez Point on a trail where you will have the chance to see blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and Nazca Boobies. We will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts water into the air. The landscape is great for photography. PM: Gardner Bay, Española Island In the afternoon, we will visit the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. It is the breeding site of nearly all of the world's 12,000 pairs of Waved Albatrosses. (B.L.D)

Day 7: GalapagosCruise - San Cristobal Island | Quito

Tuesday - AM: Interpretation Center, San Cristobal Island In the morning we will visit the Interpretation Center was opened in 1998 as a phase of the project “Interpretation and Environment Education Project.” Visitors enjoy expositions on natural history, human history, and conservation. The conservation efforts represent the movement to protect the wildlife and natural environment through means of population and tourist control. The Interpretation Center has an outdoor stadium, audio-visual equipment, and meeting rooms. After this final visit you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to the mainland. Upon arrival in Quito our driver and guide will be waiting for you in order to take you to your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure and overnight accommodation.(B)

Day 8: Departure

Wednesday - Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. At the appropriate time a private car with English speaking driver/guide will arrive to take you to the airport for your return journey. (B)

For More Information Call Our Experts at 1-800-387-0711 xt 238 or email: southamerica@cittours.ca

Important: Itineraries and activities subject to change without prior notice. Depending on weather conditions and water currents, some wildlife described above may not be visible.