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Independent Galapagos At The Finch Bay Resort With Ecuador's Amazon
Operated by Globus
Tripcode: ISQ2
Overview
Destination:
Ecuador,
Start:Quito, Ecuador
Finish:Guayaquil, Ecuador
Finish:Guayaquil, Ecuador
Duration:12 days
Type:Group tour (max 24)
Travel Period
March 2025 - March 2026
How deep is your love of adventure? Is it deep enough to follow the course of Charles Darwin to discover your own love affair with the wildlife paradise of the Galápagos Islands? If so, this Independence by Globus holiday in Ecuador is pointing you in the right direction. Ignite your independent spirit on a canoe trip downriver from Coca to the comfort of your lodge the Amazon rainforest, where you’re in good hands with a Naturalist guide to explore the jungle from its rainforest canopy to the forest floor. Be awestruck by the wealth of wildlife that thrives in this tropical wilderness. Explore the historic heart of Quito and depart for parts unknown where blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, and diving iguanas of the Galápagos give new meaning to mind-blowing discoveries. You’ll stay at the award-winning Finch Bay Eco Hotel on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos, offering a private, seaside location to kayak, snorkel, bike, and take boat excursions to the various Galápagos Islands with expert Naturalists. Sail upon pristine waters to discover the perfectly evolved creatures who thrive on this volcanic archipelago. Stroll the sand where sea lions bask and albatross brace against the updrafts above the cliffs. Sail, snorkel, and simply stay in a state of astonishment through the sanctuaries of spectacular species on North Seymour, and South Plaza Island, and Santa Cruz Islands. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where conservationists work to protect the gentle giants for which the islands are named. You’ll also find the I-time you deserve to fall in love with adventure again!
Traveller Notes
- Transportation: As outlined in the day-by-day itinerary and private airport transfers to/from intra-holiday flights; Galápagos and Amazon intra-holiday flights and taxes are included.
- Guides: In Quito; Naturalist in the Galápagos & Amazon
- Maximum enjoyment of this holiday requires walking on uneven pathways and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 8,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is 9,350 ft.
- In the Galápagos, there will be “wet landings” meaning guests will need to be able to jump in the water, out of the boats/zodiacs and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. Terrain is rocky and uneven.
- Galápagos Islands itineraries are fully subject to change.
Traveller Notes
- Transportation: As outlined in the day-by-day itinerary and private airport transfers to/from intra-holiday flights; Galápagos and Amazon intra-holiday flights and taxes are included.
- Guides: In Quito; Naturalist in the Galápagos & Amazon
- Maximum enjoyment of this holiday requires walking on uneven pathways and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 8,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is 9,350 ft.
- In the Galápagos, there will be “wet landings” meaning guests will need to be able to jump in the water, out of the boats/zodiacs and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. Terrain is rocky and uneven.
- Galápagos Islands itineraries are fully subject to change.
Standard inclusions
- 11 breakfasts.
- 7 lunches.
- 7 dinners.
Itinerary
Expand all 
Collapse all
Collapse allDay 1 - QUITO, ECUADOR
Welcome to Quito, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2 - QUITO-COCA-AMAZON LODGE
Fly to Coca where you will be met by your Naturalist.
Travel by motorboat down the Napo River with opportunities to spot birds like herons, kingfishers, and others.
Next, transfer to a canoe and float through narrow channels looking for monkeys as well as large birds like toucans, parrots, or even macaws.
Arrive at your Amazon lodge located on Anangu Lake surrounded by pristine rainforest.
Tonight, enjoy a welcome drink, briefing, and dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 3 - AMAZON LODGE
After an early breakfast, journey to a parrot clay lick where 11 different species of parrots, parakeets, and macaws can be seen on a daily basis.
Later, walk to a local community where you are invited to join families of the Anangu indigenous community on their daily activities, such as harvesting bananas, coco, and manioc.
Take a Naturalist-guided walk through the jungle in search of interesting plants and vibrant or well-camouflaged insects. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - AMAZON LODGE
This morning, ascend a canopy tower over 100 feet above the forest floor at the top of a Ceiba tree. From here, you can view spider monkeys, aracaris, toucans, blue and gold macaws, numerous species of tanagers, and the red-rumped cacique.
After lunch at the lodge, explore lakes and creeks on a dugout canoe in search of river otters, potoos, kingfishers, hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - AMAZON LODGE-COCA-QUITO
Depart your Amazon lodge and fly from Coca to Quito today.
The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure. (B)
Day 6 - QUITO
Your included private city tour showcases the rich legacy left by the Incas and the Spaniards. See Independence Square, dominated by its formidable cathedral, San Francisco Plaza Church, and the Basilica with its marvellous stained-glass windows. (B)
Day 7 - QUITO-BALTRA-NORTH SEYMOUR-SANTA CRUZ
Fly to Baltra in the Galapagos.
Upon arrival, board a yacht bound for North Seymour, an island teeming with life. You might have to give way to a passing sea lion, marine iguana, or blue-footed boobies that nest here. As you walk along the shore, see large flocks of pelicans in a dive-bomb feeding-frenzy, and one of the Galapagos' largest nesting sites of the magnificent frigatebird. In the bushes you can see the males up close with their puffed-up scarlet throat sacs.
Return to the yacht and continue to the Finch Bay Hotel. (B,L,D)
Day 8 - SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO THE HIGHLANDS
Transfer to the lush highlands of Santa Cruz to a farming area called El Manzanillo on the edge of the Giant Tortoise Reserve. Here, tortoises can be seen grazing year-round, along with woodpecker finches, mockingbirds, and flycatchers.
After lunch, visit a local farm, where coffee, sugar cane, and cocoa beans are grown, harvested, and prepared.
Return to the hotel and perhaps spend time on the private beach. (B,L,D)
Day 9 - SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO PUNTA CARRION & SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND
This morning, travel to Punta Carrion on Santa Cruz Island for some time to snorkel. The shallow reefs and mangroves make this an ideal site to snorkel with plenty of reef fish as well as occasional sea lions and sharks.
Next, sail to South Plaza Island, a small island full of fascinating wildlife, both along its shore and along its dramatic, wind-swept cliffs. Here you will see large, yellow land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, masked and blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and much more during your guided walk.
Return to the hotel this afternoon. (B,L,D)
Day 10 - SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO DIVINE BAY
Today's adventure takes you to wildlife-rich Divine Bay on Santa Cruz Island. Marine iguanas, herons, noddy terns, blue-footed boobies, and tropicbirds are commonly seen here. You may explore by boat or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can take to the sea by kayak. Keep an eye out for sea turtles, rays, and reef sharks as you cruise the tranquil waters.
Return to the hotel for lunch, followed by an afternoon visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, established to help conserve the Galapagos' natural habitats and protect the area's famous giant tortoises. (B,L,D)
Day 11 - SANTA CRUZ-BALTRA-GUAYAQUIL
Depart the hotel this morning for the airport in Baltra. Then, fly to Guayaquil on Ecuador's Pacific coast and transfer to the hotel for your final night in Ecuador. (B)
Day 12 - GUAYAQUIL
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Departure dates
Select your preferred date or enquire
Operator
Globus
At Globus, we’re not just hooked on travel as a destination, but on the way travel makes you feel. Our promise is to craft adventures you’ll want to re-live forever. Our story began more than 90 years ago, when a young Swiss Antonio Mantegazza began transporting tourists across Lake Lugano on his rowboat, sharing stories and revealing local secrets along the way. On that lake, Globus was born. Discovering a passion for tourism and a knack for business, Antonio’s services expanded beyond river transport to bus touring, from Switzerland to Europe and then, the world. After 90 years curating travel wonderment, our passion for curating the perfect trip remains. At Globus, we have the experience and local knowledge to craft immersive adventures that make you feel alive. Expect to see all the major sites, but then go deeper, to the beating heart of every new discovery. As they say, when you’re in the moment, it’s not what you know, but who you know, and you’ll quickly discover our Tour Directors know all the local secrets and insider tips. Let us connect you with a new world of people, places and experiences that will ignite your imagination. It's time to tour with Globus.
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