Combi trip Ecuador and Galapagos

An unprecedented favourite: the combi trip Ecuador and Galapagos. A wonderful journey through Ecuador ending with the breathtaking Galapagos archipelago. That's the whipped cream on the cake! And of course it's one of go local travel's possibilities. You choose your own luxury and therefore your budget.

On a combined trip to Ecuador and Galapagos, you usually travel from Quito to Guayaquil, where you'll discover all the beautiful places of the mainland. From Guayaquil, flights depart to one of the two galapagos airports (Baltra or San Christobal). The flight takes about 2 hours and almost all depart early in the morning and arrive in the Galapagos around 12:00. On the way back, head back to Guayaquil and from there on to KLM's international flight.

For a combi-tour you prefer 3 weeks. Two weeks for Ecuador and a week for the Galapagos. Ideal is of course 4 weeks, then you certainly have plenty of time for Ecuador and Galapagos. We recommend a stay in the Galapagos of about 6 days.

You can find a travel preview for inspiration below. Of course we can customize everything to your liking and the possibilities are almost unlimited.

Day 1 to 4 Quito – OtavaloOur driver welcomes you to the airport and takes you to your hotel in the historic centre of Quito. A city with many faces and wonderfully situated between high mountains overlooking snowy peaks. The next day you can explore the beautiful historical centre and one of the many museums. From here, take private transport past the famous rose nursery, oldest hacienda and by boat on a Crystal Blue Volcano lake. The next day you visit the largest market of South America and this evening you have the option to stay at a family home. An untouched treasure is the Park El Angel, along with a train ride in the valley and a salt museum you are going to visit this. You stay here in the most impressive hotel in Ecuador. After the visit to el Angel you will travel to Peguche (Otavalo). If desired, they can introduce you to a number of cultural ceremonies.

Day 5 to 9 Andes Mountains

The Volcano Cotopaxi is waiting for you, you first visit the national park in search of herds of wild horses or maybe you will venture to an ascent to 4,800m? You will stay at the park which will produce fantastic images and where beautiful walks can be made. The next day you will experience the local Andean life. You will stay in a lovely cabana with a beauty of nature. You can ride a horse here, walk or just enjoy life around you and a beautiful sunset.

Day 9 to 14 Banos – Tena (jungle)On day 9, the journey across the Andes continues. We're going to see Ecuador's most active volcano now, the Tungurahua. The stay is in the lovely and lively town of Banos. For the next day there is a bike ride for you along the most spectacular waterfalls and a rafting adventure. On day 11 we slowly descend and finally arrive in the jungle of Ecuador near Tena. The Rio Napo can be heard babbling past, complemented by the rhythmic sound of frogs, crickets and monkeys. In short you are in the Selva (jungle) of Ecuador. This stay supports a project of the community who will use the proceeds to fund their animal shelter project.

Activities: you will be taken to your final destination by canoe. In the primary forest surrounding your stay you can walk and look for birds, reptiles and monkeys. You will learn which useful materials grow in the jungle, catch a fish or build a raft. You stay in a great lodge and the meals and activities are included. On day 14 you leave the jungle and you have a spectacular ride ahead of you up to 4,200m. You can also visit the baths of Papallacta heated by the volcano Antisana, before arriving at a beautiful hacienda for your last night in Ecuador.

Day 15 to 21 GalapagosGalapagos is going to become a reality. From the Hacienda the airport is not that far and in the morning you leave for Galapagos. Here your tour starts as chosen (Island Hopping or Cruise) You will be picked up from the airport and the next few days will be fully catered for. On a cruise, meals are also included. Over the next few days you will be spoiled by an unprecedented natural beauty and animals that define life. You will have plenty of variety in landscapes as well as a variety of snorkelling and a nice beach.

To give a short impression of a country tour:

On day 15 you arrive at Baltra and you will be taken to the hotel in Santa Cruz, well located and with a special atmosphere. In the afternoon, you'll be picked up for a highland tour and visit lava caves and turtles in the wild.

On day 16, you will be picked up at your hotel in the morning for the Seymour and Bachas day tour.  On this island with undersea lava and you can see a lot of wildlife: sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, lava gulls, tropic birds, brown noddy terns and pelicans. On a large sandy plain you can often see marine iguanas and young sea lions bodysurfing here.

On day 17 Floreana you will visit the highlands: the pirate bays, the turtle sanctuary and the freshwater springs. You can snorkel in Luz del Dia. You will see caves during a walk (pirate) and at Punta Luz del Dia it is possible to see Galapagos penguins, sea lions, and tropical fish along the rocky coast with its crystal clear waters.

On day 18 you can go out and visit charles darwin, Tortuga Bay or Las Grietas in the afternoon you will take a boat to Isabela. Here you have a nice hotel right on the beach.

On day 19 there is a tour to Tintoreras. This is a series of islands for Puerto Villamil. By small boat you go from the dock to Tintoreras island and you start the walk. This small lava island is home to penguins, iguanas and the Galapagos hawk. The bay that lies along the island is the resting place for sharks, especially white-tip sharks. The walk continues and you will encounter sea lions, blue footed boobies, marine iguanas and amazing lava formations. The day ends with snorkeling in two different places, you will be able to see among other things: white-tip sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, penguins and much more. In the afternoon you have time to relax or go to, for example, Concha Perla, a natural lagoon next to the ocean. A great place to swim and snorkel.

On day 20 there is a tour for the hikers Sierra Negra y Chico Vulcanos
Sierra Negra is the second largest crater in the world (11 km diameter). Nature here is very different from the rest of the Galapagos Islands. The last eruption lasted 8 days and was in May 2005. This tour can be done on horseback or on foot. You will be taken to the edge of the crater, 30 minutes from the city. Here begins the trek of a total of 16km. You will walk the crater up to Volcan Chico where you can see many fumaroles and craters. Sulphur, iron and solidified magma make for a colourful whole.

On day 21 you leave early in the morning by boat to Santa Cruz and from there you will be taken to the airport. Here is your flight to guayaquil for example and if times allow you can continue with the international flight home.

Additional options on this tripIn addition to this versatile route, there is an opportunity to extend or customize it with personal wishes. You can think here of further discovery of the Andes to walk over impressive mountain ranges or visit the Galapagos.

At Go Local! the possibilities are almost unlimited, which is why we only give a short summary here. If you are looking for specific places, activities or experiences please let us know. For more inspiration, see also our combi travel with Ecuador.
Interest or questions: info@golocal-travel.org

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