The Galápagos Islands & Ecuador

10 days
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Group Tour
Ecuador puts new meaning behind the saying, “good things come in small packages.” In terms of flora, fauna and opportunities for adrenaline-packed adventure (think zip lining through cloud forests and swimming alongside sea turtles), South America’s second smallest country runs the gamut. Journey to Quito for a taste of Ecuadorean culture and Incan legend. Th...
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Quito’s UNESCO-recognized historic center
    • One-of-a-kind animal encounters
    • Snorkeling with sea lions & penguins
    • Dramatic volcanic landscapes
    • Flightless cormorants & fearless hawks

What's this trip about?

    Ecuador puts new meaning behind the saying, “good things come in small packages.” In terms of flora, fauna and opportunities for adrenaline-packed adventure (think zip lining through cloud forests and swimming alongside sea turtles), South America’s second smallest country runs the gamut. Journey to Quito for a taste of Ecuadorean culture and Incan legend. Then, island hop through the Galápagos, where you’ll move from mangrove swamps to lava flows to sunny shorelines, encountering scores of exotic creatures along the way.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeGroup - max of 35 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityQuito
End CityQuito

Travel Themes

  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • South America
  • Ecuador

Attractions

  • Galapagos
  • Isabela Island
  • Quito
  • Santa Cruz Island

Activities

  • Bird watching
  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • Nature
  • Snorkeling
  • Whale watching
  • Wildlife viewing

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 35

Trip includes

    • 4 nights in handpicked hotels & 4 nights aboard the M/V Galápagos Legend
    • Breakfast daily, 4 lunches, 4 dinners on board the ship, 2 three-course dinners with beer or wine on land
    • Private deluxe motor coach
    • Multilingual Tour Director
    • Select entrance fees

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Itinerary

Day 1: Flight & late-night arrival in Quito

After your flight, arrive late this evening in Quito and settle into your hotel.

Day 2: Sightseeing tour of Quito

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today, embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Quito before meeting your fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.

Enjoy a walking tour of Old Town, passing by the Legislative Palace, Independence Square and the Metropolita...

Day 3: Free day in Quito

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a full free day in Quito or add an excursion.

Optional Excursion - Mindo Cloud forest $119pp* Details

Galápagos Islands 4 nights Hotel info

Day 4: Galápagos Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, fly to the small island of Baltra to board your cruise.

Boat aross the narrow channel separating Baltra from Santa Cruz Island

Cruise to Black Turtle Cove, where you may see turtles, rays and sharks swimming among the mangroves

Day 5: Santiago Island & Rabida Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After a wet landing, you’ll enjoy the southeastern portion of Santiago Island before continuing to Rabida Island.

Spend the morning exploring the extensive lava flows, swimming and snorkeling in Sullivan Bay and spottin...

Day 6: Isabela Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After a wet landing, begin your exploration of Isabela Island, the largest in the Galápagos archipelago.

Snorkel with the sea turtles that swim just off the shore of Urbina Bay

See the giant tortoises that live o...

Day 7: Espinosa Point & Vicente Roca Point

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today’s dry landing is at Espinosa Point, formed by lava flows over thousands of years.

View the area’s marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs and the fearless Galápagos hawk

Take a dinghy ride to Vicente Roca Poi...

Day 8: Transfer to Otavalo via Quito

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Disembark the ship to further explore Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos before making your way to Otavalo, a market town in the Andes Mountains.

Journey to the Santa Cruz highlands, northwest of Puerto Ayora, to visit a giant...

Day 9: Otavalo market visit & departure

Meals: Breakfast

Visit the Otavalo market to browse the stalls, shop for indigenous crafts and attend a local weaving demonstration. Later, transfer to the airport for a late-night or early-morning flight or continue your adventure in Peru.

Overnight Flight 1 night

Day 10: Arrival in the U.S.

Arrive home.

Please note: Due to varying flight schedules, some travelers may depart on the morning of day 10, arriving home later that evening.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $0
Price per day$0
Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Go Ahead Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Nov 2023

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Will Refuse to Refund

I made a reservation last Thursday (11/16/2023) for a trip to Iceland from 12/02/2023-12/07/2023 and then I was told that I can’t have my refund back. When I called...

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Greedy Unethical Company Keeps Your Money When They Cancel Trips

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This greedy and unethical company is being sued for keeping money from school children and their parents after the company canceled trips due to Coronavirus. They ...

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Lousy Customer Service

Apr 2020

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Wouldn't Refund Full Payment of Tour They Cancelled

Our trip was to be in May 2020 and was cancelled by Go Ahead due to the Coronavirus after we had paid the full cost of the trip for two. When contacted about a refu...

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We're a company of passionate adventurers dedicated to creating the best journey for every traveler. As a proud part of EF Education First, we draw on 50 years of expertise to continue to add meaningful travel experiences to our portfolio of more than 100 tours. 

GLOBAL EXPERTISE

Thanks to the global EF network, we have offices all over the world—you can count on expert support everywhere you go. And since we help thousands of people see the world each year, we’re able to negotiate the best rates with our partners.

A COMMITMENT TO QUALITY

Our team carefully considers the details of every itinerary and reads every review we receive to ensure that we're offering you the best possible travel experience. Our tour groups are always capped at between 14 to 35 travelers—well below the industry average.

UNMATCHED SERVICE

Your own expertly trained Tour Consultant will help with every step of the planning process. Then, once you’re on tour, your Tour Director will give you an inside look at all the best sights and hidden local favorites. Plus, you can reach us at any time on our 24/7 support line.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International flight charges
    • Passport and visa charges
    • Tipping and gratuity
    • Any kind of insurance
    • Personal expenses

Accommodation

Mercure Alameda Quito

The Mercure Alameda Quito hotel offers guests all facilities necessary for business or leisure trips, as well as cultural information about the city. Our 147 comfortable roomswith WIFI provide the perfect setting for combining business and leisure, while our 41 Privilege Rooms will give you a more personalized service, adapted to each guest's individual requirements.

Ship: M/V Galápagos Legend

Ship & cabin information
M/V Galápagos Legend
Enjoy the Galapagos Islands paradise in a 100 passenger, fully air conditioned cruise ship. The Galapagos Legend has all the amenities of a cruise liner yet it's small enough for that intimate experience with nature. Guests will enjoy the added comfort of extra space in fully carpeted luxurious cabins. The ships facilities include an auditorium for conferences, spacious social areas, culinary delights at the dining room, 24 hour coffee bar and swimming pool with broad sun decks and observation platforms. At night guests can enjoy live music at the piano lounge or cocktail bars.
Cancellation policy

If you cancel your reservation, the cancellation fee schedule below will apply. If you are booked in a double/twin room and your roommate cancels his or her tour more than 45 days prior to departure, you will be responsible for paying the single supplement fee. Upon notifying GAT of your cancellation, you will be given a confirmation number that verifies your cancellation. If you purchased travel protection and are cancelling for a reason covered under the policy guidelines, cancellation fees will be reimbursed to you directly from the insurance company. In the event that you have to cancel your tour on the day of departure, you must notify GAT prior to the departure of your first flight. Any penalties for supplemental services/guarantees (including, but not limited to, flights, hotels or late additions) resulting from cancellations made at your request will be your responsibility, and all service fees are non-refundable. Substitution of travelers is not permitted. If you choose not to travel, but fail to cancel your tour prior to the departure date or if you return home before the scheduled completion of your tour, you will not be eligible for any refund or reimbursement from GAT for any unused portion of your trip or costs incurred by leaving your trip early.

For travelers with the travel protection policy (goaheadtours.com/travelprotection), Go Ahead Tours will reimburse the participant in the form of a credit voucher in the event the participant wants to interrupt their tour due to reasons not covered by their travel protection policy. The voucher is valid for one year from the day of the interruption of the tour and represents the value of the missed time on tour including any unused air, land or sea arrangements already paid for by the participant up to a maximum of $1,000 as determined by Go Ahead Tours. The voucher is personal and non-transferable and may be applied towards a future Go Ahead tour and is not exchangeable for cash. The participant is responsible for any additional costs incurred by interrupting the tour including but not limited to the return flight and other transportation costs due to the interruption. Reservation fees, rebooking fees, change fees, late and returned check fees, revision fees, supplemental fees for international deliveries and special arrangement fees are considered Used Fees once incurred and will not be refundable.

  • If Days Prior to Departure is 71 days or more, then Cancellation Fee  (Includes reservation fee) is $ 450
  • If Days Prior to Departure is 70–46 days, then Cancellation Fee  (Includes reservation fee) is 30%
  • If Days Prior to Departure is 45–8 days, then Cancellation Fee  (Includes reservation fee) is 50%
  • If Days Prior to Departure is 7–0 days, then Cancellation Fee  (Includes reservation fee) is 100%

*Percentages listed above are of the total tour cost, including reservation fee. Listed cancellation fee is applicable per traveler.

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

8 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 4 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities

Extension to Peru $1,799 pp

Please note: Extension is not available on all departure dates.

Experience Peru in all its diversity. Wander the colonial cities that display the legacy of Spanish conquistadors, explore the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco and visit the lost city of Machu Picchu.

Additional Information
Trip ID
goaheadtours-GalIslGoa

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