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LAND BASED TOURS

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Galapagos Hiking Adventure, a Unique Galapagos Islands Land-Based Hiking Tour

Duration: 9 days
4-10 Travelers: $2195 per person
3 Travelers: $2550 per person
2 Travelers: $3150 per person
This land-based option of our Galapagos Island tours explores pristine areas of three southern islands and eight islets usually limited to boat itineraries. This unique Galapagos trip allows you to walk off the beaten path along lava trails in search of diverse wildlife, spend time swimming and snorkeling with friendly marine life in untouched bays and coves as well as learn about and support the local communities. You'll stay in the best accommodations available on the Islands and be accompanied by a knowledgeable bilingual naturalist-guide. Extensions to suit your interests may be arranged. With easy to moderate hikes averaging two to four hours a day, this Galapagos tour is suitable for the whole family and active travelers of all ages.
If you would like to arrange a private departure for the Galapagos Hiking Adventure, please contact us regarding details and costs.

Galapagos Hiking Adventure Tour Itinerary

• Day 1 (Sat) QUITO View Quito accommodations picture gallery Arrival in Quito and transfer to your hotel. Upon early arrival, optional tours to museums or other of the Capital's sights can be arranged.
  Begin Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
• Day 2 (Sun) TRANSFER TO SAN CRISTÓBAL - INTERPRETATION CENTER - HIKE IN FRIGATE HILL View San Cristóbal accommodations picture gallery Morning flight to San Cristóbal Island. After hotel check-in, you'll have a brief lunch and a pre-trip briefing. After lunch, our adventure begins with a hike to the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center, where we learn about the volcanic formation of the Galápagos archipelago and the evolution of life on the islands. We continue our hike towards Frigate Hill along trails of lava rock featuring splendid views of the coastline and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, while we explore dry forest and observe cacti, acacia, palo santo, Galápagos cotton, and other endemic vegetation. This is also a good time to enjoy our first encounters with local wildlife, since Frigate Hill is often visited by Galápagos species such as the magnificent and great frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, gulls, herons, and numerous other land birds, including Darwin finches, warblers, and mockingbirds. On our way back we can stop for a refreshing swim at Carola Beach or Mann Beach. The evening is free to explore the tranquil port town of San Cristóbal before spending the night there. (B, L)
• Day 3 (Mon) SAN CRISTÓBAL: ISLA LOBOS, LEON DORMIDO AND HIKE SAN CRISTOBAL HIHGLANDS View San Cristóbal accommodations picture gallery This day we will spend the morning enjoying a coast boat ride until we reach Isla Lobos on the lookout for marine iguanas and sea lions. This is a fantastic snorkelling site where we are nearly guaranteed to enjoy one of the best sea lion encounters in the entire archipelago and then continue to Leon Dormido, the jagged remains of an old tuff cone whose flanks are home to thousands of sea birds. Leon Dormido offers excellent snorkelling as well, there is a good chance of seeing hammerhead and white tipped sharks, eagle and golden rays, as well as dozens of species of tropical fish, clams, starfish and marine invertebrates. After snorkelling, at midday we return to our hotel to get ready to explore the San Cristobal highlands. We drive up to El Junco Lagoon, a freshwater lake located in a collapsed caldera at 2,300 feet (700 meters) of altitude on the San Cristobal Island highlands. The lake and its surroundings comprise a beautiful Miconia forest landscape, where we will find frigate birds washing off salt from their wings, Darwin’s finches, and mocking birds. We continue on to the semi-natural Galapaguera, a new facility operated by the National Park to breed and protect the subspecies of giant turtles endemic to San Cristobal (Geochelone chathamensis). On our way back, we visit El Cafetal, an historic hacienda that has sown a special class of coffee bean named Bourbon since 1875. In the afternoon we return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno where we will spend the night. (B,L)
• Day 4 (Tue) SAN CRISTÓBAL - SANTA CRUZ HIKE View Santa Cruz accommodations picture gallery In the morning navigate to Santa Cruz Island and transfer to El Chato Reserve, a natural habitat of the Galapagos tortoise, where pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches and frigatebirds may be seen bathing in fresh water lakes. While there, explore some fascinating volcanic tunnel formations in the lava caves. Accommodations in Santa Cruz. (B,L)
• Day 5 (Wed) SANTA CRUZ - DARWIN STATION - CERRO CROCKET AND TORTUGA BAY HIKES View Santa Cruz accommodations picture gallery In the morning hike into the scenic cloud forest highlands to the summit of Cerro Crocker, the highest point of Santa Cruz Island. There you'll see Media Luna, an ancient collapsed volcanic crater, and have another chance to see giant tortoises in their natural environment as well as intriguing vegetation and panoramic views down to the coastline. You will also visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about Galapagos conservation efforts. Here, you will observe the famous Galapagos giant tortoises that give the archipelago its name. The station is a tortoise breeding and rearing center, providing excellent opportunities to photograph this legendary species. Then, it's on to an afternoon of scenic Galapagos birdwatching on an easy hike to peaceful Tortuga Bay, so named because it is here that the sea turtles come to lay their eggs. The white sand beach is considered the most beautiful of the archipelago and is one of the more relaxing spots on Galapagos tours. Pelicans, Darwin's finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, doves, marine iguanas and migratory shore birds are also found here. Accommodations in Santa Cruz. (B,L)
• Day 6 (Thu) HIKE AND EXPLORATION IN ISABELA View Isabella accommodations picture gallery At Puerto Ayora, board a fast boat for Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. Isabela is the largest island in the archipelago, formed by the merging of six shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf. All still active but one, these volcanoes make the island one of the most volcanically-active places on Earth. At the Isabela Breeding Center, you'll learn about tortoise development and conservation, taking this knowledge home from your Galapagos tours. Explore the bay in search of the unique Galapagos penguin and follow a coastline trail to observe dramatic lava formations and a large colony of sea lions. The mangroves and salty lagoons here support mangrove finches, American oyster catchers, herons, flamingos and many other shore species. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon on exotic white sand beaches and spend the evening in the tranquil port town of Puerto Villamil. (B,L,D)
• Day 7 (Fri) SIERRA NEGRA HIKE View Isabella accommodations picture gallery From Puerto Villamil, hike into the highlands to the rim of the Sierra Negra Volcano where it's possible to see the entire five by six-mile caldera (a large crater which is the second largest in the world), the other volcanoes and the Perry Isthmus beyond. From here hike to Chico Volcano, with its puffing fumaroles and striking lava formations, examples of the geological events that have formed the Galapagos Islands over millennia. In the late afternoon, return to Puerto Villamil for a last evening on these Enchanted Islands before the end of your Galapagos tours. (B,L,D)
• Day 8 (Sat) ISABELA - SANTA CRUZ - QUITO Transfer to the Baltra airport for the flight back to Quito. In Quito, transfer to the hotel. (B)
• Day 9 (Sun) QUITO - HOME Transfer to the airport for the international departure home, marking the end of Southern Explorations' services. It is possible to arrange other Galapagos tours, trip extensions to other regions, or extra days in Quito if you have the time. (B) Begin Optional Post-Itinerary Tour Extensions
• Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner

GALAPAGOS & ECUADOR EXTENSIONS

ARTICLES & INFORMATION ABOUT GALAPAGOS
TOURS AND TRAVEL

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2008 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES

Saturday Departures
2 person minimum / 10 maximum

August 9-17
September 13-21
October 18-26
November
  8-16
SOLD OUT!
December 13-20

Private Departures can be arranged. Please contact us regarding private departure costs.

2009 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES

Saturday Departures
2 person minimum / 10 maximum

January
  03-11
8 spaces left
February
  07-15
7 spaces left
March 07-15
April 18-26
May
  09-17
8 spaces left
June 06-14
July 04-12
August 15-23
September 12-20
October 17-25
November 07-15
December 12/26-01/03

Private Departures can be arranged. Please contact us regarding private departure costs.

INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS

Included in tour cost

- Bilingual english speaking naturalist guide

- All land and sea transportation during the itinerary

- All hotel accommodations in first class and tourist superior hotels *including continental breakfasts (on a twin share basis)

- All meals as noted

- Snorkeling gear

- Sea transportation

Excluded in tour cost

- International round-trip airfare travel to and from Ecuador

- Airfare: $360 Low Season / $415 High Season (Quito/Galapagos/Quito) airfare is subject to change
Low Season: May 1 - June 14 / Sept 15 - Oct 31
High Season: June 15 - Sept 14 / Nov 1 - Apr 30

- Entrance fee to Galapagos National Park (100 USD)

- Hiking boots and other necessary sports gear

- Wetsuit rental ($35 per week), recommended during May - November

- Lunches and dinners in the cities (unless otherwise specified)

- Personal expenses (tips and gratuities, alcoholic beverages, medical or travel insurance, laundry, airport taxes, etc.).

- Wetsuit Rental (available at $20 per day)

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

GALAPAGOS ACCOMMODATION

Galapagos Hiking Adventure:

8 nights hotels

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

Additional $350

- Single Supplement is the additional cost of a single traveler not sharing a room in double occupancy. We will match you with another same gender traveler unless you request single accommodations.

Prices based on 3% cash discount