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Origin of Species

11-Day adventure

Detailed, day-by-day itinerary for this adventure!
Accommodations are noted, and meals are coded as B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner

Top: INCA guest capturing a tortoise's portrait on Santa Cruz Island © Weston Walker. Below: Land Iguana on Santa Fé Island, ignoring the paparazzi © Wes Walker.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Quito, Ecuador

Fly from your home city to Quito, Ecuador. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the Hilton Colón Quito hotel with check-in to your Club Floor accommodations.

Hilton Colón Quito

Day 2

To the Galapagos—Santa Cruz Island

Transfer to the airport for an early morning flight to Baltra, Galapagos. While our luggage is being collected, we enjoy refreshments in the air conditioned VIP airport lounge. We transfer to the Island of Santa Cruz where we travel with our naturalist in a spacious air conditioned vehicle up into the highland rainforest.

   Integrity guests will lunch at the Royal Palm Resort.
   Reina Silvia guests will lunch at a highlands restaurant.

After lunch we explore the Santa Cruz Highlands to view endemic Galapagos plant species and visit lava tubes and sinkholes. We'll hike through tall grasses among the grazing tortoises.

   Integrity guests return to Royal Palm Resort for dinner and overnight.
   Reina Silvia guests head to Angermeyer Waterfront Inn for dinner
   and overnight.

Royal Palm Resort or Angermeyer Waterfront Inn, BLD

Day 3

Puerto Ayora, Darwin Station, board our yacht

We stroll through the town of Puerto Ayora to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learn about conservation issues and the tortoise and iguana hatching and rearing programs. We'll even get to view some of the tiny hatchlings. We may catch a glimpse of Lonesome George—the sole survivor of the Pinta tortoise subspecies. Afterwards we lunch at a waterside restaurant overlooking Academy Bay. We board Integrity or Reina Silvia mid to late afternoon in Academy Bay.

Integrity or Reina Silvia, BLD

Days 4-9

On the Boat—Snoozin', Cruisin' and Snorkelin'

We live aboard our spacious yacht for a week, spending as much time ashore as the Park rules permit. With our licensed, INCA selected Class III naturalist, we learn about the birds and animals, geology, marine life and oceanic systems of the Galapagos Islands. We swim and snorkel with tropical fish, sea lions and sometimes with penguins!

Integrity or Reina Silvia, BLD

Day 10

Galapagos, Quito

From our anchorage in the Baltra harbor, we say "adios" to the Integrity and its dedicated crew, and adjourn to the Baltra airport to await our mid-morning flight to the Ecuador mainland and Quito. On arrival, we transfer to the Hilton Colón Quito hotel for an overnight. You will have time to shop before dinner.

Hilton Colón Quito, BD

Day 11

Quito to home or other adventures

Transfer to the airport with check-in to your homeward bound flight unless you are remaining for more adventures.