Quito (Andes) · Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos) · Quito airport
Ecuador – The Nine-Day Galápagos & Highlands
Ecuador packs an improbable amount into a short trip. You start in Quito — a 16th-century old town at 9,000 feet, one of the best-preserved in the Americas — stand with a foot in each hemisphere at the equator, then spend a day on the slopes of Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes on earth. Then you fly to the Galápagos and the trip changes gear entirely: sea lions on the beach, giant tortoises in the highlands, blue-footed boobies close enough to photograph without a lens. Sea lions on the beach, giant tortoises in the highlands, and blue-footed boobies a few feet away and utterly unbothered — the park's two-meter rule keeps it that way. This is the hotel-based way to do the islands — you sleep on Santa Cruz and head out to the wildlife by boat each day, then come back to a hot shower and a real bed. It's the comfortable, unhurried version, and it's the one Milli traveled herself.
A relaxed pace — a full day is given to Quito's sights rather than rushing them into a half-day, and the final airport night takes the stress out of an early international departure.
- Length
- 9 days
- Regions
- 3
- Transport
- Private vehicle with English-speaking guide on the mainland; shared standard boats (up to ~16 guests) for the Galápagos day excursions.
Trip overview
From $2,635 per person for two, or $2,317 per person when four travel together.
per person, two sharing. A starting point for the land program, at low-season rates — not a fixed price. Galápagos flights (about $590 pp), the National Park fee ($200 pp) and Transit Card ($20 pp) are additional, as listed. Tell Milli your dates and who's traveling and she'll send an exact, written quote.Day by day
Day 1 — Arrive Quito
Met at Mariscal Sucre airport by an English-speaking guide holding a personalized sign, and transferred privately to your hotel in the city. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and adjust to the altitude.
Day 2 — Quito & the Middle of the World
A full day exploring Quito’s UNESCO-listed old town — its churches, plazas and viewpoints — then out to the Middle of the World monument and the Intiñan Museum on the equator line. A full day rather than a rushed half, so nothing feels hurried.
Pickup is typically 8:00–8:30 AM.
Day 3 — Cotopaxi National Park
A private full-day tour into the national park beneath Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes on earth. Walk by Limpiopungo Lagoon with the peak reflected in the water, and — if you’d like — hike up toward the refuge on the volcano’s flank.
Pickup is at 8:00 AM; bring a few light snacks for the high-altitude stretch.
Day 4 — Fly to the Galápagos; Santa Cruz highlands
Fly from Quito to Baltra (own flight), where your guide meets you and crosses to Santa Cruz Island. On the way to Puerto Ayora you stop in the lush highlands to see giant tortoises roaming in the wild, then check in for four nights.
Galápagos flights leave early, so breakfast is boxed to go and you’ll be at the airport about two hours before departure.
Day 5 — Bahia tour
A half-day shared boat tour around Puerto Ayora’s bay — sea lions, snorkeling with fish and rays, and the quiet, scenic inlets close to town. Pickup depends on the operator, who may gather the group at a meeting point in town.
Day 6 — Island excursion
A full-day navigable excursion by boat to one of the visitor islands (confirmed around your dates by the National Park), with guided walks, wildlife and snorkeling. Lunch aboard.
Pickup is early — usually 6:45–7:30 AM, generally from your hotel.
Day 7 — Island excursion
A second full-day island excursion to a different site — more wildlife, more snorkeling, more of what makes the archipelago extraordinary. Lunch aboard.
As on Day 6, an early start, usually from your hotel.
Day 8 — Return to the mainland
A relaxed breakfast rather than a free morning — Santa Cruz flights leave by midday, so with check-in and the transfer you may leave the hotel as early as 7:30 AM. Fly Baltra to Quito (own flight), then transfer by the hotel’s shuttle to a comfortable airport hotel for the night, so your international departure the next morning is stress-free.
Day 9 — Depart
The hotel shuttle takes you back to Quito airport for your onward flight.
Where you'll stay
Included
- Private arrival and departure transfers with an English-speaking guide
- Full-day Quito city tour — historic center (UNESCO), Middle of the World & Intiñan Museum
- Full-day private Cotopaxi National Park tour
- Santa Cruz highlands visit with wild giant tortoises on arrival
- Half-day Bahia (bay) tour
- Two full-day Galápagos island navigable excursions (shared standard boat, expert naturalist guide)
- All accommodation as listed (double or twin)
- Meals as listed (daily breakfast; lunches on touring and island-excursion days)
- Entrance fees as listed in the program
- Airport-hotel shuttle for the final night
Not included
- International flights
- Galápagos round-trip flights (Quito–Baltra–Quito) — approx. $590 per person
- Galápagos National Park entrance fee ($200 pp) and Transit
- Control Card ($20 pp), paid on arrival
- Travel insurance — required, and we'll help you choose
- Alcoholic and other drinks unless stated
- Tips and personal expenses
What we'd rather tell you now
Most of what goes wrong on a trip is an expectation nobody corrected in advance. So here's what this journey is not, before you spend anything.
- The island excursions are shared, not private On the mainland your touring is private. In the Galápagos, the half-day bay tour and both full-day navigable excursions run on shared standard boats of up to about sixteen guests, with an expert naturalist guide. The guiding is excellent; you'll share the boat and the day's schedule with others.
- This is a hotel-based Galápagos trip, not a cruise You stay on Santa Cruz Island and day-trip to the wildlife sites by boat, returning to your hotel each evening. A cruise sails overnight and reaches more remote islands — it's a different, and pricier, experience. We can build that instead if it's what you're after.
- The exact islands are set by the National Park, not by us Galápagos day-excursion sites are assigned specific operating days by the Park Directorate, so the precise islands are confirmed at booking around your travel dates. The quality of the experience stays the same; the specific sites may vary.
- The comfort tier is genuine three-star Well-run, well-located, warmly hosted — not luxury. If you'd prefer four-star in Quito or a higher category throughout, we can build that; just tell us.
- Galápagos flights and park fees are additional The domestic flight (about $590 pp), the Park entrance fee ($200 pp) and the Transit Control Card ($20 pp, cash on arrival) aren't included. They're standard for every visitor to the islands, and we'll set them out clearly in your quote.
Plan this journey
Nothing here is bookable on the spot, and that's deliberate. Tell Milli your dates and who's traveling, and she'll come back with the exact trip and the exact number, in a written quote — not a brochure.
Plan your Journey →