Welcome to Quito, Ecuador! At the airport, you will be greeted by a member of our team who will assist you with your luggage and transfer you to your hotel. During the ride, you will receive a brief introduction to Quito and Ecuador and valuable information regarding your stay in the country.

For colonial-era grandeur, at Casa Gangotena Boutique Hotel, South America’s Best City Hotel.

Rise and shine for the next part of your adventure! Guests will be picked up and taken to the Mashpi Reserve – a 1,300-hectare (3,200 acres) swath of cloud and rainforest located within the Metropolitan District of Quito. Upon arrival, Mashpi’s staff will take your luggage to your room. Shortly after that, you’ll be invited to Lunch, followed by an introductory briefing regarding the Lodge. After that, it’s time to head out and explore!
Throughout the following days at Mashpi Lodge, you will have a guided experience of the natural wonders of the Mashpi Reserve.

The sweet songs of the birds around the Lodge in the early morning will help you start this new day with a smile! This morning, you’ll have different options for how you wish to begin: you can either start at the crack of dawn for a hike around the surrounding forest with your guide. Alternatively, you can have a relaxing morning, sleep a little longer, enjoy breakfast at the restaurant, and treat yourself to a relaxing massage at our Samay Wellness Center. After that, you can head out into the forest with your guide.

You and your guide can choose what to do throughout the day after lunch.

On this day, you’ll partake in one last early-morning excursion before getting ready to take your transfer back to Quito. A box lunch will be provided for your journey back to Quito.

Upon arriving in Quito, you’ll be dropped off at Casa Gangotena Boutique Hotel to spend the rest of your day as you see fit.

Overnight in Quito.

You will take a transfer to Quito’s airport in time to catch your flight to the Galapagos Islands!

Please note that the following Northern Galapagos Islands Itinerary aboard Yacht La Pinta is one of the many options for your Galapagos adventure. Ask our Destination Experts about our fleet and available itineraries.

Baltra Island Airport

After arriving at Baltra Airport, you will take a transfer ferry across the Itabaca Channel – a small channel separating Santa Cruz Island’s north shore from Baltra Island. Afterward, you will board a private bus that will take you, along with other guests, up into the highlands, where we will all have the opportunity to learn about Santa Cruz’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity. Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Highlands (Santa Cruz Island)

After lunch, we will continue by private bus to reach a reserve that is one of the best places in the archipelago to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The tortoises are easy to spot, lumbering around, eating grass, and sometimes even wallowing in the small pools. There are several lava tunnels in reserve, too. After this, a short, private bus ride will take us down to the town of Puerto Ayora to board Yacht Isabela II.

Eden Islet (Santa Cruz Island)

Following breakfast, a panga ride will take us down to Eden Islet, located off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, where they can observe blue-footed boobies diving into the water, reef sharks, and frigates. Weather permitting, there’s a chance to snorkel or ride aboard La Isabella II’s glass-bottom boat. The volcanic setting of this area is quite stunning due to its variety of volcanic debris, complete with cinder cones, tuff cones, and semi-eroded lava flows.

Sombrero Chino Islet

The tiny island of Sombrero Chino gets its name from its appearance, reminiscent of a Chinese Hat. This islet formed relatively recently and made for a beautiful visit as one explores the wildlife along its 400-meter-long trail, which begins at a crescent-shaped white sand beach. The cove offers excellent swimming and snorkeling opportunities in the company of whitetip reef sharks and Galapagos penguins.

Bartolome Island

On this morning, an iconic and postcard-worthy Galapagos feature awaits Bartolome Island. We will disembark from our dinghy shuttle boats and begin a steep climb up a wooden staircase where the view from the top makes the trek well worth the effort! Following the walk, we will hop aboard the dinghies again for a ride around the colossal Pinnacle Rock. After this, guests will have time to enjoy the beach and snorkeling. You can also choose to ride aboard the glass-bottom boat for great views of the underwater world.

Sullivan Bay (Santiago Island)

After lunch, we will board the dinghy to disembark at Sullivan Bay on the east coast of Santiago Island. This visitor site has a white coral-sand beach, which is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Additionally, a trail covers a lava field that once flowed here less than 100 years ago. This is the perfect place to see and feel the volcanic origin of the Galapagos while observing its wildlife.

Darwin Bay

In the morning, we will begin our exploration of this island with a casual stroll to observe marine and land birds. An optional walk over sharp lava and uneven terrain also rewards us with dramatic views. Otherwise, you can return to the beach to enjoy swimming and snorkeling at this beautiful, natural harbor. You can snorkel along the cliffs or paddle in sea kayaks if you are more adventurous.

Prince Philip’s Steps

The afternoon starts with an exciting dinghy ride along the cliffs before we disembark at Prince Philip’s Steps – the start of a steep but short climb up a wooden staircase. Once at the top, the terrain is pretty flat, which allows for a mesmerizing, mile-long walk to the other side of this small island. Guests will also check out large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigatebirds, storm petrels, and the elusive short-eared owl.

Baltra Island Airport

The journey ends at Baltra Island, where you will take your transfer to the airport to hop on your flight back to the mainland. Baltra’s flat terrain (due to its tectonically uplifted origin) is why this island was chosen to build an airport in the 1940s.