Amazon to the Galápagos: The Complete Ecuador Experience

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Overview
Highlights
- Surrounded by breathtaking volcanoes in the highland town of Otavalo, experience its famed textile market
- Deep in the Amazon, view brightly colored parrots as they make their morning pilgrimage to the clay lick at Yasuni National Park
- Encounter the exotic animals that made the Galápagos famous including Blue-footed Boobies, Darwin finches and marine iguanas
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- 16 nights of accommodations
- 5 expert-led lectures
- 21 expert-led field trips
- 4 flights during the program
- 2 hands-on experiences
- 1 performance
- An experienced Group Leader
- Customary gratuities throughout the program
- Road Scholar Assurance Plan
- Taxes
Itinerary

In Transit to Program, Arrive Guayaquil, Hotel Check-in
Guayaquil Hotel Oro Verde
Activity note: Depart North America on flights to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Refer to your personal air itinerary for specific flight information. Hotel check in as of 3 p.m.
...Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Santa Lucia Hotel Cuenca
Malecon & Las Peñas, Coastal Hacienda, Transfer to Cuenca
Activity note: The drive from Guayaquil to Cuenca is about 122 miles, approximately 4 hours. Cuenca is at an elevation...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Santa Lucia Hotel Cuenca
Cuenca UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ingapirca Ruins
Activity note: Elevation at Ingapirca is approximately 10,500 feet. Bus travel and walking on city sidewalks, cobbled stones and ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Hacienda Abraspungo
Devil's Nose Rail Ride
Activity note: Elevation at Riobamba is approximately 9,200 feet. The drive from Cuenca to the rail station is about 98 miles, approximately 3 hours...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: El Monasterio de Cusin
Avenue of the Volcanoes, Otavalo, Haciendas of Ecuador
Activity note: The drive from Riobamba to La Compañia is about 114 miles, approximately 3.5 to 4 hours; from La Compañi...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: El Monasterio de Cusin
Textile Market, Interacting with Indigenous Community
Activity note: City walking on flat, paved surfaces, among market stands and in potentially crowded areas. Ask permissio...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sacha Lodge
Boat Transfer on Napo River, Introduction to Amazonia
Activity note: The drive from Otavalo to Quito is about 57 miles, approximately 1.5 - 2 hours. The flight from Quito to Coca is abo...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sacha Lodge
Yasuni Parrot Lick, Interpretation Center, Rainforest Walk
Breakfast: At the lodge, we'll enjoy a buffet meal with coffee, water, juice.
Morning: We’ll depart on a field trip to ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sacha Lodge
Lagartococha Lake & Trail, Piranha Fishing, Canopy Tower
Breakfast: At the lodge.
Morning: We’ll start the day with a nature hike on the Lagartococha Trail. Our naturalist wi...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel
Boat Transfer to Coca, Flight to Quito
Activity note: To minimize your chances of experiencing altitude sickness while in Quito (9,300 ft), please remember to get plenty of rest, stay ...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Sheraton Quito Hotel
Exploring Quito UNESCO World Heritage Site
Activity note: City walking on mostly flat terrain, some cobbled stone sections.
Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.
Morning: B...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Scalesia Galapagos Lodge
Flight to Galapagos, Santa Cruz Highlands, Boat to Isabela
Activity note: Please note there is a 50 lb weight limit for checked luggage on the flights to the islands. City ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Scalesia Galapagos Lodge
Isabela Island, Volcan Chico & Sierra Negra
Activity note: Bus ride from lodge to the trail head is approximately 20 minutes. Sierra Negra hike is about 11 miles round-...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Scalesia Galapagos Lodge
Tintoreras, Los Humedales, Tortoise Breeding Center
Activity note: Bus ride from the lodge to Puerto Villamil is approximately 20 minutes. Islote Tintoreras is about a 1/2 ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Scalesia Galapagos Lodge
Wall of Tears, Concha de Perla
Activity note: Hike to Wall of Tears is about 6 miles on mostly flat unpaved trails. Hat, sunscreen, walking shoes and water bottle are sugge...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Oro Verde
Flight from Galápagos to Guayaquil
Activity note: The boat ride from Isabela to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz takes approximately 2.5 hours. The bus and ferry transfer from Puerto Ayora ...
Meals: Breakfast
Program Concludes, In Transit from Program
Activity note: Hotel check out by 11:00 a.m. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers.
Breakfast: At hotel restaurant (dependent on flight times).
Morning: Early transfer to the airport in pr...
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Road Scholar.
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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Accommodation
Hotel Oro Verde
2 nights Guayaquil
Oro Verde Hotel Guayaquil is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World in Ecuador. Strategically located in the downtown commercial and banking heart of the city and only eight minutes from the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport.
Santa Lucia Hotel Cuenca
2 nights Cuenca
One of Cuenca Ecuador's most historic antique buildings, is located in the Old Town district of Cuenca, which is a living museum itself. The house where the Santa Lucia hotel is located was built by the first governor of Azuay province, Don Manuel Vega Davila, in 1859. The house remained in the Vega family for over a hundred years, being a peaceful witness of important episodes of the history of southern Ecuador.
Hotel Hacienda Abraspungo
1 night Riobamba
The Hotel Hacienda Abraspungo is a charming highland hacienda located in Riobamba.
El Monasterio de Cusin
2 nights San Pablo del Lago, Otavalo
This charming hotel is housed in a restored 17th century Andean estate. The equatorial line and snowcapped Cayambe Mountains are only 30 minutes away. Winding cobblestone pathways, fountain courtyards, and perennial gardens offer inviting spaces where guests can relax and enjoy the fresh mountain air.
Sacha Lodge
3 nights Coca
Sacha Lodge is located in the heart of the Amazon and is strategically situated beside a tranquil oxbow lake, Pilchicocha. The lodge was carefully designed to be comfortable for travelers while preserving the flavor of the jungle.
Sheraton Quito Hotel
2 nights Quito
The Sheraton Quito Hotel is located in the capital's financial and commercial zone and also nearby the Colonial Old Town, a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. Enjoy the on site restaurants featuring fusion foods and live piano music in the lounge. Relax your soul, mind, and body or workout in the fitness center located on the 11th floor with breathtaking views of the modern Quito.
16 Breakfasts, 15 Lunches and 11 Dinners
The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Vegetarian, Low Salt, Low Fat, Gluten Free
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