Read a sampling of what our
clients said about their trips
I am a procrastinator, but I wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our vacation. All of our guides were exceptional. We enjoyed our time with Eduardo, even when he told us to be ready at 3 am to leave for the airport. He was great, always there no matter the hour, always with a smile and we had ... more Bobby (Barbara) Miller
Lodging and Meals: This tour includes accommodations for 7 nights (3 nights in Quito, and 4 nights at Finch Bay Eco Hotel), and 15 meals (7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners).
Elevations: Quito is 9,350 feet above sea level.
IGTOA's Traveler Funding Program
South American Vacations is an active member of IGTOA (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association). In support of IGTOA's Traveler Funding Program, we contribute $50 for each passenger that we send to the Galapagos Islands. You'll travel knowing that you support the lasting protection of Galapagos Islands.
Sixty percent of the funding of this program goes directly to the Charles Darwin Foundation for science, conservation, and education. Their work, carried out through the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos National Park, is vital to the preservation of the islands. You can visit their web site to learn more http://www.darwinfoundation.org. The remainder goes toward IGTOA's mission of creating a model of responsible and sustainable tourism.
Quito and Five Day Finch Bay Eco Hotel
This tour combines colonial Quito with five days at the Finch Bay Eco Hotel. This charming hotel on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos is named after the famous Darwin's Finches, which are abundant in the area around the hotel. It has 27 air-conditioned rooms with twin or king sized beds, and private bathrooms, including 6 brand new ocean view rooms. The hotel's amenities include a restaurant, bar and lounge, private outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, telephone service, internet access, and a private seaside location at Punta Estrada, steps from the beach. With the hotel as your base, you will have daily excursions by yacht to nearby islands, where you can observe plants and animals that evolved in isolation and are found nowhere else in the world.
Activities: Sightseeing, wildlife viewing, hiking, and snorkeling.
Note: The route and program may vary according to National Park policies and regulations, weather conditions, seasonal changes, safety reasons and wildlife encounters.
Dry Landing: Guests step from the dinghy directly onto rocks or a dock. Wet Landing: As the dinghy edges onto a sandy beach, guests step into knee-deep water and wade ashore.
Day 1: Quito
Depart to Quito. After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel.
Day 2: City Tour of Quito/Equatorial Monument
This morning, you will visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures of art and architecture. Quito's colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop's Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco, one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of Quito at its main altar.
Then continue to the Equatorial Monument, 16 miles north of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador. Beside the monument there is a colonial-style town, complete with main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards and souvenirs. You will get a certificate for having crossed the Equator. (B)
Day 3: Quito/Baltra Airport/Highlands of Santa Cruz/Twin Pit Craters/Finch Bay Eco Hotel
Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Galapagos. Upon arrival to the airport at Baltra Island, you will be taken across the Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island. A bus will take you to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the Giant Tortoise Reserve to view tortoises in their natural habitat, a once in a lifetime experience!
A stop is then made at the Twin Pit Craters, great depressions of volcanic material, formed by a long process of slow sinking of the ground, where exceptional Scalesia trees, ferns, mosses and orchids can be seen in the surroundings. Box lunch is provided and then on to the Finch Bay Eco Hotel to enjoy its multiple attractions: pool, the white coral beach in front of the hotel and rest on your hammock. In the evening, dinner includes the delicacies of local and international gastronomy, one of the main reasons people choose the Finch Bay Hotel. (B,L,D)
Day 4: Finch Bay Eco Hotel/Yacht Excursion to Santa Fe (Barrington)
A short trek leads through woods of Opuntia cacti and Palo Santo trees. Land iguanas (endemic to Santa Fe), lava lizards and colonies of sea lions can be observed. There is opportunity to swim and snorkel. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Finch Bay Eco Hotel/Plaza
This small island is teeming with wildlife, sea side and along the cliffs: sea lions, land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, Opuntia cacti and vegetation that changes colors with the seasons. (B,L,D)
Day 6: Finch Bay Eco Hotel/Yacht Excursion to Bartolome
Enjoy the spectacular Galapagos views as you ascend the hillsides of this unique island. Interesting lava formations and tuff cones can be observed. Sea lions and penguins swim in the vicinity of Pinnacle Rock. Enjoy snorkeling or swimming from the beach. (B,L,D)
Day 7: Finch Bay Eco Hotel/Charles Darwin Research Station/Quito
Leave the hotel early in the morning for a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, home to famous "Lonesome George" and many other giant tortoises. Then, overland transfer to the airport in Baltra to take the flight back to Quito. (B)
Day 8: Quito
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to your final destination. (B)
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Quito and Five Day Finch Bay Eco Hotel
Single
Double
Triple
5 Star (Garden View)
$4,159
$2,919
$2,629
5 Star (Ocean View)
$4,769
$3,139
$2,819
All prices are in U.S. Dollars. Click here to see our prices in your currency.
The above prices are valid until December 31, 2013.
Quito and Five Day Finch Bay Eco Hotel
The Price of This Tour Includes
South American Vacations' expert pre-departure planning services and documentation.
Private airport/hotel transfers including baggage handling in Quito.
Airport/hotel transfers including baggage handling from Baltra in the Galapagos.
Three nights hotel accommodations at the Swissotel, Quito (or similar) including taxes and service fees.
Four nights hotel accommodations at the Finch Bay Eco Hotel including taxes and service fees.
Meals as indicated on the itinerary.
City Tour of Quito/Equatorial Monument excursion.
Yacht excursions as indicated on the itinerary.
Local, English-speaking tour guides.
Use of snorkeling equipment.
The Price of This Tour Does Not Include
International airfare.
Round-trip airfare from Quito to Galapagos.
Ecuadorian departure tax (Quito $40.80).
Meals not indicated on the itinerary.
Galapagos National Park entrance fee ($100).
Transit control card ($10).
Sea kayaking.
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Gratuities, gifts, and personal items.
Travel insurance.
We will be happy to quote the cost of international airfare, the Quito-Galapagos airfare, and travel insurance, and to make these arrangements for you.
