Easter Island
Easter Island Discover the ancient culture and history of Easter Island / Rapa Nui EXPLORE Chile | Days: 5 | From: $2,495
9 Days / 8 Nights
1 Night on Land / 7 Nights Aboard the Integrity*
choose between 5 different cabin categories
16 people
Easy*
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling and Kayaking
*Please refer to our Trip Activity Level Guide for more information
Upon arrival in Ecuador, you will be met and escorted to your hotel for an overnight stay. You will arrive in either Quito or Guayaquil.
After an early breakfast, head to the airport for your flight to Baltra Island, Galápagos. Your flight will take approximately 3 hours from Quito or 1.5 hours from Guayaquil.
Upon arrival in Baltra, you enter the Galápagos National Park and meet your guide for Santa Cruz island activities including a private bus tour to view the native plants and animals of the islands and a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about conservation issues and the tortoise hatching and rearing program.
This afternoon you will have your wetsuit fitting at a local dive shop. In the late afternoon, you will meet with your Naturalist and board Integrity. You’ll have the evening to settle in while the yacht gets underway and you will awaken just as you anchor at the southernmost island you’ll visit.
Each day aboard Integrity will begin around 7:00 am with a prepared breakfast including fresh fruit, a selection of cereals and breads, eggs made to order, fresh-squeezed juice, and coffee or tea. While you enjoy breakfast your guide will take a moment to explain what the morning’s activities will bring.
After breakfast, you will take a short panga ride to the shore and explore the island on a morning walk. The walks are taken at a comfortable pace allowing time for bird watching, taking pictures, learning about the wildlife and environment, and simply listening to nature. Before lunch, there will be time to explore the water via snorkeling and kayaking.
In the afternoon, lunch will be served on the boat before you are free to enjoy the afternoon napping, reading, and taking in the views and ocean breeze. In the late afternoon, you will once again take the panga to shore for more explorations along marked trails before retreating to the boat for dinner and an excellent sunset view on the top deck.
You’ll have breakfast on board INTEGRITY, then disembark at Baltra Island. Fly back to the mainland and, depending on your flights, either connect to your international departure, have an extended day use room for your late-night departure, or for overnight if your flight is in the following morning.
Please contact us for a complete detailed itinerary.
Located conveniently right outside Quito’s international airport, you will immediately feel welcomed once you arrive in Ecuador. Wyndham Quito provides comfortable accommodations for your first night in Ecuador.
Oro Verde is located in the heart of Guayaquil. For your first night in Ecuador, Oro Verde will welcome you as you get ready for the adventure ahead.
Integrity cruises are equipped with a variety of room plans to accommodate your needs. In order to keep all guests comfortable while on board, the yacht is equipped with unlimited wifi, laundry service, bar, spa, library, and a full crew to assist you with anything you may need.
The owner’s suite spans the width of the yacht and is 350 square feet. It has 1 king bed and a spacious bathroom.
Stateroom #2 is ideal if you are traveling alone as it has one single bed.
Saterooms 3-7 can be configured with either one king bed or 2 twin beds.
Stateroom #8 has two twin beds and can accommodate 2 people.
Sateroom #9 has a queen bed and can accommodate 2 people.
The Galápagos Islands are famed for their rugged volcanic landscapes and – most of all – their incredible biodiversity. The archipelago is particularly noted as the place that inspired Charles Darwin during his research into the theory of evolution in the 1830s. Today, the islands are still home to certain species that have evolved unlike any others on earth, such as the Galápagos penguin, marine iguanas, and the iconic giant tortoise.
The Galápagos Islands are located roughly 600 miles (965 km) off the coast of Ecuador. They’re surrounded on all sides by the central Pacific Ocean and straddle the equator; some in the Northern Hemisphere, some in the Southern Hemisphere. The island group is officially a part of the Republic of Ecuador, where it forms the Galápagos Province.
There are a total of 127 islands and rocks in the Galápagos group. Of those, just four are currently inhabited by people: Isabela, Floreana, San Cristóbal, and Santa Cruz. Of the four, only San Cristóbal is dedicated to hosting a regional airport. Only 19 of the group are considered large islands, with Isabela Island coming in as the largest in terms of area and Santa Cruz as the most populous. The rest are little more than clusters of rocks that poke out above the Pacific Ocean.
This part of Ecuador is great to visit year-round, but there are two distinct seasons. The warm and wet season from approximately January to June is widely seen as the best time to visit the Galápagos Islands for sunseekers. Average temperatures range from around 71-88°F (22 – 31°C). Calmer oceans mean comfier sailing conditions, which are backed up by relatively sunny days that see only occasional bouts of tropical rain. That said, there’s no such thing as a low season in the Galápagos. The water will be rougher in the cool and dry season from mid-June to December, but it’s better for whale watching and hiking. Expect average temperatures to hit around 67-80°F (19-27°C).
Nine days is ideal for exploring the Galápagos Islands by yacht. It’s the perfect amount of time to pick either the Western Route or the Eastern Route, the first of which covers the more rugged, rocky islands, while the latter goes through the lusher, greener islands. Although we recommend nine days, you can certainly fit your Galápagos cruise itinerary into a few less days, just remember to count for travel days to and from the Ecuadorian mainland on either side.
There’s no question that the best way to travel around the Galápagos Islands is by boat. More specifically, choose a mid-sized or small touring yacht, which are usually adapted for use in the archipelago itself. Our boat, the Integrity, is a prime example. It hosts groups of no more than 16 people across comfy staterooms and boasts open decks for wildlife viewing as you sail. If you prefer to sleep on land however, we also offer a flexible and amazing adventure at the luxurious Galapagos Safari Camp. This allows you to stay in the highlands of wild Santa Cruz and take day trips by boat to the various islands.
There is no other operator in the travel industry that will provide the same level of personal attention to you before your adventure in the Galápagos Islands. We get very involved with our clients before each trip by offering a series of pre-planning calls in the months and weeks before departure. This provides you with an opportunity to hear directly from us on preparation, trip experience, and more. It also gives you the platform to ask questions about any aspect of the trip.
Our knowledgeable support staff take care of the details of your in-country transportation, lodging, meals, tours, park fees, and activities. We’ve even scheduled in a bit of free time for you to explore, relax, shop, or eat on your own.
Easter Island Discover the ancient culture and history of Easter Island / Rapa Nui EXPLORE Chile | Days: 5 | From: $2,495
Galápagos Cruise Tour the stunning tropical and biodiverse Galápagos Islands on a small luxury yacht EXPLORE Ecuador | Days: 9 | From: $8,895
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