Family Land Galápagos — Multi-Activities

Arrive at any time.

Included Experiences

• Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting with G Representative: The adventure begins today. Feel free to explore, but make sure you're back in time to meet the group. Your G Representative will review the details of your tour.

Optional Experiences

• Quito City Tour & Equator Line: Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city. Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Please note that this tour starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.
• Cotopaxi Volcano - Full Day: Enjoy a spectacular 2 hour drive to Cotopaxi Volcano National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world (5,897m/ 19,347 ft). Visit a museum in the park and hike around a lagoon at the bottom of the volcano to learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. Continue by car up the volcano to the parking lot, at over 4,500m/14,763 ft. Walk for an hour and a half to the refuge and after a short break, continue to the glacier (if the weather holds out). Return to Quito in the early evening.

Fly to San Cristóbal, the easternmost island of Galápagos and one of the oldest. The principal town is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galápagos. Visit the beach and keep your eyes open for marine life while you chill out in the sand. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing on Mann Beach or swimming with playful sea lions as the frigate birds glide on the thermals. In the evening, opt for a dinner and sample some of the island's fresh fish and produce.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Free Time: Free time on San Cristóbal gives an opportunity to make the most of the variety of activities available here. Hire a bike for a ride around the island or rent snorkelling equipment and search for marine life. Choose to take a walk around the area and enjoy island life.

Snorkelling trip to Isla Lobos to search for marine life like sea turtles and manta rays and swim with sea lions. In the afternoon visit the Interpretation Centre and learn more about the history of the Galápagos, sometimes referred to as “the Enchanted Islands.” Spend the rest of the remainder of the day relaxing on Mann Beach or swimming with playful sea lions as the frigate birds glide on the thermals. The day begins with a short boat ride to Isla Lobos, an islet populated by numerous sea lions, which give the island its name. Spend the day snorkelling – a fantastic opportunity to observe the abundant marine life that Galápagos is renowned for. Back aboard the boat, sail to San Cristóbal, visit the Interpretation Center and then have free time to enjoy the beaches and surrounding areas.

Included Experiences

• Boat: Climb aboard and get your float on.
• Snorkelling (Isla Lobos): Snorkel the waters of peaceful Isla Lobos, amid the families of sea lions and their inquisitive pups looking to play. Spot nesting frigatebirds and the famous blue-footed boobies resting on the shore. Be sure to bring your camera to catch some snaps at this prime wildlife watching haven.
• Interpretation Center Visit: Learn about the history of the Galápagos Islands from the very beginning of their volcanic origins through to today’s conservation efforts. Tour the Human History exhibit to learn about the islands’ discovery and colonization, and discover the natural history and variety of flora and fauna that make the Galápagos so fascinating.
• Free Time: Free time on San Cristóbal gives an opportunity to make the most of the variety of activities available here. Hire a bike for a ride around the island or rent snorkelling equipment and search for marine life. Choose to take a walk around the area and enjoy island life.

Travel by boat to Santa Cruz Island. On arrival, visit the highlands of the island to see Galápagos giant tortoises in the wild.

Included Experiences

• Speedboat: Cut swiftly through the water en route to the next stop (and hang on to your hat).
• Santa Cruz Highlands Excursion: Visit the highlands of Santa Cruz and see the Galápagos giant tortoise in its natural surroundings. Explore the area and its incredible wildlife.

Take a sea kayaking adventure at Tortuga Bay to explore the mangroves. Opt for a surf lesson in the afternoon.

Included Experiences

• Tortuga Bay Kayaking: Grab a life jacket and go for a kayak adventure in the mangroves of Tortuga Bay. Keep an eye out for a wide variety of marine life, including colorful reef fish, rays, and sea turtles, as you paddle the blue waters. Relax after on a beautiful fine white sand beach, and soak up some sun – you may spot some iguanas also trying to catch some rays on the shore.

Optional Experiences

• Surfing Lesson: Grab your swimsuit and get ready to hang ten! Learn how to find and ride the waves with surfing lessons from local experts. Enjoy the fresh sea air, and try to spot local marine life while enjoying the waters.

In the morning, walk to "Las Grietas" located across Academy Bay. Pass through a rugged cactus forest on the way to this stunning lagoon. Afterwards, enjoy time to relax at the Playa de los Alemanes. In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, one of the places where you can easily spot the famous Galápagos tortoises.

Included Experiences

• Swimming at Las Grietas: Cross a cactus forest looking for Darwin finches and lava lizards on the way to Las Grietas, a local swimming hole. The cool, bright turquoise water separates two volcanic cliffs. Fed by the ocean from one end and a river from the other this unique brackish pool is perfect for swimming.
• Fausto Llerena Breeding Center & Charles Darwin Research Station Visit: Visit Fausto Llerena Breeding Center a great place to observe many species of tortoises. Brought back from the brink of extinction, see the famous Galápagos tortoise up close – a corral houses adult tortoises, and a nursery cares for the young until around age three when their shells have hardened. This area also houses the Charles Darwin Research Station, a scientific organization initiated in 1964, which works to preserve the Galápagos' ecosystem through the conservation efforts of scientists, researchers, and volunteers. While the offices themselves are not open to visitors, the research station provides a study location for international scientists and environmental education for the local community.

Fly back to Quito, where the rest of the day is free to explore the city. After a transfer over the island of Santa Cruz, arrive at Baltra Island for our return flight to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to the hotel for free time and one last night with newfound friends.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Transfer over the island of Santa Cruz to Baltra Island to catch our flight back to Quito.
• Free Time: Explore the city of Quito at leisure and enjoy the best of this cosmopolitan city.

Depart at any time.

Optional Experiences

• Cotopaxi Volcano - Full Day: Enjoy a spectacular 2 hour drive to Cotopaxi Volcano National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world (5,897m/ 19,347 ft). Visit a museum in the park and hike around a lagoon at the bottom of the volcano to learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. Continue by car up the volcano to the parking lot, at over 4,500m/14,763 ft. Walk for an hour and a half to the refuge and after a short break, continue to the glacier (if the weather holds out). Return to Quito in the early evening.
• Quito City Tour & Equator Line: Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city. Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Please note that this tour starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.