Discover the astounding beauty of Ecuador on this captivating tour, wandering the cobblestone streets of Quito, encountering the rich wildlife and indigenous cultures of the Amazon Rainforest, and admiring the snow-capped peak of Cotopaxi, one of the world’s highest and most active volcanoes.
What a way to complete this fascinating journey – with time in the untouched natural world of the Galapagos Islands. The Galapagos Islands are Ecuador's main attraction. This vast archipelago of volcanic origin is home to an abundance of wildlife.
Fly from the UK to Quito.
Breakfast & Lunch
Begin your adventure with a city tour of Quito, the best-preserved colonial centre in South America and one of the world’s first UNESCO Heritage Sites. See the Basilica del Voto Nacional, Presidential Palace, Catholic Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace, as well as the impressive San Francisco de Quito church, housing masterpieces by talented indigenous artists. Explore La Compañia Church, considered to be a masterpiece of the Baroque style: the facade is made of volcanic stone and the interior covered with gold! Visit El Panecillo, an observation point providing panoramic views of Quito. Enjoy a stop at the Middle of the World monument, built to honour the French mission who determined the supposed location of the equator, and the IntiÑan Equator Museum. Snap a photo with a foot in each hemisphere and take part in fun experiments that can only be done here, like balancing an egg on a nail.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Fly from Quito to Coca and continue to the Napo Cultural Centre, where you have the outstanding chance to step onto the aboriginal territory of the Kichwa Añangu community. After a traditional and refreshing guayusa drink, get ready for an afternoon hike along the “Playas” trail to experience Amazon wildlife for the first time. Kayaking on the Napo River is available as an optional activity.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following an early breakfast, head out by motorboat to one of the highlights of Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, the parrot Clay Lick beside the Napo River, to see flocks of blue-headed, yellow-crowned parrots, and even dusky-headed parakeets. Walk along the Pericos trail for direct views of the parakeet Clay Lick, bringing you face to face with parrots, parakeets, and macaws, as well as howler monkeys and tapir that come to drink the revitalising mineral waters. Visit the intercultural interpretation centre of Kuri Muyu, managed by the women of the community, to learn about the Kichwa culture and traditional crafts. After lunch, climb the observation tower for a chance to spot birds, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys and sloths. In the evening, sail the Napo River onboard ancestral catamarans and learn more about Kichwa customs.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Watch the sunrise at breakfast before walking the Mama Kuna trail, presenting excellent opportunities to see endemic flora and fauna. In the afternoon explore Añangu creek, where monkeys jump from tree to tree, caiman lurk in the waters, and giant river otters try to catch fish. A traditional dinner allows you to taste the flavours of the Amazon, such as maito (wrapped grilled fish) and, for the adventurous, grilled worms known locally as chontakuru. Take a night walk around the lodge to see insects, reptiles and nocturnal mammals like the night monkey.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Say goodbye to the Amazon as you fly to Quito. Lunch will be served in a family-run hacienda en route to Otavalo, followed by a short rose farm tour.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Stroll the renowned indigenous market of Otavalo, steeped in ancient tradition and serving as a cultural hub for the community. Explore the tranquil town of Cotacachi, famous for its leather products, and meet the local craftsmen responsible for these exquisite pieces. A special cooking class gives you the chance to learn about the cuisine of the Kichwa Otavalo people, using the traditional kitchen (“tulpa”) and wood-fired brick oven. A local chef will guide you until the final and best stage: trying the food!
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Head higher into the Ecuadorian Andes with a scenic drive to Cotopaxi Province. The afternoon is free for you to acclimate to the higher altitude.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today's adventure starts with a visit to one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, the beautiful Cotopaxi Volcano, 5897 meters above sea level. This impressive, snow-capped volcano stands in the middle of the beautiful national park that bears its name. Learn about the area's unique flora and fauna and the volcano's history before continuing to Limpiopungo Lake to hike through the stunning "paramo," or grassland, spotting hummingbirds and wild horses. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant within the National Park before you journey back to Quito.
Breakfast
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport to catch your short flight over the Pacific Ocean to reach the unspoiled natural paradise of the Galapagos Islands. You’ll spend the first day in the lush green highlands on Santa Cruz island – with your first stop being at ‘Los Gemelos’ (“Two Twins”) which are immense craters formed by the remains of volcanic magma chambers which collapsed long ago and have now succumbed to the vegetation of the jungle. They represent a stunning sight. From here you’ll go on to see the Giant Tortoises at Primicias Ranch where you’ll find these beautiful creatures making their way through lava tunnels that have formed on the island. In the afternoon you’ll be taken to Puerto Ayora to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about the colourful ecosystems and varied species of this spectacular archipelago.
Breakfast
Today you’ll be taken by your local, English-speaking guide and wildlife-spotter extraordinaire, to see a place renowned for having one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere in the Galapagos: Tortuga Bay. Here you’ll find marine iguanas, brown pelicans, the brightly-coloured Sally Lightfoot crab, and flocks of flamingos going about their business as they meander their way along the pristine white sands. For the more adventurous travellers, you may be keen to sample a spot of surfing in this stunningly beautiful, remote reef. One thing’s for sure, this will not be a crowded setup, indeed - very few people in the whole world will be able to say that they have surfed this break.
Breakfast & Lunch
We’ve designed your tour so that your time in the Galapagos will be extremely special – you’ll have a choice of islands to visit, whether that be Bartolome, Santa Fe, the South Plaza, or the North Seymour. We'll give you a packed lunch to take with you wherever you decide to go. With a range of different activities on offer, you may choose to snorkel with the sea lions, take a hike beside the strolling iguanas, or see the sea birds gliding over awe-inspiring volcanic cliffs. With so much diverse flora and fauna on display and the lands coloured with so many unique species of wildlife.
Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy this day at leisure giving you time to explore the local area at your own pace.
Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy time at leisure before departing for your flight back to the mainland.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to the UK.
Your flight lands back in the UK today.
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The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is not required for entry into Ecuador for UK passport holders. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities & for general queries. We strongly advise you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-todate guidelines regarding required passport validity.
Please note that the Transit Control Card and Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee is not included in the cost of your tour.
Passengers are required to handle cash payments for these two items.
These are the current costs: • Transit Control Card (TCC): $20 USD per person. (to pe paid at the departure airport in the mainland) • Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee: $200 USD per adult and $100 USD per child under 12 years old. (to be paid on arrival in the Galapagos)
These amounts are subject to change, and you can find the most up to date information here: https://www.galapagos.org/travel/planning-a-trip/#journey
Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, getting on and off coaches, and climbing steps and modest hills and streets, that may be cobbled. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary. Please note that Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Ecuador and is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
The currency in Ecuador is the US Dollar. Cash machines are available in Quito and Guayaquil. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country. Cash machines will also be available in the bigger towns and cities but may not be available in smaller towns and villages.
As normal practice you may be asked for your Credit / Debit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. Approximately £500- £600 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.
Tipping
It is at your customary / discretion to tip both your driver and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately USD$5.00 per person per day. This is a total of USD$90 per person to budget for tips on your trip. Tips will be collected at the beginning/end of your tour. Tips are accepted in the local currency.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. Should the tour not meet minimum numbers, then it will be operated with local guides only.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
For your extension an English Speaking Guide is assigned for the entire program except the day of the Daily Boat Trip to another island, here a guide is assigned depending on the destination.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Canada. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Meals will be provided as per the detailed itinerary. When included Breakfast will be of western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included in the tour so you will be able to choose where you dine for these meals. Your guide will be able to offer recommendations if you wish
Vegetarian and Vegan meals can be catered for. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed counties water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way as the UK. Bottled Water will be available to purchase at Shops, Hotels & Lodges.
On your arrival in Quito you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Pure! Ecuador, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Pure! Ecuador representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your representative available 24 hours a day should you have any queries.
If you need to contact Pure! Ecuador during your stay the details are:
Pure! Ecuador Calle Isla Santa Fe N-43-106 entre Thomas de Berlanga y Río Coca. Quito - Ecuador Contact number: 00593 2 2441721 E-mail: info@pure-ecuador.com/marcia@pure-ecuador.com
Emergency contact information: Please find below the emergency contact details for Pure! Ecuador 24 hour contact number: 00593-9 84484148 24 hour e-mail: info@pure-ecuador.com
