Hotel

Arrive in Quito this evening and transfer to your hotel for a brief welcome reception. Swissôtel

Visit the Equatorial Monument before exploring Quito's "Old Town" and marveling at the city's ornate churches, cathedrals and baroque architecture. Visit San Francisco Church, dedicated to Quito's patron saint and rich in artistic treasures, as well as La Compañía Church, whose glittering interior was created with seven tons of gold. Tonight, gather for a private welcome dinner.

This morning fly via coastal Guayaquil to the Galápagos archipelago, where you board 'Eclipse,' your home for the seven-night cruise that forms the heart of your itinerary. Settle in, attend an introductory briefing and get acquainted with the ship and staff.

Weather, water and wildlife conditions affect actual day-by-day itineraries, but visits are planned for the main islands and their landmarks, such as Pinnacle Rock on Bartolomé Island, Punta Espinoza on Fernandina Island, Gardner Bay and Punta Suarez on Española, the volcanoes of Isabela Island and the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island. Embark from 'Eclipse' in pangas (rubber boats) to explore rocky beaches and eerie volcanic landscapes speckled with cacti and sleeping sea lions. Wander among the Galápagos' unique species; with little experience of people, the Galápagos wildlife regards you with curiosity rather than fear. See sunbathing sea lions playing tag between surf and sand, skittering Sally Lightfoot crabs, tangles of marine iguanas, penguins, finches, pelicans, frigate birds, terns, boobies overhead and underfoot, the glint in the eye of a century-old tortoise. As you sail the blue waters between islands, there is time to relax, reflect and confer with your naturalist guide about the sights you have seen and those yet to come.

Disembark today and return to Quito, where this evening you join fellow travellers for a festive farewell dinner

Board your homebound flight