Best of the Galapagos

(8 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Quito, Galapagos cruise (3 nights), Galapagos lodge (Santa Cruz Island)

This luxury tour combines a Galapagos cruise with a stay at a luxury lodge on Santa Cruz Island to give you the best of both worlds in this incredible destination. This tour can easily be combined with additional destinations in mainland Ecuador, as well as in Peru, Argentina or Chile.

Begin in Quito, the capital of Ecuador and a historic city set among snowcapped volcanoes in the Andes. With your private local guide, tour the city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with Spanish colonial-era architecture. Explore interesting back streets, hidden courtyards and churches with spectacular interiors. Visit the best museums, traditional workshops, markets and other sites according to your interests. Perhaps also shop for a high-quality Panama hat—an Ecuador original.

Next, fly to the Galapagos Islands, a dream destination for nature lovers. Spend four days exploring the Galapagos Islands on one of our preferred expedition cruises. Each day, tour different islands with an expert naturalist, and get close to giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas and other iconic Galapagos wildlife. See the cycle of life up close, which depending on the season, might include mating rituals, newborns feeding, territorial squabbles, and more. Snorkel among sea turtles, playful sea lions and schools of brightly colored fish. Upon request, we arrange private yacht charters, SCUBA diving and other options in the Galapagos.

Continue to Pikaia Lodge, a luxury lodge on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos. During private touring on Santa Cruz, see incredible volcanic landscapes and enjoy an excursion to the giant tortoise reserve, lava tubes, scalesia forest and the Charles Darwin Research Station, where different subspecies of Galapagos tortoises are raised.

Upon request, this tour can easily be extended to include time in the Otavalo region, Amazon basin or other highly recommended destinations in Ecuador.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:

• Private touring with your own personal guides and drivers
• Preferred rooms in the very best luxury hotels
• Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our travel specialists
• Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and schedule
• Artisans of Leisure upgrades and amenities
• A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, skipping lines during touring whenever possible, restaurant and spa reservations, performance tickets, private airport transfers, internal transportation, VIP and fast-track airport assistance in many destinations
• Around-the-clock support in each destination during your trip
• Unique, insider travel experiences and access to the Artisans of Leisure network of experts around the world